Dictionary Skills Practice

Read the paragraph below.

13 The little brown beetle drew out the tiny wings from her sides. "Nobody said anything about having to run to win the race," she replied, "so I flew instead."

Which definition best matches the way drew is used in paragraph 13.

• to go steadlily or gradually

• to sketch with lines

• to pull from a holding place

• to choose by chance

Read the paragraph below.

2 Now, six years later, Michelle was attempting to capture a sunset for a local photography contest. She groaned as storm clouds rolled in before the sun had a chance to cast its vibrant colors across the sky.

Which definition most closely matches the way the word capture is used in paragraph 2?

• to gain control by force

• to hold someone's interest

• to take an opponent's piece in a game

• to preserve a mood, scene, or quality

Read the paragraph below.

19 I watched Uncle Roy make his way back to the barn. He was right. Grandma loved me so much that I couldn't bear to keep anything from her.

Which definition best matches the meaning of bear as it is used in paragraph 19?

• to make a product

• to give a statement as a witness

• to tolerate a burden

• to possess a certain characteristic

Read the paragraph below.

8 The rediscovery of the yellow-spotted bell frog, though, does not mean that it is out of danger. On its own, a colony of 100 frogs has little chance of long-term survival. One worry that remains is the fungus. Possibly, as Hunter hopes, this colony survived because it is resistant to the fungus. Another explanation is that somehow its location provided protections from the fungus.

Which definition of the word measures is used in paragraph 10?

• looking similar to

• able to withstand

• hidden from sight

• becoming unwanted

Read the paragraph below.

10 In the meantime, other measures have been taken to protect the yellow-spotted bell frog. Among them was a long delay in announcing the frog’s rediscovery. This delay, Hunter said, gave experts time to develop plans to protect the colony. Even now,the exact location of the colony remains a secret. This will help keep human intrusion to a minimum so that what may be the yellow-spotted bell frog’s last remaining refuge will remain, in fact, a refuge.

Which definition of the word measures is used in paragraph 10?

• an acceptable amount

• a standard used for comparison

• an action intended to achieve a result

• a size, capacity, or weight of an object