Vocabulary Lesson 1 Q2

Context Clues

Standards

ELACC8RL4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including connotative meanings ELACC8L4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase

Task

• Each of the follow sentences or sentence groups contains a word from this unit’s vocabulary list. Look at the way each word is used and use the context to determine the word’s meaning and part of speech. Later, we will confirm or add to the definition.

Melodious

He was eating an apple, and giving a long, melodious whoop, at intervals, followed by a deep-toned ding-dong-dong, ding-dong-dong, for he was personating a steamboat.

--Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain Melodious birds filled the morning air with song.

melodious

• • Adj; Of or producing, or having a pleasant tune or sound; tuneful

Tranquility

The sun rose upon a tranquil world, and beamed down upon the peaceful village. --Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer Squeaky finds a true sense of tranquility in her daily runs.

• • Adj Calm; peaceful

tranquility

Enthrall

Books constantly enthrall Walter; in fact, he often reads in school when he is supposed to be working on math or science. Johnny becomes enthralled with the idea of playing with his kidnappers.

enthrall

• Capture the attention of; interest greatly

Vex

But, for many minutes, the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall. I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye.

--Edgar Allen Poe, The Tell Tale Heart

vex

• • verb To irritate; provoke; annoy; bother

Belligerent

Because Walter constantly gets into fights, soon he establishes a reputation. Teachers view him as a belligerent child who is difficult to work with. Johnny’s belligerence soon make his kidnappers wish they could just return him to his parents.

Belligerent

• • Adjective Hostile and aggressive