Objective
To determine the definitions of unfamiliar words by applying context clues.

Step 1: Read the following excerpt from the textbook The Art of Being Human. Using context clues, determine the meaning of the words in bold print.

The Sinking of the Titanic

¹Shortly before midnight on April 14, 1912, the British luxury liner Titanic, on its maiden voyage, sailing a course from Liverpool to New York, sank within three hours of striking an iceberg south of the Grand Banks off the coast of Newfoundland. It was carrying more than 2200 passengers, of whom 1513 lost their lives in the icy water. This disaster has been the source of countless books, several films, a Broadway musical (in which the ship sinks on the stage and most of the cast drowns), and continuing probes to the bottom of the ocean as people still search for treasures that went down with the ship. It has also become a symbol of the folly of runaway progress.

²The tragedy of human pride and its inevitable fall seems never to be dated. The fate of the Titanic has come to be the story of technological pride and its punishment at the hands of natural forces that technology cannot control. The owners decided to build the largest ship ever, designed by a highly respected ship architect, using the latest science. When it was finished, they boasted to the press in words that echoed around the world. Nothing can sink this ship. It contained 16 watertight compartments, which were capable of being sealed off from each other in the event of a large puncture. It could stay afloat if even three compartments were punctured.

³On that doomed night, when two thousand passengers were partying and enjoying the smoothness of the crossing, a slight bump was felt. Nothing more. Officers went out on deck to see whether something had happened, and there it was: a towering wall of ice, almost within arm’s reach of the ship. A close call, they decided.

⁴Then they discovered that not one, not two, not three, but four compartments had been punctured. Mathematically, the ship had no chance. In the ensuing panic and disorganization, lifeboats, too few for all the passengers, were lowered, sometimes half-filled, and in one case, totally empty. A nearby ship received the SOS, but didn’t come because the radio operator was asleep. Even the most sophisticated technology cannot predict what a human being might do (or not do) on any given occasion.

⁵The sinking of the Titanic has come to mean that nothing is unsinkable. The belief that technology is equal to any task is a fool’s delusion.

     —Janaro & Altshuler, pp. 54–55

Step 2: Answer each of the following questions by selecting the best definition for the word in bold print. Use context clues from the text and the additional sentences provided here. Your instructor will tell you whether to write your answers in your book or to submit your answers online for electronic grading.

		1. The governor’s commission will conduct a probe into possible unlawful actions by staff members. Probe means [Hint]   a. problem.   b. examination.   c. possibility.   d. stories.
		2. Someday developers will realize the folly of building massive, expensive vacation homes along hurricane-plagued beaches. Folly means [Hint]   a. foolishness.   b. seriousness.   c. success.   d. reason.
		3. It seemed inevitable that Josh would be exhausted since he was taking 16 hours of academic credit and practicing six hours a day for the swim team. Inevitable means [Hint]   a. capable.   b. difficult to accept.   c. bound to happen.   d. unlikely.
		4. Nina decided not to let others determine her fate; instead, she created her own destiny through hard work, diligent studying, and excellent attendance. Fate means [Hint]   a. decision and judgment.   b. answer.   c. natural talent.   d. outcome; fortune.
		5. After working for three weeks on his research paper, Jonathan tried to refrain from boasting when he received an A on the paper. Boast means [Hint]   a. brag about.   b. challenge shyly.   c. claim without confidence.   d. fail to admit.
		6. Although there was no visible puncture in the children’s float, the mother searched carefully again around the sound of escaping air. Puncture means [Hint]   a. expansion   b. swelling.   c. hole.   d. decrease.
		7. Pessimists have an outlook of tragic doom when considering the future, but optimists envision positive possibilities. Doom means [Hint]   a. a hopeful destiny.   b. longing for a good outcome.   c. disaster.   d. shelter.
		8. The inspirational speaker riveted the audience, and the ensuing applause was deafening. Ensuing means [Hint]   a. earlier.   b. happening at a previous time.   c. happening at the same time.   d. next; following.
		9. With an air of sophistication, the famous golfer waved at the fans. Sophistication means [Hint]   a. refined style.   b. wealth and laziness.   c. selfishness.   d. awkwardness.
		10. The high school quarterback was under the delusion that the college scholarship would not require him to work on his academics as well as his talent as a wide receiver. Delusion means [Hint]   a. observation.   b. scientific method.   c. false belief.   d. fact presented.