1. Vocabulary Challenge

2. 1 st CLUE Gerald’s _________ for cooking is unusual. Many people don’t learn the basics of cooking easily, and he has become an accomplished chef. 2 nd CLUE aptitude ability Antonym? Synonym? He was able to learn the basics of cooking quickly. inability; skilless P.O.S. - ? noun

3. When mom bakes holiday cookies she is very _________ to how they are decorated. Each one has its own colors and sprinkles. 1 st CLUE attentive 2nd CLUE Synonym?alert; mindful Antonym?neglectful; lazy P.O.S. - ? adjective I am very mindful of the concerns of others.

4. King Herod told the princess he would ______ her if she married the tanner; she could never come home again. 1 st CLUE banish 2nd CLUE Synonym?ban; exile; exclude Antonym? keep; welcome P.O.S. - ? verb He will exile him because he committed treason.

5. 1 st CLUE barricade 2nd CLUE Synonym?barrier; blockade; wall Antonym? opening P.O.S. - ? noun Policemen had to build a barrier to keep the wild fans away from the celebrity. Firemen erected a ________ to keep people out of the fire zone.

6. The beaver will ___________ the river so no one can paddle through it by boat. 1 st CLUE barricade 2nd CLUE Synonym?jammed up; sealed Antonym?opened; unfastened P.O.S. - ? verb My adversary plans to seal the doorway to prevent me from getting into the chess match.

7. Annie was so excited to be playing soccer that she ran with such ______ scoring 5 points. 1 st CLUE gusto 2nd CLUE Synonym?great enthusiasm; zeal; passion Antonym?apathy; unenthusiastic P.O.S. - ? noun Kathy has awesome passion for doing her best.

8. The __________ for monkeys is a tree, but fish live in the ocean. 1 st CLUE habitation 2nd CLUE Synonym?residence; abode; home P.O.S. - ? noun Fido’s home or abode is a backyard doghouse.

9. Griselda will ______ the making of the bread by using quick rising yeast. 1 st CLUE hasten 2nd CLUE Synonym?expedite; accelerate; hustle Antonym?lag; tarry; go slow P.O.S. - ? verb Jose’s bread van will hustle her loaves to market.

10. Jumping around the room, the baby kangaroo caused huge ______. We had to clean up after we got her back into her cage. 1 st CLUE havoc 2nd CLUE Synonym?chaos; damage; disorder Antonym?peace P.O.S. - ? noun We were apprehensive of the chaos that would be made by the hurricane.

11. Baby June was _______ by the lullaby, so she began to coo. 1 st CLUE quell 2nd CLUE Synonym? suppress; calm; stifle; stop Antonym?start P.O.S. - ? verb Leander was able to calm the rowdy crowd.

12. Count Dracula was a ______ never leaving his house until after midnight when no one was out. 1 st CLUE recluse 2nd CLUE Synonym? hermit Antonym?extrovert P.O.S. - ? noun Alfred became a hermit because he didn’t like people.

13. Cameron will ________ quickly from the flu. His mom expects him to be well next week. 1 st CLUE recuperate 2nd CLUE Synonym?mend; recover; heal Antonym?decline; worsen P.O.S. - ? verb Dr. Thomas used pristine surgical tools which helped Nancy recover from her surgery.