Confusing English Words in Class 8

1. Accede : consent. `I cannot accede to your request.'

Exceed : surpass. `His expenditure exceeds his income.'

2. Accept : to receive with favour. `I accept your offer.'

Except : to omit or exclude. `If you will except the last term, I shall accept the contract.'

3. Access : approach or admission. `A poor man has no access to the King.'

Excess : more than enough. `He smokes to excess.'

4. Adapt : to make suitable; to adjust properly. `We must adapt ourselves to changing circumstances.'

Adopt : to accept and approve. `They adopted a child'. `,He adopted my scheme.'

Adept : One who is skilled. `He is an adept in painting.'

5. Advise : Counsel (Verb). `Please advise me what to do.'

Advice : (Noun). `He paid no heed to my advice.'

6. Affect : (1) to influence. `Bad weather affects her health'. (2) to pretend. `Beginners, often affect learning.'

Effect : (1) Verb. `The prisoner effected (made) his escape'. (2) Noun.: `What will be the effect (result) of this ?

7. Allusion : an indirect reference. `If your allusion is to any woman present here, please name her.'

Illusion : an imaginary appearance. `A mirage is an optical illusion,'

8. Altar : a place for offerings. `The pious old man bowed before the altar,'

Alter : to change. `Nothing can alter my decision,'

9. Antic : odd funny acts. `We laughed at her childish antics.'

Antique : old-fashioned. `We laughed at her antique dress.'

10. Ascent : going upwards. `The balloon is on the ascent.'

Assent : agree; consent. `I cannot assent to your proposal.'

11. Aught : anything. `For aught I know, she is innocent.'

Ought : should. `We ought to respect our parents.'

12. Bail : security. `He was released on bail.'

Bale : bundle. `Fifty bales of cotton were burnt.'

13. Berth : a sleeping place in a train or on a ship. `I got a berth reserved for me it the first class compartment'.

Birth : `She gave birth to a child'.

14. Bear : endure. `I cannot bear this insult'.

Bare : uncover. `She bared her bosom to the moon'.

15. Born : (Past Participle of bear). `He was born on Tuesday'.

Borne : carried. `The message was borne to her'.

16. Canon : rule. `Every nation has its own canons of morality'.

Cannon : a large gun. `Cannon to the left of them, cannon to the right of them'.

17. Canvas : a kind of coarse cloth. `Shoes made of canvas are not durable'.

Canvass : solicit votes. `Will you canvass votes for me'?

18. Casual : occasional; irregular. `Casual reading is better than no reading'.

Causal : relating to cause. `The causal connection between food and health'.

19. Censor : to subject to an official examiner. `The news is censored'.

Censure : to criticize adversely. `They censured her conduct bitterly'.

20. Cession : the transfer of territory by one country to another. `Nothing short c f the cession of the territory would satisfy the invader'.

Session : a term or a meeting period, as of a court, a legislature, or any organized assembly. `The winter session of the Assembly is over'.

21. Cite : to quote. `He cited verses from the Bible'.

Site : a place chosen for some special purpose. `The site for the school building was selected by the Headmaster'.

Sight : View. `A horrible sight met our gaze.

22. Coarse : rough. `He wears coarse clothes'.

Course : direction. `She has taken a wrong course (path)'.

23. Compliment : regard. `Tender my best compliments to your wife'.

Complement : that which makes up. `My work is a complement to Mr. Gupta's'.

24. Confidant : one who is trusted with a secret. `My confidant betrayed my secret' .

Confident : sure. `She is confident of success'.

25. Cord : rope. `He cut the cord with a knife'.

Chord : a straight line joining any two points in a curve or a circle; as, `the chord of a circle'.

26. Corporal : relating to the body. `Corporal punishment in schools must be discouraged'.

Corporeal : relating to matter as opposed to spirit. `Angels are not corporeal beings'.

