L 8.4a Vocabulary in Context

The home team made sure that the officials were on their side. They won a close game and the championship with many questionable decisions from the officials. However, no one from any other town would accept the winners as legitimate champions.

What does "legitimate" mean?

• real

• talented

• sneaky

• good looking

Some people believe that lawyers are always working to see that justice is done. On the other hand, some believe that lawyers only want to manipulate the legal system to get what they want. Could both sides be right?

What does "manipulate" mean?

• Control in a dishonest way

• Give help

• Teach about or explain

• Disagree with

We walked slowly down the trail with great trepidation. No one who had gone this way had ever been heard from again. Had they simply found a better place to settle on this dark planet? We doubted that.

Which word is a synonym of "trepidation"?

• Movement

• Worry

• Enjoyment

• Laughter

Only an hour or so had passed before a tremendous roar shook the ground. At that very moment, a strange grey creature materialized before our eyes. It resembled a lizard in shape. It was about ten feet high at the shoulders and at least fifty feet long.

What did the creature do?

• It whipped its tail back and forth.

• It stomped its feet.

• It showed its sharp teeth.

• It appeared.

Kathy was looking for a strong but light material to use for making her water jugs. Unfortunately, she chose noodelite. It proved to too porous to hold jelly.

A porous material is one that....

• Is good for holding things that you pour

• Protects you in pouring rain

• Allows liquids to flow through it

• Is necessary for making bowling balls

We have rather lofty expectations for you, son. You will attend college. You will become rich and famous. You will be elected president of the United States before you turn forty.

Which word is a synonym of "lofty"?

• High

• Shaky

• Small

• Lowly

You’d better hie yourself over here,” she continued, “or we’ll leave without you. Ashlee was not happy with her friend Samantha. “I’ve been waiting here for an hour!” she growled into her cell phone. The word "hie" most closely means:

• hurry, or hasten

• stroll, or walk slowly

• float above the trees

• greet in an unfriendly manner

When Beth and Donna were fighting over a boy who didn’t like either one of them, Shana stepped in as a mediator. She sat them both in a corner and kept them talking to each other. Finally, Shana’s efforts resulted in her two friends making up. The word "mediator" most closely means:

• troublemaker

• peacemaker

• witness

• competitor

No one suspected that Jerry was a spy. On the surface he behaved like any normal citizen. When his covert activity was discovered and announced to the world, we were all shocked. The word "covert" most closely means:

• friendly

• helpful

• loud

• hidden

The workers stood in front of the factory and wondered what to do next. The doors were locked and the windows were boarded up. They doubted that they would even collect their final pay checks now that the company was insolvent. The word "insolvent" most closely means:

• broke, or out of money

• hiring new workers

• changing a name

• making too much money