Benchmark Bootcamp

Context Clues

• The message, lesson, or moral of the text.

• The sequence of events within a story.

• Hints that the author gives to help define a difficult or unusual word.

• The writers personal perspective or interpretation

Read the sentence and determine the meaning of the word "cease" using cross sentence clues or your prior knowledge. Then, explain what clues in the sentence helped you determine the word meaning. Sentence: James, you need to cease tapping your pencil because other people are trying to concentrate.

• Stop

• Continue

• Run

• Control

Read the sentence and determine the meaning of the word "transparent" using cross sentence clues or your prior knowledge. Then, explain what clues in the sentence helped you determine the word meaning. Sentence: You don't want to wrap your presents in plastic wrap because plastic wrap is transparent and everyone will know what you got.

• Obsessed

• Angry

• Thick

• Clear

Read the sentence and determine the meaning of the word "simpleton" using cross sentence clues or your prior knowledge. Then, explain what clues in the sentence helped you determine the word meaning. Sentence: She tried to pay me with play money, as though I were a simpleton who would accept it.

• Idiot

• Smart

• Crazy

• Disgusting

Read the sentence and determine the meaning of the word "dreadful" using cross sentence clues or your prior knowledge. Then, explain what clues in the sentence helped you determine the word meaning. Sentence: I became a vegetarian when I found out about the dreadful treatment that factory farmed animals receive.

• Happy

• Lucky

• Awful

• Weird

Read the sentence and determine the meaning of the word "stammer" using cross sentence clues or your prior knowledge. Then, explain what clues in the sentence helped you determine the word meaning. Sentence: Rob is a cool guy and normally he makes great conversation, but when he gets around Vicky all he does is stammer.

• Continue

• Happy

• Pause

• Fun

Read the sentence and determine the meaning of the word "eager" using cross sentence clues or your prior knowledge. Then, explain what clues in the sentence helped you determine the word meaning. Sentence: Having read all of the Fightland books, Jessica was so eager to see the Fightland movie that she lined up at the movie theater at midnight dressed as her favorite character.

• Late

• Fun

• Happy

• Excited

My best friend was having a party Friday night, but I also had a baseball game. This was going to be a tough decision. If I do not go to the game, I will let my team down.

• Courage

• Sacrifice

• Honesty

• Loyalty

She sobbed for hours trying to think of a way out of having to tell her father she wrecked her new car. After stewing over it for quite some time, she called her father on his cell phone. “Thank you,” he said.

• Greed

• Honesty

• Courage

• Loyalty

The phone rang. She dropped the phone and tears began to drop onto her cheek. Her lip quivered as she pictured the scene that was described to her. “No!” she wailed.

• Loss/Grief

• Honesty

• Greed

• Teamwork