Euphemism, oxymoron, paradox and idiom
Grade 9 Reading Worksheet - Building Confidence
Circle the best answer.
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.”
Which figure is "right-sizing" in the memo, and what makes it that figure?
- Paradox: the owner claims the company grows healthier by shrinking, which seems impossible but holds a truth.
- Oxymoron: the phrase sounds like fixing a problem while announcing a cut, so its two parts clash.
- Idiom: the phrase has a fixed meaning that its words alone do not show, like "hit the books."
- Euphemism: a calm business word stands in for the harsher fact that nine people are losing their jobs.
“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.
- 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.
- Every household will have to pay a new $40 charge to the town starting in January.
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.”
What does the idiom "moved the goalposts" mean in this sentence?
- Setting a high standard so the class will keep improving and growing stronger.
- Changing the target after it is nearly met, so that it stays out of reach.
- Carrying the soccer equipment to a new spot on the field before each game.
- Lowering the target each time the class comes close, so that it is easier to reach.
Use this
“Romeo, troubled by the family quarrel and by his own love, piles up opposites: "O brawling love! O loving hate! ... O heavy lightness! serious vanity!" (Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, scene 1)”
Which figure is "heavy lightness" in Romeo's speech, and what makes it that figure?
- Paradox: Romeo states a whole sentence that seems impossible but holds a truth.
- Idiom: the phrase has a meaning that its words do not show, as a saying would.
- Oxymoron: "heavy" and "lightness" are opposite words set side by side to show a mixed-up feeling.
- Euphemism: Romeo swaps in a gentler phrase to cover a harsher feeling.
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.”
In the listing, "cozy" is a euphemism. What plainer fact does it cover?
- The apartment is snug and intimate, warm and welcoming from the moment a visitor walks in.
- The apartment is noisy because it sits above a busy street full of traffic.
- The apartment is warm and keeps in heat well during the cold months.
- The apartment is very small, with one room and a closet-sized kitchen.
Use this
“The scout leader's search for the lost map led to a muddy trail behind the shed. The trail proved to be a red herring, since the map had been in the tent the whole time.”
What does the idiom "a red herring" mean in this account?
- A clue that was in plain sight from the start but that no one bothered to notice.
- A misleading clue that pulls attention away from the real answer.
- A fish with a reddish color that someone found on the trail behind the shed.
- A clue that leads the searchers straight to the answer without any wasted time.
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.”
Which figure is the coach's sentence, and what makes it that figure?
- Paradox: the whole sentence seems impossible, yet a slower, smoother stroke does make the swimmer faster.
- Euphemism: "slow down" is a gentle way to tell swimmers that they are too slow.
- Oxymoron: "faster" and "slow" are opposite words set side by side in one phrase.
- Idiom: the sentence has a fixed meaning that its words do not show, like a saying.
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.”
In the notice, "service adjustment" is a euphemism. What plainer fact does it cover?
- Two morning bus routes are being cancelled.
- The fares on those two morning routes are going up next month.
- The bus company is fine-tuning the schedule to make both routes more convenient.
- The buses on those routes are being repaired and tuned up before they run again.
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."”
Which figure is "burn bridges" in the captain's warning, and what makes it that figure?
- Euphemism: "burn bridges" is a mild phrase that covers a harsher fact.
- Oxymoron: "burn" and "bridges" are opposite words set side by side.
- 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.
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.”
What does the phrase "a Pyrrhic victory" mean in this scene?
- 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 victory won in a battle fought by an ancient king, honored by the club.
- A win that was unfair because the club changed the rules before the vote.