GENERAL ENGLISH 1

Lecturer: Windy Adnin Bestari, M. Pd Skill Focus: Reading

Duration: 4x50’ Topic 2: Guessing word meaning from context
Modified by: Windy Adnin Bestari, M. Pd
Politeknik Negeri Created by: Dra. Siti Yuliah, M.Pd., Intan Sinta Dewi Rahayu, M.Pd., Setya Resmini,
Bandung M.Pd., Mira Nissa Murti, M.Pd.
Equipment: White board, board marker, handout, projector, screen, laptop
Objectives: After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- understand the importance of guessing word meaning form context;
- identify textual clues or hints;
- use strategies of guessing word meaning from context;
- use context to find the word meaning using a dictionary;
- guess word meaning in a sentence, a short paragraph, and an article.
Student’s name Date:
Major Civil Engineering Class:

The importance of guessing meanings from context

Context is very essential in reading to:
1. find definitions from structural clues
2. guess meanings from word parts
3. guess meaning of difficult words
4. guess meaning of simple words
1. Find definitions from structural clues
1A. Definitions from structural clues
When you have to determine the meaning of a word in a passage, it is possible (1) that the passage provides information
about the meaning of the word and (2) that there are structural clues to tell you that the definition of a word is included in
the passage.

Example
The passage:
One of the leading schools of psychological thought in the twentieth century was behaviorism—the belief that
the role of the psychologist is to study behavior, which is observable, rather than conscious or unconscious thought, which
is not. Probably the best-known proponent of behaviorism is B.F. Skinner, who is famous of his research on how rewards
and punishments influence behavior. He came to believe that positive reinforcements such as praise, food, or money were
more effective in promoting good behavior than negative reinforcement, or punishment.
The questions:
1. In “behaviorism” in line 1, a psychologist is concerned with….
a. Conscious thought patterns
b. Unconscious thought patterns
c. Observable actions
d. Unobservable actions
2. What is “positive reinforcement” in line 4?
a. A gift
b. A reward
c. A bribe
d. A penalty
3. What is “negative reinforcement” in line 5?
a. A promotion
b. A reward
c. A surprise
d. A punishment

 To answer the first question, you should look at the part of the passage following the word behaviorism. The dash
punctuation (—) indicates that a definition or further information about behaviorism is going to follow. In the
information following the dash you should see that the behaviorist is interested in behavior, which is observable, so
the best answer to this question is answer (C).
 To answer the second question, you should look at the part of the passage following the expression positive
reinforcements. The expression such as indicates that examples of positive reinforcement are going to follow. Your
job is to look at the examples of positive reinforcement and draw a conclusion about what positive reinforcement
might be. Since praise, food, or money might be given in return for a job well done, then positive reinforcement
must be a reward. The best answer to this question is therefore answer (B).
 To answer the third question, you should look at the part of the passage following the expression negative
reinforcement. The word or following negative reinforcement tells you that the idea is going to be restated in
different words. You can see in the passage that another word for negative reinforcement is punishment, so answer
(D) is the best answer to this question.
1B. Strategies of guessing word meaning from context
The following table shows the strategies that you should remember about vocabulary questions containing difficult words.

STRUCTURAL CLUES
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION “What is …?”
“What is the meaning of ….?”
“What is true about …?”
“AAAA” is closest in meaning to…
TYPES OF CLUES Punctuation: comma, parentheses, dashes
Restatement: or, that is, in other words, i.e.
Examples: such as, for example, e.g.
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER Information to help you determine what something means will
generally be found after the punctuation clue, the restatement clue, or
the example clues.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION 1. Find the word in the passage
2. Locate any structural clues.
3. Read the part of the passage after the structural clue carefully.
4. Eliminate any definitely wrong answers and choose the best answer
from the remaining choices.

TASK 1: Use context to guess meanings from structural clues

Passage 1 (Questions 1-4)
The teddy bear is a child’s toy, a nice, soft stuffed animal suitable for cuddling. It is, however, a toy with an
interesting history behind it.
Theodore Roosevelt, or Teddy as he was commonly called, was a president of the United States from 1901 to
1909. He was an unusually active man with caried pastimes, one of which was hunting. One day the president was invited
to take part in a bear hunt; inasmuch as Teddy was president, his hosts wanted to ensure that he caught a bear. A bear was
captured, clunked over the head to knock it out, and tied to a tree; however, Teddy, who really wanted to actually hunt,
refused to shoot the bear and in fact demanded that the bear be extricated from the ropes; that is, he demanded that the
bear be set free.
The incident attracted a lot of attention among journalists. Forst a cartoon—drawn by Clifford K Berryman to
make fun of this situation—appeared in the Washington Post, and the cartoon was widely distributed and reprinted
throughout the country. Then toy manufacturers began producing a toy bear which they called a “teddy bear”. The teddy
bear became the most widely recognized symbol of Roosevelt’s presidency.

