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Eng I Contextual language Blizzard Bag 2014-2015
1. Read the following dictionary entry.
as•so•ci•ate
1. to bring together or into relationship 2. to combine or join with other parts 3. a partner or
colleague 4. a degree conferred especially by a junior college
Which definition best matches the use of the word associate in the sentence below?
Mr. Williams was Mr. Doyle's business associate.
A. Definition 4
B. Definition 1
C. Definition 3
D. Definition 2
2.
Directions: Select the correct text in the passage.
Which words in the passage help the reader to understand the meaning of the
word uninhabitable?
Image courtesy of NASA
Galilean Moons
Did you know that Earth isn't the only planet in the solar system to have a moon? In fact,
many of the other planets have multiple moons. Jupiter, for instance, has 67 confirmed moons!
However, 63 of these moons are quite small. The four largest moons—Io, Europa, Ganymede,
and Callisto—are approximately the same size as our Moon. These four moons of Jupiter are
known as the Galilean moons, named for Galileo, who discovered the four moons through his
telescope in the year 1610.
Jupiter and the Galilean moons are roughly 450 million miles from the Sun. This great
distance from the Sun's heat means Jupiter and its moons are very cold.Because of the frigid
temperatures, scientists believed that the Galilean moons wereuninhabitable, but recent
evidence shows that life could exist on these moons. For instance, Europa has a deep saltwater
ocean underneath a thick ice crust that covers the planet. Who knows what creatures could
lurk in that ocean?
3.
Directions: Select the correct text in the passage.
Which word or words in the passage help the reader to understand the meaning of the
word precarious?
Two-Party System
In the United States, the political system has two dominant parties—the Democrats and the
Republicans—and this makes it a "two-party system." The vast majority of elected U.S.
politicians are either a Democrat or a Republican. Although third parties occasionally try to run
against these two parties, no third party can compete against the funding and manpower
owned by the Democrats and Republicans.
Interestingly, as George Washington retired from the U.S. presidency in 1796, he firmly
warned the American people that political parties were precarious for liberty.
Washington feared that political parties could have a lasting negative impact on U.S. society.
Washington believed that political parties were risky because these organizations could pose a
threat to personal freedoms. Nevertheless, shortly after Washington left office, political parties
became a dominant fixture in U.S. politics and remain so to this day.
4. breed
v. intr.
1. To produce offspring.
2. To originate and develop: Mischief breeds in bored minds.
n.
3. A group of organisms having common ancestors and certain distinguishable characteristics,
especially a group within a species developed by artificial selection and maintained by
controlled propagation.
4. A kind; a sort.
What is the meaning of the word breed in the sentence below?
Michael Dell said that the Inspiron 600 was a new breed of computer.
A. Definition 4
B. Definition 1
C. Definition 3
D. Definition 2
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
When astronauts and cosmonauts first began circling the globe, they faced a unique
problem: how to keep track of all their stuff. On the ground, if you wanted to stow your car
keys, for example, you simply left them on the night table. They could be found in the
morning right where you left them—perhaps after a bit of last-minute searching on the
way out the door—but at least they stayed put.
Space travelers faced a different problem. Objects had a habit of just floating off. A
pencil, a wrench, would just hang around drifting weightlessly wherever a tiny shove or air
current would take it.
Keeping tabs on a capsule full of flotsam was a job in itself, a full-time job because if a
tiny piece lodged itself into the hardware, it could short-circuit who-knows-what. The fact
that orbital living quarters would make a phone booth look spacious only compounded the
problem of keeping things neat and orderly.
How could one make sure things stayed put?
The answer came in a system of hooks and loops that when pressed together tightly
stick to one another but when pried apart easily separate. Velcro—derived from velvet and
crochet—was first made in France. Each Velcro tape was made by hand and took almost
forever to produce.
Even today, no better substitute has been found. When getting ready to leave orbit,
space shuttle astronauts literally spend a full day in space collecting all of the material
Velcro-ed to the walls.
