Analyzing word meanings

"The next morning thousands upon thousands of these black. winged insects, known as cicadas, cover sidewalks, mailboxes, tree branches, and roofs across certain areas of the United States. The loud throb of their alien-sounding, high-pitched screeches fills the air."

Look at the underlined sentence. What does the author's word choice suggest about the sound that cicadas make?

• It is so fascinating that everyone should hear it.

• The sound is breathtakingly rhythmic and musical.

• The noise is both awful and annoying.

• The screeches are dangerous enough to lead to hearing loss.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.6

CCSS.RI.7.6

CCSS.RI.7.9

CCSS.RI.8.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

Authors select words for their connotative meaning because...

• it expresses not just an idea, but a feeling.

• it explains the idea in an unexpected and unique way

• it gives a direct definition

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.4

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

While hunting, the stealthy orcha whales sneak up on the seals and attack, whipping and splashing around as they devour their prey.

Which 2 words have connotative meaning?

• hunting

• whipping

• stealthy

• prey

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

Paying attention to the different types of meaning will help you...

• answer the questions correctly

• understand the passage more

• understand how the author thinks and feels about a topic

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

Earth is a terrestrial planet-- it has a compact, rocky surface.

What kind of meaning is present?

• connotative

• technical

• figurative

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

"Even if you don't get to witness the great cicada awakening, it's worth pondering the phenomenon. Despite years of research, the life cycles and habits of cicadas still present puzzles to modern science. Researchers are especially interested in periodical cicadas; these insects live only in this part of the world, and they appear just once every 17 years, on the dot."

Why has the author chosen to use the figurative phrase "on the dot?"

• to describe the small holes made by cicadas as they hatch

• to highlight their specific and extraordinary life cycles

• to identify the precise location where they may be seen

• to suggest the amazing regularity of when they will emerge

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Of the four terrestrial planets, Earth is the largest, and the only one with extensive regions of liquid water. Water is necessary for life as we know it, and life is abundant on Earth — from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains.

Which word has connotative meaning?

• terrestrial

• abundant

• deepest

• largest

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

Look at the picture and read how the two people describe the music. Fill in the blank spaces with the right word to describe how they feel about the music.

The words intense and earsplitting are both ways of saying that something is loud. But intense suggests 1)_______ feelings, while earsplitting suggests 2________ feelings. Although they have similar meanings, they have different connotations.

• 1) positive

  2) negative

• 1) negative

  2) positive

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Read the passage:

" Many musicians have an instinctive understanding of how musical sound interacts with our bodies. They know-- they feel-- that sound impacts our bodies in a way no other art does. Opera singer Irene Gubrud says, 'As a very young child, I experienced who I was through sound. I felt whole.'"

When Irene Gubrud says "I felt whole," what does she mean?

• She always knew she would grow up to sing opera

• She realized that nothing was missing from her life

• She understood that sound affected her body

• She believed that opera was the best type of music.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

1) Sam felt sick when he was on the boat.

2) Sam felt nauseated when he was on the boat.

What is the difference in connotation between the words "sick" and "nauseated?"

• sick has a stronger connotation than nauseated

• the words do not have the same/a similar definition

• nauseated has a stronger connotation than sick

• there is no difference

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4