1. According to line 1 of the passage, what is a “teddy bear”?

a. A ferocious animal
b. The president of the United States
c. A famous hunter
d. A plaything
2. In line 4, “pastimes” could best be replaced by…
a. Things that occurred in the past
b. Previous jobs
c. Hunting trips
d. Leisure activities
3. The word “extricated” in line 8 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
a. Released
b. Tied up
c. Hunted
d. Shot
4. In line 10, a “cartoon” could best be described as
a. A newspaper
b. A type of teddy bear
c. A drawing with a message
d. A newspaper article
Passage 2 (Question 5-8)
A supernova occurs when all of the hydrogen in the core of a huge star is transformed to iron and explodes. All
stars die after their nuclear fuel has been exhausted. Stars with little mass die gradually, but those with relatively large
mass die in a sudden explosion, a supernova. The sudden flash of light can then be followed by several weeks of extremely
bright light, perhaps as much light as twenty million stars.
Supernovae are not very common; they occur about once every hundred years in any galaxy, and in 1987 a
supernova that could be seen by the naked eye occurred in the Magellan Cloud, a galaxy close to the Milky Way. Scientists
periodically detect supernovae in other galaxies; however, no supernovae have occurred in the Milky Way (the galaxy
that includes the Earth) since 1604. One very impressive supernova occurred in the Milky Way on July 4, 1054. There
was a great explosion followed by three months of lighted skies, and historical chronicles of the time were full of accounts
and unusual explanations for the misunderstood phenomenon—many people believed that it meant that the world was
coming to an end.

5. A “supernova” in line 1 is which of the following?

a. The iron component of a star
b. The core of a star
c. The hydrogen in a star
d. The explosion of a star
6. According to the passage, which of the following best describes the “Magellan Cloud” in line 6?
a. A galaxy inside the Milky Way
b. A cloud composed of hydrogen
c. A galaxy near the Earth’s galaxy
d. A cloud in the sky above the Earth
7. The “Milky Way” in line 7 is….
a. Part of the Earth
b. A galaxy close to the Earth
c. The galaxy that is home to the Earth
d. A creamy-coloured cloud in the sky
8. Which of the following is closest in meaning to “phenomenon” in line 10?
a. Everyday occurrence
b. Misunderstood event
c. Common belief
d. Unusual occurrence

2. Guess meanings from word parts

2A. Meanings from word parts – kata bagian

When you have to determine the meaning of a long word that you do not know, it is sometimes possible to determine the
meaning of the word by studying the word parts.
Example.
Ring Lardner himself was born into a wealthy, educated, and cultured family. For the bulk of his career, he
worked as a reporter for a newspaper in South Bend, St. Louis, and Chicago. However, it is for his short stories of lower
middle- class Americans that Ring Lardner is perhaps best known. In these stories, Lardner vividly creates the language
and the ambiance of this lower class, often using the misspelled words, grammatical errors, and incorrect diction that
typified the language of the lower middle class.
The question.
1. The word “vividly” in line 3 is closest in meaning to…
a. In a cultured way
b. In a correct way
c. In a lifelike way
d. In a brief way
2. The word “misspelled” in line 4 is closest in meaning to…
a. Highly improper
b. Vulgar
c. Incorrect written
d. Slang
3. The word “diction” in line 4 is closest in meaning to…
a. Writing
b. Sentence structure
c. Form
d. Speech
In the first question, the word vividly contains the word part viv, which means life, so the best answer is answer (C). In the
second question, the word misspelled contains the word part mis, which means error or incorrect, so the best answer is answer
(C). In the third question, the word diction contains the word part dic, which means speak, so the best answer is answer (D).

