Look at the word recruited in the passage below.

Latrell watched as a staff member at the aquarium held up a young sea turtle."This animal got hurt from swallowing trash," she said. "We helped him recover, and soon we'll return him to the water."Latrell decided that he would work to protect sea turtles. Once a month, he and his family went to the beach to pick up trash. Then Latrell told his friends about the project and recruited them to help, too. Soon, there were twenty people at the monthly cleanup days!

What is the meaning of recruit as used in the passage?

Look at the word prior in the passage below.

Cinderella looked at the jeans, sneakers, and skateboard on her bed. These new gifts weren't anything like prior gifts she had received from her fairy godmother! She thought of the heavy ball gown and uncomfortable glass slippers that Godmother had given her last year. Then she smiled. Skateboarding would be way more fun than attending a ball!

What is the meaning of prior as used in the passage?

Look at the word momentous in the passage below.

"Ten seconds until launch," said the voice on Nova's headset.The spaceship countdown had started! Nova checked her helmet and shoulder belt with shaking hands. This was the most momentous event of her life! After eight years at the School for Future Astronauts, she was about to become the first child ever to fly to the moon.

What is the meaning of momentous as used in the passage?

Look at the word phenomenon in the passage below.

You've probably seen a rainbow in the sky after a summer storm, but have you ever seen a moonbow? Moonbows happen when moonlight passes through water droplets. The light bends and splits into colors.A moonbow isn't a common event. This exciting phenomenon usually only occurs when the moon is full, bright, and low in the sky. There must also be rain or mist in the air.

What is the meaning of phenomenon as used in the passage?

Look at the word dwell in the passage below.

Sloths dwell in the trees of the Central and South American rain forests. These slow-moving animals stay in the trees day and night. Their long, curved claws hook onto tree branches, allowing them to sleep without falling. Sloths find their food in the trees, too, surviving on a diet of leaves, twigs, and fruit. Sloths descend to the ground only about once a week.

What is the meaning of dwell as used in the passage?

Look at the word fractures in the passage below.

In 2012, ballerina Misty Copeland starred in a ballet called The Firebird. But after only one performance, she found that she had a serious injury: there were six fractures in a bone in her leg. She could not perform, and she thought her career might be over. But after taking time off to heal, she returned to ballet. In fact, she went on to become a principal dancer for the American Ballet Theater, and she has held many more starring roles.

What is the meaning of fracture as used in the passage?

Look at the word scoffed in the passage below.

The day of the school geology field trip had finally arrived. Sammy's class was traveling to the mountains, where they would hike, picnic, and mine for gems."We might even find arrowheads," Sammy said hopefully to his older brother, Leonard."That's ridiculous," Leonard scoffed. "Nobody ever finds arrowheads. Only boring old rocks."

What is the meaning of scoff as used in the passage?

Look at the word conduct in the passage below.

The new king seemed very shy. He stumbled through his speeches and stared at his shoes whenever he went out in public.Blossom, the royal baker, decided to conduct an experiment. She gathered up the townspeople and explained what they needed to do. "Whenever we see the king, we should applaud and shout, 'Hurrah for King Beardsley!'"So that's what they did. After three weeks of this, King Beardsley's words flowed smoothly and he smiled at his subjects. Blossom's experiment was a success!

What is the meaning of conduct as used in the passage?

Look at the word maneuvers in the passage below.

When Bessie Coleman decided to become a pilot, she had to travel to France to get her license. No flying schools in the U.S. were willing to teach an African American woman. But she earned her license in 1921 and soon became well known for her skills. She began performing stunts at air shows. People called her "Brave Bessie." She thrilled crowds with daring maneuvers like figure eights and loop the loops.

What is the meaning of maneuver as used in the passage?

Look at the word residence in the passage below.

In many homes, basements are used for ordinary activities, such as washing clothes. The U.S. president's basement is much more interesting. In the White House, the president's residence, the basement contains a woodshop and a dentist's office. And when the president's family wants to have some fun, they can go bowling in their own basement bowling alley!

What is the meaning of residence as used in the passage?

In 1773, the British Parliament passed the Tea Act, which would have given the East India Company a monopoly on the American colonies' tea market. The American colonists feared that this special advantage would allow the company to control tea sales. In defiance of the act, the colonists resisted the British by either turning ships away from ports or threatening ships with violence. The Sons of Liberty, a group dedicated to protecting the rights of colonists, led an unforgettable demonstration. They put their plan into action on the night of December 16, 1773. While in disguise, they boarded three ships in the Boston Harbor and destroyed over ninety thousand pounds of tea by throwing it overboard. Today, this famous event is known as the Boston Tea Party.

What is the meaning of defiance as used in the passage?

Read the passage and then answer the question.