27. Council : an assembly for conference or deliberation. `He is a member of the Social Welfare Council'.

Counsel : (1) to advise and instruct : `Fathers usually counsel their sons against excess'. (2) advice; a legal adviser or advocate. `He has engaged a counsel to defend him in the High Court'.

28. Decent : well-behaved and respectable. `She is a decent girl'.

Descent : derivation; slope, `Her descent from a noble family was also taken into account'. `The journey down the descent was easy'.

Dissent : disagreement. `Murmurs of dissent were heard at the meeting'.

29. Deference : respect. `Treat your elders with deference'.

Difference : disagreement. `There is a great difference between these two statements'.

30. Defy : challenge. `He defied all authority'.

Deify : worship. `The leader was deified by the people'.

31. Dependant : subordinate. `Be kind to your dependants'.

Dependent : relies on support. `He is dependent on his wife'.

32. Deprecate : feel and express disapproval of. `He deprecates changing the rules at present'.

Depreciate : make or become less in value. `The purchasing power of money has depreciated since she purchased her savings certificates'.

33. Disease : illness. `Consumption is not a fatal disease'.

Decease : death. `A severe disease may cause decease'.

34. Dual : double. `I do not believe in this dual policy of the Government'.

Duel : a combat between two men. `He fought a duel in his youth'.

35. Dying : (the Present Participle of die). `People are dying of disease every day'.

Dyeing : (the act of colouring), `This laundry does cleaning and dyeing'.

36. Elicit : draw out. `I could not elicit any truth from her'.

Illicit : unlawful. `Those who carry on illicit trade in opium are liable to be prosecuted'.

37. Elude : to escape. `He cleverly eluded the police'.

Allude : to refer to. `Which is the woman you alluded to in your speech?'

38. Emerge : to come out. `The swimmer emerged from the water'.

Immerge : to plunge into. `The chemist immerged the metal in acid'.

39. Emigrant : a person who leaves one country to take up residence in another. `The Irish emigrants settled in Canada'.

Immigrant : one who comes to one country from another to live there permanently. `Most of the Americans are English immigrants'.

40. Eminent : prominent. `He is an eminent doctor'.

Imminent : It applies especially to danger or misfortune that threatens to happen immediately. `She was saved from imminent death'.

41. Eruption : a violent bursting out. `Many villages were destroyed by an eruption of the volcano'.

Irruption : a sudden invasion. `The Chinese irruption into Tibet'.

42. Farther : actual distance or extension in space. `It is farther from Delhi to Chennai than it is from Delhi to Mumbai'.

Further : something additional in thought. `They discussed the matter further'.

43. Fare : price charged. `what is the railway fare from Delhi to Mumbai'?

Fair : pleasant, justifiable. `the weather is fair'. `Her dealings are fair.'

44. Forgo : abstain from; give up. `I shall forgo the pleasure of that trip'. Forego : to go before. `He will follow if you forego'. `See the foregoing example.'

45. Gamble : to play for stakes. `They gambled on the green'.

Gambol : to play and frolic. `The lambs are gambolling on the green'.

46. Hoard : store. `Do not hoard grains in times of war'.

Horde : (a wandering tribe). `Wandering hordes attacked villagers' huts'

47. Human : relating to man. `Human nature cannot stand such insults'. Humane : sympathetic; tender-hearted. `The humane treatment of prisoners is now advocated by all'.

48. Ingenuous : artless; frank; plain. `The ingenuous talk of the child impressed us all'

Ingenious : skillful. `He is an ingenious mechanic'

49. Jealous : envious. `He is jealous of my reputation.'

Zealous : ardent; enthusiastic. `She is a zealous worker in the cause of Harijan welfare'.

50. Legible : capable of being read. `She writes a legible hand'.

Eligible : fit to be chosen. `He is eligible for the post'.

51. Lightning : `He was struck by lightning'.

Lightening : making light. `I am thinking of lightening your burden'.

52. Loath : unwilling. `The mother was loath to leave her child behind'.

Loathe : to abhor or hate with extreme disgust. `Most people loathe falsehood'.

