Words that mean almost the same thing

Grade 7 Reading Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Writer

   a robotics coach. Audience: a college admissions committee. Purpose: a warm but honest recommendation.

   When Esme joined the robotics team, the other students were already building. Within a month, Esme had become its most (A) ____ member. Each time a robot failed, Esme stayed late, changed one wire at a time, and wrote down every result. Esme's feedback to teammates is (B) ____ without being unkind: a mistake is named and a fix is offered in the same breath. The team now copies that habit. I recommend Esme to your program without reservation.

2. 1.

   Kira reads a coach's recommendation. Which word best fits blank (A)?

   • fussy
   • regimented
   • methodical
   • plodding
3. 2.

   Luz checks four near-synonyms for blank (B). Which choice names the word that is wrong here and gives the right reason? Words: candid, frank, blunt, brusque.

   • brusque: it suggests rude, hasty speech, which clashes with “without being unkind”
   • brusque: it is too formal a word for a letter that a coach sends to a college committee
   • blunt: it means harsh and cruel, so it clashes with a warm recommendation from a coach
   • frank: it has no feeling in it, so it is too weak for a warm recommendation letter
4. 3.

   Milo changes one word in the passage: copies becomes mimics. How does that change what the reader thinks of the team?

   • The team now does something different from Esme, so the facts of the passage change.
   • Mimics makes the team sound more devoted to Esme, so the praise grows.
   • Mimics suggests the team imitates Esme without understanding the habit, which softens the praise for the team.
   • Nothing changes, because copies and mimics both mean the team does what Esme does, and Esme's habit is still praised.

5. Writer

   a student reporter. Audience: the school community. Purpose: a fair review that praises what works.

   Opening night of the spring play had a few rough moments, but it was an evening to be proud of. The lead, Luz, gave a (A) ____ performance in which every line landed. The painted harbor on stage was (B) ____ enough that the front row reached out to touch it. A late entrance in act two drew a small laugh, but the cast recovered quickly. The show runs through Saturday, and I plan to see it twice.

6. 4.

   Noah reads a student review. Which word best fits blank (A)?

   • slick
   • stilted
   • rehearsed
   • polished
7. 5.

   Pia checks four near-synonyms for blank (B). Which choice names the word that is wrong here and gives the right reason? Words: convincing, realistic, lifelike, deceptive.

   • deceptive: it is too informal a word for a school newspaper review of a spring play
   • convincing: it is too vague to praise a painted set in a school review, since it does not say why
   • lifelike: it suggests something motionless and flat, which clashes with a lively play
   • deceptive: it suggests a trick meant to fool people, which clashes with praise for the set
8. 6.

   Ren changes one word in the passage: recovered becomes scrambled. How does that change what the reader thinks of the cast?

   • Nothing changes, because recovered and scrambled both mean the cast kept the show going after the late entrance.
   • The late entrance now happens in a different act, so the facts of the passage change.
   • Scrambled makes the cast sound calmer and more skilled than recovered does.
   • Scrambled suggests the cast was flustered and rushed, which softens the praise for the late entrance.

9. Writer

   a park ranger. Audience: hikers. Purpose: a firm safety notice that does not alarm.

   The upper trail becomes (A) ____ after heavy rain. The stones are slick, and the creek crossing rises quickly. Hikers are (B) ____ to use the lower loop on those days, which stays well above the water. A ranger posts a notice at the gate whenever the upper trail is closed. Thank you for helping keep this park safe and open for everyone.

10. 7.

    Zee checks four near-synonyms for blank (B). Which choice names the word that is wrong here and gives the right reason? Words: advised, encouraged, requested, ordered.

    • advised: it suggests a threat, so it would alarm hikers reading the notice
    • ordered: it sounds like a command, which is harsher than a notice that asks for cooperation
    • ordered: it is too long a word for a short notice at a park gate, where words need to be brief
    • requested: it is too weak to show that the upper trail is unsafe
11. 8.

    Ari changes one word in the passage: rises becomes surges. How does that change what the reader thinks of the creek crossing?

    • The creek now crosses a different part of the trail, so the facts of the passage change.
    • Surges makes the creek sound forceful and sudden, which raises the sense of danger though the facts stay the same.
    • Nothing changes, because rises and surges both mean the water gets higher at the creek crossing, so the danger is the same.
    • Surges makes the creek sound slower and calmer than rises does.

12. Writer

    a school librarian. Audience: parents. Purpose: a respectful request that does not blame the children.

    The library's afternoon hour has grown (A) ____. Younger students arrive eager, and their excitement fills the room with talk. We would like every reader to find a calm place to think, so we ask families to remind children to speak in (B) ____ voices. The shelves and the reading tables are open to all, and we are glad to see so many readers.

13. 9.

    Esme checks four near-synonyms for blank (B). Which choice names the word that is wrong here and gives the right reason? Words: quiet, hushed, subdued, muffled.

    • hushed: it suggests fear, which clashes with a friendly request
    • muffled: it means sound blocked by a cover, not a voice kept low on purpose
    • quiet: it is too plain to show the librarian's gentle tone
    • muffled: it is too informal a word for a letter that a school librarian sends to parents
14. 10.

    Jun changes one word in the passage: ask becomes warn. How does that change the way the reader sees the letter?

    • Warn suggests a threat of consequences, which turns a friendly request into a caution.
    • Nothing changes, because ask and warn both mean the librarian speaks to families.
    • The librarian now speaks to teachers instead of families, so the facts change.
    • Warn makes the letter sound friendlier and more welcoming than ask does, as if it were an invitation.