IMPROVING
VOCABULARY SKILLS
Fourth Edition
Sherrie L. Nist
© 2010 Townsend Press
Unit Four: Chapter 24
• aster-, astro-
• mis-
• contra-
• omni-
• -er, -or
• pop
• -gamy
• rect
• geo-
• the, theo-
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
1 aster-, astro• The aster is a lovely flower named for its starlike shape: its
petals point outward from a yellow disk.
• Astrologers claim to interpret the influence of the stars and
planets on our lives.
The word part aster- or astromeans
A. someone who does something.
B. star.
C. marriage.
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
1 aster-, astro• The aster is a lovely flower named for its starlike shape: its
petals point outward from a yellow disk.
• Astrologers claim to interpret the influence of the stars and
planets on our lives.
The word part aster- or astromeans
A. someone who does something.
B. star.
C. marriage.
In the first item, the word starlike is a clue that aster means “star.” In
the second item, the word stars suggests that astro- means “star.”
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
2 contra• Contrary to his campaign promise, the governor is going to raise
gasoline taxes.
• The warning label on the bottle of arthritis medicine contained
this contraindication: “We recommend against taking this
product if you are already using aspirin or similar painkillers.”
The word part contra- means
A. all.
B. straight.
C. against.
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
2 contra• Contrary to his campaign promise, the governor is going to raise
gasoline taxes.
• The warning label on the bottle of arthritis medicine contained
this contraindication: “We recommend against taking this
product if you are already using aspirin or similar painkillers.”
The word part contra- means
A. all.
B. straight.
C. against.
If the governor had promised not to raise taxes and then decides to do
so, he is going against his promise. The second item gives an example
of an indication against taking the product.
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
3 -er, -or
• When the young singer at an NBA game forgot the words to the
National Anthem, the coach came over and sang along with her.
• American visitors to Canadian cities are often amazed by how
clean the streets are.
The word part -er or -or means
A. god.
B. wrong.
C. someone who does something.
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
3 -er, -or
• When the young singer at an NBA game forgot the words to the
National Anthem, the coach came over and sang along with her.
• American visitors to Canadian cities are often amazed by how
clean the streets are.
The word part -er or -or means
A. god.
B. wrong.
C. someone who does something.
If the coach came over and sang along with her, the young girl must
have been the person who was singing. In the second item, visitors
are people who visit Canadian cities.
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
4 -gamy
• Jackson brought charges of bigamy against his wife after he
learned that she was still legally married to her first husband.
• King Mongut of Siam, whose story was told in the musical The
King and I, practiced polygamy. He was reported to have had
9,000 wives.
The word part -gamy means
A. marriage.
B. opposite.
C. god.
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
4 -gamy
• Jackson brought charges of bigamy against his wife after he
learned that she was still legally married to her first husband.
• King Mongut of Siam, whose story was told in the musical The
King and I, practiced polygamy. He was reported to have had
9,000 wives.
The word part -gamy means
A. marriage.
B. opposite.
C. god.
In the first item, the word married is a clue that -gamy in bigamy
means “marriage.” In the second item, if the king had 9,000 wives,
he was married to many women (polygamy).
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
5 geo• Pierce County, North Dakota, has the distinction of being the
geographic center of North America.
• Geophysics is the science of the matter and forces of the Earth,
including oceans, volcanoes, and earthquakes.
The word part geo- means
A. earth.
B. people.
C. outer space.
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
5 geo• Pierce County, North Dakota, has the distinction of being the
geographic center of North America.
• Geophysics is the science of the matter and forces of the Earth,
including oceans, volcanoes, and earthquakes.
The word part geo- means
A. earth.
B. people.
C. outer space.
In terms of the physical surface of the Earth, Pierce County is the
geographic center of North America. If geophysics is the science
of matter and forces of the Earth, then geo- must mean “earth.”
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
6 mis• I think there is something wrong with a child who never
misbehaves.
• The telephone caller misrepresented herself. She said she was
doing a survey, but she really wanted to sell me life insurance.
The word part mis- means
A. for.
B. straight.
C. badly.
A mismatched pair of socks
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
6 mis• I think there is something wrong with a child who never
misbehaves.
• The telephone caller misrepresented herself. She said she was
doing a survey, but she really wanted to sell me life insurance.
The word part mis- means
A. for.
B. straight.
C. badly.
A mismatched pair of socks
A child who misbehaves is a child who
behaves badly. In the second item, if
caller the said she was doing a survey
but really was selling insurance, she
represented herself badly.
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
7 omni• Until they lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl, the 2007–2008
New England Patriots seemed omnipotent. They defeated all
their opponents, completing the first 18-0 season in NFL history.
• Some dinosaurs ate only plants, and others ate only meat. Still
others were omnivorous—they ate all kinds of food.
The word part omni- means
A. right.
B. all.
C. wrong.
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
7 omni• Until they lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl, the 2007–2008
New England Patriots seemed omnipotent. They defeated all
their opponents, completing the first 18-0 season in NFL history.
• Some dinosaurs ate only plants, and others ate only meat. Still
others were omnivorous—they ate all kinds of food.
The word part omni- means
A. right.
B. all.
C. wrong.
If the Giants had won 18 out of 18 games, they must have seemed to
be an all-powerful team. In the second item, the words ate all kinds of
food tell you the meaning of omnivorous.
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
8 pop
• In 1770, the United States was not very populous. Only about
two million people lived here then.
• In order to populate the West, the government gave free land to
people who would build on it.
The word part pop means
A. people.
B. everywhere.
C. opposite.
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
8 pop
• In 1770, the United States was not very populous. Only about
two million people lived here then.
• In order to populate the West, the government gave free land to
people who would build on it.
The word part pop means
A. people.
B. everywhere.
C. opposite.
In both items, the word people tells you the meaning of pop.
