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ACT
L e a r n i n g E x p r e s s
®
n crossword puzzles
n anagram magic squares
n acrostics
n cryptograms
n word scrambles
n brainteasers
n matching-column exercises
n and more!
Master more than 500 key ACT words
with a variety of games including:
Word Games
ACT
Word
GAmes
michele r. Wells
N e w Y o r k
i v
Jennifer Pollock, editor extraordinaire, conceptualized the idea for this book and deserves a big thank you. Thanks also to Sheryl Posnick, who not only edited but dealt with various obstacles to make sure that this book came together as it should. Additional thanks to Eric Titner, production editor at LearningExpress, who worked to make this book the best it could be. Andrea Laurencell is in the trenches, teaching vocabulary and test preparation to students every day. Merci to you for reviewing the manuscript, and for your feedback and advice. And finally, writing two books in six months is difficult. Thanks to my family (Rita Sr., Rita Jr., Cheryl, John, Nathan, Colby, and Blake) for understanding where my priorities had to be this year.
Acknowledgments
v
Introduction ......................................................................................... vii
PART I: Understand Basic Vocabulary Secrets
Chapter 1 Know Your Common Prefixes and Suffixes ........ 3 Chapter 2 Learn Root Words ................................................ 11 Chapter 3 Deconstruct and Rebuild..................................... 19
PART II: Build an Awesome Vocabulary... with Games
Chapter 4 Crossword Puzzles................................................ 27 Chapter 5 Anagrams............................................................... 45 Chapter 6 Acrostics ................................................................ 57 Chapter 7 Jumbles ................................................................... 65 Chapter 8 Word Searches....................................................... 75 Chapter 9 Matching Column Games ................................... 87 Chapter 10 Double-Word Puzzles .......................................... 99 Chapter 11 Cryptograms ....................................................... 115
Table of Contents
v i i
If you’ve picked up this book, you’re interested in increasing your ACT score. That means you’re already aware of the effect this exam can have on your future, and that’s great. But you’ve also got homework to do, football games to attend, musical instruments and Spanish verbs to practice, chores to do, maybe an after-school job and other responsi- bilities, and—oh yeah—a social life to maintain. You don’t have time to spend on more stuff related to school, much less exams that are prob- ably months away at this point, right? But think about it like this: You probably play games of some kind or another, either on your mobile phone, computer, or a game console, several times a week—maybe even every day. Playing those games can increase your online ranking, and maybe even make your friends jealous when you beat their high scores, but playing the games in this book can have a positive effect on your future. They can help you build a killer vocabulary and put yourself on stronger ground for gaining admission to the college of your choice. Before we get to just how these games can help increase your ACT scores, let’s run through a bit about the test itself, so you’ll know exactly what to expect on test day.
Introduction
v i i i
INTRODUCTION
What Is the ACT Exam?
The American College Testing (ACT) assessment is one of two main standardized tests used by admissions teams to evaluate your potential fit as a student at their college or university. The ACT measures what you’ve learned in various academic subjects—see “What Skills Are Tested on the ACT?” for more information. (The other main standard- ized test is the SAT, which is an aptitude exam designed to measure the verbal and mathematical skills you will need as you progress through your academic career.)
What Is the ACT Used For?
Your high school may use your ACT score to evaluate the way your teachers are performing. They use these scores to decide which areas need improvement within the school as a whole, and which students need additional assistance in specific subject areas. College admissions teams use your ACT score as part of their evaluation process, to decide if you will be a good addition to the di- verse group of students at that school. But that’s not the only thing they look at. Admissions teams look at individuals, not just at scores and grades. They want well-rounded students, not just those who can churn out perfect tests or straight As. Are you an athlete? Maybe you’re an actor or dancer? How about an artist? Do you do volunteer work, speak another language, or organize events for your school? Make sure you mention all these things on your application, because admissions teams are looking for students who can contribute to the diversity of cam- pus life. Don’t worry if your GPA isn’t perfect—just be sure to highlight the great work you do in other areas of your life. And with the help of this book, your English, reading, and writing ACT scores are sure to be included in the “things you do well” section!
x
INTRODUCTION
per national test date. Most students take the test twice: once as a high school junior, and once as a senior. According to the American College Testing Program, Inc., among the students who took the ACT more than once, 55 percent increased their composite score on the retest.
Where Do I Take the ACT?
You can take the ACT in one of many national and international testing centers. When you register by mail or at www.actstudent.org, you’ll be given a list of testing locations in the area of your choosing; just pick the one that is most comfortable and convenient for you. It’s also a good idea to do a dry run before the actual test date—figure out how you’ll get to the test site around the same time of day as your test so you aren’t surprised by road closures, construction, train or bus delays, bad on- line directions, or other things that can make you late (and stress you out) the day of the test. If there is no ACT exam center within 50 miles of your home, if your religious beliefs prohibit you from taking tests on a Saturday, or if you are homebound or confined, you may request arranged testing. Information on these arrangements can be found at www.actstudent .org/regist under “Request arranged testing.”
How Is the ACT Scored?
The first thing that happens after you take the ACT is that your multiple-choice answers are calculated into a score by computer. Points are awarded as follows: For the English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning sections, one point is added for each correct answer (nothing is subtracted for incorrect answers), for a score between 1 and 36. The English, mathematics, and reading tests will also include subscores rang- ing from 1 to 18. These scores are averaged for a composite score. If you choose to take the optional writing test, that section will be scored manually by two trained readers. You’ll receive a writing score that falls between 2 and 12 (or 0 if your essay is blank, illegible,
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INTRODUCTION
off-topic, not written with a No. 2 pencil, or written in a language other than English), for a combined English and writing score of between 1 and 36, and comments from the essay scorers. Your writing score will have no effect on your composite score.
