IXL | Use context to identify the meaning of a word

Read the passage and then answer the question.

Scientists have found that bilinguals have many advantages over people who grow up hearing only one language at home. In a 2004 study, for example, bilingual participants performed better on certain mental puzzles than their monolingual counterparts. It is believed that people who are bilingual are so adept at problem solving because their brains have developed differently. These differences, revealed through brain scans and experiments, enhance their concentration, allowing them to complete some tasks with greater ease.

Bilingualism seems to influence the brain across the span of a person's life. Differences first present themselves during infancy. Studies have found that babies exposed to two languages from birth can acclimate to new situations quickly, responding to changes in their environment faster than those raised with only one language. Other studies have found that bilingualism provides advantages in old age as well. Bilingual adults tend to experience memory loss at a later age compared to monolingual adults.

What is the meaning of bilinguals as used in the passage?

people who can read and write

people who use both sides of their brains

people who use both hands equally well

people who can speak two languages

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Learn with an example

question

Read the passage and then answer the question.

Symbiotic relationships, which occur when one organism is dependent on another organism for survival, are typically categorized into three different types of relationships: parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism. In each of these relationships, the organisms involved are benefited or harmed in different ways.

Parasitic relationships are often the most familiar types of symbiotic relationships. A common example is a flea living on a dog. In cases like these, the parasite gains a viable habitat to support its life cycle, while the host is harmed.

In a mutualistic relationship, on the other hand, both organisms in the relationship are better off because of their arrangement; that is, they benefit mutually from their interactions. For example, lichen is composed of two organisms, an alga and a fungus. The fungus acts like a sponge, holding on to water that the alga needs. At the same time, the alga is constantly converting sunlight into energy, so the fungus, which cannot perform this function for itself, benefits from a reliable energy source. Lichen is, in turn, engaged in a commensalistic relationship with the tree that it grows on. In a commensalistic relationship, one organism benefits and the other organism neither benefits nor suffers. The tree provides lichen with a place to grow, but the tree is unaffected.

What is the meaning of host as used in the passage?

an organism that another organism lives on

an organism that relies on the sun for food

an organism that is not native to a particular area

an organism that lives in or on another organism

key idea

As you're reading, you can often figure out the meaning of an unknown word by looking at the words and phrases that surround it. The familiar words and phrases that help you determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word are called context clues.

Here are some examples of how context clues can be used to determine the meaning of unknown words:

Marta attempted to placate the angry customer by offering him a free cup of coffee.

From the sentence, you can guess that Marta's kind gesture was meant to calm the angry customer. The context helps you understand that placate means "to make someone less angry."

Avoid deleterious actions such as eating junk food and smoking.

The sentence tells you that eating junk food and smoking are examples of deleterious actions. You know that eating junk food and smoking are both harmful behaviors, which helps you understand that deleterious means "causing harm or damage."

Eric was extroverted, unlike his shy sister.

The sentence tells you that Eric is unlike his shy sister, so you can guess that extroverted means the opposite of shy. The context helps you understand that extroverted means "outgoing."

solution

As used in the passage, host means an organism that another organism lives on.

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AA.2Determine the meaning of words using synonyms in context

AA.3Determine the meaning of words using antonyms in context

AA.1Find words using context

BB.4Use context to identify the meaning of a word

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