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
9 rect
• Every time I play Monopoly, I seem to pick the card that reads,
“Go directly to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.”
• “Suck in those stomachs!” yelled the coach. “Pull back those
shoulders, and stand erect!”
The word part rect means
A. opposite.
B. straight.
C. wrong.
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
9 rect
• Every time I play Monopoly, I seem to pick the card that reads,
“Go directly to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.”
• “Suck in those stomachs!” yelled the coach. “Pull back those
shoulders, and stand erect!”
The word part rect means
A. opposite.
B. straight.
C. wrong.
If you cannot pass Go and you cannot collect $200, you must be
going straight to jail. If people do what the coach says (suck in
those stomachs, pull back those shoulders), they will end up
standing straight instead of slouching.
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
10 the, theo• Monotheism is the belief that there is only one God.
• Theology is the study of the nature of God and religious truth.
The word part the or theo- means
A. god.
B. everywhere.
C. for.
TEN WORD PARTS IN CONTEXT
Choose the meaning of the word part based on the boldfaced words.
10 the, theo• Monotheism is the belief that there is only one God.
• Theology is the study of the nature of God and religious truth.
The word part the or theo- means
A. god.
B. everywhere.
C. for.
In both items, the word God tells you the meaning of the or theo-.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each italicized word with the correct word part from the box.
A. aster-, astro- B. contra-
C. -er, -or
D. -gamy
E. geo-
F. mis-
H. pop
I. rect
J. the, theo-
G. omni-
1. Wade, a professional (act . . . ) ___, seems to be playing
a part even when he’s offstage.
2. The study of the chemical makeup of the Earth’s crust
is called ( . . . chemistry) ___.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each italicized word with the correct word part from the box.
A. aster-, astro- B. contra-
C. -er, -or
D. -gamy
E. geo-
F. mis-
H. pop
I. rect
J. the, theo-
G. omni-
actor
1. Wade, a professional ___________,
seems to be playing
a part even when he’s offstage.
If Wade appears onstage, he is someone who acts—an actor.
2. The study of the chemical makeup of the Earth’s crust
geochemistry
is called _____________.
Geochemistry is the study of the chemical makeup of the Earth’s crust.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each italicized word with the correct word part from the box.
A. aster-, astro- B. contra-
C. -er, -or
D. -gamy
E. geo-
F. mis-
H. pop
I. rect
J. the, theo-
G. omni-
3. Poverty is (. . . present) __ in large cities in India, where
people beg on every street.
4. A small starlike figure called an ( . . . isk) ___ (*) is often
used in books and magazines to indicate a footnote.
5. On a movie set, the (di . . . or) __ is the person who keeps
everyone and everything running on course.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each italicized word with the correct word part from the box.
A. aster-, astro- B. contra-
C. -er, -or
D. -gamy
E. geo-
F. mis-
H. pop
I. rect
J. the, theo-
G. omni-
omnipresent in large cities in India, where
3. Poverty is ____________
people beg on every street.
If people beg on every street, poverty must be present everywhere.
asterisk (*) is often
4. A small starlike figure called an ___________
used in books and magazines to indicate a footnote.
The word starlike tells you that you need a word part that means “star.”
director
5. On a movie set, the ___________
is the person who keeps
everyone and everything running on course.
If the person who keeps everyone and everything running on course,
the director keeps everything straight.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each italicized word with the correct word part from the box.
A. aster-, astro- B. contra-
C. -er, -or
D. -gamy
E. geo-
F. mis-
H. pop
I. rect
J. the, theo-
G. omni-
6. John Wesley was the eighteenth-century British
( . . . logian) ___ who founded Methodism.
7. If I don’t hang my house key on a special hook in the
kitchen as soon as I get home, I’ll ( . . . place) ___ it.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each italicized word with the correct word part from the box.
A. aster-, astro- B. contra-
C. -er, -or
D. -gamy
E. geo-
F. mis-
H. pop
I. rect
J. the, theo-
G. omni-
6. John Wesley was the eighteenth-century British
theologian who founded Methodism.
_____________
If Wesley founded the Methodist religion, it is logical that he was a
person who studied the relationship of god to the world (a theologian).
7. If I don’t hang my house key on a special hook in the
misplace
kitchen as soon as I get home, I’ll _____________
it.
If the person doesn’t hang the key on a special hook, he or she will put
it in the wrong place and not be able to find it.
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each italicized word with the correct word part from the box.
A. aster-, astro- B. contra-
C. -er, -or
D. -gamy
E. geo-
F. mis-
H. pop
I. rect
J. the, theo-
G. omni-
8. Young children go through a stage in which they ( . . . dict) __
everything a parent says. If the parent says yes, the child will
usually say no.
9. (Mono . . . ) __ doesn’t stop people from having more than
one husband or wife. It only requires them to have one at a
time.
10. The few places on Earth that have not yet been (. . . ulated) __
by humans probably would not appeal to many. Who wants to
live on the snowcapped peak of a mountain?
SENTENCE CHECK 1
Complete each italicized word with the correct word part from the box.
A. aster-, astro- B. contra-
C. -er, -or
D. -gamy
E. geo-
F. mis-
H. pop
I. rect
J. the, theo-
G. omni-
contradict
8. Young children go through a stage in which they __________
everything a parent says. If the parent says yes, the child will
usually say no.
If the parent says yes and the child says no, the child says the opposite.
Monogamy doesn’t stop people from having more than
9. ____________
one husband or wife. It only requires them to have one at a
time.
The words husband and wife indicate a word part that means “marriage.”
populated
10. The few places on Earth that have not yet been ___________
by humans probably would not appeal to many. Who wants to
live on the snowcapped peak of a mountain?
The sense of the sentence calls for a word part that means “people.”