Grade 7 Vocabulary: Unit 5 Name________________________Hour _____

WORD LIST: Gift of the Magi and The Tell-tale Heart

subside modest agile depreciate ransack

acute vex profound suave conceal

1. subside verb
To settle down or sink
• “Not until the flames began to subside did his manic laughter fade.” (pg. 32 Touching Spirit Bear)

2. modest adjective
Humble, unpretentious, placing a moderate estimate on one’s abilities or worth
• The old woman lived in a modest cottage on the outskirts of the village.
modestly adverb
modesty noun

3. agile adjective
Quick, able to move with quick, easy grace
• The gymnast was known for her agility on the uneven bars.
agilely adverb
agility noun

4. depreciate verb
To lower in value
• As soon as you drive a new car home, its value depreciates.
depreciation noun
depreciatingly adverb

5. ransack verb
To search thoroughly; rob
• When he opened the front door, Mr. Velasquez saw that thieves had ransacked his apartment.
ransacker noun (a person who ransacks)


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 6. awe noun
A mixed feeling of reverence, fear, and wonder
• The crowd stood in awe of the king.

7. vex verb
To trouble, distress, cause agitation
• A headache vexed her all morning.

8. profound adjective
Insightful or deep
• The professor’s analysis of the book was profound.
profoundly adverb
profundity noun

9. suave adjective
smooth, sophisticated or polite
• The suave politician easily won reelection.
suavely adverb

10. conceal verb

To hide
• The thief concealed his identity by wearing a mask.
concealment noun

Exercise 1: Write the correct word

Next to each given definition, write the correct word in the space provided. Spell correctly.



______________________ 1. insightful or deep _____________________ 6. to lower in value

______________________2. to search or rob ______________________ 7. unpretentious or humble

_____________________ 3. quick, nimble ______________________ 8. to settle down

______________________ 4. to hide ______________________ 9. smooth or sophisticated

______________________ 5. fear and wonder ______________________10. to trouble


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 Exercise 2: Complete the Sentence
Write the letter for the word that best completes the sentence.

_____ 1. His mother could see that he was trying to ______________ the candy bar under his coat.
a. eat b. conceal c. sell d. ransack

_____ 2. Monica thought she could sell her ring for one hundred dollars, and was disappointed that its value had
___________________.
a. subsided b. increased c. depreciated d. vexed

_____ 3. The audience stood in _____________ when the magician made a mountain disappear.
a. awe b. fear c. horror e. joy

_____ 4. The Viking’s star running back scored easily because of his ________________.
a. agility b. luck c. modesty d. coordination

_____ 5. My dad ___________________ our family room looking for his lost car keys.
a. vacuumed b. cleaned c. ransacked d. robbed

______ 6. When our parents are not looking, my brother will try to ______________ me by hiding my toys.
b. vex b. impress c. entertain d. help

_____ 7. Her headache began to _______________ after she took two aspirin.
a. throb b. worsen c. persist d. subside

______ 8. She tried to end her expository essay with a _________________ thought.
a. silly b. irrelevant c. profound d. funny

_____ 9. As newlyweds without much income, they were resigned to renting a ______________ apartment.
a. prudent b. modest c. expensive d. large

______ 10. Because of his good looks and sophistication, the ____________ actor was hoping to get the lead role.
a. suave b. foreign c. older e. poor


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 Exercise 3: Reading Comprehension
Read the passage below. Then complete #1-10.

Faulty Conclusions
Lisa opened the door to her dormitory room and felt a (1) profound sense of shock and (2) awe. Her room
had been (3) ransacked! The contents of her closet were strewn across the floor and the mirrored door was left wide
open. Lisa had always locked the door securely, so she couldn’t imagine who had come in. Moreover, because she
was a student and didn’t have much money, the furnishings were (4) modest. “Who would possibly want to steal my
things?” Lisa wondered. Then she noticed her black laptop was gone. Because the computer was three years old, its
value had largely (5) depreciated. However, she was (6) vexed because she could not afford a replacement!
As Lisa picked up her phone to call campus security, her roommate (7) agilely sprinted into the room. “Lisa,”
she said (8) suavely, “I’m so sorry the room is such a mess, but I have a job interview in just a few minutes! I hope
you don’t mind that I’m wearing your blue suit.” Lisa stared at her roommate, Eva, but could not (9) conceal her
anger. “But where’s my computer? I thought someone broke in!” Eva’s face grew ashen as she explained that she had
just taken the laptop down to the computer lab to quickly print a copy of her resume. By then Lisa’s anger had (10)
subsided and she started to laugh. “Good thing you ran in. I was about to call the police!

Each numbered sentence below refers to a numbered word in the passage above.
Write the letter of the choice that gives the sentence the meaning that is closest to the
original sentence.

_____ 1. a. happy b. silly c. deep d. normal

_____ 2. a. denial b. joy c. modesty d. fear

_____ 3. a. searched b. damaged c. cleaned d. emptied

_____ 4. a. expensive b. unpretentious c. fancy d. feminine

_____ 5. a. disappeared b. changed c. increased d. decreased

_____ 6. a. grateful b. troubled c. happy d. modest

_____ 7. a. quickly b. loudly c. suddenly d. gingerly

_____ 8. a. loudly b. jokingly c. smoothly d. breathlessly

_____ 9. a. hide b. reveal c. erase d. overcome

_____ 10. a. increased b. persisted c. writhed d. settled down


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 Exercise 4: Write the derivative
In the space provided, write the correct form of the word provided. The word might
already be in the correct form. Spell correctly.

1. ____________________ Adrian Peterson’s ________________ makes him a great football player. (agile)

2. ____________________ Because of _____________________ my car isn’t worth much. (depreciate)

3. ____________________ Renee avoided mini skirts and strapless dresses, preferring to dress

________________. (modest)
4. ____________________ His near death experience changed him ________________. (profound)
5. ____________________ ____________________ of a deep secret can have unintended consequences.
(conceal)

Part 5: Writing Extended Responses

Using at least five words from the list above, write a short story or paragraph.


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