53. Loose : to unfasten. `Loose this knot, please'.

Lose : to part with something. `Don't lose your purse'.

54. Metal : `Platinum is a precious metal'.

Mettle : spirit; courage. `I will put your mettle to the test'.

55. Monetary : relating to money. `I have no monetary motives in helping you'.

Monitory : giving warning. `He paid no heed to the monitory advice of his father'.

56. Naughty : wicked. `He is a naughty y boy'.

Knotty : difficult to solve. `This is a knotty problem'.

57. Order : command. `An order must be obeyed'.

Ardour : fervour; zeal. `He is full of youthful ardour'.

58. Ordinance : a rule; a law. `The President has recently issued several newordinances'.

Ordnance : cannon. `Ordnance were fired at the enemies'.

59. Persecute : to oppress or punish unjustly. `Many people have beenpersecuted for their religious belief'.

Prosecute : (1) carry on. `He prosecuted his studies further'. (2) to institute legal proceedings against a person. `Trespassers will be prosecuted'.

60. Physic : medicine. `A dose of physic will do you good'.

Physique : bodily constitution. `He possesses a healthy physique'.

61. Populous : full of people; thickly inhabited. `Ours is a populous country'.

Populace : the masses. `The common populace cheered her'.

62. Practice : a thing done again and again. `Practice makes a man perfect'. `Ile is out of practice'.

Practise : (Verb); carry out in action. `Practise what you preach'.

63. Precede : to go before. `Study should precede teaching'.

Proceed : to continue. `Let us proceed with the work'.

Question. At school this week, Jonathon ....... his mother a beautiful gift for her birthday.
(a) made
(b) maid
(c) mad
(d) make
Answer. A

Question. Sandra loves her drama class so she decided to audition for the lead ....... in the school play.
(a) roll
(b) rail
(c) rule
(d) role
Answer. D

Question. ....... of canola fields in the prairies made the whole world look like a golden blanket.
(a) Roams
(b) Rose
(c) Rows
(d) Raids
Answer. C

Question. The Johnsons live very close to the ocean and their three daughters love to go to the ....... in the summer they look forward to it every year.
(a) birch
(b) beach
(c) beech
(d) batch
Answer. B

Question. The ....... factory produces much-needed products but it also pollutes the air and water supply.
(a) stall
(b) steel
(c) stole
(d) steal
Answer. B

Question. ....... are part of the elk, caribou and moose family.
(a) Deer
(b) Deem
(c) Dear
(d) Dirt
Answer. A

Question. In the South Pole, ....... Emperor penguins stay with their female mates' eggs until their chick hatches. They endure long periods of cold and hunger during this time.
(a) mail
(b) male
(c) man
(d) moan
Answer. B

Question. Shelley's ....... is very long. It almost touches the floor.
(a) here
(b) hair
(c) hare
(d) hear
Answer. B

Question. Johnny looked ....... and felt nauseous when he saw his father eat a raw oyster for the first time.
(a) pail
(b) pan
(c) pain
(d) pale
Answer. D

Question. Raymond is a mathematician. He just ....... an award for his work in the field of quantum physics.
(a) one
(b) won
(c) wand
(d) wan
Answer. B

Question. Thomas doesn't like a lot of seafood. For example, he doesn't like clams, shrimp or ........
(a) muscles
(b) mantles
(c) monsoons
(d) mussels
Answer. D

Question. The flight attendant walked up and down the ....... to make sure all of the passengers had enough to eat and drink on the long flight to Australia.
(a) I'll
(b) isle
(c) aisle
(d) owl
Answer. C

Question. Rebecca called a plumber because she has a loud and annoying ....... in the bathroom that keeps her up some nights.
(a) leap
(b) lime
(c) leek
(d) leak
Answer. D

Question. The soldier received the ....... of honor for his bravery during WWII.
(a) meddle
(b) metal
(c) medal
(d) mantle
Answer. C

