Euphemism, oxymoron, paradox and idiom

Grade 9 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   “In a memo to the whole staff, the owner of a print shop announced that the company was "right-sizing" this spring and that nine positions would end on Friday.”

2. 1.

   Which figure is "right-sizing" in the memo, and what makes it that figure?

   • Idiom: the phrase has a fixed meaning that its words alone do not show, like "hit the books."
   • Paradox: the owner claims the company grows healthier by shrinking, which seems impossible but holds a truth.
   • Euphemism: a calm business word stands in for the harsher fact that nine people are losing their jobs.
   • Oxymoron: the phrase sounds like fixing a problem while announcing a cut, so its two parts clash.
3. 2.

   “A town's budget notice listed a "revenue enhancement" of $40 for every household, to begin in January.” In the notice, "revenue enhancement" is a euphemism. What plainer fact does it cover?

   • The town is making a small pricing update, gently adjusting what it charges households.
   • Every household will have to pay a new $40 charge to the town starting in January.
   • The town collected extra money last year and will return $40 to every household.
   • The town is improving its income by giving each household a $40 bonus.

4. Use this

   “Every time the class met its attendance goal for the pizza party, Mr. Okafor moved the goalposts: first 95 percent, then 98, then a perfect week.”

5. 3.

   What does the idiom "moved the goalposts" mean in this sentence?

   • Carrying the soccer equipment to a new spot on the field before each game.
   • Changing the target after it is nearly met, so that it stays out of reach.
   • Setting a high standard so the class will keep improving and growing stronger.
   • Lowering the target each time the class comes close, so that it is easier to reach.

6. Use this

   “A rental listing called the apartment "cozy." The floor plan showed one room, a kitchen the size of a closet and a window facing a brick wall.”

7. 4.

   In the listing, "cozy" is a euphemism. What plainer fact does it cover?

   • The apartment is noisy because it sits above a busy street full of traffic.
   • The apartment is snug and intimate, warm and welcoming from the moment a visitor walks in.
   • The apartment is very small, with one room and a closet-sized kitchen.
   • The apartment is warm and keeps in heat well during the cold months.

8. Use this

   “The swim coach told her team, "To go faster, you have to slow down your stroke." Later, the swimmers found that a smooth, unhurried pull carried them down the lane with less splashing.”

9. 5.

   Which figure is the coach's sentence, and what makes it that figure?

   • Oxymoron: "faster" and "slow" are opposite words set side by side in one phrase.
   • Euphemism: "slow down" is a gentle way to tell swimmers that they are too slow.
   • Paradox: the whole sentence seems impossible, yet a slower, smoother stroke does make the swimmer faster.
   • Idiom: the sentence has a fixed meaning that its words do not show, like a saying.

10. Use this

    “The bus company announced a "service adjustment" for next month: the 7:10 and 7:40 morning routes through Maple Street would no longer run.”

11. 6.

    In the notice, "service adjustment" is a euphemism. What plainer fact does it cover?

    • The buses on those routes are being repaired and tuned up before they run again.
    • Two morning bus routes are being cancelled.
    • The bus company is fine-tuning the schedule to make both routes more convenient.
    • The fares on those two morning routes are going up next month.

12. Use this

    “The permit for the art show arrived at the eleventh hour, so volunteers hung the paintings with only ten minutes left before the doors opened.”

13. 7.

    What does the idiom "at the eleventh hour" mean in this sentence?

    • Too late to be useful, after the doors had opened and the show had already started.
    • At eleven o'clock in the morning, long before the doors opened to the public.
    • At the last possible moment, just before it was too late.
    • Far ahead of the deadline, so the volunteers had hours to spare for hanging the paintings.

14. Use this

    “Before quitting the team, a senior posted insults about the coach online. The captain warned, "People who burn bridges find that nobody invites them back."”

15. 8.

    Which figure is "burn bridges" in the captain's warning, and what makes it that figure?

    • Idiom: its meaning, ruining relationships so you cannot return, cannot be worked out from the words alone.
    • Paradox: the warning seems impossible at first but holds a hidden truth.
    • Euphemism: "burn bridges" is a mild phrase that covers a harsher fact.
    • Oxymoron: "burn" and "bridges" are opposite words set side by side.

16. Use this

    “After the team's robot failed all three field tests, the advisor called the result "a learning opportunity" and asked everyone to bring a list of the failures on Monday.”

17. 9.

    In the advisor's comment, "a learning opportunity" is a euphemism. What plainer fact does it cover?

    • The robot did well enough on the field tests that the team can feel proud.
    • The robot failed every test, so the team has mistakes to find and fix.
    • The advisor is annoyed that the team skipped the practice sessions before the tests.
    • The tests gave the team a free lesson about robots that it did not expect.

18. Use this

    “The club won the vote to buy new stage lights, but the fight split the members. Only six of forty came to the next meeting, and the treasurer called it a Pyrrhic victory.”

19. 10.

    What does the phrase "a Pyrrhic victory" mean in this scene?

    • A victory won in a battle fought by an ancient king, honored by the club.
    • A win so easy that the club gained members without any effort.
    • A win that costs so much that it feels like a loss.
    • A win that was unfair because the club changed the rules before the vote.