Using Context Clues to Determine New Vocabulary

They called him Moshe the Beadle, as though he had never had a surname in his life.

In this sentence, surname means...

• a nickname

• a family name

• a first name

• a middle name

Nobody ever felt embarrassed by him. Nobody ever felt encumbered by his presence.

Encumbered means...

• restricted

• hopeless

• embarrassed

• encouraged

He was a master in the art of making himself insignificant, of seeming invisible.

In this sentence, insignificant means...

• artistic

• intelligent

• unimportant

• unhappy

I was twelve. I believed profoundly. During the day I studied the dictionary, and at night I ran to the religious center to weep over the destruction of the Temple.

In this sentence, profoundly means...

• willingly

• deeply

• happily

• sadly

The train full of deportees had crossed the border and on Polish territory had been taken in charge by the police.

In this sentence, deportees refers to...

• workers who travel from place to place

• cross-country travelers

• businessmen

• people who are expelled from a country

At that time, it was still possible to obtain emigration permits to go to Palestine.

In this sentence, emigration means...

• exotic bird

• vehicle

• mobile

• relocation

With some of my schoolmates, I sat in the Ezra Malik gardens, studying a treatise in the law books.

In this sentence, the word treatise means...

• a formal writing on a topic

• peace treaty

• practice test

• a study guide prepared by students

My father was telling them anecdotes and expounding his own views on the situation in order to help them understand.

In this sentence, the underlined words respectively mean...

• strict rules; aggressively arguing

• jokes; persuading

• brief stories; explaining in detail

• unimportant lessons; overlooking

The dawn brought new opportunities, and there was nothing left of this melancholy.

In this sentence, melancholy means...

• lonely night

• exaggerated happiness

• overwhelming sadness

• unfortunate accident

My father was telling them anecdotes and expounding his own views on the situation.

Which context clue would help a reader to determine the meaning of anecdote?

• my father

• was telling

• own views

• situation