Source: Zwei - Memory - Zack die Linse, rundumkiel, Flickr
Just for fun, let’s see how many of the words from the “Using Strategies in Reading” section actually stuck. First, read the letter below in its entirety. When you’re finished, complete the interactive that follows and respond to the questions about each numbered word of interest in the text. Maybe no one would really use all of these words in one letter, but it will give you further practice and help the words to stick in your mind.
Source: Write a Letter to a Stranger, Ipswich June 2012, ladelentes, Flickr
To the Administration:
We are writing to express our interest in forming a version of the (1) Mothers’-Small-Clothes Conversion Society we read about in our English class. If we are successful, our student group will have (2) eloquence equal to the original name, thereby providing a boon to our membership. We are hopeful that students from all grades may even (3) apostatize from other groups to join ours—the “Students’-Small-Clothes Society.” Like the organization we read about, we will serve small children and provide clothes to them by giving the clothes we have outgrown to children who need them. We hope even to make clothes from some of our donations. So many young children live (4) deplorably without enough clothes. We (5) fervently hope to help them and make their (6) dreadful situations better. When they are in school, little kids should (7) uppermost be concerned with learning and doing well. For children without coats, for example, cold weather (10) penetrates their thin clothes making it difficult for them to concentrate. Our solution and (8) resolution is to help them focus and restore their pride without the need for (9) concealment of their circumstances. Little kids should not be (11) wanting in basic needs or feel ashamed and (12) unworthy because of limited resources. We are asking for funding from the school and will hold bake sales and car washes to raise additional funds to promote our organization. We hope that our efforts are (13) unrivalled in confronting with this problem. We expect there will be (14) eventualities we will need to deal with such as organizing our group and managing its resources, but we (15) implore you to allow us to form and gather on campus weekly to meet our important goals and to consider providing financial resources.
Sincerely,
Students of a Texas High School
For each question that follows, choose the answer that states how you might best get to know each word of interest. Refer to the letter above and what you have learned in this lesson to decide the best strategy.
How much did you remember? How hard was it to pick out the prefixes and suffixes? Hopefully, you can use the strategies you have practiced to help you determine the meanings of words.
The most important thing to remember from this lesson is that being interested in words is going to help you expand your vocabulary and deepen your understanding of individual words.