Words that mean almost the same
Grade 8 Reading Worksheet
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Writer
a teacher. Audience: a scholarship committee. Purpose: to recommend a student.
I am writing to support Tala's application to the summer science program. In my class, Tala was (A) ____ about every project, staying after school to rerun experiments until the results held. Tala's questions were probing, and they often sent the whole class back to the data. Tala also managed the lab notebook for the group, so nothing was lost. I recommend Tala without reservation, and I would be glad to answer any question.
Ari fits a word to the writer's tone and point of view. Which word best fills the blank (A)?
- meticulous
- particular
- picky
- obsessive
Writer
a teacher. Audience: a scholarship committee. Purpose: to recommend a student.
I am writing to support Tala's application to the summer science program. In my class, Tala was meticulous about every project, staying after school to rerun experiments until the results held. Tala's questions were (B) ____, and they often sent the whole class back to the data. Tala also managed the lab notebook for the group, so nothing was lost. I recommend Tala without reservation, and I would be glad to answer any question.
Bo checks four near-synonyms for blank (B). Which choice names the word that is wrong here and gives the right reason? Options: probing, nosy, searching, pointed.
- nosy: it criticizes the same curiosity that the writer wants to praise
- searching: it has no feeling, so it is too weak to praise Tala
- probing: it suggests the questions were rude to classmates and teachers
- nosy: it is too formal for a letter sent to a committee of adults
Writer
a teacher. Audience: a scholarship committee. Purpose: to recommend a student.
I am writing to support Tala's application to the summer science program. In my class, Tala was meticulous about every project, staying after school to rerun experiments until the results held. Tala's questions were probing, and they often sent the whole class back to the data. Tala also managed the lab notebook for the group, so nothing was lost. I recommend Tala without reservation, and I would be glad to answer any question.
Esme swaps one word in the passage: managed becomes controlled. How does the swap change the reader's view?
- Nothing changes, because managed and controlled both mean looked after the notebook.
- Controlled makes Tala sound more helpful and generous.
- Controlled makes Tala sound domineering; the facts stay the same.
- Tala now keeps a second notebook for the teacher as well.
Writer
a food critic. Audience: newspaper readers. Purpose: a warm, fair review.
The Harbor Bakery is the kind of shop where the owner greets customers by name. Its sourdough is (A) ____, and its crust crackles, though the loaves can sell out by ten. The staff are prompt without being hurried, and my coffee arrived while the croissants were still warm. The prices sit a few cents above the supermarket's, and each loaf is worth the difference.
Jun fits a word to the writer's tone and point of view. Which word best fills the blank (A)?
- hearty
- heavy
- plain
- stodgy
Writer
a food critic. Audience: newspaper readers. Purpose: a warm, fair review.
The Harbor Bakery is the kind of shop where the owner greets customers by name. Its sourdough is hearty, and its crust crackles, though the loaves can sell out by ten. The staff are (B) ____ without being hurried, and my coffee arrived while the croissants were still warm. The prices sit a few cents above the supermarket's, and each loaf is worth the difference.
Kira checks four near-synonyms for blank (B). Which choice names the word that is wrong here and gives the right reason? Options: prompt, efficient, attentive, curt.
- prompt: it has no feeling, so it is too weak for a warm review
- efficient: it suggests the staff are cold and mechanical in their work
- curt: it is too formal for a newspaper review of a bakery
- curt: it means short and rude, which clashes with warm praise
Writer
a food critic. Audience: newspaper readers. Purpose: a warm, fair review.
The Harbor Bakery is the kind of shop where the owner greets customers by name. Its sourdough is hearty, and its crust crackles, though the loaves can sell out by ten. The staff are prompt without being hurried, and my coffee arrived while the croissants were still warm. The prices sit a few cents above the supermarket's, and each loaf is worth the difference.
Luz swaps one word in the passage: greets becomes accosts. How does the swap change the reader's view?
- Accosts makes the owner sound pushy; the facts stay the same.
- Nothing changes, because greets and accosts both mean speaking to customers.
- The owner now speaks just to customers who are buying bread.
- Accosts makes the owner sound more welcoming than greets.
Writer
The parks office. Audience: town residents. Purpose: a firm but friendly notice.
The parks office will close the lakeside trail from March 3 to March 17 for repairs to the bridge and the drainage ditch, which flooded in the spring. Visitors are (A) ____ to use the eastern path during this time. Fishing remains permitted at the public dock, and the picnic area will stay open every day. We regret the inconvenience and thank residents for their patience.
Milo fits a word to the writer's tone and point of view. Which word best fills the blank (A)?
- begged
- ordered
- told
- requested
Writer
The parks office. Audience: town residents. Purpose: a firm but friendly notice.
The parks office will close the lakeside trail from March 3 to March 17 for repairs to the bridge and the drainage ditch, which flooded in the spring. Visitors are requested to use the eastern path during this time. Fishing remains permitted at the public dock, and the picnic area will stay open every day. We regret the inconvenience and thank residents for their patience.
Pia swaps one word in the passage: close becomes seal off. How does the swap change the reader's view?
- Nothing changes, because close and seal off both mean the trail is shut to visitors.
- The trail now stays shut for longer than March 17.
- Seal off sounds calmer and more routine than close.
- Seal off suggests danger or an emergency; the dates and reason stay the same.
Writer
a student reporter. Audience: students. Purpose: a warm profile of a librarian.
Ms. Duarte has run the school library for twenty years, and she knows where every book belongs. Students describe her as reliable, the kind of adult who will find you a book on volcanoes at 3:55 p.m. She is (B) ____ about the rules, but she bends them for anyone who is trying. When the budget shrank, she pruned the shelves, keeping the best titles and trading the rest.
Tala checks four near-synonyms for blank (B). Which choice names the word that is wrong here and gives the right reason? Options: strict, firm, exacting, rigid.
- rigid: it is too casual for a school newspaper profile of a librarian
- firm: it has no feeling, so it is too weak for a warm profile of her
- strict: it makes Ms. Duarte sound unkind to the students she serves
- rigid: it means unable to bend, against bending the rules
Writer
a student reporter. Audience: students. Purpose: a warm profile of a librarian.
Ms. Duarte has run the school library for twenty years, and she knows where every book belongs. Students describe her as reliable, the kind of adult who will find you a book on volcanoes at 3:55 p.m. She is strict about the rules, but she bends them for anyone who is trying. When the budget shrank, she pruned the shelves, keeping the best titles and trading the rest.
Zee swaps one word in the passage: pruned becomes gutted. How does the swap change the reader's view?
- Gutted makes her sound more careful and thoughtful than pruned.
- Gutted suggests she tore out the heart of the shelves.
- She now removes the books from the shelves and closes the library.
- Nothing changes, because pruned and gutted both mean she removed books.