Vocabulary Quiz Solutions for Just So Stories

I. Give the definition for the following vocabulary words:

resin : solid substance exuded from various plants and trees

quarrel - v. : to have a heated dispute; to find fault; to break off a friendship

rude : discourteous; unmannerly

tortoise : a turtle, especially one that lives on land; a kind of reptile with a shell

incantation : the chanting of a magic formula

saucepan : small metal pan with a long handle used in cooking

vanish : disappear; pass suddenly from sight

comestible : something fit to be eaten

alphabet : system of symbols used in a language to indicate speech sounds

II. Correctly spell the vocabulary words defined below:

broad, flat part or limb adapted for swimming, as in seals, turtles, and whales - flipper

the animals of a specified region and time - fauna

pictures or symbols used by ancient Egyptians to represent a word or sound; something hard to read or understand - hieroglyphics

eagerly wishing; uneasy, full of apprehension - anxious

have or give a dull, steady pain - ache

small child, especially a lively or mischievous one - tyke

colloquial language outside of standard usage - slang

dearly loved - beloved

large, thick-skinned, hoofed mammal, such as a rhinoceros, hippopotamus, or elephant; thick-skinned person - pachyderm

III. Use the following vocabulary words in a complete sentence:

scoop : I tried to ... something that said it wanted to be ...(ed) out of its shell with my paw, and now my paw is full of prickles,

invention : It is a great ..., and some day men will call it writing.

accidental : Before he had caught any fish at all, Tegumai ... broke his spear by jabbing it down too hard on the bottom of the river.

beautiful : My Mummy is the most ... Mummy in the world,

notion : I have a ... that your Daddy's daughter has hit upon the big secret of the world: that letters stand for sounds.

naughty : One beast went away ... into the Sea before the Eldest Magician had taught him his play.

hierarchical : Here came the Head Chiefs, the Assistant Chiefs, and the rest of the Tribe in ... order.

prickle : Then he put his paw into his mouth, and of course the ... hurt him more than ever.