Words, Words, Words

John Wiley & Sons

Chapter One

PLACES

1. asylum: (n) sanctuary, refuge, institution for the mentally ill

Since the mentally ill man had trouble living alone, he was placed in an asylum last week.

syn: haven, retreat, hideaway, shelter

2. bungalow: (n) one-story cottage

Our family enjoys renting the bungalow on Brooks Lake each summer.

syn: cabin, summerhouse

Helpful Hint: A bungaLOW is a building that is usually LOW to the ground.

3. cavern: (n) a large cave

The scientists want to revisit this cavern to check for possible changes in the rock formations.

Family words: cavernous (adj)

Helpful Hint: A CAVErn is a large CAVE.

4. depot: (n) storehouse; warehouse; railroad or bus station

The truck driver dropped the sixteen large boxes at the grain depot.

My mother will pick up my sister at the train depot at six o'clock tonight.

syn: terminal, terminus

5. galley: (n) a long, low ancient ship propelled by oars; the kitchen of a ship or airplane

We drew pictures of an immensegalley that included the slaves and convicts who were on board.

The documentary revealed that many slaves were harshly treated as they rowed in the galley of this antique ship.

6. hearth: (n) stone floor of a fireplace

Please do not leave the newspapers on the hearth, as they could easily ignite from the sparks.

7. labyrinth: (n) structure containing an intricate network of winding passages that are hard to follow without losing one's way; a maze

Daedulus, the father of Icarus, constructed mythology's most famous labyrinth at the request of Crete's King Minos.

syn: intricacy, confusion, tangle

8. lagoon: (n) an area of shallow salt water

We wandered near this peaceful lagoon while we were vacationing here last summer.

9. landmark: (n) a prominent feature of a landscape

The Golden Gate Bridge is a California landmark.

syn: milestone, watershed, highlight, feature

10. metropolis: (n) a large city or center

Which is your favorite North American metropolis-New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, or Boston?

syn: hub, seat

11. monastery: (n) residence for monks

The monks living in that monastery have taken certain vows including poverty, obedience, and silence.

Helpful Hint: MONks live in a MONastery.

12. peninsula: (n) land with water on three sides

Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, Florida is a world-famous peninsula.

Helpful Hint: A PENinsula is often shaped like a PEN.

13. plateau: (n) an elevated tract of flat land

The view from this large plateau is both magnificent and breathtaking.

syn: tableland, plain, highland, mesa

Helpful Hint: A PLATEAU and a PLATE are both flat!

14. quay: (n) wharf; dock

Workers called stevedores load and unload the ships that dock at this quay.

syn: pier, landing

15. vestibule: (n) a small entrance hall or room, either to a building or to a larger room

My father greeted our New Year's Eve guests in the vestibule before escorting them into the living room.

syn: foyer, antechamber, hallway, entry

Helpful Hint: Leave your VEST in the VESTibule before you walk into the living room.

Name: ____________________________ Date: _______________________________ Period: ___________

1-1 A LARGE CITY, A DOCK, AND MORE

One of the answers in this crossword puzzle has to do with a large city. Another has to do with a dock. So there's a start. Fill in the answers to the fifteen clues below.

Across

1. prominent feature of a landscape

6. land with water on three sides

8. small entrance hall either to a building or to a larger room

10. storehouse; warehouse; railroad or bus station

12. structure containing an intricate network of winding passages

14. institution for the mentally ill; refuge; place of protection

Down

1. an area of shallow water

2. residence for monks

3. dock; wharf; pier

4. large cave

5. large city or center

7. elevated tract of flat land

9. long, low usually single-decked ship propelled by oars and sails used in ancient and medieval times; kitchen of a ship

11. one-story cottage

13. stone floor of a fireplace

Name: ____________________________ Date: _______________________________ Period: ___________

1-2 THE LETTERS C AND R STAND FOR THEMSELVES

Today is your day to play detective. The fifteen words from Unit 1 have been disguised in this activity. Code letters have been substituted for the letters of the words, except that the real letter C is still the letter C in the substitute code, and the letter R is still the letter R in the substitute code. The other letters found in the Code Letters column have been given substitutes. Use the Letter Substitution Code to track your letters. Write the correct letters in the appropriate spaces. If you have done all of this correctly, you have decoded the fifteen words and are a good detective!

