Read the following study guide for a concept review: Learning Word Roots Help
Learning Word Roots Practice
Words in Context
The following exercise will help you figure out the meaning of some words from the vocabulary list by reading context clues. After you have read and understood the paragraph, explain the context clues that helped you with the meaning of the vocabulary word. Refer to the answer section at the end of this chapter for an explanation of the clues.
Medical researchers can now verify that college freshman living in dormitories are at a greater risk of contracting meningitis than other college students. Meningococcal meningitis is a tenacious bacterial infection of membranes around the brain and spinal chord that, if left untreated, can be fatal.
Symptoms include fever, neck stiffness, and constant pain from a chronic headache. College officials are using this information as an inducement for vaccinating incoming freshman. Many universities are now offering this vaccine either free or for a nominal fee. The vaccination's protracted effectiveness is three to five years.
Sentence Completion
Insert the correct word from the vocabulary list into the following sentences.
- Cambodian government officials are preparing to prosecute those leaders most responsible for the Khmer Rouge's _____ of one-fifth of the total population of the country.
- Almost every area of our lives will be affected by our country's _____ changes as the baby boomers age.
- Some infomercials promise rock-hard abdominals as a(n) _____ to buy a variety of exercise machines.
- Janice is awfully quiet and pale tonight; it's such a contrast to her normally _____ personality.
- Because of the _____ they feel for people, studies show that dogs in hospitals treat human patients with unconditional love.
- During the annual San Fermin running of the bulls festival, spectators try to avoid the path of _____ bulls.
- After the car collision, the passenger suffered from _____ back pain for the rest of his life.
- Health fitness experts now _____ that walking ranks as America's most popular activity.
- Temperatures in the desert can _____ greatly from brutally hot during the day to freezing temperatures at night.
- Because of their known _____ toward their human companions, over one thousand dogs were sent overseas to protect American soldiers during the Vietnam War.
- It's hard for my grandfather not to _____ over having to go into a retirement home, as he wants to remain independent as long as possible.
- Famous sports and movie personalities often travel _____ in order to avoid being hounded by the media.
- In order to _____ the alleged thief, proper police procedures must be followed.
- The celebrity guest was known for his exciting storytelling; the talk-show host asked her_ ____ guest to tell the story of his youth.
- After placing their home for sale, the homeowners _____ the first offer for their house because it was too low.
- Even after being treated with strong antibiotics, the _____ ear infection would not ease its grip on its victim.
- The radio was turned down so low that it was barely _____
- The _____ dispute between management and the team players lasted several years.
- Since there was only a(n) _____ fee to enter the bike race, everyone could participate.
- Animal cloning begins with a(n) _____ procedure in which scientists remove the DNA containing nucleus of a female animal's egg and replace it with the genetic material from a body cell of an adult animal's donor
Synonyms
The following exercise lists vocabulary words from this chapter. Each word is followed by five answer choices. Four of them are synonyms of the vocabulary word in bold. Your task is to choose the one that is NOT a synonym.
- vivacious
- cheerful
- bubbly
- animated
- tenacious
- tenacious
- interrogate
- grill
- verify
- ask
- cross-examine
- interview
- tenacious
- steadfast
- lazy
- stubborn
- strong
- hardworking
- chronic
- continuing
- constant
- intermittent
- unceasing
- never-ending
- incognito
- disguised
- undercover
- anonymously
- secretly
- open
- illegible
- indecipherable
- scrawled
- scribbled
- audible
- unreadable
- fluctuate
- vary
- steady
- vacillate
- oscillate
- ebb and flow
- agonize
- struggle
- torment
- contend
- upset
- endure
- nominal
- supposed
- small amount
- actual
- in name only
- so-called
- pathos
- sorrow
- joy
- suffering
- pity
- grief
Antonyms
Choose the word from the vocabulary list that means the opposite, or most nearly the opposite, of the following groups of words.
- passive, peaceful, nonviolent, diplomatic
- silent, reserved, reticent, taciturn
- disloyalty, betrayal, unfaithfulness, treachery
- accepted, agreed to, assented, wanted
- primitive, unrefined, uncultured, naīve
- agreeable, amenable, easygoing, flexible
- disprove, refute, invalidate, contradict
- candidly, openly, honestly, frankly
- languid, unenergetic, unhurried, lethargic
- occasional, intermittent, discontinued, rarely
Matching Questions
Match the word in the first column with the corresponding word in the second column.
