TEXTUAL READING

MEETING 8 GUESSING WORD MEANING

A. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
In this chapter, the students will learn about guessing word meaning. By the end of
the course, the students are expected to be able to:
1.1.Determine and guess the meanings of difficult words by using the context clues.
1.2.Determine the meanings from word parts.

B. MATERIAL DESCRIPTION

What do you usually do when you come to a word you do not know while

reading? a. Look it up in the dictionary

b. Ask your teacher

c. Ask your friend
d. Try to guess what it means
Actually, guessing will help to get a rough idea about the word while you are
reading. Double check with the dictionary before you memorize the meaning and the
usage of the word. Here are some advantages of guessing the meaning of a word by using
context clues:
a. It is fast because you don’t have to interupt your reading.
b. It helps your comprehension because you can focus on the general sense of what you
are reading.
c. It help you remember the words within their context.
d. It allows you to enjoy your reading more because you don’t have to stop so often.
When you try to guess the meaning of unknown word, you use the text
surrounding the word or the context to provide you with clues. Sometimes you can guess
the meaning of a word from other word within the sentence but sometimes you may need
to read several sentence in order to find the clues.

Guessing from context refers to the ability to infer the meaning of an expression
using contextual clues. These clues may be purely linguistic or situational:
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 a. Linguistic context: the linguistic environment in which a word is used within a text

b. Situational context: extra linguistic elements that contribute to the construction of

meaning this may involve background knowledge of the subject.

What this amounts to is that learners should be able to infer the meaning of an
unknown word using:

a. the meaning of vocabulary items that surrounds it;

b. the way the word is formed;
c. background knowledge of the subject and the situation.

1.1. Techniques for guessing

Texts are often full of redundancy and consequently. Students can use the relation
between different items within a text to get the meaning. Our prior knowledge of the
world may also contribute to understand what an expression means.
a. Synonyms and definitions
Examples:
1. Kingfishers are a group of small to medium-sized brightly colored birds
2. When he made insolent remarks towards his teacher they sent him to the
principal for being disrespectful
b. Antonym and contrast
Example:
1. He loved her so much for being so kind to him. By contrast, he abhorred her
mother
c. Cause and effect Example:
1. He was disrespectful towards other members. That’s why he was sent off and
penalized.
d. Parts of speech
Whether the word is a noun, a verb, an adjective or an adverb, functioning as a
subject, a predicate or a complement.
Example:

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 1. Trojan is an example of a computer virus
e. Word forms (the morphological properties of the word)
Getting information from affixes (prefixes and suffixes) to understand a word.
Example:
1. dis- (meaning not), –less(meaning without)
f. General knowledge Example:
1. The French constitution establishes laïcité as a system of government where
there is a strict separation of church and state.

1.2.Determine meanings from word parts

When you are asked to determine the meaning of a long word that you do not know in
the reading section, it is sometimes possible to determine the meaning of the word by
studying the word parts. It means it is important to have knowledge about the base or
the root of the words, the morphemes, and their relatives, such as, affixes.

Here is a short list of word parts.

Part Meaning Example Part Meaning Example

Contra against contrast Dict say dictation

Mal bad malcontent Domin master dominant

Mis error mistake Jud judge judgment

Sub under subway Mort death mortal

Dec ten decade Spect see spectator

Multi many multiple Terr earth territory

Sol one solo Ver turn devert

Tri three triple Viv live revive

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 Example:
Ring Lardner was born into a wealthy, educated, and cultured family. For the bulk
of his career, he worked as a reporter for newspapers in South Bend, Boston, St. Louis,
and Chicago. However, it is for his short stories of lower middle-class Americans that
Ring Lardner is perhaps best known. In these stories, Lardner vividly creates the
language and the ambiance of this lower class, often using the misspelled words,
grammatical errors, and incorrect diction that typified the language of the lower
middle class.

The question:
The word “vividly” in line 4 is closest in meaning to:
(A) In a cultured way
(B) In a correct way
(C) In a lifelike way
(D) In a brief way

This question asks about the meaning of the word vividly. To answer this question,
you should notice that the word vividly contains the word part viv-, which means life.
Answer (C) is therefore the best answer to this question.

C. EXERCISE
1.1.Exercise 1
Instructions: In the paragraphs below, one word has been replaced with a nonsense
word. Use the context to guess what the underlined nonsense word means.
a. All tourists visiting Thailand should first get a SVIP. They will not be allowed to
enter at all without one. Travelers wothout a SVIP will be sen can be given on
the spot where they came from. A SVIP can be given on the spot if they arrive
by plane or by car. However, they may have to wait a long time for one. This can
be avoided by getting a SVIP before they leave their countries.

