Context Clues Assessment

The teenaged boy had a prodigious appetite, which allowed him to consume large amounts of food.

What does prodigious mean?

• small

• helpful

• strange

• large

Based on context clues in the passage below, trifle means ______________.

Her cat was dying, and she worried about a trifle like her torn dress!

• A thing of little importance

• Something giant

• Everything

• Something hopeful

The conspicuous man wore a purple wig and large sunglasses.

• easily noticed

• beautiful

• sleeping

• shy

Dan did not enjoy his job as a dishwasher. It was monotonous work, doing the same thing over and over 

• inspiring

• disgusting

• boring

• dangerous

Tonya was relaxing with a magazine when her father walked in, looking perturbed and sounding annoyed, too. What words give you clues to the meaning of perturbed?

• can you help me

• her father walked in 

• sounding annoyed, too

• relaxing with a magazine

The students were cheerful they had extra recess but then the mood was somber when they found out they had homework.

• shyly

• hungry

• serious

• happy

Hurricane Katrina caused a great cataclysm-New Orleans was a disaster.

What word(s) in the text helped you determine the meaning of the word?

• great

• disaster

• New Orleans

• caused

What does the word ephemeral mean as used in the sentence?

• lengthy

• long lasting

• brief

• infinite

Though the ephemeral thunderstorm lasted only a short time, it damaged homes and knocked down trees.

What word(s) in the text helped you determine the meaning of the word?

• short

• damaged

• knocked

• thunderstorm

Even from far away, the luminous glow of the city’s lights could be seen against the dark sky.

What word(s) in the sentence helped you determine the meaning of the word?

• lights

• dark

• far away

• sky