2B. Strategies to guess meanings from word parts

Study the following table that shows a short list of word parts to help you guess meanings.
A SHORT LIST OF WORD PARTS
PART MEANING EXAMPLE PART MEANING EXAMPLE
CONTRA Against Contrast DIC Say Dictate
MAL Bad Malcontent DOMIN Master Dominant
MIS Error Mistake JUD Judge Judgement
SUB Under Subway MOR Death Mortal
DEC Ten Decade SPEC See Spectator
MULTI Many Multiple TERR Earth Territory
SOL One Solo VER Turn Divert
TRI Three Triple VIV Live Revive

TASK 2: Guess meanings from word parts

Passage 1 (question 1-5)
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was a Portuguese-born explorer who is credited with the exploration of the coast of
what is today the state of California. Sketchy military records from the period show that early in his career he served with
the Spanish army from 1520 to 1524 in Spain’s quest for subjugation of the people in what are today Cuba, Mexico, and
Guatemala. Little is known of his activities over the next decades, but apparently, he succeeded in rising up through the
ranks of the military; in 1541, he was ordered by Antonio de Mendoza, the Spanish ruler of Mexico, to explore the western
coast of North America. Cabrillo set out in June of 1542 in command of two ships, the San Salvador and the Victoria; he
reached San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542, and claimed the terrain for Spain. The peninsula where he landed is today
named Cabrillo Point in his honor; the area has been established as a national monument and park, and local residents
each year hold a celebration and reenactment of Cabrillo’s landing.
From San Diego, Cabrillo continued northward for further exploration of spectacular California coastline. By
November 1542, he had reached as far north as San Francisco Bay, although he missed the entrance of the bay due to a
huge storm. Soon after, with the approach of winter, he veered south and headed back to Mexico. He made it as far south
as the Channel Islands off the coast of what is today Santa Barbara. Cabrillo, who died on San Miguel Island in the
Channel Islands, never made it back to Mexico.

1. The word “subjugation” in line 3 is closest in meaning to…

a. Religion
b. Flag
c. Control
d. Agreement
2. In line 4, the word “decade” is closest in meaning to…
a. Months
b. Centuries
c. Long epoch
d. Ten- year period
3. In line 6, the word “terrain” is closest in meaning to…
a. Land
b. Population
c. Minerals
d. Prosperity
4. The word “spectacular” in line 10 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
a. Ruggedly handsome
b. Visually exciting
c. Completely uneven
d. Unendingly boring
5. The word “veered” in line 12 is closest in meaning to…
a. Arrived
b. Ran
c. Turned
d. Cooled
Passage 2 (question 6-10)
Checks and balances are an important concept in the formation of the U.S. system of government as presented
in the Constitution of the United States. Under this conception of government, each branch of government has built-in
checks and limitations placed on it by one or more different branches of government in order to ensure that any one branch
is not able to usurp total dominance over the government. Under the Constitution, the United States has a tripartite
government, with power divided equally among the branches: the presidency, the legislature, and the judiciary. Each
branch is given some authority over the other two branches to balance the power among the three branches. An example
of these checks and balances is seen in the steps needed to pass a law. Congress can pass a law with a simple majority,
but the president can veto such a law. Congress can then counteract the veto with a two-thirds majority. However, even if
Congress passes a law with a simple majority or overrides a presidential veto, the Supreme Court can still declare the law
unconstitutional if it finds that the law is contradictory to the guidelines presented in the Constitution.

6. The expression “dominance over” in line 4 is closest in meaning to…

a. Understanding of
b. Dispute over
c. Authority over
d. Rejection of
7. The word “tripartite” in line 4 suggests that something is…
a. Divided into three
b. Totally democratic
c. Powerfully constructed
d. Evenly matched
8. The “judiciary” in line 5 is…
a. The electorate
b. The authority
c. The legal system
d. The government
9. The word “counteract” in line 8 is closest in meaning to…
a. Vote for
b. Debate
c. Surpass
d. Work against
10. “Contradictory to” in line 10 is closest in meaning to which of the following expressions?
a. In agreement with
b. Opposite to
c. Supported by
d. Similar to

3. Guess meanings of difficult words

3A. Meanings of difficult words
When you find a word that you are not expected to know, the passage will give you a clear indication of what the
word means.
Example.
A line in the passage:
… the barges headed across the lake…
The question:
A “barge” is probably which of the following?
a. A train
b. A plane
c. A bicycle
d. A boat

In this type of question, you are not expected to know the meaning of the word barge. Instead, you should understand from
the context that if the barge went across a lake, then it is probably a type of boat. Answer (D) is therefore the best answer.

3B. Strategies of guessing word meaning from context

The following table shows the strategies that you should remember about vocabulary questions containing difficult words.

VOCABULARY QUESTIONS CONTAINING DIFFICULT WORDS

HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION “What is the meaning …?”
“Which of the following is closest in meaning to …?”
The word is a difficult word, one that you probably do not know.
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER The question usually tells you in which line of the passage the word
can be found.
 HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION 1. Find the word in the passage
2. Read the sentence that contains the word carefully.
3. Look for context clues to help understand the meaning.
4. Choose the answer that the context indicates.