Question. Connie is self-conscious about her ....... so she always wears really baggy, oversized clothing.
(a) weight
(b) wait
(c) way
(d) wade
Answer. A

Question. During the play, the actor forgot his lines. There was a long ....... in the audience until he remembered the next line and then the show continued.
(a) paws
(b) pose
(c) post
(d) pause
Answer. D

Question. There was a huge thunderstorm in the Midwest last week. ....... stones as big as baseballs fell from the sky and damaged many vehicles and homes.
(a) Hale
(b) Hole
(c) Hail
(d) Whole
Answer. C

Question. The successful, advertising company is not really worried about ....... this fiscal year because they are doing so well. The company has a lot of international clients.
(a) prophets
(b) profits
(c) puppets
(d) profiles
Answer. B

Question. The ....... on Henry's shoe is worn so he took them to the shoe repair shop.
(a) sold
(b) sole
(c) soul
(d) soap
Answer. B

Question. Kathy bought a beautiful ....... to go with her gorgeous wedding dress.
(a) veil
(b) vole
(c) vale
(d) vain
Answer. A

Question. Wild ....... are found in many parts of the world including North and South America, Europe and Asia.
(a) boors
(b) bores
(c) boars
(d) bowls
Answer. C

Question. The Sahara ....... is a very hot and dry place. However, in spite of the harsh climate, certain plants and animals continue to prosper each year.
(a) desert
(b) dessert
(c) desk
(d) discern
Answer. A

Question. Paul loves to hike early in the morning because everything is so crisp and fresh at that time. The morning dew and ....... makes the world look dreamy.
(a) mass
(b) mast
(c) mist
(d) missed
Answer. C

Question. Sahara, a beautiful Arabian mare, has a long and sleek ........ Her owner bathes and grooms her on a regular basis.
(a) mein
(b) mane
(c) main
(d) man
Answer. B

Question. The church choir sings the most beautiful ....... every Sunday. I wish I could sing that well.
(a) hymn
(b) him
(c) ham
(d) hominy
Answer. A

Question. The contractor took the couple to the ....... of their new home. He wanted to discuss details about the size and geographic issues they will have to address before construction can begin.
(a) cite
(b) site
(c) sight
(d) soot
Answer. B

Question. Normally, Robert likes his ....... medium-rare but his wife, on the other hand, likes hers well-done.
(a) stake
(b) stain
(c) steak
(d) stoke
Answer. C

Question. To improve Taylor's reading skills, Taylor's teacher told his mother that he should read his English assignments ....... at home every night.
(a) aloft
(b) allot
(c) aloud
(d) allowed
Answer. C

Question. Richard got his finger caught in the doorjam and it was ....... for two days afterwards.
(a) soar
(b) sear
(c) sire
(d) sore
Answer. D

Question. I use rosemary, marjoram and ....... in an old-fashioned, roasted chicken recipe my mother gave me.
(a) tune
(b) thumb
(c) time
(d) thyme
Answer. D

Question. The window latch broke earlier in the day. By nightfall, the wind blew harder than ever and there was a noticeable ....... in the apartment.
(a) drought
(b) draft
(c) draught
(d) daft
Answer. B

Question. There is a great deli around the corner. Tom orders cornbeef on ....... bread for lunch everyday.
(a) root
(b) reed
(c) wry
(d) rye
Answer. D

Question. Jeffrey decided to take some night classes. He really enjoys the first-year English ....... he attends every Tuesday and Thursday evening at the college.
(a) coarse
(b) cord
(c) curse
(d) course
Answer. D

Question. The sun's ....... are enjoyable in the summertime. However, sunbathers should wear sunscreen in order to prevent sun burns and skin damage.
(a) raze
(b) raise
(c) rays
(d) rave
Answer. C

Question. The little ....... loves to horse around and play in the backyard with his dog, Skippy.
(a) bay
(b) boy
(c) buoy
(d) buy
Answer. B

