Name
Date
THE MONKEY’S PAW
COPY MASTER
Vocabulary Strategy
THE LATIN ROOT cred
The vocabulary word credulity contains the Latin root cred, meaning “to believe” or
“to trust.” A number of commonly used English words are formed using cred. To
figure out the meanings of unfamiliar words containing cred, use your knowledge of
the root as well as any context clues provided.
credible
incredulous
credentials
creed
creditor
A. Directions: Fill in each blank with the correct word from the box.
1. When it comes to stories of flying saucers, some people are believers, but many
others are ________________
2. After undergoing a security clearance, the reporter received her to cover the press conference.
3. The police let the suspect go after he gave a ________________ explanation describing
where he had been the night of the crime.
4. The club members decided to write their own ________________ as a way to show others
the principles they believed in.
5. The small store was forced to close after its largest ________________ refused an offer to
set up a payment plan.
B. Directions: Select any three words from the box and write a sentence for each one.
Resource Manager
Unit 3
Grade 8
85
Name
Date
THE MONKEY’S PAW
COPY MASTER
Vocabulary Study
VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
A. As your teacher reads the passage, listen for each boldfaced word and clues to its
meaning. Then discuss possible meanings for the word.
I once was a person given to credulity. I would believe in anything—tall tales,
rabbits’ feet, rumors, and stories of all kinds. But that was before Mrs. Dekker gave
me the gold coin as compensation for weeding her garden. She told me it was magic,
and, of course, I believed her. I carried it with me wherever I went, and my life did
seem to go better. I felt that surely, the coin was directing fate to shine on me. Then,
one day, with the coin in my pocket, I stepped off the curb and twisted my ankle.
With a grimace I tried to walk on it, but the pain was too much. Also, I didn’t realize
that my life was in immediate peril because a car was zooming toward me at high
speed. Luckily, I looked up just in time and hopped back on the curb. With a sigh of
resignation, I felt for the gold coin in my pocket. I planned to use it to buy a candy
bar as soon as I could hobble to the store.
B. Write each boldfaced word from Part A beside its definition.
1.
acceptance of something inescapable
2.
a facial expression of pain or disgust
3.
a power that is thought to determine the course of events
4.
a disposition to believe too readily
5.
something, such as money, received as payment
6.
danger
B. Directions: Complete each analogy with a boldfaced from above. In an analogy,
the last two words must relate in the same way that the first two do.
7. HAPPINESS : MISERY : : safety :
8. GIGGLE : SOB : : smile :
9. CONTEST : PRIZE : : work :
10. NERVOUS : INSECURE : : gullibility :
11. ABRUPT : SUDDEN : : inevitability :
12. REGRET : DISAPPOINTMENT : : acceptance :
2
Unit 3
Grade 8
Resource Manager