In addition, Velcro has been improved over the years. It has become impervious to
water, chemicals, and corrosive ultraviolet light. Extra-strong Velcro can be made out of
stainless steel and synthetic fibers that withstand temperatures upwards of 800 degrees F
and do not catch fire.
adapted from They All Laughed by Ira Flatow
5. The word impervious used in paragraph 7 means
A. synthetic.
B. attracted.
C. unaffected.
D. fireproof.
(1)
It is common knowledge that you are not supposed to cheat. So why do so many
students still do it? Rutgers’ Management Education Center surveyed 4,500 high school
students across the country. According to the results, 75 percent of them cheat. Another
survey of 18,000 students on 23 college campuses found that nearly 40 percent of students
plagiarize from the Internet. Several college students also confessed to fabricating lab
reports, inventing the data instead of taking the time to conduct the experiments.
(2)
These students jeopardize their academic careers each time they take a “short cut.”
Losing credit for a class and getting expelled are among the many consequences for
cheating in academic institutions. Schools often note instances of academic dishonesty on
student transcripts, causing detriment to the students’ future educational and employment
opportunities.
6. What does detriment mean as it is used in the passage?
A. agreement
B. damage
C. improvement
D. debate
Sighting the Purple Finch
Natalie had it down to a science. Every Saturday morning she would drive to Camano Park,
leave her Chevy pickup truck in the parking lot, and walk along an abandoned hiking trail. The
trail led to an isolated section of the park where an old wooden bench sat in the shade of a
magnolia tree. The bench had obviously been abandoned to decrepitude long ago: its wooden
construction sagged with the weight of past rains andencroaching moss. But the bench was
located a great distance from the noise of other visitors to the park, which was essential to
Natalie's purpose—watching for birds. Quiet, above all else, was most conducive to bird
sightings.
Natalie was an ornithologist, and it was here in Camano Park that she'd spotted more than
ten species of rare birds. She was a diligent observer and kept an inventory of the birds she'd
seen in a spiral notebook.
That Saturday, Natalie's tremendous patience paid off. Using her binoculars, she caught sight
of a reddish-purple color in the branch of a far-off maple tree. It was a purple finch!
Immediately Natalie made a note in her spiral notebook. The note read "Purple Finch=1." No
sooner had she jotted this note than the finch left its perch and flew directly toward her. She
watched as it swooped down and plucked an earthworm from the ground. Then, it zinged past
her and alighted on a branch directly over her head.
Taking care to remain quiet, Natalie aimed her binoculars overhead at the branch where the
purple finch had landed. Now, she could see a nest. Engrossed, she watched as the purple finch
fed its spawn. After watching uninterrupted for almost fifteen minutes, Natalie took out her
spiral notebook. She crossed out the "1" that she'd written next to "Purple Finch," and replaced
it with a "5."
7. In the last paragraph, the author says that Natalie is engrossed. Which of the following words
best defines engrossed?
A. absorbed
B. frustrated
C. detached
D. perplexed
8. Conducive as it is used in the last sentence of the first paragraph means
A. favorable.
B. simple.
C. frustrating.
D. fearsome.
Polyphenols
Polyphenols are found in phytochemical-rich
foods such as red grapes, cranberries, broccoli,
onions, honey, and several types of grains. The
health benefits of these antioxidants have been
studied by scientists for years, and research shows
that people who ingest large amounts of
polyphenols in their diets gain positive health
benefits. Antioxidants work by reducing the adverse
effects of free radicals, which have been linked to
liver damage, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer. A
few studies have suggested that when applied to
the skin, polyphenols can slow the extrinsic signs of
aging, such as wrinkles and age spots. These claims,
however, have not been widely accepted by the
medical community.
Alzheimer's disease — a
disorder involving the
progressive loss of mental
functions due to brain tissue
deterioration.
antioxidant — a molecule
capable of slowing or
preventing the oxidation of
other molecules and acting
against the effects of free
radicals.
free radical — a highly reactive
molecule that combines easily
with other molecules and can
cause damage to cells.
polyphenols — a group of
chemical substances found in
plants that protect against
various common health
problems and may reduce some
effects of aging.
