ATI
TEAS Reading section.
1. Definition
of Vocabulary Acquisition
Vocabulary acquisition is the process of learning new words, their
meanings, pronunciation, and usage. On the TEAS, this means you must determine
the meaning of unfamiliar words using:
- Explicit
instruction (knowing common roots/affixes)
- Implicit
strategies (using context clues from the passage)
2. Types of
Word Knowledge Tested
A.
Word Meanings
- Denotation – literal dictionary definition
- Connotation – emotional/cultural association (e.g., thrifty vs. stingy)
- Multiple-meaning words – e.g., run (jog, manage, operate, tear)
B.
Roots, Prefixes, Suffixes (Morphology)
|
Component |
Definition |
Example |
|
Root |
Core meaning |
cred = believe (credit, credible) |
|
Prefix |
Added before root |
pre- = before (preview) |
|
Suffix |
Added after root |
-able = capable of (readable) |
Common TEAS roots:
- bene = good (benefit, benevolent)
- mal = bad (malignant, malady)
- dict = say (predict, dictate)
- spect = look (inspect, spectator)
- port = carry (transport, portable)
- phon = sound (telephone, phonics)
C. Context Clues (5 main types)
- Definition / Synonym – The word is directly explained.
Example: A copious amount, or large quantity, of rain fell. - Antonym / Contrast – An opposite word gives meaning.
Example: Unlike her loquacious sister, Mia was quiet. - Example / Illustration – Specific examples clarify the word.
Example: Nocturnal animals, such as bats and owls, are crepuscular (active at twilight). - Inference / Logic – You reason from general sentence sense.
Example: The old book was fragile; its pages crumbled when touched. - Punctuation / Restatement – Commas, dashes, or parentheses offer a synonym.
Example: He was ubiquitous — everywhere at once.
3.
Uses on the ATI TEAS (How You Apply It)
On the TEAS Reading test,
vocabulary acquisition helps you:
- ✅
Answer explicit vocabulary questions
“What does the word ‘ephemeral’ mean as used in paragraph 2?” - ✅
Understand technical terms in science & ELA passages
Roots help decipher medical/anatomical terms (e.g., cardi + ology = study of heart). - ✅
Answer implied meaning questions
Use context clues to infer connotation (positive/negative/neutral). - ✅
Improve reading comprehension speed
Less stopping to guess words → more time for main idea, inference, and author’s purpose questions. - ✅
Distinguish between literal and figurative uses
e.g., The proposal was dead on arrival – not literally dead, means failed immediately.
4.
Quick TEAS-Style Example
Passage excerpt:
“The manager was parsimonious, refusing to buy new computers or even replace
broken chairs.”
Question: What does parsimonious
mean?
A) Generous
B) Extravagant
C) Frugal to a fault
D) Angry
Strategy: Use contrast clue –
refusing to buy new computers indicates extreme stinginess.
Correct Answer: C
Root | Origin | Meaning | Example Word | TEAS Context
cardi
Greek – heart
cardiac, cardiology
Circulatory system
hem
/ hemat
Greek – blood
hemorrhage, hematoma
Bleeding, blood disorders
derm
Greek – skin
dermatology, epidermis
Integumentary system
gastr
Greek – stomach
gastric, gastrointestinal
Digestion
neur
Greek – nerve
neurology, neural
Nervous system
oste
Greek – bone
osteoporosis, osteopath
Skeletal system
path
Greek – disease
pathogen, pathology
Infection, disease process
ren
/ nephr
Latin/Greek – kidney
renal, nephron
Urinary system
pulmon
Latin – lung
pulmonary, pulmonologist
Respiratory system
therm
Greek – heat
hypothermia, thermometer
Homeostasis, body temp
Academic
Roots (High yield for ELA & social studies)
dict
Latin – say/speak
dictate, predict, verdict
Author's purpose, main idea
scrib / script
Latin – write
describe, manuscript, prescription
Text features, instructions
spec / spect
Latin – look/see
inspect, spectator, perspective
Point of view, observation
log / logue
Greek – word/reason
logic, dialogue, biology
Argument structure, reasoning
graph / gram
Greek – write/draw
paragraph, diagram, autograph
Charts, graphs, written texts
aud
Latin – hear
audio, audience, auditorium
Listening, speaker's intent
ped
Greek/Latin – child/foot
pediatric, pedestal, pedestrian
Development, locomotion
cogn
Latin – know
recognize, cognitive, diagnosis
Inference, prior knowledge
General
Roots (Frequent in all passages)
bene
Latin – good
benefit, benevolent, benign
Positive connotation
mal
Latin – bad
malignant, malady, malfunction
Negative connotation
port
Latin – carry
transport, portable, report
Movement, communication
chron
Greek – time
chronological, chronic, synchronize
Sequence, timing
phon
Greek – sound
telephone, phonics, microphone
Communication, pronunciation
geo
Greek – earth
geography, geology, geothermal
Science passages, environment
bio
Greek – life
biology, biopsy, biosphere
Life sciences
cycl
Greek – circle/repeat
bicycle, recycle, cyclone
Repetition, patterns
rupt
Latin – break
interrupt, rupture, corrupt
Disruption, damage
struct
Latin – build
construct, structure, obstruct
Organization, barriers
Memory
Tips for TEAS
- Chain words – Learn one root, recall 3+ examples (e.g., dict
→ predict, contradict, dictionary)
- Mark passages – Underline roots you recognize during practice
- Create a “root wall” – Post top 10 high-yield roots
- Use medical imagery – cardi = heart monitor, hem =
blood/bleeding
Sample
TEAS Question Using These Roots
The patient's chronic back pain
and benign tumor required only monitoring, not surgery.