Question. People should always make sure they dispose of their ....... products in an environmentally friendly way.
(a) waist
(b) waste
(c) haste
(d) wait
Answer. B

Question. Tracy decided to join the Peace ....... in the fall. She wants to make a difference in the world.
(a) Cores
(b) Cords
(c) Corps
(d) Core
Answer. C

Question. There is a terrible ....... bug going around. Everyone at work is sick and the clinics are full of patients who want to get better before Christmas.
(a) flu
(b) flew
(c) fluke
(d) flame
Answer. A

Question. Dogs are not considered full-....... until they are about three-years-old.
(a) groomed
(b) grown
(c) groan
(d) growl
Answer. B

Question. At the office, the telephone must ....... four times before the answering machine picks up the call.
(a) wrong
(b) wring
(c) ring
(d) rang
Answer. C

Question. The eyewitness caught a ....... glimpse of the armed robber. As a result, she couldn't identify the thief in a police line-up.
(a) feint
(b) fan
(c) faint
(d) fein
Answer. C

Question. In a court of law, every person who is accused of a crime is entitled to a ....... trial.
(a) fein
(b) fair
(c) fare
(d) fame
Answer. B

Question. Larry warned his friend about the pyramid scheme. Those schemes are usually based on a ....... system that is often unfair to those on the bottom.
(a) tears
(b) tier
(c) tear
(d) teak
Answer. B

Question. Every Sunday, we can hear the church ....... from where we live.
(a) belle
(b) bail
(c) beam
(d) bell
Answer. D

Question. The judge set the accused's ........ It was a large amount because the crime was so violent.
(a) ball
(b) bale
(c) bail
(d) bales
Answer. C

Question. In the morning, Sally loves to eat organic ....... because it's made with oats. She feels that gives her a healthy start every day.
(a) cereal
(b) serum
(c) serial
(d) sealer
Answer. A

Question. The bank across the street offered us a very good interest rate on a personal ....... this month.
(a) lone
(b) loan
(c) loaf
(d) line
Answer. B

Question. Norma made a beautiful and delicious chocolate, ....... cake for her grandson's birthday this weekend.
(a) lame
(b) layer
(c) lair
(d) leer
Answer. B

Question. Jennifer and Cameron went out for a candlelit dinner. Then they went to the ....... to take in the romantic setting of the oceanfront property.
(a) peel
(b) pier
(c) pear
(d) peer
Answer. B

Question. The house is very large but the most impressive part of it is the vaulted ........
(a) searing
(b) ceiling
(c) sealing
(d) seeming
Answer. B

Question. In order to make the training manuals stand out, the company used specialty cardstock rather than ....... paper for the front and back covers.
(a) pane
(b) pain
(c) plain
(d) plane
Answer. C

Question. Casey asked her mother to ....... her a mountain bike for her 14th birthday next month.
(a) by
(b) boy
(c) bye
(d) buy
Answer. D

Question. The affluent family had an impressive wine ....... in their mansion prior to the stock market crash.
(a) cellar
(b) sell
(c) sealer
(d) seller
Answer. A

Question. Laurie loves trips to the ocean because she gets to swim in the sea as well as watch the ....... come in every evening.
(a) tiered
(b) tide
(c) tied
(d) toad
Answer. B

Question. Lance drew up the blueprints. He decided that the house should be about 1500 square ....... when construction is complete.
(a) foot
(b) feat
(c) feet
(d) fat
Answer. C

Question. The large ....... of cattle was difficult to move. The rancher used Border Collie dogs to help him round them up in the fall.
(a) herd
(b) heard
(c) herder
(d) heed
Answer. A

Question. The couple couldn't afford an elaborate honeymoon. So, on their 10th wedding anniversary, they went on a ....... in the Bahamas.
(a) crews
(b) cruise
(c) crumb
(d) crew
Answer. B

Question. Every year before Christmas, there are huge ....... on all kinds of Christmas wrapping paper, ornaments and decorations.
(a) sails
(b) sales
(c) stalls
(d) seals
Answer. B

