Word Wise Unit 6.pdf - Deerlake Middle School

Name
Date
LESSON
6 Words That Describe Feelings
Target Words
agony, n. the suffering of intense mental or physical pain
annoyance, n. something that irritates or disturbs
content, adj. wanting no more than what one has; satisfied
defiance, n. readiness to resist authority
disagreeable, adj. unpleasant or offensive
elated, adj. extremely happy
harsh, adj. severe or cruel
jubilant, adj. joyful
optimistic, adj. looking at the bright side of things
pessimistic, adj. looking at the gloomy side of things
sentimental, adj. given to tender or romantic feelings; very emotional
sympathetic, adj. showing kindness and pity toward others
UNIT 2
GETTING STARTED
Most people have trouble putting their feelings into words. The target words in this
lesson can help you expand your vocabulary for describing the feelings of people you
know or characters that you read about.
Copyright © by McDougal Littell, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company.
I. Practice the Words
EXERCISE 1: Write Sentences
On the blank line provided, write a sentence using the target word. Make sure the sentence
accurately reflects the meaning of the word. Sentences will vary. Sample sentences follow.
EXAMPLE jubilant The children were jubilant at the birthday party.
1. disagreeable _____________________________________________________
The boy found the taste of the onion to be disagreeable.
2. harsh _____________________________________________________
Joan made some harsh comments about the story.
3. sympathetic _____________________________________________________
Many people are sympathetic toward animals.
4. sentimental _____________________________________________________
The movie was sentimental and romantic.
5. pessimistic _____________________________________________________
He is pessimistic about f inding. his lost sock.
6. annoyance _____________________________________________________
The librarian said that talking in the library was an annoyance.
7. elated _____________________________________________________
The contest winner was elated to win the top prize.
8. agony _____________________________________________________
Not only did he fall, but he suffered the agony of embarrassment.
9. content _____________________________________________________
She was content with her sandwich and did not order dessert.
10. defiance _____________________________________________________
The colonists showed their def iance by boycotting English products
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UNIT 2
EXERCISE 2: Match Words to Context
Write the letter of the target word that best completes the sentence. Use your
knowledge of context clues such as example, restatement, and cause and effect to help
you determine the correct word. Be sure the word fits grammatically into the sentence.
_____ c 1. Although her little brother is sometimes a(n)
, Georgia loves
him anyway.
a. optimistic b. harsh c. annoyance d. defiance
_____ d 2. In times of sadness or need, everyone is glad to have
friends.
a. pessimistic b. disagreeable c. harsh d. sympathetic
_____ a 3. I hope that you never experience the
of losing a loved one.
a. agony b. defiance c. sentimental d. optimistic
_____ b 4. The cruel stepmother gave Cinderella a(n)
punishment for
any misbehavior.
a. optimistic b. harsh c. content d. jubilant
_____ a 5. Laurie was so
that her team had won that she jumped up and
down and screamed.
a. jubilant b. optimistic c. disagreeable d. sympathetic
_____ c 6. Since Paul is an excellent student and works hard, he is
chances of earning an A in the course.
a. defiance b. disagreeable c. optimistic d. sentimental
_____ d 7. My grandmother is
; she says that she doesn’t want or
need anything.
a. pessimistic b. harsh c. disagreeable d. content
about his
_____ b 8. My parents get
, especially when they look at old photographs and
remember the past.
a. disagreeable b. sentimental c. agony d. elated
_____ a 9. In an act of
against his father, the tired toddler sat down in the
aisle of the grocery store and refused to move.
a. defiance b. agony c. harsh d. sympathetic
_____ c 10. Where is that
odor that smells like rotten eggs coming from
a. optimistic b. content c. disagreeable d. pessimistic
_____ b 11. The children were
at the news that school was called off because
of snow.
a. sentimental b. elated c. harsh d. annoyance
_____ d 12. Don’t be so
about the future; everything will work out fine.
a. optimistic b. harsh c. jubilant d. pessimistic
Copyright © by McDougal Littell, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company.
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EXERCISE 3: Understand Synonyms
Write the letter of the word that most nearly has the same meaning as the boldfaced
target word.
