English 11 / Unit 10: Test Skills for Reading and Writing
10.1 Words in Context
Notes
Tests ask what a word or phrase means in the sentence, not its most common dictionary meaning.
- Read the whole sentence and predict a meaning before looking at the choices.
- Substitute each choice into the sentence and see which fits the tone and logic.
- Watch for multiple meanings: "dry," "bear," "charge," "trying" can all shift.
- Clues: contrast words (but, although, yet), examples, and the sentence's overall tone.
- Worked example: "Her lucid explanation made the difficult topic easy to follow." "Lucid" means clear, because the explanation made the topic easy.
Practice
"The scientist's explanation was so lucid that even students who had never studied chemistry could follow every step." As used in the sentence, "lucid" most nearly means:
Students with no background could follow it, so it was clear.
"The company hoped the new policy would mitigate the damage caused by the delay, though it could not erase it." As used in the sentence, "mitigate" most nearly means:
The contrast "could not erase it" shows the policy would reduce, not remove, the damage.
"The comedian's dry delivery, free of any exaggerated gestures, made the jokes even funnier." As used in the sentence, "dry" most nearly means:
The clue "free of exaggerated gestures" points to a plain, deadpan style.
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