How Is My Score Reported?
You can view your scores online at www.actstudentorg if you have a student account and tested through National or International Testing (see the ACT website for more information). Scores are available online approximately two and a half weeks after you complete the test. If you chose to take the ACT Plus Writing assessment, your writing scores will be posted online approximately two weeks after your multiple- choice scores appear. Score reports are also mailed to your home ad- dress three to eight weeks after you complete the test (or after your writing scores have been calculated if you took the ACT Plus Writing assessment). Your ACT scores will be sent to the colleges or universities you authorize for score reports. You can also opt to have your scores sent to your high school by checking “yes” in the registration section.
How Does My Score Rate?
In 2010, the national average ACT composite score was 21. This av- erage score is acceptable for many colleges and universities. Some schools, such as Ivy League universities, typically require a score of at least 29. The highest possible score on the ACT is 36. Typically, less than one-tenth of one percent of all students who take the ACT receive a score of 36. Keep in mind that your score is just one of the tools used by admissions officers to rate your potential fit for that school.
What Are the Subscores?
Subscores on the ACT are broken down into the following catego- ries: usage/mechanics and rhetorical skills for English; pre-algebra/ elementary algebra, algebra/geometry, and plane geometry/trigonometry for mathematics; and social studies/sciences and arts/literature for read- ing. These subscores provide you with greater detail on your performance,
P a r t
I
UNDERSTAND
BASIC
VOCABULARY
SECRETS
4
KNOW YOUr cOMMON PreFIXeS aND SUFFIXeS
Common Prefixes
The following are some examples of prefixes you might encounter when studying ACT vocabulary words, along with their meanings.
a-, ab-, an- (apart or without) ad- (toward or near) ante- (before) anti- (against) auto- (self) bi- (two) bio- (life) circum- (around) co-, com-, con- (with or together) de- (away or off) di-, dis- (not or apart) dys- (bad or problematic) em-, en- (restrict or cause) equi- (equal) ex- (former) extra-, exo- (outside of) fore- (in front of or before) hyper- (over) hypo- (under) geo- (earth) im-, in- (not) inter- (between) micro- (tiny) mis- (wrong) mono- (one) multi- (many) neo- (new) non- (not) ob-, oc-, of-, op- (against, on, over, or toward) omni- (all) pan- (all)
para- (beyond) peri- (around or about) poly- (many) post- (after) pre- (before) pro- (favoring or for) re- (again) retro- (backward) semi- (half) sub- (under or below) super- (exceeding or above) therm-, thermo- (heat) trans- (across) tri- (three) un- (not)
Common Suffixes
- able, -ible (capable or worthy of)
- acy (state or quality)
- age (condition)
- al (act or process of, or pertaining to)
- ance, -ence (state or quality)
- ary (related to)
- ate (become)
- dom (place or state of being)
- en (make or become)
- er, -or (one who)
- esque (like or reminiscent of)
- gram, -graph (written or drawn)
- hood (class)
5
KNOW YOUr cOMMON PreFIXeS aND SUFFIXeS
- ic, -ical (pertaining to)
- iou, -ous (characterized by)
- ish (having the quality of)
- ive (having the nature of)
- less (without)
- log, -logue (speech)
- logy (the study of)
- oid (resembles)
- ory, -tory (relating to)
- ous (possessing)
- phile (strong love for)
- phobe, -phobia (fear of)
- ship (position held)
- y (characterized by)
Derivational Suffixes
There are suffixes that change the meaning of the base word or stem. These are called derivational suffixes (don’t worry, you don’t need to remember that), and some common examples are:
Knowing these prefixes and suffixes can help you deduce the meaning of many vocabulary words instantly, so familiarize your- self with the ones you don’t already know for an instant vocab power-up!
Word detective
- able, -ible (capable of being)
- ation, -sion, -tion (state of being)
- ful (notable for)
- fy (make or become)
- ify (make or become)
- ily
- ise, -ize (become)
- ism (belief or doctrine)
- ist (one who)
- ity, -ty (having the quality of)
- ment (condition or result of)
- ness (state of being)
Derivational suffixes can combine with each other, too, but the spell- ing may change (as in predictability, which is predict combined with
- able and -ity). Okay, now that you’ve reviewed some prefixes and suffixes and how they work, let’s put that knowledge into action!
7
KNOW YOUr cOMMON PreFIXeS aND SUFFIXeS
exercise 2
Each word below contains a suffix. Using what you learned, choose the best available definition.
- historical a. dry b. extremely funny c. something that belongs to a man d. relating to what happened in the past
- provenance a. place or source of origin b. a gift c. the act of being proper or correct d. happiness
- fiefdom a. a type of instrument b. unhappiness c. a domain controlled by a dominant person or lord d. a small area
- travelogue a. a vacation b. a language c. confrontation d. the journal or documentation of a trip
- humanoid a. resembling or having the characteristics of a human b. false or fake c. a very young person d. an alien
8
KNOW YOUr cOMMON PreFIXeS aND SUFFIXeS
exercise 3
Each word below contains a prefix and a suffix or derivational suffix. Using what you learned, choose the best available definition.
- decentralize a. to cause to be more populated b. in the very middle of an area c. to move downward d. to move away from an established main point
- monograph a. a work of writing on a single subject b. a diverse group c. a drawing made with many colors d. a signature
- apprehension a. to climb b. fearful expectation c. a course that comes before a meal d. the state of being angry
- nullify a. to take apart b. to make invalid c. to bring together d. to make liquid
- approbation a. a decision b. restriction c. concern d. official approval
