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. Accentuate
► One that takes in everything available, as with the mind.
► An embankment built to prevent flooding
► To stress or emphasize; intensify
► One that speaks for, represents, or advocates
2. Decorum
► A conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image.
► An unstable, poisonous allotrope of oxygen.
► Appropriateness of behavior or conduct
3. Nebula
► A metric unit of length equal to 1,000 meters (0.62 mile).
► One thing conceived as representing another; a symbol.
► One who rejects a religion, cause, allegiance, or group for another; a deserter.
4. Parasite
► A movement or procedure involving skill and dexterity.
► One who habitually takes advantage of the generosity of others without making any useful return.
5. Toxin
► Something that is passed down from preceding generations; a tradition.
► A poisonous substance, especially a protein, that is produced by living cells or organisms.
► The act of resting or the state of being at rest.
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.