The legend of Molly Pitcher dates from the Revolutionary War. An American gunner named John Hays was at the Battle of Monmouth. Hays's wife, Mary, also known as "Molly," was helping him and the other soldiers. The day was terribly hot, so Mary carried a pitcher of water from a nearby spring to the field of battle. The soldiers drank and cooled their cannons with the spring water. She kept bringing more fresh water to the soldiers, replenishing the pitcher again and again. For her help, Mary soon earned the nickname, "Molly Pitcher." Later, when her husband was unable to continue shooting, Molly took his place at the cannon. She is remembered today as a hero.

What is the meaning of replenishing as used in the passage?

Read the passage and then answer the question.

In 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on the shores of what came to be called the New World. Other explorers and settlers soon followed Columbus from Europe, many seeking gold and riches. These colonists brought many things with them from Europe, introducing new plants and animals to North America. They also brought several European maladies. The natives of North America had never before been exposed to these strange new diseases. As a result, many became very ill and died. We don't know the full effect that the Europeans had on the native populations. However, many historians believe that up to ninety-five percent of native populations died as a result.

What is the meaning of maladies as used in the passage?

Read the passage and then answer the question.

Sedimentary rock forms in layers over time. When the layers form, plant and animal remains can create fossils in the rock. Older rock layers are usually found deeper underground. Unfortunately, movements of Earth's tectonic plates can cause some older layers to appear higher than younger layers. This movement makes determining the age of rocks challenging. However, geologists can use fossils to help them decipher the age of rock layers. This is why fossils are so important.

What is the meaning of decipher as used in the passage?

Read the passage and then answer the question.

Pablo Picasso is often considered one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century. As a young child, Picasso showed enormous talent for drawing and painting. He entered Barcelona's prestigious School of Fine Arts when he was only fourteen years old—several years younger than the typical students at this well-regarded school. Although Picasso left Barcelona before graduating, the city still inspired him. His experiences there would lead him to break away from traditional ideas about art and create a new style that would change the world of art forever.What is the meaning of prestigious as used in the passage?

Read the passage and then answer the question.

Before the end of 1955, most people had never heard of Minnie Mangum. She had worked for many years at a bank in Norfolk, Virginia, and though she was known for being generous with her friends, she was by no means famous. That changed on December 29, 1955, when Mangum was arrested for embezzling about three million dollars. She had used the money she took from the bank to buy gifts for friends and family members, including homes and eighty-five cars. She was sentenced to twenty years in prison.

What is the meaning of embezzling as used in the passage?

Read the passage and then answer the question.

When they set out to create what would become the Oxford English Dictionary, the Philological Society of London had an ambitious goal: provide the definition and etymology of every word in the English language. Published in 1928, the first ten-volume edition covered more than four hundred thousand words and phrases, making it the most thorough dictionary of its time. Not only did it tell readers what words meant, but it also traced their history. Because language evolves, the dictionary has been updated over the years to account for new words or changing meanings; in March 2014, for example, the words bestie and beat boxer were added.

What is the meaning of etymology as used in the passage

Read the passage and then answer the question.

Lichen is composed of two organisms, an alga and a fungus. The fungus acts like a sponge, holding on to water that the alga needs. At the same time, the alga is constantly turning sunlight into energy, so the fungus, which cannot perform this function for itself, benefits from an unwavering energy source. Lichen has, in turn, a relationship with the tree that it grows on. The tree provides lichen with a place to grow, but the tree is unaffected.

What is the meaning of unwavering as used in the passage?

Read the passage and then answer the question.

In the northeastern United States and Canada, the year 1816 brought unusually cold conditions. A June snowstorm dumped a foot of snow in some areas. In July and August, temperatures fell below freezing—crops froze, and many people went hungry. Normal summer conditions never occurred. For years, scientists were baffled about what happened. Now, however, they believe that the cause was volcanic dust in the atmosphere. The previous year, far across the ocean, Indonesia's Mt. Tambora had erupted in an enormous explosion, shooting tons of ash and dust into the air. Scientists believe that this dust caused the sun's rays to be reflected back into space, leading to the big chill.

What is the meaning of baffled as used in the passage?

Read the passage and then answer the question.

Millions of elephants once roamed the African continent. Today, however, there are fewer than five hundred thousand. One reason is hunting. People who hunt elephants generally do not eat them, but they do take the elephants' tusks. Ivory from elephant tusks has been used to make jewelry, art, medicine, and other things. Today, selling ivory is against the law. People in many countries are cooperating to stop the sales. If government officials catch people trying to sell elephant ivory, they confiscate it. By seizing the ivory, the officials can destroy the tusks so they can't be sold. Experts hope that stopping ivory sales will slow elephant hunting and help the elephant herds grow.

What is the meaning of confiscate as used in the passage?