TASK 3: Use context to determine meanings of difficult words

Passage 1 (question 1-4)
The black widow is the most dangerous spider living in the United States. It is most common in the southern parts of the
country, but it can be found throughout the country. The black widow got its name because the female has been known to
kill the male after mating and, as a result, becomes a widow.
The black widow is rather distinctive in appearance; it has a shiny globular body, the size and shape of a pea,
and is marked on its underbelly with a red or yellow spot. The female is considerably more ample than the male, roughly
four times larger on the average.
If a human is bitten by a black widow, the spider’s poison can cause severe illness and pain. Black widow bites
have occasionally resulted in death, but it is certainly not the norm for black widow bites to be mortal.

1. In line 2, the word “widow” means…

a. A type of poison
b. The dead male spider
c. The human victim of the spider
d. A female whose mate has died
2. Which of he following is closest in meaning to the word “globular” in line 4?
a. Earthen
b. Luminescent
c. Green in color
d. Round
3. The word “ample” in line 5 indicates that the spider is…
a. Feminine
b. Large in size
c. Dotted with colors
d. Normal
4. Which of the following has the same meaning as the word “mortal” in line 8?
a. Deadly
b. Painful
c. Poisonous
d. Sickening

Passage 2 (question 5-8)

Tornadoes occur throughout the world, but for reasons that scientists are not fully able to discern, the great majority
occur in the United States. Approximately 700 tornadoes a year occur within the United States, and this comprises three-
quarters of the worldwide total. Most of the U.S tornadoes take place in the Midwest and in the Southern states that border
the Gulf of Mexico.
In general, a tornado cuts a path of a few hundred yards and lasts less than an hour; an average tornado might
propel itself at a speed of 15 or 20 miles per hour and therefore cover a distance of 20 or so miles. Tornadoes, however,
can be much worse than average. The most devastating tornado on record occurred on March 18, 1925, in the states of
Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. The path of this tornado was more than 200 miles long and a mile wide. Travelling at an
average speed of 60 miles per hour, the winds at the center of the storm swirled around at considerably more than 200
miles per hour. A total of 689 people died, and countless more were injured at the hands of this killer storm.

5. The word “discern” in line 1 is closest in meaning to which of the following?

a. Present
b. Understand
c. Cause
d. Misrepresent
6. The word “propel” in line 6 could best be replaced by…
a. Move
b. Develop
c. Destroy
d. Inhibit
7. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word “devastating” in line 7?
a. Described
b. Delicate
c. Destructive
d. Determined
 8. The word “swirled” in line 9 is closest in meaning to?
a. Decreased
b. Rose
c. Settled
d. Circled

4. Guess meanings of simple words

4A. Meanings of simple words
A simple word is a word that you see often in everyday English. When you find this simple word in a passage, you should
not give the normal, everyday meaning of the word; instead, you have to give the meaning of the word in this situation.
Example.
A line from the passage:
…he put his answer this way…
The question:
The word “put” is closest in meaning to which of the following?
a. Placed
b. Set
c. Expressed
d. Handed

In this type of question, you should understand that put is a normal, everyday word, and you are not being asked to give the
regular meaning of a normal, everyday word, because the primary meaning of to put is to place, answer (A) is not the correct
answer. To answer this type of question, you must see which of the answer best fits into the sentence in the passage. You
cannot place an answer or set an answer or hand an answer, but you can express an answer, so answer (C) is the best answer
to this question.

4B. Strategies of guessing word meaning of simple words

The following table shows the strategies that you should remember about vocabulary questions containing simple words.

VOCABULARY QUESTIONS CONTAINING SIMPLE WORDS

HOW TO IDENTIFY THE QUESTION “What is the meaning …?”
“Which of the following is closest in meaning to …?”
The word is a difficult word, one that you see often in everyday
English.
WHERE TO FIND THE ANSWER The question usually tells you in which line of the passage the word can
be found.
HOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION 1. Find the word in the passage
2. Read the sentence that contains the word carefully.
3. Look for context clues to help understand the meaning.
4. Choose the answer that the context indicates.

TASK 4: Use context to determine meanings of simple words

Passage 1 (question 1-3)
The piece of eight was the nickname of the Spanish peso, which was the rough equivalent of the American dollar
in early America; the peso was accepted coin in much of the Americas, particularly during the period when the stores of
Spanish ships were regularly stripped by pirates on the waters off the Americas and “redistributed” throughout coastal
towns. The nickname piece of eight derived from the fact that the peso was equal to eight reals and therefore had the
numeral 8 stamped on it. The piece of eight was sometimes actually cut into pieces, or bits, and one popular size was one-
quarter of a piece of eight, or two bits. As a consequence, the U.S. quarter of a dollar is sometimes referred to today as
two-bits, particularly in the western part of the country. A visitor to that area, if told “it’ll be two-bits,” should take it that
the price of an item is being given.

