Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Context Clues
Context Clues
Context Clues
1. Though Samantha's test was partially done, 2. The soft pliable wood was easy to bend.
she received a low grade because it was not
complete. In this sentence, the word pliable means
bendable
In this sentence, the word partially means rough
badly solid
finally hard
completely
incomplete
3. The altar boy was an acolyte - a helper in 4. My best friend has been a companion to me
the religious service. for five years.
In this sentence, the word saturated means In this sentence, the word hideous means
old beautiful
smelly scary
wet funny
dirty lovely
7. Mom had to sterilize, or clean, the baby's 8. The lady sat primly straight in the chair.
bottle.
In this sentence, the word primly means
In this sentence, the word sterilize means proper or tall
dirty slouched
throw out up
clean down
buy
9. We are planning a picnic for today. It is 10. Tara watches the TV continuously, or all
sunny and warm outside. It will be an the time.
idyllic day - just perfect for a picnic.
In this sentence, the
In this sentence, the word idyllic means word continuously means
flawed in the morning
unsure all the time
perfect never
bad in the country
image: http://www.yourdictionary.com/index.php/image/articles/18580.ThinkstockPhotos-
454181141.jpg
A context clue is a source of information about a word that helps readers understand the word. This
word or phrase offers insight, either directly or indirectly, into the word’s meaning.
Using the contrast clue, the word besotted in this sentence means
decent foolish
unaware incomplete
2. Brad made a cursory effort to finish his homework. This was unlike him; usually he worked
hard to finish before dinner.
Using the contrast clue, the word cursory in this sentence means
insincere valid
genuine actual
3. I thought the painting of the waves crashing into the shore was very picturesque, but I
thought the one next to it was quite ugly.
Using the contrast clue, the word picturesque in this sentence means
attractive colorful
large soothing
4. The omnipotent superhero always won his battles, unlike his weak opponents.
Using the contrast clue, the word omnipotent in this sentence means
almighty or all powerful powerless
weak
5. After being ill and unable to eat for three days, Beverly had a voracious appetite.
Using the contrast clue, the word voracious in this sentence means
satisfied small
quenched big
6. We were all pretty apathetic in the movie about animals, but we became interested when it
started showing all the tricks dogs could do.
Using the contrast clue, the word apathetic in this sentence means
gracious uninterested
angry sleepy
Context Clues I
1. a
2. d
3. a
4. b
5. d
6. d
7. a
8. b
9. d
10. a
Context Clues I
Post test
1. Tommy was a real avid baseball card collector. He inherited the desire to collect
cards because his dad had a collection, too.
a. eager
b. careless
c. apart
d. fearful
2. Her Christmas bills added up. After the holidays, her extravagance was going to
take several months to pay off.
a. economy
b. praise
c. external
d. overdoing
3. It was gratifying to see how she acted toward her grandmother because her
grandmother was always kind to her.
a. pleasing
b. nervous
c. aggravating
d. unclear
4. The boy was caught stealing from the store. His larceny caught up with him when
the owner showed him a video tape.
a. gift
b. theft
c. lawless
d. honor
5. The ideas she presented to the class were clearly an untested theory because there
had never been any research done on it.
a. magic
b. brutal
c. indictment
d. belief
6. His eternal light would shine on the people even after his death.
a. temporary
b. ethical
c. reformed
d. endless
7. He cut the paper precisely on the line, and it fit perfectly in the grooves of the
picture frame.
a. exactly
b. embellish
c. outer
d. advance
8. The boy tried to justify his actions to his mother by explaining the reasons why he
did what he did.
a. depend
b. prove
c. strict
d. concourse
9. She did several backbends in a row to show how limber she was, so that she could
be chosen for the squad.
a. enthused
b. responsive
c. likely
d. flexible
10. He climbed the mountain and stood looking over the tops of the trees on the
mountain across from him. He was right on the precipice and could have fallen.
a. edge
b. stiff
c. top
d. under
Context Clues II
Post test
1. The ghastly face of the dead man floated up from the bottom of the pool
and scared us all.
a. tamed
b. fat
c. horrible
d. egosistical
2. The generous man handed out 20 dollar bills to the homeless at Christmas time.
a. ignorant
b. rendered
c. overcast
d. kind
3. The boy always minded his mother and father's rules, and they loved
their obedient child.
a. independent
b. do what he's told
c. never works
d. quiet
4. The smells coming from the kitchen enticed the neighbors to come over and see
what was baking in our oven.
a. reared
b. tempted
c. argued
d. alarmed
6. She has devoted her life to making sure that the children of her community were
fed and had a chance to go to the doctor.
a. met
b. given
c. recorded
d. decreased
7. The young man frequently reads new books. Yesterday he checked out five more.
a. often
b. logically
c. delved
d. developed
8. The man grew up on a farm and went to school in the rural community of Marfa.
a. suburb
b. island
c. country
d. static
9. There was much evidence that the burglar had been in their home because chairs
were overturned and many items were broken.
a. help
b. support
c. mess
d. decision
10. The girl was mortified to see that her name was on the board for talking too much
at lunch, and she put her head down on her desk and cried.
a. happy
b. intense
c. shocked
d. indecisive
1. c
2. d
3. b
4. b
5. c
6. b
7. a
8. c
9. b
10. c
mood I could see from his smile that he was in a good mood.
