Self-Test 1: Vocabulary in Context

Directions: Print out this self-test. Write your answers on this page. Click below when finished to check your answers.

Read the following sentences. Underline the examples used to define the word in bold and then write a definition for the word. Use a dictionary to check your definitions.

1. Amphibians, such as frogs, toads and salamanders, live close to water.

2. Tom bartered by trading his vegetables for fruit.

3. There are many objects made out of chrome, like chairs, tables, and bumpers on cars.

4. The delicate kitten required gentle handling, a special diet, and regular visits to the veterinarian.

5. Joe was ecstatic about his grade, yelling and jumping, as he called his parents.

Read the following sentences. Underline the synonym that appears in the sentence/s that defines the word in bold. Use a dictionary to check your answers.

6. The police were confused by the girl’s disappearance. Her parents were also baffled.

7. She had a bungalow on the corner. The small one-story house needed a new coat of paint.

8. It is not so unusual to see people with blue, green or purple hair; however, ten years ago, those hair colors were worn by people who were considered eccentric.

9. I failed completely in high school. My grades, my social life, even my job all fizzled!

10. Sometimes hospitals hold fundraisers to help benefit their patients. The money raised is used on behalf of these patients to research cures for different diseases.

Read the following sentences. Underline the antonym that appears in the sentence/s that helps define the word in bold. Then write a definition for the word. Use a dictionary to check your definitions.

11. Rather than amnesty, the man was punished and sent to prison.

12. After the dolphin population was decimated by the hurricane, Sea World rebuilt their numbers through its breeding program.

13. Commercials for laundry detergent always compare dingy clothes to clean, white clothes.

14. The young couple was simply not compatible. When they were first together, they thought they were suitable for each other but soon found out otherwise.

15. It seemed that the march would continue forever. After four hours, the march ceased, and the soldiers were allowed to rest.

Read the following sentences. Use the general sense of the sentence/s to help define the word in bold. Then write a definition for the word. Use a dictionary to check your definitions.

16. Arizona has suffered a drought for seven years. As a result, the forests have turned brown and many acres of trees have burned.

17. Some people believe that they cannot change what happens in their lives. I, however, believe that I am responsible for my own destiny.

18. Magician Roy Horn was critically injured when a white Siberian tiger lunged at him and bit him in the neck.

19. My commute to work was so long that I decided to move.

20. It’s fun to have fresh croissants for breakfast. They smell just like fresh bread from the bakery.

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