Code Letters Real Letters

1. CUWDRT CAV ___ R ___

2. NQUBDUH ___ ___ A ___ ___ A ___

3. NDTLTOHQU ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ A

4. QUKVRLTBA ___ A ___ ___ R ___ ___ ___ ___

5. SYTUOBDRV ___ ___ ___ A ___ ___ ___ R ___

6. ADURBA ___ ___ A R ___ ___

7. PDNYB ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

8. SDBRYNYQLO ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

9. MUQQDV ___ A ___ ___ ___ ___

10. UOVQHS A ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

11. QUTPSURG ___ A ___ ___ ___ A R ___

12. WDOBLKHQD V ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

13. QUMYYT ___ A ___ ___ ___ ___

14. KHTMUQYE ___ ___ ___ ___ A ___ ___ ___

15. IHUV ___ ___ A ___

Letter Substitution Code Used:

Code Letters: A B C D E G H I K L M N O P Q R S T U V WY

Real Letters: ___ ___ C ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ R ___ ___ A ___ V ___

Name: ____________________________ Date: _______________________________ Period: ___________

1-3 FIND THE THREE WORDS

Choose the correct word and then write it in the appropriate blank. After each sentence, a number is written within parentheses. That number signifies the letter that should be written at the bottom of this page. If you have correctly written the fifteen letters in order, you have spelled out three five-letter words. The first word means to soothe; the second is something you need for a printer; the third is where many actors earn their living.

asylum depot labyrinth metropolis plateau bungalow galley lagoon monastery quay cavern hearth landmark peninsula vestibule

1. While exploring a(n) ________________________ in England in the 1900s, scientist Arthur Ogilvy found the jawbone of a man, now dated at 31,000 years old. (2)

2. My father catches many fish in the ________________________ that eventually empties into the Caribbean Sea. (1)

3. Our science teacher told us about a unique type of bird ________________________ found in the woods near our school. (4)

4. We spotted several horses on the distant plains as we stood atop the ________________________. (6)

5. Our hotel is just down the block from the ________________________, where many ships pull into port each day. (4)

6. Since this old palace has so many confusing long and narrow hallways, we thought that we were in a(n) ________________________. (8)

7. Grandfather enjoyed moving to the peaceful countryside after living and working for so many years in the noisy and crowded ________________________. (5)

8. Only the northern portion of this ________________________ does not have a coastline. (5)

9. Please explain what types of activity took place down in the ship's ________________________. (5)

10. The Eiffel Tower in Paris is a world-famous ________________________. (7)

11. Our small group waited for ten minutes in the building's ________________________ before we were escorted into the large conference room to meet our state representative. (3)

12. Hundreds of monks have lived in this magnificent ________________________ during the past two hundred years. (6)

13. Our family cat lies near the ________________________ to keep warm during those cold winter nights. (3)

14. Each summer, my friend's family lives in a lakeside ________________________ that was built nearly fifty years ago. (4)

15. How many bus and train riders use this ________________________ each week? (2)

Name: ____________________________ Date: _______________________________ Period: ___________

1-4 A COLORFUL MATCHING COLUMN

Match the word in Column A with its definition in Column B. Then write the two-letter answer on the line after the number in Column A. Last, write the two-letter answers (in order) at the bottom of the page. If your answers are correct, you will understand the title of this activity.

Column A Column B

1. _____ asylum bl. residence for monks

2. _____ bungalow br. sanctuary, refuge; institution for the mentally ill

3. _____ cavern di. wharf; dock 4. _____ depot ed. large city or center

5. _____ galley eo. stone floor of a fireplace

6. _____ hearth er. prominent feature of a landscape

7. _____ labyrinth go. small entrance hall or room

8. _____ lagoon in. elevated tract of flat land

9. _____ landmark ng. area of shallow saltwater

10. _____ metropolis np. large cave

11. _____ monastery ow. one-story cottage

12. _____ peninsula pl. log, low ancient ship propelled by oars

13. _____ plateau ra. structure containing an intricate network of winding passages

14. _____ quay ue. land with water on three sides

15. _____ vestibule ur. storehouse; warehouse; railroad or bus station

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Words, Words, Words by Jack Umstatter Copyright © 2004 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. Excerpted by permission.
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