Dictionary, thesaurus and glossary skills

Grade 8 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Four sources (written by PencilGo)

   A. Pocket Dictionary of Modern English: lists the current meanings of each word, with short examples. B. Historical Dictionary of English: shows each word's meanings in the order they appeared, with dated quotations. C. Thesaurus of Everyday Words: groups words of similar meaning, such as nice, kind and pleasant. D. Style Guide for Student Writers: advice on clear, formal writing and common errors.

2. 1.

   Ari asks: “When did nice stop meaning ‘foolish’?” Which source is the best place to start, and why?

   • C. Thesaurus of Everyday Words, because it groups nice with words of similar meaning
   • B. Historical Dictionary of English, because its dated meanings show when each sense appeared
   • D. Style Guide for Student Writers, because it explains which words to avoid in formal writing
   • A. Pocket Dictionary of Modern English, because it lists the meanings of nice in use today

3. Historical Dictionary of English (written by PencilGo)

   Nice (nys) adjective [from Old French nice, 'silly,' from Latin nescius, 'ignorant'] c. 1300 foolish or simple. 1400s fussy, hard to please. 1500s exact or subtle: a nice point of law. 1700s pleasant or kind.

4. 2.

   Esme reads a note on the entry: “Latin nescius means ‘knowing,’ so nice first meant ‘clever.’” Which correction is right?

   • The note should add that nice began as an insult for lazy students in medieval schools.
   • Nescius means “ignorant,” and nice first meant “foolish,” so the note has the meaning backward.
   • The note is right, because nice means clever in modern English and the origin explains it.
   • The note is right about the meaning but should say 1700s instead of Latin, since dates matter more.

5. Four sources (written by PencilGo)

   A. College Dictionary: headwords with respellings, parts of speech and numbered meanings. B. Atlas of Lakes and Rivers: maps showing where lakes, rivers and fishing areas are found. C. Encyclopedia of Freshwater Fish: long articles on the life of each fish species. D. Encyclopedia of Everyday Life: short articles on many topics, including music and fishing.

6. 3.

   Jun must say bass correctly in “bass drum” and “bass fishing.” Which source gives both pronunciations fastest, and why?

   • A. College Dictionary, because it gives a respelling for each numbered meaning
   • D. Encyclopedia of Everyday Life, because it covers both music and fishing
   • B. Atlas of Lakes and Rivers, because it shows exactly where bass are caught and fished
   • C. Encyclopedia of Freshwater Fish, because it covers the fish thoroughly

7. College Dictionary (written by PencilGo)

   Bass¹ (BAYSS) noun 1. the lowest male singing voice. 2. the lowest tones in music: Turn up the bass. adjective low in pitch: a bass drum. [from Italian basso, 'low'] bass² (BAS) noun a freshwater or saltwater fish with spiny fins, often caught for sport. [from Old English bærs, 'perch']

8. 4.

   Kira reads the two bass entries. Which statement fits both?

   • They are two different words that share a spelling, so each has its own respelling.
   • The small numbers 1 and 2 just show which entry is longer on the page.
   • The second entry is a printing mistake, since the word bass is already listed once above it.
   • The fish was named after the music word, so both are said (BAYSS).

9. Four sources (written by PencilGo)

   A. the unit's own glossary: defines key terms the way the unit uses them. B. Thesaurus of Everyday Words: groups words of similar meaning, such as cell, chamber and cubicle. C. College Dictionary: lists every meaning of cell, including prison cells and batteries. D. Atlas of Human Organs: pictures of organs and where they sit in the body.

10. 5.

    Milo is reading a biology unit and meets the word cell. Which source defines it exactly as the unit uses it, and why?

    • C. College Dictionary, because it lists the many meanings of cell, including prison cells
    • B. Thesaurus of Everyday Words, because it groups cell with similar words such as chamber
    • A. The unit's glossary, because it defines terms the way the unit uses them
    • D. Atlas of Human Organs, because it shows where organs sit in the body

11. Glossary of Life Science Unit 2 (written by PencilGo)

    Cell the smallest unit of a living thing that can carry out life processes. Every organism is made of one or more cells. College Dictionary (written by PencilGo): cell (SEL) noun 1. a small room, as in a prison or monastery. 2. one unit of an electric battery. 3. (biology) the basic unit of living things. 4. one area covered by a cell-phone tower. [from Latin cella, 'small room'; used for living tissue by Robert Hooke in 1665, who saw box-like spaces in thin slices of cork]

12. 6.

    Noah reads the glossary and the dictionary. Which statement fits both?

    • The biology meaning is one of the dictionary's senses, and the origin explains why a room-word names a unit of life.
    • Cell first named living tissue, and the small-room meaning came later as a joke among scientists.
    • Each sense in the dictionary applies to the biology unit, since they share one spelling.
    • The glossary and the dictionary disagree about what cell means, so one of the two sources must be wrong.

13. College Dictionary (written by PencilGo)

    Cell (SEL) noun 1. a small room, as in a prison or monastery. 2. one unit of an electric battery. 3. (biology) the basic unit of living things. 4. one area covered by a cell-phone tower. [from Latin cella, 'small room'; used for living tissue by Robert Hooke in 1665, who saw box-like spaces in thin slices of cork]

14. 7.

    Pia reads a note: “In cell wall, cell uses sense 1, a small room, because walls belong to rooms.” Which correction is right?

    • The unit is about living things, and sense 3 is labeled (biology), so cell wall uses sense 3.
    • The note should use sense 4, because walls block cell-phone signals in towns.
    • The note should add that science meanings are not listed in dictionaries of this kind.
    • The note is right, because the origin of the word is Latin cella, “small room,” in its first use.

15. Four sources (written by PencilGo)

    A. a dictionary that labels senses by region, such as (US) and (Brit.). B. Thesaurus of Everyday Words: groups words of similar meaning, such as table, desk and counter. C. Style Guide for Headlines: advice on writing short, clear headlines. D. Dictionary of Legal Terms for U.S. Courts: defines motion words used in American courts.

16. 8.

    Ren reads “The committee tabled the motion” in a British paper and cannot tell if it was postponed or proposed. Which source should be checked first, and why?

    • A. A dictionary that labels senses by region, because it shows which meaning belongs to Britain
    • D. Dictionary of Legal Terms for U.S. Courts, because it defines motion words used in court
    • B. Thesaurus of Everyday Words, because it groups table with similar words such as desk
    • C. Style Guide for Headlines, because it explains how short headlines are written and edited

17. American College Dictionary (written by PencilGo)

    Table (TAY-bul) verb (US) to set aside a motion or bill so that it is not discussed now: The council tabled the proposal until spring. British Learner's Dictionary (written by PencilGo): table (TAY-bul) verb (Brit.) to put forward a motion or bill for discussion: The MP tabled an amendment.

18. 9.

    Tala reads both entries for table. Which statement fits both?

    • The labels (US) and (Brit.) show that each sense is rare and seldom used.
    • One dictionary made a mistake, because a verb cannot have two opposite meanings in English.
    • The same verb has nearly opposite meanings in the two regions, so the country decides.
    • The British entry means to postpone, and the American entry means to propose a motion.
19. 10.

    Zee reads a note on an American news story, “The Senate tabled the bill”: “It means the Senate put the bill forward for debate.” Which correction is right?

    • The note is right, because both dictionaries include the meaning put forward for debate.
    • The note should add that the Senate tabled the bill because members disliked it.
    • The note used the (Brit.) sense on an American story; the (US) sense means the Senate set the bill aside.
    • The note should say that tabled means postponed in Britain too, so no correction is needed.