Reading 8. Word of the Day Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. acknowledge Acknowledge means A. to deny. B. to admit. C. to remember

Reading 8

Word of the DayChoose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word.

acknowledge

Acknowledge meansA. to deny.B. to admit.C. to remember.

– verb

• Stubborn people often find it difficult to acknowledge their errors. They hate to admit they were wrong.

• Even after most of the votes had been counted, Senator Rice refused to acknowledge that he had lost.

Do you remember the ten words?

• leg • cheese• tent• machine• flower• stamp• cup• king• forest• menu

Explicit vs. Implicit Memory

Recognition Test

airplane leg cheese computer cup queenmachine tent moonflower letter kingstamp restaurant menuforest jungle arm

Fragment Completion Task

c_e_s_

f_r_st

1. What were the findings of the experiment?2. What do the findings mean?3. What are psychologists studying now?

Experiment

Group 1

yellow

Group 2

wine

Complete the word…

gr___

Types of Test Questions

1. Text-Direct Questions

2. Text-Indirect Questions (beyond the text)

3. Experience Questions

1. Describe three basic memory processes. 2. What type of memory are you using when you are: a)

Remembering a wedding day, b) Remembering what a cat is, c) Remembering how to start up a computer.

3. Imagine you have to memorize 30 words for a test. Describe the basic processes your brain has to go through in order to memorize these words.

4. Why do you think psychology researchers study memory?

5. Give an example of “acoustic coding." 6. How do you think you memorize things better: by using

acoustic, visual, or semantic stimuli? Explain and give examples.

7. Based on what you learned, explain why you think it is helpful to brainstorm ideas before reading a new text.

Vocabulary in Context

Do you know the meaning of the word ubiquitous ?

Look at the sentence below and see if the context — the words surrounding the unfamiliar word — helps you figure out the meaning of the word.

What does ubiquitous mean? A. unaffordable B. complicated C. widespread

Cell phones have become ubiquitous; you can see — and hear — them everywhere.

Explanation

If the phones are “everywhere,” they must be widespread.

The context helps you figure out that ubiquitous means “widespread.”

Cell phones have become ubiquitous; you can see — and hear — them everywhere. What does ubiquitous mean?

A. unaffordable B. complicated C. widespread

Using context clues will help you by

— saving you time when reading

— adding to your vocabulary

TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUES

There are four common types of context clues:

1 Examples

2 Synonyms

3 Antonyms

4 General Sense of the Sentence or Passage

TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUESExamples

Look at the sentence below and see if the examples (shown in maroon) help you understand the meaning of the word adversities.

As they moved westward, early pioneers faced many adversities, such as scarce food, extreme weather, and loneliness.

Adversities means A. criminals. B. decisions. C.

hardships.

The examples of adversities — scarce food, extreme weather, loneliness — help you understand that adversities means “hardships.”

Explanation



Adversities means A. criminals. B. decisions. C.

hardships.


Examples are often introduced with signal words and phrases like for example, for instance, including, and such as.

Example


Look at the sentences below and see if the examples help you understand the meaning of the word idiosyncrasy. Each of my coworkers has a strange idiosyncrasy. For instance, our receptionist wears only pink. The mail clerk always speaks in a whisper. And my office mate lives on peanuts and apples.

Idiosyncrasy means A. hidden thought. B. unusual personal habits. C. unusual goal.


The three examples of unusual personal habits help you understand that idiosyncrasy means “unusual personal habits.”

Explanation


Each of my coworkers has a strange idiosyncrasy. For instance, our receptionist wears only pink. The mail clerk always speaks in a whisper. And my office mate lives on peanuts and apples.

Idiosyncrasy means A. hidden thought. B. unusual personal habits. C. unusual goal.

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 CLUESSynonyms

In the sentence below, what is the synonym that tells you the meaning of the word innate?

That five-year-old girl must have innate musical talent; playing piano so well at her age requires an inborn gift.


In the sentence below, what is the synonym that tells you the meaning of the word innate?

That five-year-old girl must have innate musical talent; playing piano so well at her age requires an inborn gift.


The synonym inborn tells you that innate must mean “possessed at birth.” The girl has inborn musical talent.

Explanation

In the sentences below, what is the synonym that tells you the meaning of the word mentor?


