Review It
How did you do on the Try It activity? Would you like to review the two strategies again? If so, select one or more of the following links, depending on which strategy you would like to review.
Let's continue our study of the Progressive Era as we determine the meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases.
Remember there are two strategies you can use:
1. Context Clues, which include:
Definitions and examplesSynonyms or comparisons
Antonyms or contrasts
General sense of the text or logical meaning
2. Word Parts
This strategy includes looking for familiar root words, prefixes and suffixes to determine the meaning of the unfamiliar term or phrase.
President Theodore Roosevelt delivering a speech on the "Square Deal" in Lynn, Massachusetts, 1902.
Read the following paragraph and determine the meaning of the underlined words.
While President Theodore Roosevelt launched his Square Deal policy at the federal level, other reformers fought political corruption at the local level. In many cities, political machines, powerful organizations tied to political parties, controlled the local government. They did this by controlling government jobs and services. Unlike honest politicians, corrupt politicians took bribes from slum landlords and factory owners in exchange for overlooking housing and building code violations. They took kickbacks, or payments from contractors whom they awarded city jobs. These practices led to poor city services and unsafe housing and factory conditions.
Check your understanding of the underlined terms.
What is the meaning of reformers as it is used in the text?
What is the meaning of corrupt and corruption as they are used in the text?
What is the meaning of the phrase political machines as it is used in the text?
What is the meaning of the word landlords as it is used in the text?
What is the meaning of kickbacks as it is used in the text?
