Words in the News Quiz
5 Middle School Words
Click on the correct answer in the quiz below.
Then see if you can find the word in your newspaper -- the print edition, the website or the digital edition and copy the sentence for context. NOTE: High School words are much harder to find!
1. Parasite
► To swing indecisively from one course of action or opinion to another.
► One who habitually takes advantage of the generosity of others without making any useful return.
► A conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image.
2. Mosaic
► A conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image.
► A person authorized to act as representative for another; a deputy.
► Harmful, malevolent, injurious. Harmfully cancerous.
3. Nocturnal
► Of, relating to, or occurring in the night
► To move back or away from a limit, point, or mark
► A poisonous substance, especially a protein, that is produced by living cells or organisms.
► To grow well or luxuriantly; thrive
4. Lichen
► A poisonous substance, especially a protein, that is produced by living cells or organisms.
► To grow well or luxuriantly; thrive
► A fungus, usually of the class Ascomycetes, that grows symbiotically with algae,
5. Gargoyle
► A grotesque ornamental figure or projection.
► A closed plane figure bounded by three or more line segments.
► A movement or procedure involving skill and dexterity.
LS.CCS.4/5/6 Grades 3-12: Students are asked to determine the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words through multiple choice vocabulary quizzes. Quizzes are designed to help students demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in words, acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words, and gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. Students are then asked to find the words within the newspaper and copy the sentence for context to its overall meaning or function in a sentence.