Vocabulary Acquisition
NONFICTION: “Call of Duty,” pages 4-9
October 2014
®
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ________________________
Vocabulary:
“Call of Duty”
Directions: Read the following definitions and example sentences.
1. deploy (dih-PLOY) verb; to move, spread out, or place in position for some purpose
• example: The company deployed two exterminators to rid my house of bedbugs.
2. dispatcher (dis-PATCH-ur) noun; someone who is responsible for receiving and transmitting
information, often via radio. Police and fire departments, emergency medical services, and
transportation services use dispatchers to relay information and coordinate operations.
• example: The dispatcher sent Fire Chief Sandra Middlebrook to the site of the blaze.
3. elite (ih-LEET) 1. noun; the part or group having the highest quality or importance; 2. noun; a
small group of powerful people; 3. adjective; representing the best; superior
• example 1: At the movie premiere, I found myself among the elite of the entertainment industry.
• example 2: The country’s elite owns and controls most of the wealth and power.
• example 3: The Olympic Games bring together elite athletes from around the world.
4. i mprovise (IM-pruh-vize) verb; 1. to compose, create, perform, etc. without preparation;
2. to make out of whatever happens to be on hand
• example 1: Keri doesn’t like to learn choreography; she prefers to improvise.
• example 2: The stranded sailor improvised a shelter using mud, sticks, and his life vest.
5. patter (PAT-ur) verb; 1. to make light, quick sounds; 2. noun; fast talk
• example 1: I love to listen to the rain patter against the window.
• e xample 2: The magician kept up a steady patter while he performed his tricks.
6. prosthesis (pros-THEE-sis) noun; an artificial device that replaces a missing part of the body
• example: Two years ago, my brother lost his lower left leg in a car accident. Thanks to his new
prosthesis, he has been able to return to snowboarding.
7. sable (SAY-buhl) noun; 1. a small weasel-like animal with dark brown fur; 2. adjective; black or
very dark brown
• e xample 1: While hiking in China, we spotted a sable climbing a tree.
• e xample 2: When I was a kid, I loved to brush and braid my older sister’s silky sable hair.
8. teeming (TEEM-ing) adjective; overly full or swarming with people or things
• example: It was pointless to go home because our city was teeming with zombies.
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Vocabulary Acquisition
NONFICTION: “Call of Duty,” pages 4-9
October 2014
Vocabulary Practice:
“Call of Duty”
Directions: For each pair of words below, write S if the words are synonyms (have the same or nearly the same
meanings) or A if the words are antonyms (have opposite meanings).
1. dispatcher
receiver_______
2. improvised
rehearsed_______
3. patter
chatter 4. elite
ordinary_______
5. prosthesis artificial limb _______
6. teeming
lacking
_______
_______
Directions: In each row of words, place an X on the word that does not belong.
17.
best
elite
inferior
select
8.
white
ivory
sable
cream
9.
improvised
prepared
planned
premeditated
10.
brimming
filled
empty
teeming
Directions: Choose two of the vocabulary words listed on the first page of this activity. Write an example
sentence using each one.
11. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
12. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
©2014 by Scholastic Inc. Teachers may project or make copies of this page to distribute to students.
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