I will be able to use context as

a clue to the meaning of a word

1. WOD – Prodigy POS – N

Context –

MOD – "’Of course, you can be prodigy, too,’ my mother told me when I was nine. ‘You can be best anything.’”

Prediction –

Definition – Child having extra-ordinary talent

2. WOD – Listlessly POS – ADV

Context –

MOD – “So now on nights when my mother presented her tests, I performed listlessly, my head propped on one arm. I pretended to be bored. And I was. I got so bored that I started counting the bellows of the foghorns out on the bay while my mother drilled me in other areas.”

Prediction –

Definition – Without energy or interest

3. WOD – Mesmerizing POS – ADJ

Context –

MOD – “She seemed entranced by the music, a little frenzied piano piece with this mesmerizing quality, which alternated between quick, playful passages and teasing, lilting ones.”

Prediction –

Definition – Fascinating

1.  Have you ever desired to be a prodigy? What would you like to excel at? Explain.

2. Often times tasks that are performed at

school are accomplished listlessly. Describe one such task, really emphasizing how tedious and boring it is.

3. Jing-mei’s mother is mesmerized by the

piano music she hears on the TV. Describe something spellbinding that fascinates you every time you see it.

4. WOD – Discordant POS – ADJ

Context –

MOD – “But I was so determined not to try, not to be anybody different, that I learned to play only the most ear-splitting preludes, the most discordant hymns.”

Prediction –

Definition – Clashing; not harmonious

5. WOD – Squabbling POS – V

Context –

MOD – “We had grown up together and shared all the closeness of two sisters, squabbling over crayons and dolls. In other words, for the most part, we hated each other.”

Prediction –

Definition – To quarrel noisily over a trivial matter

6. WOD – Lamented POS – V

Context –

MOD – "’She bring home too many trophy,’ lamented Auntie Lindo that Sunday. ‘All day she play chess. All day I have no time do nothing but dust off her winnings." She threw a scolding look at Waverly, who pretended not to see her.”

Prediction –

Definition – To express regret over something

4.  Jing-mei’s ear-splitting preludes and discordant hymns are an outward display of her inward determination to not be anybody different than who she is. Describe a discordant time in your life when you were pressured to be somebody different.

5. All siblings squabble from time to time. Describe a quarrel that you had with a family member. Add dialogue to make it more interesting.

6. Auntie Lindo cunningly disguises her bragging about her daughter’s achievements through her lamenting over having to clean Waverly’s trophies. Describe something that your do truly lament over.

7. WOD – Fiasco POS – N

Context –

MOD – “I had assumed that my talent show fiasco meant that I would never have to play the piano again.”

Prediction –

Definition –

Total failure

8. WOD – Nonchalantly POS – ADV

Context –

MOD – “’I'm not going to play anymore.’ I said nonchalantly. ‘Why should I? I'm not a genius.’”

Prediction –

Definition – Without interest or concern; indifferently

9. WOD – Asserting POS – V

Context –

MOD – “It was not the only disappointment my mother felt in me. In the years that followed, I failed her many times, each time asserting my will, my right to fall short of expectations.”

Prediction –

Definition – Behave in a confident or forceful manner

7.  Jing-mei’s talent show performance was a complete fiasco. Tell about a performance that was a total failure for you.

8.  Jing-mei nonchalantly tells her mother that she will no longer be playing the piano. Have you ever told your parents that you were quitting something they deemed important? Describe your exchange.

9.  Jing-mei asserts her own will and stands up to her mother, refusing to be anyone but herself. Describe a time when you asserted your own will against your parents wishes.