Bay Area Newsgroup Newspapers in Education.  The Mercury News, East Bay Times, Marin Independant Journal, Santa Cruz Sentinel.  Classroom Hero image. Bay Area Newsgroup Newspapers in Education.  The Mercury News, East Bay Times, Marin Independant Journal, Santa Cruz Sentinel.  Classroom Hero image.
Home About NIE Sponsor NIE Contact Us
Geography Last Week Front Page Cartoons News Video Words Use the News History Special Report Pulse NASA

Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

ATMOSPHERIC

DEFINITION:
Anything related to the atmosphere, which is the layer of gases surrounding a planet. An atmospheric river is a narrow corridor concentrated water vapor.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
A major atmospheric river storm — strong enough to potentially rival some of the extreme storms that have walloped Southern California in recent winters — is barreling toward the coast, raising the specter of damaging landslides and flooding across the region.
The Los Angeles Times, 02/10/2025

Generate your own quiz
Select a grade level
 Elementary
 Middle School
 High School
Select a quiz type
 By words
 By Definitions
Select how many questions
5   10   15   20  

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. Silhouette

One that is inconvenient, annoying, or vexatious; a bother.

To rejoice greatly; be jubilant or triumphant

A drawing consisting of the outline of something, especially a human profile, filled in with a solid color.

An embankment built to prevent flooding


2. Introspection

Any of various relatively small sailing or motor-driven vessels used for pleasure cruises or racing.

A poisonous substance, especially a protein, that is produced by living cells or organisms.

Self-examination.

A closed plane figure bounded by three or more line segments.


3. Light-Year

The distance that light travels in a vacuum in one year.

A very large and destructive wave, generally caused by a tremendous disturbance in the ocean, such as an undersea earthquake or volcanic eruption.

An alteration or change, as in nature, form, or quality.

The arrangement of events in time


4. Aspire

Not subject to an obligation imposed on others; exempt.

To have a great ambition or ultimate goal

Conversation between characters in a drama or narrative

A person authorized to act as representative for another; a deputy.


5. Nebula

A characteristic rate or rhythm of activity; a pace

A diffuse mass of interstellar dust or gas or both, visible as luminous patches or areas of darkness

To take in by elaborate methods of deceit

Sharing the same opinions or views; being in complete harmony or accord.


Get more Quizzes 

 Elementary School    Middle School   High School  

 By Word     By Definition    5  10  15  20 Questions

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.