If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

Main content

Course: 7th grade reading & vocabulary > Unit 2

Lesson 1: Building knowledge
Reading & language arts
7th grade reading & vocabulary
Mysteries of the Past
Building knowledge
© 2024 Khan AcademyTerms of usePrivacy PolicyCookie Notice

Mysteries of the Past: unit vocabulary

Google Classroom
This is a list of some noteworthy vocabulary you'll find in this unit! Some are related to the unit topic, and others are generally useful academic words.
You'll know some of the words already, and some may be new. Take some time to familiarize yourself with them all before you get started on the passages and exercises in the unit.
Word: permanent
(adjective)
  • Definition: lasting forever, or for a very long time
  • Sample Sentence: I just dyed my hair purple, and I'm sticking with it permanently.
Word: colonist
(noun)
  • Definition: a member of a colony
  • Sample Sentence: Early New England colonists were shipbuilders, and on occasion you can still find an old shipbuilding tool washed ashore.
Word: colony
(noun)
  • Definition: Part of one country or area that's controlled by another country, usually by force.
  • Sample Sentence: From the 15th century onwards, many European nations set up colonies in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania, taking control of land and natural resources from native peoples.
Word: expedition
(noun)
  • Definition: a journey undertaken by a group of people for a specific reason
  • Sample Sentence: Sir John Franklin set out on an expedition to find the Northwest Passage, but his two ships disappeared without a trace in 1848.
Word: intrude
(verb)
  • Definition: to go into a place where you are not wanted
  • Sample Sentence: The colonists came ashore and intruded on our land, taking everything and anything they wanted.
Word: immunity
(noun)
  • Definition: the ability to not be affected by a disease
  • Sample Sentence: For some mysterious reason, Margaret was the only person in her village not to die from the black plague; scientists think that she must have had immunity against the disease.
Word: reluctant
(adjective)
  • Definition: not really wanting to do something; hesitant
  • Sample Sentence: Queen Esmerelda stopped at the cave’s entrance, she was reluctant to go any farther until her guards came back out safely.
Word: sufficient
(adjective)
  • Definition: enough
  • Sample Sentence: The early colonists didn’t have sufficient warm clothing for the harsh winter, and had to turn their bedding into coats.
Word: indigenous
(adjective)
  • Definition: coming from a particular place or region; native
  • Sample Sentence: When European explorers arrived in Australia, they learned that the Indigenous people had discovered creative ways to find water in the desert long ago.
Word: previous
(adjective)
  • Definition: earlier
  • Sample Sentence: In previous years, the school sent students on field trips to Roanoke, but that all stopped when Mr. Peterson became principal.
Word: subsequent
(adjective)
  • Definition: after
  • Sample Sentence: Expeditions to the Arctic reached a peak around the middle of the century, and declined in subsequent years.
Word: indicate
(verb)
  • Definition: point something out; show; suggest
  • Sample Sentence: The old journals Maurice found in his uncle’s attic indicated that his uncle knew more about JFK’s assassination than he claimed.
Word: resent
(verb)
  • Definition: to be upset about something, especially when it seems unfair
  • Sample Sentence: Last year, Ms. Joyner sent a letter home to my parents after I smuggled my pet lizard into class, and I've resented her ever since.
Word: exploit
(verb)
  • Definition: to take advantage of
  • Sample Sentence: Marisol believed that the reporter exploited the townspeople when he used their personal stories to sell his book, Small Town Mysteries.
Word: profit
(verb)
  • Definition: to make money from something
  • Sample Sentence: I bought the lemonade for two dollars and sold it to my brother for three, making a nice little profit of one dollar.

Want to join the conversation?

Log in