9th grade Where a word came from; foreign phrases in English worksheet

Where a word came from; foreign phrases in English

Grade 9 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. 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.

2. 1.

   Ari reads a sentence in a market-stall guide. What does “caveat emptor” mean here?

   • the buyer must check goods before paying
   • beware of the seller
   • the vase is fragile and must not be touched
   • something given in return for something else
3. 2.

   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?

   • ad hoc
   • de jure
   • de facto
   • ex post facto

4. 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.

5. 3.

   Jun reads a sentence from a school-paper sports page. What does “esprit de corps” mean here?

   • a joy in simply being alive
   • stubbornness in the face of losing
   • shared pride and loyalty in a group
   • the spirit inside a person's body

6. 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.

7. 4.

   Kira reads the entry. Which statement does the entry support?

   • English took the word from German, where it meant “children's garden”
   • English took the word from German, where it meant “garden of learning”
   • In English today the word means a garden for children
   • English took the word from Dutch, where it meant “children's garden”

8. Sentence

   The client gave the design team ____ to reimagine the lobby however they liked, so long as the cost stayed under budget.

9. 5.

   Luz reads a sentence from an architecture club newsletter. Which borrowed phrase fits the blank?

   • carte blanche
   • status quo
   • à la carte
   • pro bono
10. 6.

    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 command that the work be done now, without delay
    • a careless way of avoiding work whenever possible
    • a hands-off approach that leaves people free to act
    • made for one purpose, then set aside
11. 7.

    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?

    • ad hoc
    • pro bono
    • pro rata
    • quid pro quo
12. 8.

    After the storm had flattened half the field, one last gust delivered the coup de grâce to the old tent. Ren reads a sentence from a weather-club log. What does “coup de grâce” mean here?

    • a sudden and forceful takeover of power
    • a final blow that finishes something off
    • a lucky escape from the heaviest damage
    • a kind act of mercy toward a person in need
13. 9.

    Jungle (noun), 1700s. From Hindi jangal, from Sanskrit jangala, “dry, barren land.” Today: a thick tropical forest. Tala reads the entry. Which statement does the entry support?

    • English took the word straight from Sanskrit
    • In English today the word still means dry, barren land
    • English took the word from Hindi, where it meant “thick forest”
    • English took the word from Hindi, which took it from Sanskrit

14. Sentence

    The council formed an ____ committee to plan the flood response; it would meet only until the work was done and then disband.

15. 10.

    Zee reads a sentence from a town-meeting recap. Which borrowed phrase fits the blank?

    • ad infinitum
    • ad hoc
    • pro bono
    • ad nauseam