IREAD Using Context Clues 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Read the sentence: 'The ancient ruins were so dilapidated that tourists were warned to stay back because the walls might collapse.' What does dilapidated mean?
- newly built and sturdy
- falling apart and in poor condition (Correct answer)
- carefully restored
- brightly painted
Correct answer: falling apart and in poor condition
The clue 'walls might collapse' shows the ruins are falling apart, so dilapidated means in poor condition.
Question 2: Read the sentence: 'Maria was famished after the long hike; she ate three sandwiches and still wanted more food.' What does famished mean?
- very thirsty
- extremely tired
- very hungry (Correct answer)
- quite happy
Correct answer: very hungry
Eating three sandwiches and wanting more is behavior of someone who is extremely hungry, so famished means very hungry.
Question 3: Read the sentence: 'The puppy was so timid that it hid behind the couch whenever a stranger came to the door.' What does timid mean?
- brave and bold
- easily frightened and shy (Correct answer)
- curious and playful
- large and loud
Correct answer: easily frightened and shy
Hiding from strangers shows the puppy is easily frightened, so timid means shy or easily scared.
Question 4: Read the sentence: 'Jake's story was so implausible that no one believed it — dragons living in the school cafeteria just doesn't seem possible.' What does implausible mean?
- easy to believe
- hard to believe (Correct answer)
- very exciting
- well-written
Correct answer: hard to believe
The context says 'no one believed it' and 'doesn't seem possible,' showing implausible means hard to believe.
Question 5: Read the sentence: 'The teacher asked students to collaborate on the project, so they worked together to share ideas and finish it as a team.' What does collaborate mean?
- compete against each other
- work together (Correct answer)
- finish quickly alone
- argue about ideas
Correct answer: work together
The context 'worked together to share ideas' directly explains that collaborate means to work as a team.
Question 6: Read the sentence: 'Because of the drought, the river was nearly depleted, with just a trickle of water remaining.' What does depleted mean?
- overflowing with water
- used up or emptied (Correct answer)
- frozen solid
- running very fast
Correct answer: used up or emptied
Only a trickle remaining means the water has been used up, so depleted means emptied or exhausted.
Question 7: Read the sentence: 'The new student was reluctant to join the game; she stood at the edge of the playground, hesitating before finally stepping in.' What does reluctant mean?
- excited and eager
- unwilling or hesitant (Correct answer)
- angry and upset
- tired and bored
Correct answer: unwilling or hesitant
Standing at the edge and hesitating shows the student was unwilling, so reluctant means hesitant.
IREAD Using Context Clues 2
Read the sentence: 'The ancient ruins were so dilapidated that tourists were warned to stay back because the walls might collapse.' What does dilapidated mean?