1. The word “rough” in line 1 is closest in meaning to…

a. Unsmooth
b. Mean
c. Approximate
d. Heavy
2. “Stores” in line 2 are probably...
a. Departments
b. Markets
c. Shops
d. Supplies
3. The word “take” in line 7 could be best replaced by…
 a. Hold
b. Understand
c. Possess
d. Grab

Passage 2 (question 4-6)

Although the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith appeared in 1776, it includes many of the ideas that
economist still consider the foundation of private enterprise. The ideas put forth by Smith compose the basis of the
philosophies of the school of thought called classical economics.
According to Smith’s ideas, free competition and free trade are vital in fostering the growth of an economy. The
role of government in the economy is to ensure the ability of companies to compete freely.
Smith, who was himself a Scot, lived during the period of revolutions in Amerika and in France. During this
epoch, the predominant political thought was a strong belief in freedom and independence in government. Smith’s
economic ideas of free trade and competition are right in line with these political ideas.

4. A “school” in line 3 is…

a. A common belief
b. A college
c. A university
d. An educational institution
5. Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the word “free” in line 4…
a. Cheap
b. No cost
c. Uncontrolled
d. Democratic
6. The word “line” in line 8 could be best be replaced by…
a. Straightness
b. Directness
c. File
d. Agreement

Passage 3 (question 1-5)

Cardamon is not as widely used as a spice in the United States as it is in other parts of the world. This fruit of the
ginger plant provides an oil that basically has been used solely as stimulant in American and English medicines. Other
cultures have recognized the multipurpose benefits of this aromatic fruit. In Asia it is used to season sauces such as curry; in
Middle Eastern countries it is steeped to prepare a flavorful golden-colored tea; in parts of Northern Europe it is used as a
spice in various of pastry.
1. The word “solely” in line 2 could best be replaced by…
a. Initially
b. Only
c. Reportedly
d. Healthfully
2. The word “multipurpose” in line 3 is closest in meaning to…
a. Health
b. Singular
c. Recognized
d. Varied
3. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word “season” in line 3 ?
a. Divide
b. Forecast
c. Spice
d. Put at time limit
4. “Curry” in line 4 is…
a. The fruit of the ginger plant
b. A spicy type of sauce
c. A culture in the area of the Middle East
d. A type of golden-colored three
5. The word “steeped” in line 4 is closest in meaning to…
a. Soaked
b. Dried
c. Stored
d. Grown
Passage 4 (question 6-13)
The life span of an elephant that dies from natural causes is about sixty-five years. Of course, an elephant can perish
from a number of “unnatural causes”; e.g., it can be killed by hunters, most probably for the valuable ivory in its tusks; it
can die from diseases that spread throughout an elephant herd; or it can die from drought or from lack of food that almost
certainly accompanies the inadequate supply of water.
If, however an elephant survives these disasters, it falls prey to old age in its mid-sixties. Around this age, the cause
of death is attributed to the loss of the final set of molars. When this last set of teeth is gone, the elephant dies from
malnutrition because it is unable to obtain adequate nourishment. In old age, elephant tend to search out a final home where
there is shade for comfort from the sun and soft vegetation for cushioning; the bones of many old elephants have been found
in such places.

6. The word “perish” in line 1 means…

a. Fall ill
b. Shoot
c. Die
d. Get rich
7. The word “unnatural” in line 2 is closest in meaning to…
a. Wild
b. Violent
c. Domesticated
d. Abnormal
8. The word “drought” in line 3 means…
a. A drowning
b. A lack of food
c. An inadequate supply of water
d. An overabundance of animals
9. Which of the following could be used to replace the word “survives” in line 5?
a. Rises to
b. Succumbs to
c. Denies
d. Lies through
10. “Molars” in line 6 are…
a. Germs
b. Old-age characteristics
c. Types of food
d. Teeth
11. In line 7, “malnutrition” is used to describe someone who…
a. Is in good health
b. Has an illness
c. Suffers from poor eating
d. Experiences dental problems
12. The expression “a final home” in line 7 is closest in meaning to…
a. A place to die
b. A comfortable house
c. A place for sale
d. The only remaining place to live
13. The word “shade” in line 8 is closest in meaning to…
a. Color
b. Heat
c. Diminished light
d. A front porch