Use context to identify the meaning of a word

Read the passage and then answer the question.
A typical human baby is born with around 300 bones, but by the time that baby reaches adulthood, it will have only 206. Initially, such a notable diminution in the number of bones may seem counterintuitive—shouldn't a skeleton need more bones, not fewer, as it grows? The explanation lies in the way bones grow and develop.With age, the human skeleton undergoes a process of bone fusion. Newborns' bones are spongy and give way to pressure because they are made primarily of cartilage. These malleable bones make it easier for a newborn to pass through the narrow birth canal. Over time, however, the bones gain more calcium and join together, forming the 206 bones that make up an adult's skeletal structure.
What is the meaning of diminution as used in the passage?

• increase
• variation
• adjustment
• decrease

Tags

CCSS.L.6.4C

CCSS.L.7.4C

CCSS.L.8.4C

CCSS.L.9-10.4C

CCSS.L.11-12.4C

Read the passage and then answer the question.
A typical human baby is born with around 300 bones, but by the time that baby reaches adulthood, it will have only 206. Initially, such a notable diminution in the number of bones may seem counterintuitive—shouldn't a skeleton need more bones, not fewer, as it grows? The explanation lies in the way bones grow and develop.With age, the human skeleton undergoes a process of bone fusion. Newborns' bones are spongy and give way to pressure because they are made primarily of cartilage. These malleable bones make it easier for a newborn to pass through the narrow birth canal. Over time, however, the bones gain more calcium and join together, forming the 206 bones that make up an adult's skeletal structure.
What is the meaning of malleable as used in the passage?

• poorly made
• thin or narrow
• easily broken
• able to bend or shape

Tags

CCSS.L.6.4C

CCSS.L.7.4C

CCSS.L.8.4C

CCSS.L.9-10.4C

CCSS.L.3.4D

Read the passage and then answer the question.
To define and trace the history of every single word in the English language—that was the ambitious goal of the Philological Society of London in 1857 when they set out to create what would eventually become the Oxford English Dictionary. In order to make the process of gathering information more efficient, the lead editor, James Murray, used crowdsourcing. He asked, through advertisements and word of mouth, that volunteers around the English-speaking world send in definitions and documented uses of words. Millions of submissions were received.The first edition of the dictionary was published in 1928, more than fifty years after the project was initially announced. The ten-volume edition covered more than four hundred thousand words and phrases, making it the most comprehensive dictionary of its time. Because language constantly evolves, supplements have been added over the years to account for new words or changing meanings; in March 2014, for example, the words bestie and beat boxer were added.
What is the meaning of crowdsourcing as used in the passage?

• calling upon the services of many people
• full or complete coverage
• speeding up a process
• copying information

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.6.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.5.10

Read the passage and then answer the question.
To define and trace the history of every single word in the English language—that was the ambitious goal of the Philological Society of London in 1857 when they set out to create what would eventually become the Oxford English Dictionary. In order to make the process of gathering information more efficient, the lead editor, James Murray, used crowdsourcing. He asked, through advertisements and word of mouth, that volunteers around the English-speaking world send in definitions and documented uses of words. Millions of submissions were received.The first edition of the dictionary was published in 1928, more than fifty years after the project was initially announced. The ten-volume edition covered more than four hundred thousand words and phrases, making it the most comprehensive dictionary of its time. Because language constantly evolves, supplements have been added over the years to account for new words or changing meanings; in March 2014, for example, the words bestie and beat boxer were added.
What is the meaning of comprehensive as used in the passage?

• widely used
• well known
• complete
• expensive

Tags

CCSS.L.6.4C

CCSS.L.7.4C

CCSS.L.8.4C

CCSS.L.9-10.4C

CCSS.L.3.4D

Read the passage and then answer the question.
Symbiotic relationships, which occur when one organism is dependent on another organism for survival, are typically categorized into three different types of relationships: parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism. In each of these relationships, the organisms involved are benefited or harmed in different ways.
Parasitic relationships are often the most familiar types of symbiotic relationships. A common example is a flea living on a dog. In cases like these, the parasite gains a viable habitat to support its life cycle, while the host is harmed.
In a mutualistic relationship, on the other hand, both organisms in the relationship are better off because of their arrangement; that is, they benefit mutually from their interactions. For example, lichen is composed of two organisms, an alga and a fungus. The fungus acts like a sponge, holding on to water that the alga needs. At the same time, the alga is constantly converting sunlight into energy, so the fungus, which cannot perform this function for itself, benefits from a reliable energy source. Lichen is, in turn, engaged in a commensalistic relationship with the tree that it grows on. In a commensalistic relationship, one organism benefits and the other organism neither benefits nor suffers. The tree provides lichen with a place to grow, but the tree is unaffected.
What is the meaning of viable as used in the passage?

• unwillingly or forced
• able to find
• usable
• pleasant or luxurious 

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

Read the passage and then answer the question.
Symbiotic relationships, which occur when one organism is dependent on another organism for survival, are typically categorized into three different types of relationships: parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism. In each of these relationships, the organisms involved are benefited or harmed in different ways.
Parasitic relationships are often the most familiar types of symbiotic relationships. A common example is a flea living on a dog. In cases like these, the parasite gains a viable habitat to support its life cycle, while the host is harmed.
In a mutualistic relationship, on the other hand, both organisms in the relationship are better off because of their arrangement; that is, they benefit mutually from their interactions. For example, lichen is composed of two organisms, an alga and a fungus. The fungus acts like a sponge, holding on to water that the alga needs. At the same time, the alga is constantly converting sunlight into energy, so the fungus, which cannot perform this function for itself, benefits from a reliable energy source. Lichen is, in turn, engaged in a commensalistic relationship with the tree that it grows on. In a commensalistic relationship, one organism benefits and the other organism neither benefits nor suffers. The tree provides lichen with a place to grow, but the tree is unaffected.
What is the meaning of host as used in the passage?

• an organism that relies on the sun for food
• an organism that another organism lives on
• an organism that is not native to that particular area
• an organism that lives in or on another organism

Tags

CCSS.L.6.4C

CCSS.L.7.4C

CCSS.L.8.4C

CCSS.L.9-10.4C

CCSS.L.11-12.4C