Question. For Christians around the world, Sunday is a ....... day. In the past, many people didn't work on Sundays. Nowadays, however, a lot of people work on Sundays.
(a) holy
(b) wholly
(c) holly
(d) hole
Answer. A

Question. Surrounding the estate is a huge, metal fence with a large ....... in the front of the mansion. Security people and trained dogs guard the front entrance on a 24-hour basis.
(a) gate
(b) gait
(c) got
(d) gain
Answer. A

Question. Children often like ....... and ketchup on their hotdogs.
(a) mustered
(b) moose
(c) mustard
Answer. C

Question. The gang didn't like Simon so, after school, they confronted him and ....... him up.
(a) beet
(b) beat
(c) bit
Answer. B

Question. Don't worry about her. She has a ....... of her own.
(a) mind
(b) mined
(c) mince
Answer. A

Question. The garden was made up of a lot of high hedges in perfectly planted rows. It looked like a ....... from above.
(a) maise
(b) maid
(c) maze
Answer. C

Question. In Canada, there are many different types of wild animals including large mammals such as ........
(a) moose
(b) mousse
(c) mice
Answer. A

Question. There are also wild, feline creatures such as cougars and ........
(a) links
(b) lynx
(c) likes
Answer. B

Question. Jeremy had a bad cold last week. He blew his ....... all day long.
(a) nose
(b) knees
(c) knows
Answer. A

Question. Thomas went to church yesterday and met a really nice ........
(a) none
(b) noon
(c) nun
Answer. C

Question. Kevin was very tired and he ....... loudly when his teacher began reading the play aloud.
(a) side
(b) sighed
(c) site
Answer. B

Question. Many teachers say that you must have a lot of ....... in order to teach middle school students effectively.
(a) patience
(b) prints
(c) patients
Answer. A

Question. The ....... has a lot of difficult decisions to make including whether or not he should proceed with the raid tonight.
(a) kernel
(b) colonel
(c) carnal
Answer. B

Question. We had a delicious picnic on the banks of the small ....... this past weekend.
(a) creek
(b) creak
(c) crock
Answer. A

Question. The teacher ....... the lesson on geometry yesterday so you need to get the notes from one of your peers as soon as possible.
(a) taut
(b) tote
(c) taught
Answer. C

Question. Scientists have uncovered many of the mysteries regarding DNA strands and ........
(a) jeans
(b) genes
(c) gin
Answer. B

Question. Sarah rides her Arabian ....... every weekend.
(a) hoarse
(b) horse
(c) hoax
Answer. B

Question. Don't forget to put the water ....... away once you've finished watering the lawn.
(a) hose
(b) hoes
(c) highs
Answer. A

Question. The ....... is large and has a Victorian flavor to it. We stayed there for two days.
(a) in
(b) aw
(c) inn
Answer. C

Question. Before you buy that used car, you should check with the motor vehicles department to make sure the car is free of any ........
(a) liens
(b) leans
(c) lone
Answer. A

Question. I bought a small ....... of scented, lavender oil yesterday.
(a) vile
(b) veil
(c) vial
Answer. C

Question. The painting had beautiful colors in it but the content was a little ........
(a) odd
(b) awed
(c) ode
Answer. A

Question. Every Christmas, the children pray for snow because they love going on ....... rides on Christmas Eve.
(a) slay
(b) sleigh
(c) slough
Answer. B

Question. If you want to fight your speeding ticket, you must appear in traffic ....... to defend your position on the 15th of the month.
(a) quart
(b) court
(c) curt
Answer. B

Question. Parents are constantly reminding their children to eat ....... of their vegetables at supper time.
(a) all
(b) awl
(c) ale
Answer. A

Question. Can you please ....... about a cup of cheese so we can put it on the pizza right away?
(a) great
(b) grate
(c) grit
Answer. B

Question. In the past, people used ....... in soap making processes. Nowadays, many people feel that it's too strong and harsh so they opt for more gentle substances.
(a) lye
(b) lie
(c) lay
Answer. A

