Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

DISABILITY

DEFINITION:
A physical, mental, cognitive, or developmental condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain tasks or participate in daily activities.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
The agreement last week between Disability-rights groups and Secretary of State Shirley Weber follows an Oct. 2 ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim of San Francisco that the current system violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws.
►San Francisco Chronicle, 11/02/2026

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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. Jovial

► An elevated, comparatively level expanse of land; a tableland.

► A preparation of a weakened or killed pathogen.

► Strikingly unconventional and far-fetched in style or appearance; odd

► Marked by hearty conviviality and good cheer.


2. Lichen

► The supporting and water-conducting tissue of vascular plants, consisting primarily of tracheids and vessels; woody tissue.

► A person with masterly skill or technique in the arts.

► A fungus, usually of the class Ascomycetes, that grows symbiotically with algae,

► A member of an irregular, usually indigenous military or paramilitary unit operating in small bands in occupied territory to harass and undermine the enemy


3. Bandolier

► To cringe in fear

► An ammunition belt, worn over the shoulder, having loops or pockets for cartridges.

► The locus of points for which the sum of the distances from each point to two fixed points is equal

► One thing conceived as representing another; a symbol.


4. Sacrifice

► One that takes in everything available, as with the mind.

► Forfeiture of something highly valued for the sake of one considered to have a greater value or claim.

► The main character in a drama or other literary work.

► Having a backbone or spinal column.


5. Participle

► Having a backbone or spinal column.

► An embankment built to prevent flooding

► A disorderly commotion or disturbance.

► A form of a verb that in some languages, such as English, can function independently as an adjective.


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Common Core State Standard
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.