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Critical Vocabulary Practice

📖 1. Learn the Words

Study the meanings and parts of speech of our critical vocabulary words below. Click the button to hear how each word is pronounced!

diagnostics noun /ˌdaɪəɡˈnɑːstɪks/
Tools or tests used to figure out the cause of a problem or illness.
retract verb /rɪˈtrækt/
To pull something back or in.
reintegrate verb /riːˈɪntɪɡreɪt/
To bring back together or join a group again.
consternation noun /ˌkɑːnstərˈneɪʃən/
A feeling of worry, shock, or confusion, usually caused by something unexpected.
chafe verb /tʃeɪf/
To annoy, irritate, or make someone lose patience.
ample adjective /ˈæmpəl/
Plenty; having enough or more than enough of what is needed.
abode noun /əˈboʊd/
A home or a place where someone lives.
vindictive adjective /vɪnˈdɪktɪv/
Wanting to get revenge or hurt someone back for a past wrong.

🧠 2. Vocabulary Check-Up!

To see how many Critical Vocabulary words you know, answer the questions below.

1. Why might you run a diagnostics check on your computer?
2. Why would hearing the same song 50 times chafe listeners?
3. If a cat wanted to scratch you, would it retract its claws?
4. How many hours would be ample time to watch a movie?
5. Why would a lost sheep want to reintegrate with its herd?
6. Which is an abode—an apartment or a school?
7. If you heard a loud crash, might you feel consternation?
8. Would you thank someone who had done something vindictive?

✍️ 3. Notebook Exercise

📝 Directions: Open your English notebook. Read each question below and write your answer in a complete sentence. You MUST use the highlighted vocabulary word in your answer!
1. If your smartphone suddenly stops working and won't turn on, what kind of test might a repair technician run to figure out the issue? (Use the word diagnostics in your answer).
2. If a newspaper prints a story that is completely false, what must the editor do to that story the next day? (Use the word retract in your answer).
3. After being away at a summer camp for a month, what must you do to get used to living with your family and normal schedule again? (Use the word reintegrate in your answer).
4. Imagine you studied for weeks for a huge history test, only to realize on test day you studied the wrong chapter. What feeling would you experience? (Use the word consternation in your answer).
5. How does a dog feel if its collar is too tight and rubs against its neck all day? (Use the word chafe in your answer).
6. If your teacher gives you three hours to finish a ten-minute reading assignment, how would you describe the amount of time you have? (Use the word ample in your answer).
7. When a king or queen formally invites you into their castle to stay, what are they welcoming you into? (Use the word abode in your answer).
8. How would you describe a villain in a story who spends their entire life trying to ruin the hero's life just because of a minor insult? (Use the word vindictive in your answer).