READING 1 OF 23 focus words
Context study 1
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
The carpenter's favorite maxim was to measure before cutting. The old estate once housed a small menagerie. The mendacious account collapsed under questioning.
The essay tested the maxim against several counterexamples. The toy shelf resembled a miniature menagerie. A mendacious advertisement promised results the device could not deliver.
Before you move on
Look away from the passage. Can you explain each focus word in your own words?
Original fictional passages for vocabulary practice.