Understanding Vocabulary in Context

What is the meaning of the bold word as it is used in the sentence?

The Union Pacific Railroad Company’s energetic main boss, Thomas Durant, was determined to make his company a success. He purposefully involved political figures in his plans, and eventually Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act into law.

• 
  Overly confident or arrogant

• 
  Unable to decide about which course to follow

• Having been learned through an investigation

• Strongly motivated to succeed

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

What is the meaning of the bold word as it is used in the sentence?

My grandmother Rose was always free with her time and attention for all six of her beloved grandchildren. She made a point of visiting us all, even as we aged.

• Completely wanting or lacking

• Without restraint

• Tolerant

• 
  Not occupied or in use

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

What is the meaning of the bold word as it is used in the sentence?

Kennedy pressured experts to come up with a space program. After much consideration of all the possibilities, one option stood out. Sending men to the moon, the experts agreed, was the way to go.

• To slow down or draw out

• An argument about something

• The process of giving careful thought to something

• A potential outcome of a particular scenario

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

What is the meaning of the bold word as it is used in the sentence?

Cats are one of the most common household pets in the United States. They are often referred to as domestic cats, to differentiate them from their ancestors in the wild.

• To cause to grow in a new way

• To be gradually disclosed or unfolded

• To grow or mature physically

• To mark as distinct

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

What is the meaning of the bold word as it is used in the sentence?

During each skiing competition, judges score performances based on a specific criteria that is outlined in the rubric.

• Any piece of work that is attempted

• a very slow movement, usually made with precision

• 
  A standard on which a judgment might be based

• Something deemed of great value or worth

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

What is the meaning of the bold word as it is used in the sentence?

A binary star is a system in which two stars revolve around each other.

• Something that cannot be divided into separate or smaller parts

• Consisting of two components or elements

• 
  A single and complete whole

• Having lots of natural or artificial light

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

What is the meaning of the bold word as it is used in the sentence?

For more than a decade, ducks traveled and landed on shores in South America, Europe, Australia, and even the Arctic. “But until the ducks came along again, we didn’t know how long it took to complete a circuit,” Ebbesmeyer said.

• A very slow movement

• A journey all the way around a particular area

• A regular trip to and from the same place

• An electrical device that provides a path for electrical current to flow

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

What is the meaning of the bold word as it is used in the sentence?

Even if you are in middle school, you can take classes in fashion design at many college campuses in New York.

• A place of business where professional duties are performed

• A place where the buildings of a university are situated

• A body of students who are taught together

• An education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

What is the meaning of the bold word as it is used in the sentence?

Paul Revere wanted to remain anonymous when Belknap published his 1798 account. Revere wrote “do not print my name” near his signature.

• 
  Known widely and usually unfavorably

• Having no known identity or source

• Publicly known and esteemed

• In complete agreement with all others

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

What is the meaning of the bold word as it is used in the sentence?

Government officials in Stockholm began to suspect that the radiation was coming from outside Sweden. Early detection of radiation by Swedish inspectors helped alert the world.

• The act of making up your mind about something

• Deciding or controlling something’s outcome or nature

• A position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration

• Discovery or finding of something

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RL.8.4