_____ a 1. agony a. suffering b. pleasure c. concern d. dread
_____ c 2. defiance a. anger b. sorrow c. resistance d. sympathy
_____ b 3. elated a. worried b. happy c. afraid d. puzzled
_____ c 4. disagreeable a. embarrassed b. different c. unpleasant d. shy
_____ d 5. optimistic a. predictable b. silly c. gloomy d. upbeat
_____ a 6. harsh a. cruel b. easy c. surprising d. insistent
_____ b 7. annoyance a. noise b. bother c. memory d. illness
_____ d 8. content a. unhappy b. restless c. kind d. satisfied
_____ c 9. jubilant a. hungry b. beautiful c. joyful d. intelligent
_____ b 10. pessimistic a. messy b. gloomy c. kind d. difficult
_____ d 11. sentimental a. physical b. scornful c. forgetful d. nostalgic
_____ a 12. sympathetic a. caring b. angry c. opposed d. happy
UNIT 2
Copyright © by McDougal Littell, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company.
EXERCISE 4: Analyze Context and Meaning
Each of the following statements contains a boldfaced target word. Decide whether
the sentence is true (T) or false (F).
_____ T 1. When someone is in agony because of a tooth, it’s time to see a dentist.
_____ F 2. A person who is sympathetic doesn’t care about the feelings of others.
_____ T 3. An example of an annoyance is a fly buzzing around your head.
_____ T 4. A harsh climate makes it difficult for many plants and animals to survive.
_____ F 5. Children are always rewarded for being disagreeable.
_____ F 6. Very bad news usually makes people feel elated.
_____ F 7. A pessimistic person sees the good in every situation.
_____ T 8. Many people feel sentimental just before they leave a home they have loved.
_____ F 9. A person who is content always wants more.
_____ T 10. Parents feel jubilant when they have healthy babies.
_____ T 11. Some people think that defiance is one way in which a teenager shows independence.
_____ F 12. An optimistic person is usually sad and depressed.
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UNIT 2
II. Vocabulary Challenge
EXERCISE 5: Use Target Words in Writing
Create a fictional character. Write a diary entry for that character about a day that
was filled with intense emotions. Use at least three of the target words listed at the
beginning of the lesson in your diary entry.
Answers will vary. Make sure that students use at least three target words in their diary entries.
EXERCISE 6: Extend Your Vocabulary
Think of other words that have the same meaning as the target words below and write
them in the space provided. See how many words you can come up with. Then use
one of the synonyms in a sentence.
EXAMPLE agony pain, torment, distress, suffering.
Answers will vary. Sample answers:
1. content _____________________________________________________
satisf ied, happy, gratif ied, fulf illed, pleased
sentence:
_____________________________________________________
I was satisf ied with her work and would hire her again.
2. disagreeable _____________________________________________________
bad, offensive, unpleasant, unsympathetic
sentence:
_____________________________________________________
His curt manner and nasty comments were unpleasant.
3. jubilant _____________________________________________________
joyful, exultant, triumphant
sentence:
_____________________________________________________
The general felt triumphant after winning the war.
4. harsh _____________________________________________________
hard, severe, brutal, cruel
sentence:
_____________________________________________________
The punishment seemed more brutal than the crime itself.
5. sentimental _____________________________________________________
maudlin, romantic, mushy, sappy
sentence:
_____________________________________________________
My grandparents wrote sappy love letters when they were dating.
6. pessimistic _____________________________________________________
dark, dismal, gloomy
sentence:
_____________________________________________________
My chances of f inding a needle in a haystack are dismal.
7. sympathetic _____________________________________________________
feeling, understanding, compassionate
sentence: _____________________________________________________
Thank you for your compassionate response to my complaint.
8. annoyance _____________________________________________________
disturbance, nuisance, irritation
sentence: _____________________________________________________
Oysters create pearls when sand or another irritation enters their shells.
Wordsmart: Etymology
Take a good look at the word disagreeable. It is built upon the base word agree.
One of the multiple meanings of agree is “to be pleasing.” When the prefix dis-,
meaning “not,” and the suffix -able, meaning “able to be,” are added, the resulting
word means “not able to be pleasing,” that is, “unpleasant” or “bad.”
Copyright © by McDougal Littell, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company.
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