Gaining a mentor is helpful when you are beginning a new job. A wise and trusted advisor can greatly assist your career.

In the sentences below, what is the synonym that tells you the meaning of the word mentor?


The synonym wise and trusted advisor in the second sentence tells you the meaning of mentor.

Explanation

Gaining a mentor is helpful when you are beginning a new job. A wise and trusted advisor can greatly assist your career.

Antonyms are words or phrases that mean the opposite of a word.

Antonyms are also useful as context clues.

TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUESAntonyms

In the sentence below,

1. What is the antonym that helps you figure out the meaning of

the word verbose?

2. What is the meaning of verbose?

Verbose means A. argumentative. B. wordy. C. short.


An e-mail that is brief and to the point is more likely to be read than one that is verbose and rambling.



the word verbose?

2. What is the meaning of verbose?

An e-mail that is brief and to the point is more likely to be read than one that is verbose and rambling.


Verbose is the opposite of “brief and to the point,” so it must mean “wordy.”

Explanation

Verbose means A. argumentative. B. wordy. C. short.

Most of my friends’ mothers seemed ordinary; mine, however, did such bizarre things as spraying green paint on a dead tree in front of our house. Bizarre means

A. odd. B. easy. C. dangerous.




the word bizarre?

2. What is the meaning of bizarre?

Most of my friends’ mothers seemed ordinary; mine, however, did such bizarre things as spraying green paint on a dead tree in front of our house.




the word bizarre?

2. What is the meaning of bizarre?

Bizarre is the opposite of “ordinary,” so it must mean “odd.”

Explanation

Bizarre means B. easy. C.

dangerous. A. odd.

Antonyms are sometimes signaled by words such as however, but, yet, on the other hand, and in contrast.

Most of my friends’ mothers seemed ordinary; mine, however, did such bizarre things as spraying green paint on a dead tree in front of our house.


Example

Read the sentence below. Then think about the question that follows to figure out the meaning of rectified.

One argument against capital punishment is that if an innocent person is executed, the mistake cannot be rectified.

Rectified means A. remembered. B. predicted. C. corrected.

(What cannot be done about a mistake as final as an execution?)

TYPES OF CONTEXT CLUESGeneral Sense of the Sentence or Passage

Read the sentence below. Then think about the question that follows to figure out the meaning of rectified.

One argument against capital punishment is that if an innocent person is executed, the mistake cannot be rectified.

Rectified means A. remembered. B. predicted. C. corrected.

(What cannot be done about a mistake as final as an execution?)


Because the innocent person is dead, there is no way to correct the mistake of having executed the person.

Explanation

Read the sentence below. Then think about the question that follows to figure out the meaning of extricate.

It took two days for volunteers to extricate the little girl from the bottom of the well.

Extricate means A. free. B. delay. C.

remember.

(How would volunteers try to help the trapped girl?)


Read the sentence below. Then think about the question that follows to figure out the meaning of extricate.

It took two days for volunteers to extricate the little girl from the bottom of the well.

Extricate means A. free. B. delay. C.

remember.

(How would volunteers try to help the trapped girl?)


If the girl is at the bottom of a well, the volunteers would try to free her.

Explanation

• Textbook authors often provide definitions of important terms, followed by examples.

• They usually set off the terms they are defining in italic or boldface type.

TEXTBOOK DEFINITIONS

In all societies there is some vertical mobility—moving up or down the status ladder. The upward movement is called upward mobility and the downward movement, downward mobility. The promotion of a teacher to the position of principal is an example of upward mobility, and demotion from principal to teacher is downward mobility.

Example

Review

:

• There are four kinds of context clues:

(1) examples (marked by words like for example, for instance, including, and such as);

(2) synonyms (words that mean the same as unknown words);

(3) antonyms (words that mean the opposite of unknown words);

(4) 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.

• Pages 114-115

Homework

1. Write 3 questions about the text on memory (pages 100-110). Write one main text direct question, one text indirect question, and one experience question.

2. Choose 8 words from page 117 and do some research using the Macmillan dictionary.

Documents

Reading 8. Word of the Day Choose the meaning closest to that of the boldfaced word. acknowledge Acknowledge means A. to deny. B. to admit. C. to remember