Precise Vocabulary - 12th Grade EpicEd

Cooper’s essay is too vague. How would you suggest he revise it by adding more precise and domain-specific language? Select the best word or phrase from the list of options.

At one time, the idea of having self-driving vehicles, nanotechnology, and jet-injected medication was sheer folly. But much of yesterday’s science fiction has become today’s reality. While each invention (moves/propels/encourages)

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humankind forward, perhaps no discovery would have as great

an impact as locating a nearby exoplanet, or planet outside our solar system, that would be (OK for/good for/ conductive to)

 human habitation.

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(Astronomers/Scientists/People interested in planets)

 

have devised various methods for locating planets.ation.

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For example, satellites allow scientists to observe 

(lots/a bunch/tens of thousands

 of) stars at a time. 

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Scientists can then use telescopes to observe a star’s radial (speed/velocity/swiftness).

 

 

.

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When a star (moves/goes/wobbles)

   , it’s likely in response to a nearby planet’s gravity. Scientists also use telescopes to measure changes in a star’s brightness. Dimming means that a planet might be nearby.

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Finding a planet located within the (habitable/livable/comfortable)

 

 zone—the right distance from a star to allow it to have liquid water and not become too hot to support life—is perhaps the most coveted prize of the century. How long will it be before we get there?

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Adding Similes, Metaphors, and Analogies

Read each passage. Then select the better option for how you might use similes, metaphors, or analogies to improve the passage.

Passage 1

Imagine a cave so deadly that approaching birds fall from the air. It might sound horrifying, but this place is very real. The cave is known as Pluto’s Gate, and it’s located in the ancient city of Hierapolis, Turkey.

• Change the first sentence to Imagine a cave so deadly that approaching birds fall from the air like stones plunging to the ground.

• At the end of the paragraph, insert the following sentence: This death trap is as unforgiving as a calm sea.

Answer explanation

Good! Comparing the birds to stones helps readers imagine the scene and understand the deadly nature of the cave.

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Passage 2

Ancient scholars wrote about Pluto’s Gate, describing its ghastly mists and deadly powers, but archaeologists only recently unearthed the site. Even 2,000 years later, the cave is still lethal. While excavating the site, archaeologists witnessed several birds enter the cave and immediately perish.

• At the end of the paragraph, insert the following sentence: The birds were like sacrificial lambs.

• Change the second sentence to this: Even 2,000 years later, air near the cave is still a dragon’s breath of toxins.

Answer explanation

Good job! This metaphor captures the deadly and mysterious nature of the air near the cave.

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Revising to Add Precise Language

Antonio would like to add precise vocabulary, similes, metaphors, and analogies to the essay he’s writing in order to make his points memorable. Can you offer some suggestions?

Revise each passage, and then check for sample revisions.

For years, Manhattan’s High Line was nothing more than an abandoned elevated rail line. Today, however, it’s a garden that draws people in to walk its paths and rest on its benches.

Answer explanation

For years, Manhattan’s High Line was nothing more than an abandoned elevated rail line, a lifeless skeleton of steel and decaying rail ties. Today, however, it’s a floating oasis, drawing people in to walk its paths and rest on its benches.

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