When reading a science article, using surrounding sentences to infer the meaning of an unfamiliar term develops which skill?

When reading a science article, using surrounding sentences to infer the meaning of an unfamiliar term develops which skill?

• A. expanding vocabulary by context clues
• B. memorizing definitions from a glossary
• C. ignoring unknown terms
• D. focusing only on plot

Answer: (C)

The skill is using context clues from surrounding sentences to figure out what an unfamiliar term means. When you come across a new word, you pull meaning from nearby clues—the way the term is described, examples given, or how it fits the sentence. This helps you grow your vocabulary because you learn meanings through how words are used in context, not just by memorizing definitions. It also strengthens your understanding of the science material, since you can grasp ideas and concepts even if you haven’t seen every term before. Relying on a glossary or ignoring unknown terms isn’t the approach here, and focusing only on plot doesn’t address learning vocabulary or scientific terminology.

The skill is using context clues from surrounding sentences to figure out what an unfamiliar term means. When you come across a new word, you pull meaning from nearby clues—the way the term is described, examples given, or how it fits the sentence. This helps you grow your vocabulary because you learn meanings through how words are used in context, not just by memorizing definitions. It also strengthens your understanding of the science material, since you can grasp ideas and concepts even if you haven’t seen every term before. Relying on a glossary or ignoring unknown terms isn’t the approach here, and focusing only on plot doesn’t address learning vocabulary or scientific terminology.