Question. ....... is used as a main ingredient in many baked products.
(a) Flower
(b) Friar
(c) Flour
Answer. C

Question. If you want to make southern-fried chicken, you should use a deep ....... because you will need to use a lot of peanut oil.
(a) friar
(b) fryer
(c) flour
Answer. B

Question. The personnel department has interviewed many possible candidates for the job. They want to ....... someone by the end of the month.
(a) hire
(b) higher
(c) hare
Answer. A

Question. The couple decided to go with the larger ....... because they are going to have about 250 people attend their wedding reception in June.
(a) hail
(b) haul
(c) hall
Answer. C

Question. As the raft went down the river rapids, the guide lost an ....... in the process.
(a) or
(b) ore
(c) oar
Answer. C

Question. The robbers were ....... about an hour after the bank robbery took place.
(a) cot
(b) caught
(c) coat
Answer. B

Question. Every second Friday, Isaiah goes to the bank to ....... his paycheck.
(a) cache
(b) clash
(c) cash
Answer. C

Question. Often, state governments will implement a sales ....... in order to collect more funds for various reasons.
(a) tax
(b) tacks
(c) ticks
Answer. A

Question. Coffee is delicious. However, there are also many different kinds of delicious ....... to choose from these days.
(a) tees
(b) toes
(c) teas
Answer. C

Question. I pulled the plant out of the garden because I thought it was only a ........ It turns out, it was a beneficial herb that I could have used in my cooking.
(a) weed
(b) we'd
(c) wed
Answer. A

Question. I have to buy a ....... because I want to grow a beautiful, vegetable garden this spring.
(a) spayed
(b) sped
(c) spade
Answer. C

Question. The garden table was made of black, ....... iron. It looks great with the other outdoor furniture on the patio.
(a) rote
(b) rot
(c) wrought
Answer. C

Question. You will need a passport if you want to cross the ........ They just changed the law this year.
(a) border
(b) boarder
(c) bidder
Answer. A

Question. After the huge feast, Tim's stomach ached because he ....... so much delicious food at one time.
(a) eight
(b) ail
(c) ate
Answer. C

Question. I asked my husband to ....... my purse while I put on my winter coat.
(a) hold
(b) holed
(c) hailed
Answer. A

Flying Across the Atlantic

In 1927, this individual was the fi rst to fl y solo nonstop from New York to Paris. What was this person’s name?
To answer the question, match each word on the left with its defi nition on the right. Write the letter of each answer in the space above its number at the bottom of the page. You will need to divide the letters into words.

1. accept                           H. to plan
2. conscious                     D. leaving out or excluding
3. device                          E. contraction for it is
4. later                             N. very dry land
5. except                         R. a sense of right and wrong
6. its                                L. food served after a main meal
7. desert                          I. to receive or agree to
8. devise                         S. occurring after the expected time
9. latter                           G. something constructed
10. dessert                      A. aware
1 1. it’s                            B. the second of two
12. conscience               C. possessive form of it
Answer. 
1. I 2. A 3. G 4. S 5. D 6. C 7. N 8. H 9. B 10. L 11. E 12. R

Green Plants

This substance makes the leaves of plants look green. What is it?
To answer the question, match each word on the left with its defi nition on the right. Write the letter of each answer in the space above its number at the bottom of the page.

1. breath                 Y. to a greater distance (length)
2. lay                      C. to inhale and exhale air
3. farther                 H. at a place
4. their                    L. a photograph
5. picture                 P. contraction for they are
6. further                 O. inhaled and exhaled air
7. there                    L. possessive form of they
8. lie                        O. container for holding a liquid
9. pitcher                 H. to put something down
10. breathe              R. to a greater degree
11. they’re               L. to recline
Answer. 
1. O 2. H 3. Y 4. L 5. L 6. R 7. H 8. L 9. O 10. C 11. P

What Am I Now?

