Name: ___________________________

Analyzing Words with Context Clues

Below is a passage from a May 4, 1906 article in Collier’s, a popular magazine of the time. It was written
by Jack London, who would go on to become a great American author. In this article, he tells about the
destruction of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. Certain words have been replaced with blanks. Using
the rest of the text as a clue, fill in the blanks with a word or phrase that would make sense in the article.

The Story of an Eyewitness

The earthquake shook down in San Francisco hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of walls and
chimneys. But the 1)___________________ that followed burned up hundreds of millions of dollars’
worth of property. There is no 2) ___________________ within hundreds of millions the actual
damage 3) ___________________. Not in history has a modern 4) ___________________ city been so
completely destroyed. San Francisco is gone. Nothing remains of it but memories and a fringe of
5) ___________________ on its outskirts. Its industrial section is wiped out. Its business section is wiped
out. Its social and 6.) ___________________ section is wiped out. The factories and warehouses, the
great stores and newspaper buildings, the hotels and the palaces of the 7.) _______________ are all gone.
Within an hour after the earthquake shock the smoke of San Francisco’s burning was a 8.) ____________
tower visible a hundred miles away. And for three days and nights this tower swayed in the sky, reddening
the sun, darkening the day, and filling the land with smoke.

Write the words you used in the appropriately numbered blank. In front of the number, write the letter of
the word from the text that has a similar meaning.
__________ 1. _______________________________
A. imperial
__________ 2. _______________________________
B. wrought
__________ 3. _______________________________
C. residential
__________ 4. _______________________________
D. conflagration
__________ 5. _______________________________
E. lurid
__________ 6. _______________________________
F. dwelling-houses
__________ 7. _______________________________ G. estimating
__________ 8. _______________________________ H. nabobs

Copyright © 2013 K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms. www.k12reader.com
 Key
Name: ___________________________

Analyzing Words with Context Clues

Below is a passage from a May 4, 1906 article in Collier’s, a popular magazine of the time. It was written
by Jack London, who would go on to become a great American author. In this article, he tells about the
destruction of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. Certain words have been replaced with blanks. Using
the rest of the text as a clue, fill in the blanks with a word or phrase that would make sense in the article.

The Story of an Eyewitness Students’ answers will vary for the fill-in-the-blank
By Jack London, Collier’s special correspondent section. Accept reasonable answers.

The earthquake shook down in San Francisco hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of walls and
conflagration
chimneys. But the 1)___________________ that followed burned up hundreds of millions of dollars’
estimating
worth of property. There is no 2) ___________________ within hundreds of millions the actual
wrought
damage 3) ___________________. Not in history has a modern imperial
4) ___________________ city been so
completely destroyed. San Francisco is gone. Nothing remains of it but memories and a fringe of
dwelling-houses on its outskirts. Its industrial section is wiped out. Its business section is wiped
5) ___________________
residential
out. Its social and 6.) ___________________ section is wiped out. The factories and warehouses, the
nabobs
great stores and newspaper buildings, the hotels and the palaces of the 7.) _______________ are all gone.

lurid
Within an hour after the earthquake shock the smoke of San Francisco’s burning was a 8.) ____________
tower visible a hundred miles away. And for three days and nights this tower swayed in the sky, reddening
the sun, darkening the day, and filling the land with smoke.

Write the words you used in the appropriately numbered blank. In front of the number, write the letter of
the word from the text that has a similar meaning. Examples of correct fill-in the blank words:

__________
D 1. _______________________________
fire
A. imperial
__________
G 2. _______________________________
guessing
B. wrought
__________
B 3. _______________________________
done
C. residential
__________
A 4. _______________________________
grand or large
D. conflagration
F
__________ shack or house
5. _______________________________
E. lurid
C
__________ living or neighborhood
6. _______________________________
F. dwelling-houses
H
__________ wealthy
7. _______________________________
G. estimating
E
__________ brightly colored or horrible
8. _______________________________ H. nabobs

Copyright © 2013 K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms. www.k12reader.com