9. Which of these words from the passage would most likely be defined in the glossary for this
book?
A. benefits
B. phytochemical
C. community
D. cranberries
Voters Urged Not to Eat Their Ballots
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters)—Canadians went to the polls in a federal election on
Monday with a firm warning from election officials: Please do not eat your ballots.
"Eating a ballot, not returning it, or otherwise destroying or defacing it constitutes a serious
breach of the Canada Elections Act," Elections Canada warns on its Internet site.
The issue was of sufficient concern to warrant inclusion in the site's "Frequently asked
Questions" section, above answers to such inquiries as "Why should I vote?" and "Am I
registered?"
Three Alberta men were charged with eating their paper ballots during Canada's last federal
election, in 2000. The members of the Edible Ballot Society were protesting against what they
said was a lack of real choice among candidates.
Copyright 2004 Reuters. Reprinted with permission from Reuters. Reuters content is the
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services, please visit Reuters website at www.reuters.com.
10.
firm, adj. aggressive, absolute, assured, certain, confident, demanding, domineering,
forceful, insistent, overbearing, sure
firm, adj. anchored, bolted, braced, cemented, screwed, welded
firm, n. agency, organization, bureau, company, department, office
How many noun forms of the word firm are listed in this thesaurus entry?
A. 7
B. 17
C. 6
D. 3
(1) In dealing with the State we ought to remember that its institutions are not aboriginal,
though they existed before we were born; that they are not superior to the citizen; that every
one of them was once the act of a single man; every law and usage was at man's expedient to
meet a particular case; that they all are imitable, all alterable; we may make them
better. (2) But politics rests on necessary foundations and cannot be treated
withlevity. (3) Republics abound in young civilians who believe that the laws make the city; that
commerce, education, and religion may be voted in or out; and that any measure, though it
were absurd, may be imposed on a people if only you can get sufficient voices to make it a
law. (4) The law is only a memorandum. (5) We are superstitious and esteem the statute
somewhat. (6) The statute stands there to say, "Yesterday we agreed so and so, but how feel ye
this article today?" (7) Our statute is a coin which we stamp with our own portrait; it soon
becomes unrecognizable and in process of time will return to the mint. (8) Nature is not
democratic, nor limited-monarchical, but despotic and will not be fooled or abated of any jot of
her authority by the protest of her sons; as fast as the public mind is opened to more
intelligence, the code is seen to be brute and stammering.(9) It speaks not articulately and must
be made to. (10) Meantime the education of the general mind never stops. (11) The reveries of
the true and simple are prophetic. (12) What the tender poetic youth dreams, prays, and paints
today, but shuns the ridicule of saying aloud, shall presently be the resolutions of public
bodies. (13)The history of the State sketches in coarse outline the progress of thought and
follows at a distance the delicacy of culture and aspiration.
adapted from Politics by Ralph Waldo Emerson
11. Sentence 2 says that politics cannot be treated with levity. How is Mr. Emerson telling the
reader to treat politics?
A. in a frivolous manner
B. with criticism and insults
C. avoid politics
D. with close scrutiny
Impact of Nuclear Technology
The development of the atomic bomb had several worldwide effects for the uses of nuclear
power. In addition to opening a new chapter in warfare, nuclear technology also resulted in
other advances, such as the invention of smoke detectors and x-ray machines, the discovery of
radiation therapy to treat cancer, and a new approach to electricity production.
The use of atomic bombs at the end of World War II evolved into an arms race. Countries
around the world began developing their own nuclear weapons programs, the Soviet Union in
particular. In response, the United States increased its production of nuclear weapons. The
arms race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union was marked by intense competition between
the two countries as each built up weapons caches in an attempt to keep up with the other.
12.
Directions: Select the correct text in the definitions.
Which definition fits the use of advances as it is used in the passage?
advance v. 1. to promote or raise in rank. 2. to lend money. 3. to move or put forward. 4. to
bring forward for recognition, consideration, or acceptance.
advance n. 1. progress or improvement. 2. a rise in cost or worth. 3. a prepayment before
money is due.