SSAT Elementary Level Reading › How to Determine the Meaning of a Word from Its Context in a Fiction Passage
Adapted from "The Buffoon and the Countryman" in The Fables of Aesop by Aesop (trans. Jacobs 1902)
At a country fair there was a Buffoon who made all the people laugh by imitating the cries of various animals. He finished off by squeaking so like a pig that the spectators thought that he had a porker concealed on him. But a Countryman who stood by said: "Call that a pig’s squeak! Nothing like it. You give me 'till tomorrow and I will show you what it's like." The audience laughed, but next day, sure enough, the Countryman appeared on the stage, and putting his head down squealed so hideously that the spectators complained and threw stones at him to make him stop. "You fools!" he cried, "see what you have been hissing," and held up a little pig whose ear he had been pinching to make him utter the squeals. Men often applaud a copy and boo the real thing.
The underlined word “buffoon” most likely means __________.
joker
teacher
helper
doctor
vender
From the context of the sentence, you know that the “buffoon” “made all the people laugh.” This suggests that the answer choice closest in meaning to "buffoon" is “joker.” A "buffoon" is someone who makes a fool of themselves to amuse others. To help you, a "vender" is someone who sells things.
Adapted from "The Ant and the Grasshopper" by Aesop (trans. Jacobs 1909)
In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, carrying a very heavy ear of corn to the nest.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and tiring in that way?"
"I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same."
"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper. "We have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants consuming every piece of corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew: it is best to prepare for the days of necessity.
What does the underlined word “toil” most nearly mean?
Work
Play
Hunt
Exhausting
Laugh
The word "toil" means work, so if you are “toiling away,” you are working hard. If you did not know the meaning of the word, you could figure out its meaning from the whole of the passage, since the ant is engaged in work and the grasshopper is being lazy. This would suggest that when the author describes the ant continuing “its toil,” it is continuing its work.
Adapted from "The Lion’s Share" in The Fables of Aesop by Aesop (trans. Jacobs 1902)
The Lion once went hunting with the Fox, the Jackal, and the Wolf. They hunted and they hunted till at last they surprised a Stag, and soon took its life. Then came the question of how the spoil should be divided. "Quarter me this Stag," roared the Lion; so the other animals skinned it and cut it into four parts. Then the Lion took his stand in front of the carcass and pronounced judgment: "The first quarter is for me in my capacity as King of Beasts; the second is mine as arbiter; another share comes to me for my part in the chase; and as for the fourth quarter, well, as for that, I should like to see which of you will dare to lay a paw upon it." "Humph," grumbled the Fox as he walked away with his tail between his legs; but he spoke in a low growl. “You may share the labors of the great, but you will not share the spoil."
The underlined word “spoil” most nearly means __________.
prize
ruin
snack
area
water
In this context, the word “spoil” is used to refer to the stag that has been captured. As such, it is closest in meaning to “prize.” In other contexts in which "spoil" is used as a verb, to "spoil" something can mean to ruin it.
Determine the meaning of the underlined word.
Fred went to the flower market to pick up some beautiful blooms. He needed to buy lovely flowers for the soirée at his house that evening. When he returned, he quickly dressed in his best suit and tie because his guests were about to arrive.
A fancy party
A host
A meeting
A game
A school
A "soirée"is a fancy party in the evening.
Adapted from "Belling the Cat" by Aesop (trans. Jacobs 1909)
Long ago, the mice had a general council to consider what measures they could take to outwit their common enemy, the Cat. Some said this and some said that; but at last a young mouse got up and said he had a proposal to make, which he thought would meet the case. "You will all agree," said he, "that our chief danger consists in the sly and treacherous manner in which the enemy approaches us. Now, if we could receive some signal of her approach, we could easily escape from her. I venture, therefore, to propose that a small bell be procured, and attached by a ribbon round the neck of the Cat. By this means we should always know when she was about, and could easily hide while she was in the neighborhood." This proposal met with general applause, until an old mouse got up and said: "That is all very well, but who is to bell the Cat?" The mice looked at one another and nobody spoke. Then the old mouse said: "It is easy to propose impossible remedies."
The underlined word “procured” most nearly means __________.
gotten
hidden
surprised
stolen
desired
The word “procured” means obtained or gotten. From the context of the sentence, you know that the mice want to “procure” a bell. It would hardly make sense for them to hide or surprise it, and there is no suggestion of them stealing it. So the answer must be “gotten.”
