Prepare to Read

Learn Key Vocabulary

Rate and Study the Words Rate how well you know each word. Then:

  • 1. Pronounce the word. Say it aloud several times. Spell it.

  • 2. Study the example.

  • 3. Tell more about the word.

  • 4. Practice it. Make the word your own.

Rating Scale

1 = I have never seen this word before.

2 = I am not sure of the word’s meaning.

3 = I know this word and can teach the word’s meaning to someone else.

Key Words
ancient (ānt-shunt) adjective page 330
Photograph of tall columns of a very old temple
If something is ancient, it is very old. People built this ancient temple long ago.
Antonym: new		archaeologist (ar-kē-ah-lu-jist) noun page 332
Photograph of a person assembling the bones of a skeleton on ground
An archaeologist studies the way people lived in the past. Bones, buildings, and tools help archaeologists learn about the past.
Base Word: archaeology		artifact (ar-ti-fakt) noun page 333
Photograph of an Egyptian statue in a museum
An artifact is an object, or the remains of one, that represents a culture. An old statue is an artifact.
bury (bair-ē) verb page 337
Photograph of a dog digging in sand
To bury means to place in the ground. The dog buries a bone.
Synonym: cover		civilization (si-vu-lu-zā-shun) noun page 330
Photograph of a large city in Greece
A civilization is the culture of a specific place, time, or group of people. Greece has a very old civilization.		clue (klü) noun page 330
Photograph of a man examining in his hand something he has found on the ground
A clue is a piece of information that leads to a solution. The man looks for clues to the crime.
Synonyms: hint, sign
pyramid (pear-u-mid) noun page 330
Photograph of an Egyptian pyramid
A pyramid is a building with a square base and four sides that are triangles. This pyramid is in Egypt.		tomb (tüm) noun page 334
Photograph of a person entering a tomb
A tomb is a grave, or a special place for the body of a dead person. This is the inside of a tomb in Italy.		Practice the Words Work with a partner to complete an Expanded Meaning Map for each Key Word.
Illustration of an Expanded Meaning Map used for key words
Expanded Meaning Map