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?
- Euphemism: a calm business word stands in for the harsher fact that nine people are losing their jobs.
- Idiom: the phrase has a fixed meaning that its words alone do not show, like "hit the books."
- Oxymoron: the phrase sounds like fixing a problem while announcing a cut, so its two parts clash.
- Paradox: the owner claims the company grows healthier by shrinking, which seems impossible but holds a truth.
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?
- 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.
- 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.
- Euphemism: Romeo swaps in a gentler phrase to cover a harsher feeling.
- 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.
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 misleading clue that pulls attention away from the real answer.
- A clue that was in plain sight from the start but that no one bothered to notice.
- A clue that leads the searchers straight to the answer without any wasted time.
- A fish with a reddish color that someone found on the trail behind the shed.
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?
- Idiom: the sentence has a fixed meaning that its words do not show, like a saying.
- Paradox: the whole sentence seems impossible, yet a slower, smoother stroke does make the swimmer faster.
- 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.
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?
- The bus company is fine-tuning the schedule to make both routes more convenient.
- Two morning bus routes are being cancelled.
- The fares on those two morning routes are going up next month.
- The buses on those routes are being repaired and tuned up before they run again.
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.”
What does the idiom "at the eleventh hour" mean in this sentence?
- At the last possible moment, just before it was too late.
- Too late to be useful, after the doors had opened and the show had already started.
- Far ahead of the deadline, so the volunteers had hours to spare for hanging the paintings.
- At eleven o'clock in the morning, long before the doors opened to the public.
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.
- Paradox: the warning seems impossible at first but holds a hidden truth.
- Idiom: its meaning, ruining relationships so you cannot return, cannot be worked out from the words alone.
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.”
In the advisor's comment, "a learning opportunity" is a euphemism. What plainer fact does it cover?
- The robot failed every test, so the team has mistakes to find and fix.
- The robot did well enough on the field tests that the team can feel proud.
- 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.
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 was unfair because the club changed the rules before the vote.
- A victory won in a battle fought by an ancient king, honored by the club.
- A win that costs so much that it feels like a loss.