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 What is a “SVIP”?
……………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………...
b. Various kind of WROOMS are availbale in Singapore. Some are for one trip
only, some are for a day, and some for three days. The three-day WROOM is
useful for tourist who want to visit different parts of the city. It allows them
unlimited travel for three days on the llocal buses and underground trains.
WROOMS and timetable for buses are available at all tourist information
centers.
What is a “WROOM”?
..................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................
c. In Hanoi, it is wise to get yourself a WUP as soon as possible. It is very easy to
get lost if you leave the main streets. You can get free WUPS at a tourist
information center, but they are not complete. Better WUP can be found in the
bookstores. These have more details, and they provide names of all the streets.
What is a “WUP”?
……………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
d. As the harmful effects of MROPPING on health have become widely known,
many cities and some countries have passed laws that limit where it is allowed. In
many places, WROPING is no longer permitted in the restaurants and bars.
Owners of restaurants and harswere againts prohibotory laws because they
believed that their businesses would suffer, but that lasted only for the first few
months. After that, business returned to normal. The laws have also had another
positive effect, apart from making the air cleaner for everyone. More people have
given up MROPNG altogether.

What does WROPING mean?

……………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………

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 e. There is a miscoception that a person who dotains a Ph. D. Must be SWELCH.
This can’t be all true. SWELCH qualities like brilliance and quick-thinking are
irrelevant in Ph.D. level studies. Let there be no doubt: brilliance and quick-
thinking are valuable in other pursuits. But. They are neither sufficient nor
necessary in doing Ph.D. research. Certainly, being SWELCH help. But it will
not get the job done.
What does SWELCH mean?
……………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………..
f. In many countries, there are electronic signs along roads that ZOOP drivers
about dangers or problems ahead. These may be short-term danger, such as an
accident or bad weather, or longer-term problems, such as roadwork. Studies
have shown, however, that drivers do not always notice these signs. To be sure
that drivers are ZOOPED about the condition of the road, the highway
management service in Scotland has developed a new electronic system that send
messages directly to special electronic system built into cars. Do these system
work better to ZOOP drivers than roadside sign? It is too soon to tell. The results
on the first studies will be published next year.
What does SWELCH mean?
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………….
g. At the beginning of World War II, when the Germans moved into northern
France ,they searched the towns and countryside for escaping French soldiers,
who were sentto prisonerof-war camps in Germany. Next, they tried to ZEP all
the guns or otherarms they could find, though many people hid theirs on farms or
underground. TheGermans also took all the horses from farms and towns,
because they were needed in the army. This loss really hurt the French, since the
lack of gasoline made horsesnecessary to work the farms and for transport. Not
long after this, the Germans ZEPPEDradios as well, so that people could not
listen to foreign news reports.
What does ZEPPEDmean?

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 ……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………
h. During my stay in the city, I often used to sit on a stone wall by the riverbank in
theearly evening, hoping for a cool breeze—though there never was one. On one
side wasthe "white" city, on the other side were the African villages, and all day
long therewere large DREELS that went back and forth, bringing people,
bicycles, cars, and trucksto and from the city. At this time of day, city workers
were eager to get back to theirown world on the far side of the river. Brightly
dressed and joking, the Africans pushedforward when the DREEL arrived. Many
were carrying loads on their heads or bicycleson their shoulders. Some were so
anxious not to miss the chance to get home thatthey leaped down the steps and
jumped into the DREEL as it pulled out.
What does DREELmean?
……………………………………………………………………………………
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i. The foreign news reporters had been warned not to dress in a way that marked
themobviously as foreigners. They were also told not to walk down the middle of
the street,where they could be a ZEEM for enemies on the roofs. They should
always stay close tothe buildings, ready to run into a doorway if they heard or
saw anything suspicious.They should always wear a bulletproof vest. They all did
as they had been told, but stilldid not feel safe. It was impossible not to think of
the colleagues who had beenwounded and killed in these streets. They walked
quickly, looking up at the rooftops.There was no telling when and where a
sharpshooter might decide it was time forZEEM practice—and they rarely
missed their ZEEM.
What does ZEEMmean?
……………………………………………………………………………………
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 1.2.Exercise 2
Instructions:Read each text excerpt. Use context clues to help you complete the
statements.
a. A botanical garden is an area of flora in which plants are grown chiefly for
scientific, educational, or aesthetic purposes. They usually surround an
institution, such as a university or museum.
1. Botany is the study of …….
2. A synonym for plants is …….
3. A word that means pleasing to the senses is …….
4. A university may have botanical gardens for the purpose of …….
5. True or false: All botanical gardens are open to the public …….

b. Beech is the name of a family of trees that grows in the temperate regions of
North America and Europe. It has papery leaves and slender twigs. Its fruit,
beechnuts, are edible. Its wood is used for making furniture and for fuel.
1. Beechnuts are the ……. of the beech tree.
2. A synonym for areas is …….
3. The word ……. describes a seasonal climate.
4. A word that means able to be eaten is …….
5. True or false: Beech trees have paper leaves. …….

c. The era covering the presidency of James Polk was known as the “Fabulous
Forties.” During this time the American flag was raised over much of the
western territory, Texas became a member of the Union, gold was discovered in
California, covered wagons rolled over the Oregon trail, and Americans sang
Stephen Foster’s “Oh, Susanna.”
1. The Union refers to the …….
2. A word meaning period of time is …….
3. Is “Oh, Susanna” a story, a song, or a campaign slogan? …….
4. What state entered the Union during Polk’s presidency? …….

