Determine Meaning of Unknown Words

The cowboys and cow dogs worked all day to move the cattle to their new pasture. The cows did not really want to move. Sometimes the men and dogs had to form a ring around the cattle to force them in the right direction. By evening their chore was complete.

Read the dictionary entry below.

ring

1. a band to wear on a finger

2. a sound made by a telephone

3. to hem in by circling

4. a circular course at a circus

Which meaning of ring was used in the paragraph?

• Meaning 1

• Meaning 2

• Meaning 3

• Meaning 4

What does little birdie say

In her nest at peep of day?

Let me fly, says little birdie,

Mother, let me fly away.

Birdie, rest a little longer,

Till thy little wings are stronger.

So she rests a little longer,

Then she flies away.

~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

Read the dictionary entry below.

fly

1. an insect

2. to move through the air

using wings

3. to travel in an airplane

4. to flee or escape

Which meaning of fly was used in the paragraph?

• Meaning 1

• Meaning 2

• Meaning 3

• Meaning 4

Latin root for know.

• loc

• cogn

• ped

• sign

In the story, "Nature's Firefighters," it says: "Strong winds whip flames into firestorms that rip through the combustible plants, threatening lives and costing billions of dollars in damage."

What does the word firestorm mean?

• an intense, destructive fire

• fire that rains from burning clouds in the sky

• a tool for fighting fires

• a goat that battles fires

When Wei Yei got a tiny cut on her pinky finger, she became melodramatic, and sobbed and demanded to see a doctor.

What does melodramatic mean?

• quiet

• overly emotional

• angry

• not angry enough

Knowing that the Latin root astr- means stars/space can help us determine the meaning of the underlined word in this sentence: The astronomer received her bachelor's of science degree in physics from Kansas State University.

• Someone who studies stars and outer space

• Someone who stars in a movie

• Someone who looks like a star

• Someone who travels to stars

Knowing that the Greek root "bio" means life can help you determine the meaning of the underlined word in the following sentence: There is a greater biomass in the rainforest than in the arctic.

• A scientist who studies life

• Reptiles and mammals

• The amount of living things in a habitat

• A story written about someone's life

Knowing that the Greek root "chron" means time can help you determine the meaning of the underlined word in this sentence: My grandpa has been suffering from chronic back pain for the last twenty years, and the doctors can't figure out why.

• Putting events in a timeline

• Something lasting a long time

• Something lasting a short time

• A device that tells time

Knowing that the Greek root "poly" means multiple/many can help us determine the meaning of the underlined word in this sentence: The polyglot could speak French, Japanese, Arabic, and English.

• Someone with many different college degrees

• Someone with many nationalities

• Someone born in many different countries

• Someone who knows many languages

Knowing that the Latin root "port" means to carry can help you determine the meaning of the underlined word in this sentence: The porter struggled to balance the 4 suitcases on top of each other as he walked them to the guest's room.

• A person whose job it is to carry luggage

• A machine that carries luggage

• Something that is easy to carry

• A ship that carries people from one destination to another