1. Name Date
A SOUND OF THUNDER COPY MASTER
Vocabulary Strategy
THE LATIN WORD ROOT dict
The word verdict contains the Latin root dict, meaning “say.” To understand words that
contain dict, you may need to use context clues as well as your knowledge of the root.
A. Directions: Use the meaning of the root and context clues to write a definition for each
underlined word. Note that one of the words also contains the Latin root mal.
1. When Eckels first saw the dinosaur, his verdict was that it could not be killed.
A SOUND OF THUNDER
2. Eckels wanted Travis to predict if the safari would end well.
3. Travis dictated the rules of the safari to Eckels.
4. Travis issued this dictum to the hunters: “Stay on the Path.”
5. Travis uttered a malediction on Eckels when he realized the hunter had left the Path.
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6. After he discovered a dead butterfly on the bottom of his shoe, Eckels wished he could
contradict the warnings of Travis.
B. Directions: Complete each sentence with an underlined word from Exercise A.
1. Before the jury could reach a , the judge declared a mistrial.
2. He said that the law the mistrial, because of errors by the prosecution.
3. Until that moment, it had been difficult to which side would prevail.
4. At one point, a witness’s testimony seemed to what he had said earlier.
5. When informed of this, the witness shouted a at the prosecuting attorney.
6. The judge then issued a stern to both sides about future outbursts.
Resource Manager Unit 1 33
Grade 9