Context Clue Reading Comprehension

What does the word "fortress" in the phrase "their desks pushed close together like a fortress against the world" most likely mean?

• A place of learning

• A stronghold or defense

• A playground for fun

• A bridge to others

What does "apathy" mean in the sentence "By the time Jake and Lila reached the end of high school, their apathy had grown"?

• Excitement

• Interest

• Lack of care or concern

• Curiosity

What does "scraping by" mean in "They barely graduated, scraping by with just enough effort to pass"?

• Excelling with ease

• Passing with minimal effort

• Failing miserably

• Winning awards

What does "diverging" mean in "their lives diverging into parallel stories of struggle and regret"?

• Coming together

• Separating into different directions

• Staying the same

• Improving rapidly

What does "entrapment" mean in "Jake’s apartment felt more like a cage than a home, symbolizing his entrapment"?

• Freedom and independence

• Being stuck or confined

• A sense of adventure

• A feeling of happiness

What does "blistered" mean in "His hands were rough and blistered from the repetitive labor"?

• Smooth and soft

• Covered with painful sores

• Strong and healthy

• Delicate and fragile

What does "hollow-eyed" mean in "she hardly recognized the tired, hollow-eyed woman staring back"?

• Bright and cheerful eyes

• Eyes that appear empty and lifeless

• Large and expressive eyes

• Small and squinting eyes

What does "ominously" mean in "the neon sign flickering ominously like a warning"?

• Happily and brightly

• Cheerfully and warmly

• Threateningly and forebodingly

• Calmly and peacefully

What does "chasm" mean in "Their laughter was gone, replaced by silence that felt like a chasm"?

• A bridge connecting them

• A deep gap or divide

• A shallow puddle

• A light whisper

What does "haunted" mean in "Jake and Lila were haunted—not by ghosts, but by the choices they hadn’t made"?

• Comforted by their past

• Disturbed and troubled by their past

• Encouraged by their memories

• Indifferent to their experiences