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Word Detective

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Word Detective

Read the report closely. Use context clues, word parts and precise definitions to solve each vocabulary case. Answer in Australian English.

Evidence report

A community group was trying to protect a stretch of wetland near the town. The environment had changed: rubbish gathered beside the creek, and fewer birds nested among the reeds. At first, volunteers predicted that a weekend clean-up would solve the problem. Their survey, however, revealed a more complex pattern. Run-off from nearby streets was carrying litter and chemicals into the water. The group organised monthly water tests and invited local residents to help record results. They discovered that the creek became clearer after heavy rain only when drains were cleared first. Rather than celebrate a quick fix, the volunteers adapted their plan. They worked with council staff to install signs, arrange drain maintenance and share the results with the community. Their careful approach showed that reliable evidence is a resource: it helps people choose actions that are more likely to last.

Solve the vocabulary cases

Use the report as evidence where a question asks about meaning in context.

1.In the report, what does “run-off” most nearly mean?

Water that flows over land and can carry material into waterways
A planned meeting held after a clean-up
A type of bird that nests in reeds
A method of testing water in a laboratory

2.The volunteers “predicted” that a weekend clean-up would solve the problem. Which word is the closest synonym for “predicted” in this sentence?

Repeated
Expected
Discovered
Celebrated

3.Match each word from the report to its most suitable meaning.

adapt
reliable
community
resource

able to be trusted or depended on
something useful that can help achieve a purpose
people connected by where they live or a shared interest
change something to suit new conditions

4.In “the survey revealed a more complex pattern”, what does “revealed” mean?

5.Break “unreliable” into a prefix, base word and suffix. Explain how the word parts contribute to its meaning.

6.True or false: The volunteers adapted their plan because the first clean-up approach did not address the cause of the creek’s pollution.

TrueFalse

7.Choose the best word from the word bank to complete the sentence. The group used water tests to whether the creek was improving—that is, to find out and establish the answer. Word bank: determine, protect, predict, celebrate.

8.The report says the volunteers did not “celebrate a quick fix”. Explain what this phrase suggests about their attitude.

9.Replace “good” with a more precise adjective in this sentence: “The volunteers made a good plan after reading the survey results.”

10.Write a sentence about a local issue using “environment” and “protect”. Make the meaning of both words clear from your sentence.