"The riverboat Columbia Queen takes passengers on an almost 1,000 mile journey along the route taken by explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in the early 1800's. Along the way, the boat makes stops where passengers can disembark and see wildlife and artifacts onshore."

What is the meaning of disembark as it is used in this paragraph?

"A particularly boisterous student was very hard to deal with. He would be rough and disorderly right after I had asked the class to maintain peace in the teacher's absence." 

Which of these phrases from the passage gives a clue about the meaning of boisterous? 

"Snowmobiles are causing problems in some of our national parks. Particulate matter, emitted by engines of vehicles, is a cause of haze and smog."

In the sentences above, what is the meaning of the words particulate matter? 

"Although skateboarding has become a popular sport, few people think of skateboarders as real athletes. However, skateboarders need to be in good shape when they compete. They aspire to be just as fit as professional football and basketball players."

Based on the passage, which of the following is the best meaning of aspire?

"With his feature-length Straight Out of Brooklyn, Matty Rich stepped forward as the youngest of the new wave of African American filmmakers. He proved wrong the local naysayers who didn't think a poor kid of seventeen could make a movie."

What is the meaning of the word naysayers in the selection above?

"The United States economy seems well on the road to recovery after one of the worst recessions on record. Consumers show surprising resilience as they continue to buy household goods, automobiles, and new homes."

Resilience refers to...

"California sea lions are social and ramble with each other, using different sounds and signals. Though some species of sea lions emit deep, harsh, guttural sounds, the California sea lions usually bleat, roar, or bark. California sea lions are known to be one of the noisiest among the fin-footed species." 

What does the word ramble suggest in the paragraph above? 

"The election had been two days ago, and after the results were announced, Marina smiled weakly at her opponent and gave him a reluctant civil handshake. Her classmates could tell that she was upset though."

What does the word civil suggest in the sentences above?

"Marina was a strong-willed girl and did not show sadness about her defeat, but everybody knew that the results killed Marina."

What does the word strong-willed suggest about Marina?

"The modern-day pizza, on the other hand, originated in Italy. The story goes that King Umberto I and Queen Margherita were on their way to Naples after the unification of Italy in 1861. They demanded a change from their usual meals and were presented with an assortment of pizzas. The type of pizza that Queen Margherita enjoyed most had a topping of red tomatoes, green basil, and soft white cheese." 

What does the author's use of the word demanded in the paragraph above suggest about King Umberto I?

"It was the bottom of the ninth inning. The Cougars were due to bat with the score tied at three apiece. I couldn't believe we had advanced this far in the playoffs. Right off the bat, the starting pitcher walked the first two players. I was due up next."

What is the meaning of right off the bat? 

"The Cougars needed a solid hit to score the runner from second and win the game. I wanted to be the hero; I wanted it so badly I could taste it." 

What is the meaning of so badly I could taste it?

"I am a college student. I am studying to be an accountant - someone who keeps track of businesses' finances. Right now, I don't have much money to buy things or to go out with my friends. I am pretty good at baking bread and cakes. Therefore, I got a job as a baker because ___________.

Which phrase completes the pun in the sentence from the passage?

"Ivan was planning a camping trip. He told his friend Vince that he was going to camp at Daingerfield State Park. Vince said, "Be safe."

What is funny about Vince's statement?

"Samuel had always been a patient young man. He was raised with four sisters by a single mother, just him and these five females. Often, he felt like an alien among them, as so many things about these women just didn't make sense. One or another of his sisters would erupt in a volcano of emotion, for what seemed like Samuel to be the smallest of issues. That didn't happen to Samuel. To him, his emotions always felt room temperature, neither hot not cold."

What is meant by the metaphor erupt in a volcano of emotion?

"Dina was not the most graceful person in the world, but she hated it when people caught her in action. Anytime she fell in an embarrassing manner, there was almost always a witness to the disaster. The worst fall of all was when Dina tumbled down a flight of stairs, broke the handle of her suitcase, and tore the sleeve of her suit jacket. To make matters worse, Ralph, her crush, was about to give her a ride to the airport. "Are you okay?" Ralph asked, giving her a hand. "Never been better," Dina responded, turning red."

Dina's response "never been better" is ironic because...

"Norman and Bella knew they were being followed. As they tried to bolt through the alley, they could hear the footsteps getting closer and closer. Norman panicked and wanted to shelter himself, but Bella had a brilliant idea. She picked up a nearby stick, waved it at the dogs, and tossed it. They immediately went for it, and Norman and Bella walked away relieved."

Using context clues, what does the word shelter mean?

"Debby requested that her professor strike her name off the event registration because she would not be able to attend the seminar."

Which sentence uses the word strike as it is used in the sentence above?

"Mario was way too sharp to trick with an April Fool's joke."

Which sentence uses the word sharp as it is used in the sentence above?

"The Blue Reuben replaces the traditional dressing with bleu cheese. Reuben pizza substitutes sweet potato dough for bread."

Which of these words is a synonym of substitutes? 

"Eager to flee the hustle and bustle of San Francisco, Kelly sought the __________ of Morro Bay."

What word goes in the blank? 

"They introduced the use of a puck. The goal was to shoot the puck through the goalposts." 

Which of these words is an antonym of shoot? 

Select the pair of words that best expresses a relationship most similar to the pair provided - lotion: dry skin.

Which sentence below uses the underlined word correctly?

Which sentence uses "choose" or "chose" correctly?

overspending: bankruptcy:: joke: __________