Chapter 2 - CRCB - Developing Your College Vocabulary - Exercise

“CRCB”: Chapter 2 – Developing Your College Vocabulary – Exercises


Learning Journal – Page 33:
In your journal, write down how you currently learn new words. Do you believe you have a good system for learning and remembering words? Di you write down words you don’t know? Do you look them up in a dictionary? Do you believe that a better vocabulary will improve your reading and grades? Do you believe that a better vocabulary will ultimately help you land the job of your choice?

My system for learning new words is pretty much non-existent at this point. I know that vocabulary is not one of my strengths. When I read the student journal entry written on this page as an example, I completely identified with what was said. I always feel like, there are so many words that I do not understand the meaning of, so how am I supposed to take up more time looking all of them up??? I do believe that having better vocabulary will improve my reading, grading and even help with landing a job. I think having a good foundation when it comes to vocabulary presents confidence. I will make a better effort to look up the meaning of works I do not understand.


Learning Journal – Page 34:
In your journal, write down what you have just learned about the importance of learning textbook vocabulary.

Learning new vocabulary is very important because it will improve your reading skills as well as listening comprehension. When you learn new vocabulary, you are able to understand the words, not just know how to pronounce them. In college, courses build on each other, so you need to know the basics first before you can move on.


Exercise 2a:
Read the following sentences. Using the context clues, decide which of the answer provided for each comes closest in meaning to what word that is italicized, and circle the appropriate letter. Underline the context “clues.” The first one is modeled for you:

1. The child was able to assuage his irate father with a smile and a small kiss on his cheek. A grin slowly replaced the father’s angry frown.
B. Soothe

2. She was so overcome with joy by the birth of her baby that she was able to say nothing other than that the whole experience was simply ineffable.
C. Incapable of being expressed in words


3. Most of us eventually reach our goals, but life’s path to success is often a circuitous one.
C. Marked by roundabout or indirect procedures

4. The preacher took a pedagogic approach with his sermon, hoping that those attending would learn something meaningful from it.
A. Instructional

5. Although teaching is not a lucrative profession, I know that I wouldn’t want to do anything else. Helping others learn is far more important to me than money.
C. Well paying

6. Buying a lottery ticket is a very capricious way to plan for your future. The chances of winning are 1 in 10,000,000.
D. Unpredictable


Exercise 2f – Page 43-44:
Write the appropriate prefixes in the spaces here and then provide two words using each prefix. The firs one is modeled for you:

1. A prefix that means “good” or “Well” is bene. Two words: benefit and benediction
2. A prefix that mean “out” is ec or ex. Two words: exit and ecstasy
3. A prefix that means “skill” is techn. Two words: technician and technique
4. A prefix that means “bad” is mal. Two words: malnutrition and malignant
5. A prefix that means “against” is anti. Two words are: antidote and antibody
6. A prefix that means “half” is semi. Two words: semicolon and semicircle
7. A prefix that means “after” is post. Two words: postpartum and postmortem
8. A prefix that means “many” is multi. Two words: multidimensional and multicolored
9. A prefix that means “more than usual” is hyper. Two words: hyperventilate and hypertension
10. A prefix that means “before” is ante. Two words: ante partum and ante mortem