- genocide a. sent back
- audible b. sympathy
- verify c. destruction of a race
- tenacious d. disguised
- rejected e. talkative
- fidelity f. to suffer anguish
- loquacious g. can be heard
- agonize h. loyalty
- incognito i. stubborn
- pathos j. prove
TIP
Using a new word throughout the day will help you to remember it. Choose a word in the morning and try to use it before you go to bed at night.
Practice Activities
The following are words that have the same roots as the words in this chapter. Divide each word into its parts: prefix, root, suffix. See if you can recognize the meaning of the new words and check your answers using a dictionary.
agony, audit, antebellum, chronicle, democracy, infidel, influx, progeny, diagnosis, surrogate, soliloquy, anonymous, apathy, distracted, interjected, philosopher, tenable, voracious, vivid
Select any five words from the list and create your own sentences.
Crossword Puzzle
Choose the word from the vocabulary list that best fits into the crossword puzzle. You can check your answers at the end of the chapter following the answers to the questions.
Answers
Words in Context
After reading the paragraph, we learn that a study has been done that shows that college freshmen living in dormitories have a higher risk of getting meningitis; therefore, we can conclude that verify means confirm. Because this disease can be fatal, we can understand that once contracted, it is not easily wiped out; thus, we can infer that tenacious means persistent and not easily stopped. Since the symptoms include constant pain from a headache, we can deduce that chronic means continual. It makes sense that college officials are concerned about the possible outbreak of such a disease on campus and would take measures to prevent its occurrence, so we can infer that inducement means encouragement. Students would be encouraged to take the vaccine if it were free or inexpensive; therefore, we can see that nominal means a small amount. Finally, we can gather that protracted means drawn out by the mention that the vaccine will last from three to five year.
Sentence Completion
- genocide. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- demographic. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- inducement. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- vivacious. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- pathos. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- belligerent. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- chronic. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- verify. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- fluctuate. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- fidelity. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- agonize. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- incognito. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- interrogate. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- loquacious. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- rejected. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- tenacious. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- audible. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- protracted. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- nominal. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
- sophisticated. If you got this question wrong, refer back to the word's definition.
Synonyms
- d. tenacious. Vivacious means lively, so tenacious would not be a synonym of the word, since it means stubborn.
- b. verify. Interrogate means to question, so verify would not be a synonym of the word, since it means confirm.
- b. lazy. Tenacious means stubborn, so lazy would not be a synonym.
- c. intermittent. Chronic means recurring, so intermittent would not be a synonym of the word, since it means alternating.
- e. open. Incognito means in disguise, so open would not be synonym of the word, since it means visible.
- d. audible. Illegible means hard to read, so audible would not be a synonym of the word, since it means easy to hear.
- b. steady. Fluctuate means to change, so steady would not be a synonym of the word, since it means unchanging.
- e. endure. Agonize means to struggle, so endure would not be a synonym of the word, since it means to bear, or to accept.
- c. actual. Nominal means supposed, so actual would not be a synonym of the word, since it means real.
- b. joy. Pathos means sadness, so joy would not be a synonym of the word, since it means delight.
Antonyms
- belligerent. Belligerent means aggressive, the opposite of the meaning of the words in the group.
- loquacious. Loquacious means talkative, the opposite of the meaning of the words in the group.
- fidelity. Fidelity means loyalty, the opposite of the meaning of the words in the group.
- rejected. Rejected means not wanted, the opposite of the meaning of the words in the group.
- sophisticated. Sophisticated means urbane, the opposite of the meaning of the words in the group.
- tenacious. Tenacious means stubborn, the opposite of the meaning of the words in the group.
- verify. Verify means to prove, the opposite of the meaning of the words in the group.
- incognito. Incognito means in disguise, the opposite of the meaning of the words in the group.
- vivacious. Vivacious means energetic, the opposite of the meaning of the words in the group.
- chronic. Chronic means constant or habitual, the opposite of the meaning of the words in the group.
Matching Questions
- c
- g
- j
- i
- a
- h
- e
- f
- d
- b
Crossword Puzzle Solution
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From Vocabulary & Spelling Success in 20 Minutes A Day. Copyright © 2009 by LearningExpress, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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