To use some of the tips and tools we reviewed, let's work
with some new words or phrases and explore their meaning from
the context, or words surrounding them.
Instruction:
We read a retelling of part of Dave's Song in
a previous lesson. Remember, the story is about Kate
who finds Dave interesting in spite of his different
behavior.We don't need to read the entire
passage again, but let's look at some specific sections
closely.
Read this section:
Kate sat in her senior biology class, but she
wasn't hearing a single word the teacher was saying
since her mind was thoroughlypreoccupied. She
could only think about Dave and her date with him
last Friday night.
Question:
Using context clues, figure out what preoccupied means
in this section.
Then select the phrase that does not contribute
significantly to the meaning of the preoccupied.
Think:
Look at the phrase before the word: but
she wasn't hearing a single word the teacher was saying
She must have been thinking about something other than
biology because she wasn't hearing the teacher.
Look at the phrase/sentence after the word: She
could only think about Dave . . .
Preoccupied must mean that there was something
else on her mind and she wasn't paying attention to what
she was supposed to.
Does that make sense? but
she wasn't hearing a single word the teacher was saying
. . . because . . .She could only
think about Dave . . .. Yes!
You can also take the word apart. You might know
that "pre" means prior to, or before. "Occupied" means
taken possession of, full, to fill.
Pre + occupied means her brain was already
full, or taken.
There was no room for any biology information
of any kind!
Multiple Choice Answers:
Yes
No
Maybe
Answers
A.
she could only think of Dave
B.
since her mind was thoroughly
C.
wasn't hearing a single word
D.
senior biology class
Let's try another one!
Read this section:
He was stubborn and belligerent, and he would argue
with anyone over anything.
Question:
Using context clues, what does belligerent means
in this section?
