Words with the same meaning but a different feel
Grade 9 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Passage
When the factory closed, the town did not collapse; it drifted. Shops stayed open on habit, and on Friday nights the same men sat on the same benches, saying less each week.
Luz asks why the writer chose drifted instead of collapsed. Which explanation fits the passage best?
- Drifted is a livelier word than collapsed, so it makes the sentence more interesting for readers to enjoy.
- Drifted suggests a slow, aimless loss of direction without one crash, which matches the habits and the benches.
- Drifted is the exact term for people leaving, so it reports how many residents moved away from the town.
- Drifted suggests the town floated along peacefully, which shows that the residents were quite content.
Passage
By noon the shopping street had been taken over. Shoppers swarmed the stalls while the vendors scrambled to raise their prices and keep up.
Ren asks why the writer chose swarmed instead of filled. Which explanation fits the passage best?
- Swarmed suggests the shoppers were calm and orderly, which shows that the whole market was well run.
- Swarmed gives the exact number of shoppers, so a reader can count how many people came to the street.
- Swarmed is a more vivid word than filled, so the sentence sounds more exciting and holds the reader's attention.
- Swarmed suggests a dense, restless, nearly overwhelming crowd, which matches the vendors scrambling to keep up.
Passage
The speech lasted ten minutes. Afterward, nobody went home; the crowd lingered in the square, hands in pockets, as if waiting for someone to say more.
Zee asks why the writer chose lingered instead of stayed. Which explanation fits the passage best?
- Lingered suggests people reluctant to leave, which fits their waiting for more words.
- Lingered is a more descriptive word than stayed, so it improves the sentence for the reader.
- Lingered suggests the crowd was bored and hoping to be entertained.
- Lingered tells the exact number of minutes the crowd stayed in the square.
Passage
The tribute to the retired bus driver is warm and respectful. It lists his thirty-one years on Route 9 and the riders who still wave. It says he was known for his nagging about seat belts.
Esme wants the last sentence to match the respectful tone and keep the fact. Which words should replace nagging?
- a heroic crusade
- constant harping
- repeated reminders
- a single reminder
Passage
The weather service's bulletin is calm and factual. It gives wind speeds and the number of homes without power. It says a savage wind brought down lines across the county.
Jun wants the weather report to stay calm and factual and keep the fact. Which word should replace savage?
- magnificent
- gentle
- merciless
- strong
Passage
A friendly review praises the neighborhood cafe: its warm bread, its bright windows and its easy prices. It says the staff checks on every table so often that they are hovering.
Pia wants the review to stay friendly and keep the fact. Which word should replace hovering?
- worshipful
- absent
- lurking
- attentive
Passage
The abstract in a science journal is measured and precise. It reports that the treated plants grew four times taller than the controls, a result the team had not predicted. It calls the result shocking.
Kira wants the abstract to stay measured and keep the fact. Which word should replace shocking?
- revolutionary
- unexpected
- stunning
- predictable
Fact
A developer plans to replace the old cinema with apartments. Writer A welcomes the plan; Writer B opposes it. Sentence: The developer plans to ____ the old cinema.
Bo fills the blank for two writers. Which pair of verbs gives A's view and B's view, in order, without changing the fact?
- A: redevelop; B: transform
- A: raze; B: redevelop
- A: redevelop; B: preserve
- A: redevelop; B: raze
Fact
After a poll showed voters disliked the bridge toll, the mayor changed her position on it. Writer A is friendly to the mayor; Writer B is hostile. Sentence: The mayor ____ her position on the toll.
Noah fills the blank for two writers. Which pair of verbs gives A's view and B's view, in order, without changing the fact?
- A: refined; B: updated
- A: abandoned; B: refined
- A: refined; B: defended
- A: refined; B: abandoned
Fact
An author revised a novel for ten years before publishing it. Writer A admires the effort; Writer B finds it excessive. Sentence: The author ____ the novel for ten years.
Ari fills the blank for two writers. Which pair of verbs gives A's view and B's view, in order, without changing the fact?
- A: polished; B: abandoned
- A: polished; B: tinkered with
- A: tinkered with; B: polished
- A: polished; B: perfected
