© 2008 Townsend Press Fourth Edition John Langan Fourth Edition John Langan T EN S TEPS TO B UILDING C OLLEGE R EADING S KILLS

Chapter Two: Vocabulary in Context THIS CHAPTER IN A NUTSHELL You don’t always have to use a dictionary to learn the meanings of new words in your reading. You can often use context clues to figure out the meaning of a word: —Examples may provide clues to what a word means. —Synonyms — words that mean the same as an unknown word — may provide clues to meaning. —Antonyms — words that mean the opposite of an unknown word — may help you figure out a meaning. —The entire sentence may provide clues to meaning. Textbook authors often tell you a word’s meaning; they italicize or boldface terms you may not know and give definitions and examples of those terms.

VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT Do you know the meaning of the word vital? Look at the sentence and see if the context—the words surrounding the unfamiliar word—helps you figure out the meaning of the word. What does vital mean? A. unimportant B. necessaryC. surprising All animals share the same vital needs, such as food, water, and shelter.

VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT Food, water, and shelter are necessary needs. The context helps you figure out that vital means “necessary.” What does vital mean? A. unimportant B. necessaryC. surprising Using context clues to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words will save you time when reading. All animals share the same vital needs, such as food, water, and shelter.

VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT There are four common types of context clues: 1Examples 2Synonyms 3Antonyms 4General Sense of the Sentence or Passage

TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES Look at the cartoon and see if the examples help you understand the meaning of the word alternative. Cartoon © by Thaves. All rights reserved. Examples Frank and Ernest Alternative means A. expensiveB. uselessC. other

TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES Look at the cartoon and see if the examples help you understand the meaning of the word alternative. Cartoon © by Thaves. All rights reserved. Examples Frank and Ernest Alternative means A. expensiveB. uselessC. other The examples of alternative energy sources—wind power and solar power—help you understand that alternative means “other.”

TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES All animals share the same vital needs, such as food, water, and shelter. Examples are often introduced with signal words and phrases like for example, for instance, including, and such as. Examples Example

TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES Synonyms Context clues are often found in the form of synonyms: one or more words that mean the same or almost the same as the unknown word.

TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES Look at the cartoon below about a pollster speaking to a citizen. Can you figure out the meaning of the word apathy? Apathy means A. hatred B. lack of interest or care C. kindness Synonyms

TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES Look at the cartoon below about a pollster speaking to a citizen. Can you figure out the meaning of the word apathy? Apathy means A. hatred B. lack of interest or care C. kindness Synonyms The synonym for apathy—expressed in the words of the citizen who says “I don’t care”—helps you understand that apathy means “a lack of interest or care.”

TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES Antonyms Antonyms are words or phrases that mean the opposite of a word. Antonyms are also useful as context clues.

TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES Cartoon © Kevin Smith from Compatible means A. disappointing B. busy C. in agreement Look at the cartoon below about the fighting couple who are visiting a marriage counselor. Can you figure out the meaning of the word compatible? Antonyms

TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES Cartoon © Kevin Smith from Compatible means A. disappointing B. busy C. in agreement Look at the cartoon below about the fighting couple who are visiting a marriage counselor. Can you figure out the meaning of the word compatible? Antonyms The antonym “combatible” helps you figure out that compatible means “in agreement.”

TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES General Sense of the Sentence or Passage Often, the context of a new word contains no examples, synonyms, or antonyms. In such cases, you must become a detective and try to make a guess based on any clues provided.

TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES Look at the cartoon below about the cavemen covering over drawings in their cave. Notice the caption, “First Graffiti Eradication Program.” Can you figure out the meaning of the word eradication? Cartoon © Mike Twohy. All rights reserved. Eradication means A. elimination B. expansion C. teaching That’s Life General Sense of the Sentence or Passage

TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES Look at the cartoon below about the cavemen covering over drawings in their cave. Notice the caption, “First Graffiti Eradication Program.” Can you figure out the meaning of the word eradication? Cartoon © Mike Twohy. All rights reserved. Eradication means A. elimination B. expansion C. teaching That’s Life The image of drawings being painted over, which would remove them from sight, suggests that eradication means “elimination.” General Sense of the Sentence or Passage

VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT An Important Point about Textbook Definitions Textbook authors often provide definitions of important terms and give examples of the term. They usually set off their definitions in italic or boldface type. Example: The changing work force has changed lifestyles and needs. No wonder many workers have found flextime a desirable choice. Instead of working the standard nine-to-five day, five days a week, they choose their own hours....

CHAPTER REVIEW In this chapter, you learned the following: To save time when reading, you should try to figure out the meanings of unfamiliar words. You can do so by looking at their context—the words surrounding them. There are four kinds of context clues: examples (marked by words like for example, for instance, including, and such as); synonyms (words that mean the same as unknown words); antonyms (words that mean the opposite of unknown words); and general sense of the sentence (clues in the sentence or surrounding sentences about what words might mean). Textbook authors typically set off important words in italic or boldface and define those words for you, often providing examples as well. The next chapter—Chapter 3—will introduce you to the most important of all comprehension skills, finding the main idea.