Work out a word, then check it

Grade 8 Reading Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   Bo reads: “The experiment failed for the third time, and the engineer slumped in a chair, dejected, staring at the floor.” What does dejected mean here?

   • sitting in a chair
   • full of hope and excitement
   • looking hard for a long time
   • sad and discouraged
2. 2.

   Esme reads: “The night before the speech, the speaker paced the hall and checked the clock again and again, apprehensive about the morning.” What does apprehensive mean here?

   • getting ready to give a talk
   • calm and sure it will go well
   • to walk back and forth
   • anxious about what may happen
3. 3.

   Jun reads: “The cook hummed along to the radio and stayed oblivious to the storm, even when thunder rattled the windows.” What does oblivious mean here?

   • watching closely and ready to act
   • not aware of what is happening
   • a loud sound heard after lightning
   • making a meal in a kitchen
4. 4.

   Kira reads: “The inspector ran a finger along every shelf and opened every drawer, then found nothing to criticize in the impeccable kitchen.” What does impeccable mean here?

   • checked by an inspector
   • perfect, with no flaws
   • a piece of furniture for keeping things
   • full of dirt and trouble
5. 5.

   Luz reads: “The pilot began to bank the plane to the left to line up with the runway.” Which meaning of bank fits?

   • a long strip of ground where planes land
   • the sloping ground beside a river
   • to tilt to one side while turning
   • a place that keeps people's money
6. 6.

   Milo reads: “The wagon crossed the plain for hours, and the grass stretched flat in every direction without a single hill.” Which meaning of plain fits?

   • a large, flat area of land
   • easy to see or understand
   • simple, with no decoration
   • a four-wheeled cart pulled by horses
7. 7.

   Noah reads: “The clerk checked the figure in the last column and found it was too large, so the numbers were added again.” Which meaning of figure fits?

   • the last column on a page
   • to work something out in the mind
   • a number
   • the shape of a person seen from far away

8. Read this first

   Dictionary entry (written by PencilGo)

   Stage (noun): 1. a raised platform where performers appear; 2. one step or period in a process; 3. a horse-drawn coach that carried passengers on a regular route (old use).

9. 8.

   Tala reads: “The seedling had reached the third stage of growth, with its first true leaves unfolding.” Which sense of stage in the entry fits?

   • a raised platform for performers
   • a horse-drawn coach for passengers
   • one step in a process of change
   • a young plant with new leaves

10. Dictionary entry (written by PencilGo)

    Crane: 1. (noun) a tall machine with a long arm for lifting heavy loads; 2. (noun) a large bird with long legs and a long neck; 3. (verb) to stretch the neck to see better.

11. 9.

    Zee reads: “The crowd began to crane their necks to see the parade over the heads in front.” Which sense of crane in the entry fits?

    • to stretch the neck to see better
    • a large bird with a long neck
    • a tall machine that lifts heavy loads
    • people crowding along a street

12. Dictionary entry (written by PencilGo)

    Scale (noun): 1. a set of marks used for measuring, as on a ruler; 2. one of the thin, hard plates that cover the skin of a fish or snake; 3. the ratio between measurements on a map or model and the real thing.

13. 10.

    Ari reads: “The trout's silvery scale flashed in the shallow water as the fish turned.” Which sense of scale in the entry fits?

    • the ratio between a model and the real thing
    • a set of marks used for measuring
    • a thin, hard plate on a fish's skin
    • the flash of light off the water