Figurative Meanings 3

In 1848 new laws were passed in South Africa. The laws separated people according to race. They made white people the ruling class and gave them many privileges, but took away all rights of black people, placing them on the bottom rung of the ladder. These laws were called "apartheid." What do the underlined words mean?

• at the top level of society

• in new jobs

• on ladders for people to see

• at the lowest level of society

In 1957 Russia sent the first satellite into space. In 1961, a Russian was the first human to orbit the Earth. Needless to say, the United States was a little jealous of these "firsts." The US began spending billions on the space program in order to beat the Russians to the moon. What do the underlined words mean?

• not very jealous

• extremely jealous

• somewhat jealous

• not at all jealous

In 1962 nuclear missiles were installed in Cuba. The missiles were within striking distance of American cities. And they were capable of doing great damage. The entire world waited to see what would happen next. Would the US and Cuba go to war? What do the underlined words mean?

• every person on Earth

• many people in the world

• American citizens

• just the rich people

American Gothic is one of the most famous painting in the world. It features an unsmiling farmer holding a pitchfork and his equally stern-faced daughter. This painting made artist Grant Wood a household name almost overnight. What do the underlined words mean?

• familiar only to home owners

• familiar to many people

• familiar to families

• the painter's name

The English language has about a million words. Twenty percent of those words follow the same rules. But 80% are from other languages. These borrowed words don't follow the same rules. No wonder English is so hard to learn! What are "borrowed" words?

• words from other languages that are used only for a short time

• words from other languages that are illegal to use

• words from other languages that become part of the English language

• words from other languages

People in Italy speak mostly Italian today. But Latin was once the official language in that part of Europe. In fact, the Latin alphabet is the most widely used in the world. Many of today's languages come from Latin, but Latin is now considered a dead language. What do the underlined words mean?

• Latin is used only for funeral services.

• Latin is not used much today.

• Latin is illegal to use today.

• Latin is found only in history books.

Folktales are stories that are handed down among the common people of a culture. They can have both human and non-human characters. The humans often stand for one quality, such as greed. The non-humans might be elves or talking animals. What does the underlined words mean?

• happening often

• ordinary; not special in any way

• shared by two or more people

• perfect in most ways

Every summer, powwows are held all over the country. At powwows, Native Americans meet in order to socialize with friends and families. They hold horse races, play games, sing, and dance ceremonial dances. What does the underlined word mean?

• to be introduced to

• to meet one on one

• to satisfy

• to come together

The Romans believed that gods could control people's emotions. For example, they believed Cupid was the god of love. Cupid had wings and always carried a bow and lots of arrows. Romans thought Cupid could make people fall in love by shooting them with one of his arrows. What does the underlined word mean?

• a curved piece of wood with a string stretched along it

• to bend low at the waist

• a knot with loops and tails

• the front part of a ship

Most castles in the Middle Ages were built of hills, so the people who lived there could see their enemies coming. Also, many castles had a moat, or lake, around them. A drawbridge could be lowered or raised in order for people to cross the moats. What does the underlined word mean?

• collected

• looked after children

• lifted up

• got loud