Download Reference Sources Review

Name:________________________
Reference Sources
Dictionary- a book that lists most words and gives the definition, pronunciation and
origin of the word. The words are listed in alphabetical order and are easy to find using the guide words at
the top of the page.
Why might you use this?________________________________________________________
Thesaurus- a book that lists synonyms (words that have the same meaning). The words are
usually listed in alphabetical order and most thesauruses have guide words, just like a dictionary.
Why might you use this?________________________________________________________
Atlas- this is a collection of maps. It can be as detailed as showing you a city and all the
streets or more broad and show you a whole country and where it is located in the world. It is named after
the Greek mythology character Atlas, who had to hold up the world as a punishment.
Why might you use
this?________________________________________________________
Almanac- a
yearly book that lists useful facts and statistics. It can list anything from the average rainfall of one year to
the president with the longest term in office.
Why might you use this?________________________________________________________
Encyclopedia- a series of books that has short articles in alphabetical order by topic.
Most cover a variety of topics such as famous people or wars. It is very useful when you need more detailed
information on a topic.
Why might you use this?________________________________________________________
Internet- the web is filled with useful and up-to-date information. The only downfall is
misleading webpages. Always make sure that you are using reliable sources and not information from
personal webpages.
Why might you use this?________________________________________________________
Glossary- gives a list of terms and their meanings. The terms often have to do
with a certain subject. For example, glossaries are often found in textbooks.
Why might you use this?________________________________________________________
Periodicals These include print and online newspapers and magazines that
provide current information about a topic.
Why might you use this?________________________________________________________
Understanding the Dictionary
1. Guidewords:
The words at the top of the pages. The word to the left is the first
word,
alphabetically for those pages; the word to the right is the last word alphabetically for those
pages.
2. Main Entries:
These are the words that are listed in alphabetic order. When aword has more
than one origin, it has more listings with subscripts (ground1 and ground 2).
3. Pronunciation:
Shows how the word is pronounced. This is in brackets right after
word. The word is broken-up into syllables. Stressed syllables
are marked (/). A
pronunciation key is provided at the beginning of the dictionary to show you how to
pronounce words.
4. Part of Speech:
the
This is how a word is used in a sentence, for example, as a noun.
n=noun, v=verb, adj=adjective, adv=adverb, conj=conjunction,
prep=preposition.
5. Variant Forms: If a word has more than one spelling, the spelling used the most is
the one
listed as the main entry. If the word “or” is used, the following word is used just as much as the
main entry; if “also” is
used, than the word is not used as much.
6. Inflection Forms:
irregular forms of the main entry; for example, better is an
inflection form of good.
7. Verbs:
Definitions for verb entries will indicate if the verb is transitive or
intransitive. Transitive verbs have a direct object that is receiving
action.
8. Labels:
These indicate how the word is used, and in what context.
9. Definition:
An explanation of what the word means, without using the word to
explain. If a word has more than one meaning, the meanings are
numbered and listed by part-of-speech.
10. Etymology:
The study of the history of words. Where the word comes from is
the
listed at the end of the definition.
Reference Sources Review
Directions: Answer each question with one of the following: thesaurus, dictionary, Index, Glossary,
Encyclopedia, guide words, Atlas, Internet
1. Which source would you use to find a synonym for the word nice?____________________________
2. If I wanted the most up to date information on Oprah, what resource would be the best choice?
________________________________
3. What resource can help you locate cities, states, streets and even landmarks?______________________
4. If I want to know what page in a book has information on Abraham Lincoln, what should I use?
_____________________________
5. What part of a book do you use to find a list of meaningful terms used in the book and their definitions?
________________________________
6. If I was writing a report on whales, what resource would be best to use?__________________________
7. If I needed to find a word in the dictionary, what should I use to find the word? ____________________
8. Which source would I use to find the definition of a word?________________________
9. Look at the following index: Dog: 1-5, 8, 25
Which page would you find a picture of a dog?________
10. Which word is on the same page that starts with the word luckily and ends with the word lumen?
a. lottery
b. lumber
c. lunch
d. lump
11. Read the following entries
Mild, adj. Moderate and not too harsh
Mild, adj. Someone who is gentle, not aggressive
Which word would best replaces mild in the sentence?
The weather outside was mild today and I didn’t need a coat.
A. Harsh
B. Gentle
C. Aggressive
D. Moderate