Latin and French phrases used in English

Grade 11 Reading Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   Raison d'être. Sentence: For the museum's founder, preserving the town's old letters was the raison d'être of the whole collection. Kira reads a phrase for its language clues. Which note names the language, a real clue and the meaning?

   • Latin: the apostrophe in d'être and the circumflex on ê are Latin spellings; it means a reason for existing.
   • French: the final -n in raison marks French words; it means a reason for existing.
   • French: the apostrophe in d'être and the circumflex on ê are French spellings; it means the main reason behind a decision.
   • French: the apostrophe in d'être and the circumflex on ê are French spellings; it means a reason for existing.

2. Read this first

   Phrase

   Prima facie. Sentence: The lawyer argued that the unsigned receipt was prima facie proof of payment, enough to win unless the store could show otherwise.

3. 2.

   Luz reads a phrase for its language clues. Which note names the language, a real clue and the meaning?

   • Latin: the -a and -ie endings, with no accent marks, point to Latin; it means at first sight, enough unless disproved.
   • Latin: the accent over the e in facie marks Latin; it means at first sight, enough unless disproved.
   • French: the -a and -ie endings, with no accent marks, point to French; it means at first sight, enough unless disproved.
   • Latin: the -a and -ie endings, with no accent marks, point to Latin; it means the first of several proofs offered.

4. Phrase

   Ad infinitum. Sentence: The two committees could pass the question back and forth ad infinitum, since neither had the power to decide it.

5. 3.

   Noah reads a phrase for its language clues. Which note names the language, a real clue and the meaning?

   • French: the preposition ad and the -um ending point to French; it means endlessly, without limit.
   • Latin: the preposition ad and the -um ending point to Latin; it means repeatedly, until people are sick of it.
   • Latin: the hyphen between the two words marks Latin; it means endlessly, without limit.
   • Latin: the preposition ad and the -um ending point to Latin; it means endlessly, without limit.

6. Council report

   Under the 1998 charter, the school board is the ___ authority over the district (blank A). In practice, the superintendent makes nearly every decision, so the superintendent is the ___ authority (blank B).

7. 4.

   Pia fills two blanks with close phrases. Which pair fits?

   • A: de jure; B: ex officio
   • A: de facto; B: de jure
   • A: de jure; B: de facto
   • A and B: de facto

8. Board minutes

   By the time the board met, the contractor had already poured the foundation, so the decision was a ___ (blank A). The vote on the minutes was ___, a formality nobody wanted to debate (blank B).

9. 5.

   Tala fills two blanks with close phrases. Which pair fits?

   • A: fait accompli; B: ad hoc
   • A: fait accompli; B: pro forma
   • A: pro forma; B: fait accompli
   • A and B: fait accompli

10. Seminar notes

    The novelist opens with the chase already under way, beginning ___ (blank A). The court held the contract void ___, as if it had never existed (blank B).

11. 6.

    Zee fills two blanks with close phrases. Which pair fits?

    • A and B: in medias res
    • A: in medias res; B: ab initio
    • A: in medias res; B: de jure
    • A: ab initio; B: in medias res
12. 7.

    Cum laude. Origin: Latin cum, "with"; laude, "praise". Sentence: Ms. Okoye's niece graduated cum laude from the state university. Ari reads a phrase's origin and its use today. Which note gives both?

    • Origin: with praise; today: with praise, meaning teachers complimented the graduate.
    • Origin: with praise; today: with academic honors, one step on a diploma's ladder of distinction.
    • Origin: with courage; today: with academic honors, one step on a diploma's ladder of distinction.
    • Origin: with praise; today: with the applause of the audience at the ceremony.

13. Phrase

    Alter ego. Origin: Latin alter, "other"; ego, "I". Sentence: The shy accountant wrote bold detective novels, and her publisher joked that the detective was her alter ego.

14. 8.

    Bo reads a phrase's origin and its use today. Which note gives both?

    • Origin: other self; today: a rival who competes with a person.
    • Origin: other self; today: a second self or persona that shows a different side of a person.
    • Origin: higher self; today: a second self or persona that shows a different side of a person.
    • Origin: other self; today: another person who happens to look the same.

15. Phrase

    Tabula rasa. Origin: Latin tabula, "tablet"; rasa, "scraped smooth". Sentence: The new coach insisted on a tabula rasa: no old plays, no old rankings and no old grudges.

16. 9.

    Esme reads a phrase's origin and its use today. Which note gives both?

    • Origin: a table set for guests; today: a clean slate with nothing written on it yet.
    • Origin: a scraped tablet; today: a writing surface made of wax.
    • Origin: a scraped tablet; today: a punishment for past mistakes.
    • Origin: a scraped tablet; today: a clean slate with nothing written on it yet.

17. Phrase

    Je ne sais quoi. Origin: French, "I do not know what". Sentence: The little theater had a je ne sais quoi that the big downtown halls lacked.

18. 10.

    Jun reads a phrase's origin and its use today. Which note gives both?

    • Origin: I do not know what; today: a confusing situation with no clear answer.
    • Origin: I do not know what; today: an appealing quality that is hard to put into words.
    • Origin: I know the reason; today: an appealing quality that is hard to put into words.
    • Origin: I do not know what; today: a statement that one does not know the answer.