Some insects and animals undergo major changes during their life cycles. A frog, for example, changes from a tadpole that breathes with gills to a frog that breathes with lungs. What is this change called?
To answer the question, match each word on the left with its defi nition on the right. Write the letter of each answer in the space above its number at the bottom of the page.

1. whose                     H. misplace
2. lose                        M. earlier, previously
3. formally                  O. contraction for who is
4. affect                      S. by this time
5. all ready                 R. possessive case of who
6. loose                      I. according to the rules
7. effect                      P. not tight
8. who’s                      E. to infl uence
9. formerly                  A. completely prepared
10. already                  T. result
Answer. 
1. R 2. H 3. I 4. E 5. A 6. P 7. T 8. O 9. M 10. S

Sunny City

With an average of 332 days of sunshine each year, this city is considered to be one of the sunniest, if not the sunniest, in the United States. What is this city’s name, and in what state is it located?
To answer the question, match each word on the left with its defi nition on the right. Write the letter of each answer in the space above its number at the bottom of the page. You will need to divide the letters into words.

1. all together              U. within
2. envelop                   Y. people who work in the same place
3. in                             R. absence of noise
4. personal                  A. to enclose
5. quiet                       Z. very
6. altogether               A. to stop
7. into                         N. a covering for a letter
8. quit                         O. private
9. envelope                A. entirely
10. personnel             M. movement toward the inside
11. quite                     I. everyone in the same place
Answer. 
1. I 2. A 3. U 4. O 5. R 6. A 7. M 8. A 9. N 10. Y 11. Z

Yerba Buena

Yerba Buena was the name of this city (although at the time it was not big enough to be a city) until 1847. What modern city was once called Yerba Buena?
To answer the question, complete each sentence below. Choose your answers from the words that follow each sentence. Write the letter of each answer in the space above its sentence number at the bottom of the page.
You will need to divide the letters into words.

1. “I like learning about American history,” said James. “____________ my favorite topic in history class.”
E. Its
I. It’s
Answer. I

2. “What is ____________ favorite topic?” he asked.
R. your
O. you’re
Answer. R

3. “____________ not going to believe this,” said Salvatore, “but I like the Revolutionary War.”
S. Your
N. You’re
Answer. N

4. “I like learning about the Founding Fathers,” he said. “____________ some of the most interesting people in history.”
H. Their
S. They’re
C. There
Answer. S

5. “___________ the most important in your opinion?” said James.
S. Whose
O. Who’s
Answer. O

6. “I can’t decide ____________ achievements were the greatest,” said Salvatore.
F. whose
I. who’s
Answer. F

7. “____________ are so many leaders who had a great impact on our country,” said James.
O. Their
U. They’re
A. There
Answer. A

8. “____________ lives were fascinating,” said Salvatore.
C. Their
N. They’re
L. There
Answer. C

Key to Ancient Writing

This slab of rock with writing dates back to 196 B.C. It enabled scholars to decipher ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. What is the name of this rock?
To answer the question, complete each sentence below. Choose your answers from the words that follow each sentence. Write the letter of each answer in the space above its sentence number at the bottom of the page. You will need to divide the letters into words.

1. Archaeologists are men and women ____________ study past civilizations.
I. whom
A. who
Answer. A

2. They ____________ the challenge of unlocking the secrets of history.
R. accept
E. except
Answer. R

3. Many of ancient Egypt’s secrets are hidden in the ____________ .
N. desert
E. dessert
Answer. N

4. ____________ are many secrets to fi nd.
L. They’re
N. Their
E. There
Answer. E

5. Archaeologists spend much of ____________ time trying to understand the past.
L. they’re
S. their
I. there
Answer. S

6. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics was a type of ____________ writing.
E. pitcher
O. picture
Answer. O

7. Life today is very different ____________ it was in ancient times.
E. than
U. then
Answer. E

8. The ____________ archaeologists look into the past, the more secrets they will unlock.
C. farther
T. further
Answer. T