Read each of the passages using context clues to determine the meaning of the italicized word. Note the part(s) of the paragraph you used to help in your selection.

The love of money has ruined friendships, caused divorces, and even led to death. This intense 1avariciousness can be blamed for one nation invading another, the ravaging of our natural resources, and the discovery of America. In the twenty-first century, it may cause further 2alienation in a way never witnessed before--it is about to tear the American family apart. A great deal of money will be transferred from parents, upon their deaths, to their children, normally a natural transfer of 3assets. The amount is estimated to be about 12 trillion dollars, an extraordinary amount. Persons who grew up in the Depression Era have saved and 4scrimped, denying themselves often needed goods, and many have 5amassed large fortunes. This generation will be passing its wealth on to its children, the baby boomers, right after the turn of the century.

What does this transfer of trillions of dollars mean for the wealth of our population? Some 6predictions state that about one-third of this money will go to only one percent of the population, but for those one percent who are lucky enough to inherit one or two million dollars, there may be some serious fighting among 7siblings. Already, attorneys are seeing families doing battle over estates, china, silver, furniture, and cars. Television talk show hosts are featuring families discussing their fortunes and publicly airing their 8disputes. The money seems much more important than family 9harmony or loyalty. To get ready for the predicted upcoming family battles, some are suggesting that the country will need even more attorneys, specializing in estate 10litigation and planning

1.Choose the letter of one of the definitions before each word.

avariciousnessalienationassetsscrimpedamassedpredictionssiblingsdisputesharmonylitigation

a. possessions

b. lawsuits

c. collected

d. thoughts about the future

e. counted every penny

f. disagreements

g. agreement

h. separation

i. greed for wealth

j. brothers and sisters

Jazz! The music that touched every musician of the 20th century, whether it was 1embraced or discarded, still resounds in the chords and creations heard today. Many 2renowned figures

provided 3innovation to this form of music, but none more than the "Duke"--Mr. Edward Kennedy Ellington. He took this exciting, pulsating music and enriched it with his 4incomparable creativity. Although he would have been 100 years old in 1999, this "old" man still influences musicians today. From short instrumental pieces, to symphonic works, to film scores, to music for the theater and for worship, his range was without comparison. He composed almost 2,000 works during his career 5spanning 50 years of creativity from the 1920s through the 1970s.

Born in Washington, D.C. in 1899, Ellington was a contemporary of George Gershwin, another major figure in the serious business of music. In the 1920s, Ellington took his orchestra, known as the Washingtonians, to New York where they performed at the famous Cotton Club in Harlem. By the mid 1930s, Ellington had created an astonishing list of compositions, such 6classics as Caravan, Mood Indigo, and Sophisticated Lady. He led his orchestra on a grand tour of Europe where he was greeted by cheering, adoring fans. From this successful foreign tour, he 7initiated a series of annual concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York where he introduced his extensive 8repertoire of concert suites. He continued to compose concerts, ballets, operas, and film scores (most notably Anatomy of a Murder and The Asphalt Jungle), and officially retired in 1954. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and honorary degrees from Yale and Howard Universities. Although the "Duke" died in 1974 in New York City, his works, even 9posthumously, were still being discovered. One of his operas was performed in Philadelphia in 1986, and his symphonic works started to appear in concert halls and recordings. Finally, in 1999, "Duke" was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize for lifetime achievement.

The "Duke's" power and 10vitality will always remain in his contributions to musicians everywhere. He took jazz and translated it into a style spanning the blues, the big-band sounds of swing, concert suites, and even religious music.

1.

Using the pulldown boxes, match each item on the left to the corresponding item at right.

incomparablerepertoireinnovationrenownedposthumouslyinitiatedembracedspanningclassicsvitality

a. extending through

b. collection

c. started

d. exceptional

e. accepted

f. old masterpieces

g. after death

h. change

i. energy

j. famous

Read each passage to find the signal words and the structure the author used.

1Many children and adults suffer from a condition known as dyslexia, difficulty in reading. 2The general belief is that the term simply refers to seeing letters reversed, but it is actually much more complex and frustrating for the reader. 3For one thing, dyslexics might lose track of what they are reading either by skipping words, or even entire lines, or confusing what they are reading. 4Additionally, in an attempt to focus on the written words, a dyslexic could miss the main points of what is being read and then have to reread to regain meaning. 5For some dyslexics, even the effort to read can have negative physical results. 6The difficulty experienced in seeing the material clearly can result in strained vision, headaches, and even nausea. 7And, yes--they might even see letters backwards!

1. What does the signal word but indicate in sentence #2?

contrast

example

comparison

2. What does the signal for one thing indicate in sentence #3?

cause/effect

comparison

example

3. What do the signal words or indicate in sentence #3?

listing

cause/effect

chronology

4. What relationship is shown between sentences #3 and #4?

contrast

listing

cause/effect

5. What signal word(s) would best fit between sentences #5 and #6?

however

in addition

for example

6. What relationship is shown between sentences #5 and #6?

example

listing

comparison

7. What structure is used within sentence #6?

comparison

definition

cause/effect

Read each passage to find the signal words and the structure the author used. 1During the colonial period, efforts were made to provide American Indians with higher education in order to convert them to Christianity and to "civilize" them. 2However, most of the efforts failed. 3One of the first colleges was planned in Henrico, Virginia in 1617, but it was later abandoned after the Indian rebellion of 1622. 4In 1656 an Indian College built to house 20 students was constructed on Harvard's campus. 5Nevertheless, only six Indian students attended, and the buildings were eventually used for British students. 6The 1693 charter for the College of William and Mary in Virginia continued the mission to educate and civilize the Indians. 7Again, however, only five or six Indian students attended during three decades, and the plans were abandoned.

1. What does the signal one indicate in sentence #3?

chronology

listing

cause/effect

2. What does the signal but indicate in sentence #3?

contrast

cause/effect

chronology

3. What signal word(s) would best fit to connect sentences #5 and #6?

moreover

for example

next

4. What is the relationship between sentences #5 and #6?

example

listing

chronology

5. What word in sentence #7 signals contrast?

only

however

again

Match the vocabulary words on the left with the definitions on the right.

1. interruptto cause (a particular activity or process) to happen faster:

2. accelerateto formally relinquish a position of power, a claim, or a right.

3. intention to cause to stop; break off:

4. absenceto set aside (money or other resources) for some specific use.

5. accuse to pardon or overlook (a minor fault or error):

6. paramedicone who is trained to work as a doctor's assistant or as a provider of emergency medical care.

7. perpetual to lower the speed of; decrease in velocity; slow down.

8. interception a decided course of action; plan.

9. deceleratesteadfast continuance in a course of action, task, or belief.

10. allocate to locate or move again.

11. perseverance of or relating to the affairs of two or more nations.

12. international the state or condition of being away or not present.

13. relocate to charge with a crime or error.

14. abdicatethe act of intercepting or the condition of being intercepted.

15. excuse lasting or continuing forever.