Diphthongs
rate – late – Kate – fate – race – base – place – same – name – take – ache
– lake – rage – age – wage – save – cave – wave;
ray – gray – play – lay – day – may – say – way – pray – stay – stray –
delay;
fail – mail – sail – rail – raise – raid – afraid – wait – straight – faint – paint;
ride – nice – ice – life – file – smile – line – fine – quite – rise – wise – prize
– hi;
find – kind – mind – blind – child – mild – wild – climb – rifle – trifle – title –
idle;
high – sigh – sign – right – fight – night – light – sight – height;
lie – die – tie – dye – rye – bye – eye – buy – guy – alibi;
diet – client – quiet – riot – giant – lion – violet – dial – diary – diagram –
denial – trial – science – society – pioneer;
fire – hire – dire – wire – tire – tired – entire – aspire – expire – desire –
require – acquire – empire.
how – cow – now – allow – owl – brown – down – town – clown – drown –
crown – crowd – powder – browse – browser;
loud – proud – cloud – out – shout – about – doubt – foul – noun – house –
mouse – mouth – south – couch;
noise – voice – avoid – poison – join – coin – point – boil – foil – oil – spoil –
toil – exploit;
role – bone – phone – stone – close – note – notice – lonely – home – hope
– open – ocean – remote – suppose;
cold – gold – hold – old – bold – sold – told – roll – poll – control – bolt –
colt – folk – yolk – comb – don't – won't;
road – load – boat – coat – oat – oak – soak – goal – coal – coach –
approach – roast – toast – boast – coast;
low – know – mow – snow – show – tow – owe – own – bowl – blow – blown
– grow – grown – growth – throw – thrown;
A vowel letter can represent different vowel sounds: hat [hæt], hate [heit],
all [o:l], art [a:rt], any ['eni].
(Одна гласная буква может передавать разные гласные звуки: hat [hæt],
hate [heit], all [o:l], art [a:rt], any ['eni].)
The same vowel sound is often represented by different vowel letters in
writing: [ei] they, weigh, may, cake, steak, rain.
(Один и тот же гласный звук часто представлен разными гласными
буквами на письме: [ei] they, weigh, may, cake, steak, rain.)
Open syllable: Kate [keit], Pete [pi:t], note [nout], site [sait], cute [kyu:t].
Closed syllable: cat [kæt], pet [pet], not [not], sit [sit], cut (the neutral
sound [ə]).
been [i];
e, ee be, eve, see, meet, sleep, bread, deaf [e];
[i:] ea meal, read, leave, sea, team, great, break
ie, ei field, believe, receive [ei];
friend [e]
[i] i it, kiss, tip, pick, dinner, machine, ski,
y system, busy, pity, sunny liter, pizza [i:]
[e] e let, tell, press, send, end, meter [i:]
ea bread, dead, weather, leather sea, mean [i:]
a late, make, race, able, stable,
[ei] ai, ay aim, wait, play, say, day,
said, says [e];
ei, ey eight, weight, they, hey,
height, eye [ai]
ea break, great, steak
[æ] a cat, apple, land, travel, mad;
AmE: last, class, dance,
castle, half
army, car, party, garden,
park, war, warm [o:]
[a:] ar
father, calm, palm, drama;
a
BrE: last, class, dance, castle,
half
[ai] i, ie ice, find, smile, tie, lie, die,
y, uy my, style, apply, buy, guy
group, soup
[au] ou out, about, house, mouse,
[u:]
ow now, brown, cow, owl, powder
know, own [ou]
[o] o not, rock, model, bottle, copy
Note 2: Diphthongs
A diphthong is one indivisible vowel sound that consists of two parts. The
first part is the main strong component (the nucleus); the second part is
short and weak (the glide). A diphthong is always stressed on its first
component: [au], [ou]. A diphthong forms one syllable. American linguists
usually list five diphthongs: [ei], [ai], [au], [oi], [ou].
Примечание 2: Дифтонги
Дифтонг это один неделимый гласный звук, который состоит из двух
частей. Первая часть главный сильный компонент (ядро); вторая часть
короткая и слабая (скольжение). Дифтонг всегда имеет ударение на
первом компоненте: [au], [ou]. Дифтонг образует один слог.
Американские лингвисты обычно приводят пять дифтонгов: [ei], [ai],
[au], [oi], [ou].