IXL | Interpret the meaning of an allusion from its source

Read the source of the allusion.

Thousands of Chinese laborers immigrated to the United States in the 1800s. Many of them brought traditional medicines, including snake oil made from the Chinese water snake. In time, some people made fake versions of the remedy, and when the fakes were eventually exposed as ineffective, the salesmen gained a poor reputation.

What is the meaning of the allusion in the sentence below?

In the Republican primary, the senator labeled his opponent a snake oil salesman.

a person making false promises

an unhealthy person

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question

Read the source of the allusion.

During the Renaissance, Niccolò Machiavelli wrote The Prince, an essay that claims that achieving and maintaining political power requires dishonesty and ruthlessness.

What is the meaning of the allusion in the sentence below?

His Machiavellian strategies landed him a promotion.

deceptive and cutthroat

meticulous or detail-oriented

key idea

An allusion is a brief mention of something or someone well known, often from mythology, history, or literature. An allusion lets you reference ideas from an entire story in just a few words.

"I'd better get home before I turn into a pumpkin!" Lila remarked.

Here, Lila alludes to the fairy tale "Cinderella," in which Cinderella must leave the ball before the coach that brought her transforms into a pumpkin. The allusion shows that Lila must depart immediately.

solution

An allusion references ideas and events from its original source. Look at the underlined part of the source to better understand the meaning of the allusion.

During the Renaissance, Niccolò Machiavelli wrote The Prince, an essay that claims that achieving and maintaining political power requires dishonesty and ruthlessness.

The allusion Machiavellian means deceptive and cutthroat.

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