Glossary

native

(nā-tiv) adj. Something that belongs to you because of where you were born is native to you. People wave flags from their native countries.

necessity

(ni-se-su-tē) n. A necessity is an item that someone needs. Food and water are the most basic necessities of life.

neighborhood

(nā-bur-hood) n. A neighborhood is a place where people live and work together. Most families know each other in our neighborhood in Boston.

O

ocean

(ō-shun) n. An ocean is a large area or body of salt water. Oceans cover most of Earth.

offstage

(awf-stāj) adv. To be offstage means to be at the side of the stage. The dancer waits offstage and gets ready to perform.

opinion

(u-pin-yun) n. An opinion is a belief or a view about a topic. My friends share their opinions about fashion.

opportunity

(ah-pur-tü-nu-tē) n. An opportunity is a good chance to do something. A sign in the window tells about a job opportunity at the restaurant.

orbit

(or-but) v. To orbit means to move in an almost circular path around another object. It takes Earth about 365 days to orbit the sun.

ordinary

(or-du-nair-ē) adj. An ordinary thing is plain. The brown box looks ordinary.

• organize

(or-gu-nīz) v. To organize means to plan and set up something. The leader organizes the people to support a cause.

original

(u-rij-u-nul) adj. Something that is original is the first of its kind. Mary Shelley’s novel is the original story of Frankenstein.

P

passenger

(pa-sen-jur) n. When you ride in a car, boat, or other vehicle, you are a passenger. The bus driver took ten passengers to the school.

perfect

(pur-fikt) adj. Something that is perfect is just right. The girl made a perfect dive into the water.

perform

(pur-form) v. To perform means to dance, sing, act, or play music for an audience. Students perform on stage for special events.

plan

(plan) n. A plan is an idea about how to do something. The architect’s drawings show the plans for building a new house.

politics

(pah-lu-tiks) n. Politics is the business of government. Members of Congress talk about issues of national and international politics.

pollution

(pu-lū-shun) n. Pollution is waste that harms nature. Trash is one form of pollution.

population

(pah-pyu-lā-shun) n. Population means the number of people who live somewhere. Many people live in New York City. It has a large population.

power

(pow-ur) n. Power is energy that makes things work. A dam collects water to use as a source of power.

prepare

(pri-pair) v. To prepare means to get ready. Dad is preparing vegetables for dinner tonight.

preserve

(pri-zurv) v. To preserve means to save. A grandmother preserves a family tradition by sharing it with her granddaughter.

problem

(prah-blum) n. A problem is something that is wrong. A problem needs to be solved or fixed. The driver has a problem because his truck is stuck in the mud.

process

(prah-ses) n. A process is a set of actions taken to get a certain result. Making homemade jam is a difficult process.

protect

(pru-tekt) v. To protect means to keep safe. The mother bird protects her chicks from danger.

protest

(prō-test) 1 v. To protest means to make a statement against an idea. The students protested against school spending cuts. 2 n. A protest is a display of strong feelings. The students led a protest.

• Academic Vocabulary