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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.
This Week's Word In The News 

MITIGATION

DEFINITION:
The action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
But after years of record investment by the state in such wildfire risk mitigation, two key money sources are drying up, potentially reducing the state’s annual budget for vegetation removal by hundreds of millions of dollars.
The Los Angeles Times, 06/01/2026

Words in the News Quiz
5 Elementary 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. cause

The source or reason of an event or action

Connection or association; the condition of being related.

The energy and strength for continuing to do something over a long period of time ; power of sustained exertion, or resistance to hardship, illness etc.

Exceptional, conspicuous, outstanding, most usually in a negative fashion.


2. waft

The force or energy of a collision of two objects.

To cause to float easily or gently through the air

So difficult or taxing as to make one exhausted; backbreaking.

To finish successfully


3. dismal

To finish successfully

Bizarre, strange

Explain the meaning of (information, words, or actions)

Disappointingly inadequate; gloomy and bleak.


4. symbolism

A movement or series of moves requiring skill and care

A pleasant smell or odour.

Deduce or conclude (information) from evidence and reasoning rather than from explicit statements

Representation of a concept through symbols or underlying meanings of objects or qualities.


5. reduce

Approaching; drawing near; about to happen

The power to affect, control or manipulate something or someone; the ability to change the development of fluctuating things such as conduct, thoughts or decisions.

Firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition

To bring down the size, quantity, value or intensity of something; to diminish, to lower, to impair.


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