Where a word came from; foreign phrases in English
Grade 9 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Sentence
The vendor's hand-lettered sign read caveat emptor, so Ren understood that complaints about a cracked vase would not be welcome once the money changed hands.
Ari reads a sentence in a market-stall guide. What does “caveat emptor” mean here?
- the vase is fragile and must not be touched
- something given in return for something else
- beware of the seller
- the buyer must check goods before paying
Entry (written by PencilGo, after standard references)
Tycoon (noun), 1857. From Japanese taikun, “great lord,” which came from Chinese words meaning “great” and “ruler.” Today: a rich and powerful business leader.
Bo reads the entry. Which statement does the entry support?
- English took the word from Japanese, where it meant “great merchant”
- English took the word from Japanese, which took it from Chinese
- English took the word straight from Chinese
- In English today the word still means “great lord”
Nobody had ever voted on the rule, but everyone followed it, so it was the ____ policy of the club. Esme reads a sentence from a club report. Which borrowed phrase fits the blank?
- de jure
- de facto
- ad hoc
- ex post facto
Sentence
After three losing seasons, the band's esprit de corps stayed high; members still stayed late to practice and covered for one another at every show.
Jun reads a sentence from a school-paper sports page. What does “esprit de corps” mean here?
- a joy in simply being alive
- shared pride and loyalty in a group
- stubbornness in the face of losing
- the spirit inside a person's body
Entry (written by PencilGo, after standard references)
Kindergarten (noun), 1840s. From German Kinder, “children,” + Garten, “garden.” Coined by the German educator Friedrich Froebel. Today: the first year of school.
Kira reads the entry. Which statement does the entry support?
- English took the word from German, where it meant “garden of learning”
- English took the word from German, where it meant “children's garden”
- In English today the word means a garden for children
- English took the word from Dutch, where it meant “children's garden”
Sentence
The client gave the design team ____ to reimagine the lobby however they liked, so long as the cost stayed under budget.
Luz reads a sentence from an architecture club newsletter. Which borrowed phrase fits the blank?
- pro bono
- carte blanche
- status quo
- à la carte
The principal's laissez-faire approach to the science fair meant that teams chose their own topics and set their own deadlines. Milo reads a sentence in a student-government bulletin. What does “laissez-faire” mean here?
- a careless way of avoiding work whenever possible
- made for one purpose, then set aside
- a command that the work be done now, without delay
- a hands-off approach that leaves people free to act
Mosquito (noun), 1580s. From Spanish mosquito, “little fly,” from mosca, “fly,” + the small ending -ito. Today: a biting insect. Noah reads the entry. Which statement does the entry support?
- English took the word from Latin, where it meant “little fly”
- English took the word from Spanish, where it meant “little fly”
- English took the word from Spanish, where it meant “biting fly”
- In English today the word still means any little fly
The firm's lawyers worked ____ for the nonprofit, so the free clinic paid no fee at all. Pia reads a sentence from a volunteer-center page. Which borrowed phrase fits the blank?
- pro rata
- quid pro quo
- ad hoc
- pro bono
Sentence
The council formed an ____ committee to plan the flood response; it would meet only until the work was done and then disband.
Zee reads a sentence from a town-meeting recap. Which borrowed phrase fits the blank?
- ad hoc
- ad nauseam
- ad infinitum
- pro bono