Reading for Meaning Flashcards

A student reads: 'The ancient library stood silent, its shelves heavy with forgotten wisdom.' What does 'forgotten wisdom' most likely suggest?

Answer: The knowledge in the books is no longer used or remembered

'Forgotten wisdom' implies knowledge that once existed but is now neglected or unknown to current generations.

Which reading strategy helps you understand the meaning of an unfamiliar word without using a dictionary?

Answer: Using context clues from surrounding sentences

Context clues—words and sentences around an unfamiliar word—often reveal its meaning.

A passage states: 'Maria reluctantly agreed to attend the party.' What does 'reluctantly' tell us about Maria?

Answer: She did not want to go but agreed anyway

'Reluctantly' means doing something unwillingly, so Maria agreed despite not wanting to.

When identifying the main idea of a paragraph, what should you look for first?

Answer: The topic sentence that states what the paragraph is about

The topic sentence, often the first sentence, states the main idea that the rest of the paragraph supports.

Read: 'Unlike his boisterous classmates, Liam preferred the quiet corners of the school library.' What does 'boisterous' mean?

Answer: Noisy and energetic

The contrast between Liam's preference for quiet and his 'boisterous' classmates shows they are noisy and energetic.

A text uses the phrase 'on the other hand' to begin a sentence. What is this phrase signaling?

Answer: A contrasting or opposing viewpoint

'On the other hand' is a transitional phrase that introduces a contrasting perspective or idea.

What is the purpose of a subheading in a nonfiction text?

Answer: To organize the text and signal what the next section is about

Subheadings divide nonfiction text into sections and tell the reader what each section will discuss.