Answer Key: Why kindness matters

Lesson Plan: After the Holidays… Kindness Still Matters

II. While Reading Tasks: Word Inference

  1. traditional |trəˈdiSHənl| adjective-existing in or as part of a tradition; long-established: the traditional festivities of the church year.
  2. diverse |diˈvərs, dī-| adjective-showing a great deal of variety; very different: a culturally diverse population
  3. humanitarian (h)yo͞oˌmaniˈte(ə)rēən| adjective-concerned with or seeking to promote human welfare: groups sending humanitarian aid | a humanitarian organization.
  4. empathy |ˈempəTHē| noun-the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
  5. destitute |ˈdestiˌt(y)o͞ot| adjective-without the basic necessities of life: the charity cares for destitute children.
  6. contribute |kənˈtribyo͞ot, -byət| verb -give (something, esp. money) in order to help achieve or provide something: he contributed more than $500,000 to the center
  7. indifference |inˈdif(ə)rəns| noun-lack of interest, concern, or sympathy: she shrugged, feigning indifference.
  8. immigrant |ˈimigrənt|noun-a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.
  9. destruction |diˈstrəkSHən| noun-the action or process of causing so much damage to something that it no longer exists or cannot be repaired: the avalanche left a trail of destruction.
  10. dis |dis| informal verb (also diss) (diss, dissing, dissed) speak disrespectfully to or criticize: I don’t like her dissing my friends |

Reading Comprehension: Word -Recognition

“And caring is having the ability to listen to the voices of those who might be different from you like, say, Native Americans, as they express what Thanksgiving or the holiday season might mean to them, given their very different history on this land.

Indeed, I’ve heard countless individuals say that we are living in ugly and difficult times. Yes, we are. But I also believe we have it in us, as human beings, to make every day a holy day, and every moment we interact with each other an endless celebration of the possibilities of our humanity.”