Words in Context Foundations Practice
Objective:Students will be able to understand and apply strategies for identifying the meanings of words in context, improving their ability to tackle vocabulary questions on the SAT.
When preparing for the SAT, mastering vocabulary is a crucial step toward achieving a high score. One of the most effective ways to understand and retain new words is by learning to grasp their meanings within the context they are used. This approach not only helps you on the SAT but also enhances your overall reading comprehension skills
Guided Practice (30 minutes)
Passage Analysis:
Passages for Analysis
Passage 1 : "The scientist's hypothesis was initially met with skepticism by her peers. However, after a series of rigorous experiments, her findings were vindicated, and the initial doubt gave way to widespread acclaim."
Exercise 1: Identifying Context Clues
Word: Skepticism Question: Based on the context clues, what does "skepticism" most likely mean? Answer: B) Doubt
Sentence: "The scientist's hypothesis was initially met with skepticism by her peers."
Context Clues: Look at the words and phrases around "skepticism." What can help you understand its meaning?
Word: Rigorous Question: What does "rigorous" most likely mean? Answer: C) Thorough
Sentence: "However, after a series of rigorous experiments, her findings were vindicated..."
Context Clues: Identify the words that describe the experiments. What kind of experiments would vindicate findings?
Word: Vindicated
Sentence: "...after a series of rigorous experiments, her findings were vindicated, and the initial doubt gave way to widespread acclaim."
Context Clues: Consider what happens to the findings after the experiments. What does it mean?
Passage 2: "Although the artist's avant-garde style was initially dismissed as frivolous by critics, it eventually garnered widespread recognition for its innovative approach and profound impact on contemporary art."
Word: Avant-garde
Question: Based on the context clues, what does "avant-garde" most likely mean?
A) Traditional
B) Innovative
C) Conventional
D) Outdated
Answer: B) Innovative
Sentence: "Although the artist's avant-garde style was initially dismissed as frivolous by critics, it eventually garnered widespread recognition for its innovative approach and profound impact on contemporary art."
Context Clues: The sentence contrasts the initial dismissal of the style with its eventual recognition for being innovative, suggesting that "avant-garde" means innovative.
Word: Frivolous
Question: What does "frivolous" most likely mean?
A) Important
B) Serious
C) Unimportant
D) Respectable
Answer: C) Unimportant
Sentence: "Although the artist's avant-garde style was initially dismissed as frivolous by critics, it eventually garnered widespread recognition for its innovative approach and profound impact on contemporary art."
Context Clues: The style was dismissed by critics, implying it was not taken seriously. This suggests that "frivolous" means unimportant.
Word: Garnered
Question: What does "garnered" most likely mean?
A) Lost
B) Collected
C) Ignored
D) Spent
Answer: B) Collected
Sentence: "...it eventually garnered widespread recognition for its innovative approach and profound impact on contemporary art."
Context Clues: The sentence indicates that the artist's style eventually received recognition, implying that "garnered" means collected or received.
Passage 3 - Homework :
"The politician's rhetoric was often viewed as inflammatory by opponents, but his supporters found it compelling and inspiring, attributing his eloquence to his success in garnering votes."
Words to Identify:
Rhetoric
Inflammatory
Compelling
Eloquent
Questions for Practice:
Based on the context clues, what does "rhetoric" most likely mean?
What does "inflammatory" most likely mean?
What does "compelling" most likely mean?
What does "eloquence" most likely mean?
By completing these exercises and homework assignments, students will enhance their ability to use context clues to understand unfamiliar words, a crucial skill for SAT success.
Tips for Success:
Encourage students to read widely and regularly to improve their vocabulary.
Remind them to practice using context clues and other strategies whenever they encounter unfamiliar words.
Suggest keeping a vocabulary journal to track new words and their meanings.
By the end of this lesson, students should feel more confident in their ability to decipher unfamiliar words on the SAT using context clues and other strategies.
Advanced SAT Vocabulary Practice
Word: Ineffable
Sentence: "Despite the ineffable beauty of the sunset, the onlookers remained silent, perhaps too moved by the scene to speak."
Context Clues: The onlookers were silent because they were too moved by the scene, suggesting that the beauty of the sunset was beyond words or description, hence "ineffable" means inexpressible.
Question: Based on the context clues, what does "ineffable" most likely mean?
A) Ordinary
B) Inexpressible
C) Predictable
D) Tangible
Word: Laconic
Sentence: "Despite the ineffable beauty of the sunset, the onlookers remained laconic, perhaps too moved by the scene to speak."
Context Clues: The onlookers remained laconic, or brief in their speech, because they were too moved by the scene to speak much, suggesting that "laconic" means using few words.
Question: What does "laconic" most likely mean?
A) Verbose
B) Cheerful
C) Brief
D) Enthusiastic
Word: Obfuscate
Sentence: "The politician's attempt to obfuscate the issue with technical jargon was met with frustration by the audience."
Context Clues: The audience's frustration indicates that the politician's use of technical jargon made the issue unclear, suggesting that "obfuscate" means to confuse.
Question: Based on the context clues, what does "obfuscate" most likely mean?
A) Clarify
B) Simplify
C) Confuse
D) Illuminate
Word: Perfunctory
Sentence: "The clerk’s perfunctory response to the customer’s complaint showed a lack of genuine concern."
Context Clues: The clerk's lack of genuine concern suggests that the response was done mechanically, without real effort, indicating that "perfunctory" means carried out with minimal effort.
Question: What does "perfunctory" most likely mean?
A) Detailed
B) Enthusiastic
C) Haphazard
D) Mechanical
Word: Sycophant
Sentence: "The sycophant eagerly agreed with everything the manager said, hoping to gain favor."
Context Clues: The desire to gain favor by agreeing with everything the manager says suggests that a "sycophant" is someone who flatters others for personal gain.
Question: What does "sycophant" most likely mean?
A) Critic
B) Leader
C) Follower
D) Flatterer
Word: Vicissitude
Sentence: "The adventurers faced many vicissitudes during their journey, from harsh weather to treacherous terrain."
Context Clues: The description of harsh weather and treacherous terrain suggests that "vicissitudes" refers to challenges or difficulties.
Question: What does "vicissitude" most likely mean?
A) Stability
B) Misfortune
C) Opportunity
D) Challenge
Word: Proclivity
Sentence: "She has a proclivity for meticulous work, often spending hours perfecting the smallest details."
Context Clues: Spending hours perfecting details indicates a natural tendency towards meticulous work, suggesting that "proclivity" means a tendency.
Question: Based on the context clues, what does "proclivity" most likely mean?
A) Aversion
B) Dislike
C) Tendency
D) Fear
Word: Trepidation
Sentence: "Despite his trepidation about speaking in public, he delivered an excellent speech."
Context Clues: The contrast between his fear of public speaking and delivering an excellent speech suggests that "trepidation" means fear.
Question: What does "trepidation" most likely mean?
A) Confidence
B) Fear
C) Indifference
D) Excitement
Word: Garrulous
Sentence: "The normally garrulous professor suddenly fell silent when the topic of his research was brought up."
Context Clues: The professor's usual talkativeness compared to his sudden silence suggests that "garrulous" means excessively talkative.
Question: Based on the context clues, what does "garrulous" most likely mean?
A) Quiet
B) Reticent
C) Talkative
D) Reserved
Word: Munificent
Sentence: "The munificent donor's contribution significantly improved the school's facilities."
Context Clues: The significant improvement to the school's facilities due to the donor's contribution suggests that "munificent" means more generous than usual.
Question: What does "munificent" most likely mean?
A) Stingy
B) Generous
C) Unkind
D) Selfish
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