Q: Based on the roots, what do
chronic and benign mean?
A) sudden / cancerous
B) long-lasting / harmless
C) severe / spreading
D) untreated / painful
Answer:
B
- chron = time → long-lasting
- bene = good → harmless
TEAS-style
vocabulary practice questions focusing on roots, context clues, and word
meanings. Each includes the correct answer and a detailed reasoning.
Questions 1–5: Medical Roots
1. The lab report noted that the bacteria
were pathogenic to human tissue.
What does pathogenic most nearly mean?
A) Disease-causing
B) Heat-resistant
C) Fast-reproducing
D) Beneficial
Answer:
A
Path = disease; genic = producing → disease-producing.
2. The patient was diagnosed with
gastritis after complaining of burning stomach pain.
What does gastritis mean?
A) Inflammation of the intestines
B) Inflammation of the stomach
C) Infection of the blood
D) Enlargement of the liver
Answer:
B
Gastr = stomach; itis = inflammation.
3. A subdermal injection is given just
below the skin’s surface.
What does subdermal mean?
A) Under the skin
B) Above the muscle
C) Inside a vein
D) Through the nail
Answer:
A
Sub = under; derm = skin.
4. The neurological exam tested the
patient’s reflexes and sensation.
What body system does neurological refer to?
A) Muscular
B) Skeletal
C) Nervous
D) Endocrine
Answer:
C
Neur = nerve → nervous system.
5. Renal failure requires dialysis or a
kidney transplant.
What does renal mean?
A) Lung
B) Liver
C) Kidney
D) Heart
Answer:
C
Ren = kidney.
Questions 6–10: Academic Roots
6. The witness was asked to transcribe
the recorded conversation.
What does transcribe mean?
A) Listen secretly
B) Write out exactly
C) Summarize orally
D) Delete permanently
Answer:
B
Trans = across; scrib = write → write across (copy verbatim).
7. The judge’s verdict was met with
applause from the courtroom.
Based on dict = say/speak, what does verdict mean?
A) A written argument
B) A formal statement of judgment
C) A secret opinion
D) A penalty amount
Answer:
B
Ver = true; dict = speak → true saying / formal judgment.
8. The chronological timeline helped
students understand the war’s events.
What does chronological mean?
A) Arranged by importance
B) Arranged by time order
C) Arranged by location
D) Arranged by topic
Answer:
B
Chron = time; logical = order.
9. The diagram was labeled with a legend
to help readers interpret the symbols.
Using context clues, legend here means:
A) A famous story
B) A key to symbols
C) A title of the diagram
D) A list of authors
Answer:
B
Context clue: “help readers interpret the symbols” → key/legend.
10. The two studies had contradictory
results, confusing the researchers.
What does contradictory mean?
A) Supporting each other
B) Opposing each other
C) Unrelated to each other
D) Identical in every way
Answer:
B
Contra = against; dict = speak → speak against → opposing.
Questions 11–15: General Roots
11. A benevolent leader donates salary to
charity and helps the poor.
What does benevolent mean?
A) Cruel and selfish
B) Kind and generous
C) Weak and indecisive
D) Wealthy and proud
Answer:
B
Bene = good; volent = wishing → good-wishing.
12. The malodorous trash had not been
taken out for weeks.
What does malodorous mean?
A) Sweet-smelling
B) Bad-smelling
C) Colorful
D) Recyclable
Answer:
B
Mal = bad; odor = smell.
13. The portable ultrasound machine could
be rolled between patient rooms.
What does portable mean?
A) Heavy and fixed
B) Easy to carry
C) Expensive to use
D) Difficult to clean
Answer:
B
Port = carry → able to be carried.
14. The water cycle is a cyclic process
that repeats continuously.
What does cyclic mean?
A) One-time event
B) Random occurrence
C) Repeating circle
D) Slow movement
Answer:
C
Cycl = circle/repeat.
15. The rupture in the pipe caused water
to flood the basement.
What does rupture mean?
A) A clean cut
B) A break or burst
C) A blockage
D) A twist
Answer:
B
Rupt = break.
Questions 16–20: Mixed Context Clues &
Word Meanings
16. The CEO was known for her loquacious
nature, often giving 30-minute speeches at 8 a.m. meetings.
What does loquacious mean?
A) Quiet and reserved
B) Talkative and wordy
C) Angry and aggressive
D) Confused and lost
Answer:
B
Context clue: “30-minute speeches” → talkative.
17. Unlike the turbulent first quarter,
the second quarter was calm and profitable.
What does turbulent mean?
A) Chaotic or unstable
B) Predictable
C) Silent
D) Quick
Answer:
A
Antonym clue: “unlike… calm” → turbulent = not calm.
18. The artifact was ephemeral, lasting
only a few days before crumbling.
What does ephemeral mean?
A) Heavy
B) Short-lived
C) Colorful
D) Ancient
Answer:
B
Context clue: “lasting only a few days” → short-lived.
19. The manager’s ambivalent feelings
about the merger — excited yet worried — made decision-making hard.
What does ambivalent mean?
A) Strongly positive
B) Strongly negative
C) Mixed or conflicting
D) Completely uninterested
Answer:
C
Context clue: “excited yet worried” → mixed feelings.
20. The instructions said to aggregate
the data from all five sources into one final report.
What does aggregate mean?
A) Separate
B) Ignore
C) Collect and combine
D) Delete
Answer:
C
Context clue: “from all five sources into one” → combine/collect.
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