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WorksheetsAnalyzing Word Meanings
Total questions: 10
Worksheet time: 5mins
"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.
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
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
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
Earth is a terrestrial planet-- it has a compact, rocky surface.
What kind of meaning is present?
connotative
technical
figurative
"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
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
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
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.
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
