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Words in the News

This Week's Word In The News 

ACQUAINTANCE

DEFINITION:
A person one knows slightly, but who is not a close friend.

FOUND IN THE NEWS:
When photographer Peter Turnley was just 20 years old, an acquaintance from the California Office of Economic Opportunity reached out to him with a question.
The Los Angeles Times, 12/01/2025

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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. Xylem

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

To move in waves or with a smooth, wavelike motion.

A metric unit of length equal to 1,000 meters (0.62 mile).

A proportional part or share.


2. Yacht

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

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

Grossly offensive to decency or morality.

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


3. Flourish

Relating to a system of writing, such as that of ancient Egypt, in which pictorial symbols are used to represent meaning or sounds or a combination of meaning and sound.

To grow well or luxuriantly; thrive

The pattern produced on a photosensitive medium that has been exposed by holography and then photographically developed.

Of or relating to the range of invisible radiation wavelengths from about 4 nanometers, on the border of the x-ray region, to about 380 nanometers, just beyond the violet in the visible spectrum.


4. Malignant

Of or relating to the range of invisible radiation wavelengths from about 4 nanometers, on the border of the x-ray region, to about 380 nanometers, just beyond the violet in the visible spectrum.

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

A picture or decorative design made by setting small colored pieces, as of stone or tile, into a surface.

Harmful, malevolent, injurious. Harmfully cancerous.


5. Despondent

Being without or almost without hope

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

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

Having no specific pattern, purpose, or objective.


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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.