Determine the meaning of the underlined word.
Laurel was walking her tiny Chihuahua through the park last night when she noticed a big dog quietly lurking in the shadows. She quickly turned and walked the other way because she did not want the big dog to notice her tiny Chihuahua.
secretly waiting
swimming
playing
dancing
running
To "lurk" means to lie quietly in wait, most often for prey.
Determine the meaning of the underlined word.
Amber walked into the party and immediately noticed the gregarious hostess. She was chatting, laughing, and telling jokes to a crowd of four people across the room.
friendly
unkind
angry
shy
pretty
A "gregarious"person is someone who is friendly, outgoing, and easy to get along with.
Adapted from The Luckiest Girl in the School by Angela Brazil (1916)
December and January were scarcely good months for taking pictures, but Winona attempted some time exposures, with varying results. It was difficult to make the children realize the necessity of keeping absolutely still, and they ruined several of her pictures by grinning or moving. She secured quite a nice photo of the house, however, and several of the village, and promised herself better luck with family portraits when the summer came round again. She turned a large cupboard in the attic into her dark-room, and spent many hours experimenting with chemicals. She had urgent offers of help, but rejected them steadfastly, greatly to the disappointment of her would-be assistants. In the summer she meant to try all kinds of experiments. She had visions of rigging up a shelter made of leaves and branches, and taking a series of magnificent snap-shots of wild birds and animals, and she certainly intended to secure records of the sports at school. In the meantime she must content herself with landscape and still life.
The underlined word “scarcely” most nearly means __________.
hardly
traditionally
always
over the top
unkindly
The word “scarcely” means not quite, hardly,or just about. Here, the author is discussing how the months of December and January are hardly good enough for taking photographs, so "hardly" is the correct answer. "Over the top" is an English idiom that mean excessive or too much. An idiom is a common phrase or saying, like "raining cats and dogs."
Adapted from The Luckiest Girl in the School by Angela Brazil (1916)
December and January were scarcely good months for taking pictures, but Winona attempted some time exposures, with varying results. It was difficult to make the children realize the necessity of keeping absolutely still, and they ruined several of her pictures by grinning or moving. She secured quite a nice photo of the house, however, and several of the village, and promised herself better luck with family portraits when the summer came round again. She turned a large cupboard in the attic into her dark-room, and spent many hours experimenting with chemicals. She had urgent offers of help, but rejected them steadfastly, greatly to the disappointment of her would-be assistants. In the summer she meant to try all kinds of experiments. She had visions of rigging up a shelter made of leaves and branches, and taking a series of magnificent snap-shots of wild birds and animals, and she certainly intended to secure records of the sports at school. In the meantime she must content herself with landscape and still life.
The underlined phrase “rigging up” most likely means __________.
making
destroying
photographing
allowing
forbidding
The phrase “rigging up” means setting up, creating or making. It is used in the context of Winona “rigging up” a “shelter made of leaves and branches, and taking a series of magnificent snap-shots of wild birds and animals.” This suggests that Winona plans to make something, so "make" is the correct answer. To help you, "forbidding" means the opposite of "allowing."
Adapted from The Luckiest Girl in the School by Angela Brazil (1916)
December and January were scarcely good months for taking pictures, but Winona attempted some time exposures, with varying results. It was difficult to make the children realize the necessity of keeping absolutely still, and they ruined several of her pictures by grinning or moving. She secured quite a nice photo of the house, however, and several of the village, and promised herself better luck with family portraits when the summer came round again. She turned a large cupboard in the attic into her dark-room, and spent many hours experimenting with chemicals. She had urgent offers of help, but rejected them steadfastly, greatly to the disappointment of her would-be assistants. In the summer she meant to try all kinds of experiments. She had visions of rigging up a shelter made of leaves and branches, and taking a series of magnificent snap-shots of wild birds and animals, and she certainly intended to secure records of the sports at school. In the meantime she must content herself with landscape and still life.
The underlined word “steadfastly” most nearly means __________.
firmly
incorrectly
selfishly
generously
wisely
The word “steadfast” means firm, committed, or consistent. The author says, “\[Winona\] had urgent offers of help, but rejected them steadfastly, greatly to the disappointment of her would-be assistants.” This suggests that steadfastly must mean something like firmly or consistently.