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 5. True or false: Polk was president during the 1940s. …….

1.3. Exercise 3
Instructions: Find the meaning of the underlined word in each set of three sentences
below.
a. Never tamper with electrical fittings without first switching off the main power
supply.
It is illegal to add, take away, or otherwise tamper with the content of these
videos. Several research assistants were accused of tampering with the results of
the experiments.
What does tamper mean?

b. When the train pulled out and the crowd had thinned, he could see a small,
forlorn figure sitting on a suitcase.
Drennan held on to a forlorn hope that somehow at the end of the war they would
all be together again.
Two forlorn trees stood out, black and naked against the snow-covered fields.
What does forlorn mean?
c. The financial woes of Fiat and other big Italian companies could lead to some
important changes in the Italian economy.
Take a vacation in the South Pacific and leave behind all your winter worries and
woes.
It did not take long for him to discover the source of all his friend's woes, but
there was little he could do to help.
What does woes means?

d. Recent surveys show that many parents are very worried about the possibility of
their child being abducted.

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 In 1976, a school bus driver and twenty-six children were abducted at gunpoint in
California.
The young woman admitted in tears that she had made up the story of how she
was abducted and held by the men for thirty-six hours.
What does abducted mean?

e. Dark clouds appeared and ten minutes later everyone at the football match was
completely drenched.
When he pulled her out of the swimming pool, her dress was drenched and hung
close to her body.
Seymour screamed and sat up suddenly in bed, drenched in a cold sweat.
What does drenched mean?

f. The stranger never said a word, but thrust a folded piece of paper into Pilar's
hand.
He thrust his hands into his pockets and walked slowly away.
As she straightened up, she felt a sudden pain like a knife being thrust into her
lower back.
What does thrust mean?

g. The president's spokesman said that it was too early to comment on the outcome
of the meeting.
One unfortunate outcome of the elections was that both parties were weaker than
before.
The outcome of hospital-based treatment was clearly better than home based
treatment.
What does outcome mean?

1.4.Exercise 4
Instructions: Read the passage and choose the best answers to the questions that
follow.

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 Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was a Portuguese-born explorer who is credited with the
exploration of the coast of what is today the state of California. Sketchy military
records from the period show that early in his career he served with the Spanish army
from 1520 to 1524 in Spain's quest for subjugation of the people in what are today
Cuba, México, and Guatemala. Little is known of his activities over the next decades,
but apparently he succeeded in rising up through the ranks of the military; in 1541, he
was ordered by Antonio de Mendoza, the Spanish ruler of Mexico, to explore the
western coast of North America. Cabrillo set out in June of 1542 in command of two
ships, the San Salvador and the Victoria; he reached San Diego Bay on September 28,
1542, and claimed the terrain for Spain. The peninsula where he landed is today
named Cabrillo Point in his honor; the area has been established as a national
monument and park, and local residents each year hold a celebration and reenactment
of Cabrillo's landing.
From San Diego, Cabrillo continued northward for further exploration of the
spectacular California coastline. By November 1542, he had reached as far north as
San Francisco Bay, although he missed the entrance of the bay due to a huge storm.
Soon after, with the approach of winter, he veered south and headed back to Mexico.
He made it as far south as the Channel Islands off the coast of what is today Santa
Barbara. Cabrillo, who died on San Miguel Island in the Channel Islands, never made
it back to Mexico.
1. The word "subjugation" in line 4 is closest in meaning to
(A) Religion (C) Control
(B) Flag (D) Agreement

2. In line 5, the word "decades" is closest in meaning to

(A) Months (C) Long epoch
(B) Centuries (D) Ten-year period

3. In line 9, the word "terrain" is closest in meaning to

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 (A) Land (B) Population
(C) Mineral (D) Prosperity

4. The word "spectacular" in line 14 is closest in meaning to which of the

following?
(A) Ruggedly handsome (C) Completely uneven
(B) Visually exciting (D) Unendingly boring

5. The word "veered" in line 17 is closest in meaning to

(A) Arrived
(B) Run

(C) Turned
(D) Cooled

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