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Dinosaur Audio Guide: Reference Desk

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Dinosaur Audio Guide: Reference Desk

Use reference entries to check the words in a museum script.

1. Check Meaning in Context

Read the audio-guide script. Use Reference Card A to answer the questions; do not rely only on a familiar meaning.

Beyond the Mounted Skeleton

1Welcome to the dinosaur gallery. I’m Zadie, one of the student voices for this audio guide. Before you look up at the mounted skeleton, examine the objects in the low case. The labels distinguish original fossils from copies. That distinction matters because an exhibit may combine evidence from the past with materials made much more recently.

2The long bone nearest the glass is a cast. A technician made this copy in a mold taken from the original fossil. Its label identifies the dinosaur and the bone’s location in the skeleton. A small diagram beside the label shows the entire leg.

3Now turn toward the footprint slab. A footprint can be a trace fossil: evidence of an animal’s activity rather than part of its body. Such marks can provide clues about movement. Researchers compare their shape, spacing, and position, but a single print does not reveal everything about the animal that made it. The guide should distinguish an observation from an explanation.

4At the worktable display, notice the numbered specimen. Here, that word means an object collected for study, not a model chosen because it looks impressive. Nearby notes record where the object was found. Keeping those notes with the object helps researchers connect the specimen to its original surroundings. Removing that connection would mean losing useful information.

5Before our team records the final narration, we check words that visitors may not recognize. We consult a glossary for a specialized term and a dictionary for pronunciation or grammatical information. We also compare each definition with the sentence where the word appears. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice for a particular sentence. Our goal is a guide that listeners can follow without seeing our written script.

Reference Card A — Dictionary Excerpts
cast • noun • 1. the actors in a performance; 2. an object made by shaping material in a mold. Verb • 3. to throw something.
trace • noun • 1. a mark or sign left by something; 2. a very small amount. Verb • 3. to follow the path or development of something; 4. to copy lines through thin paper.
specimen • noun • an individual object or example collected for examination or study.
1.
Using Reference Card A, which meaning of cast fits paragraph 2?
Question 1 options
2.
Underline the sentence from paragraph 2 that best supports your choice of dictionary meaning in question 1.

3.
In paragraph 3, the script calls a footprint a trace fossil. Which numbered meaning of trace on Reference Card A fits this use?
Question 3 options
4.
An editor replaces specimen in paragraph 4 with decoration. Using Reference Card A, why should the editor reject that replacement?
Question 4 options

2. Prepare the Narration

Consult Reference Card B. Capital letters show the stressed syllable. Hyphens separate syllables. The labels n., v., and adj. mean noun, verb, and adjective.

Reference Card B — Pronunciation and Grammar
specimen (SPES-uh-muhn), n. An individual object or example collected for study.
record (REK-erd), n. Information preserved in writing or another form.
record (ri-KORD), v. To preserve information in writing, sound, or another form.
articulate (ar-TIK-yuh-lit), adj. Able to express ideas clearly.
articulate (ar-TIK-yuh-layt), v. To express clearly or pronounce distinctly.
5.
The narrator is practicing specimen from paragraph 4. Which direction follows Reference Card B?
Question 5 options
6.
Read this sentence from paragraph 4: “Nearby notes record where the object was found.” Which entry gives the correct pronunciation and part of speech for record?
Question 6 options
7.
A revised script says, “The museum keeps a record of each fossil’s location.” Use Reference Card B. Write the full name of the part of speech of record.

Part of speech:

8.
A recording note says, “Please articulate each unfamiliar term.” Which pronunciation and meaning from Reference Card B fit articulate?
Question 8 options
9.
A review of the recording says, “The articulate narrator explains the labels clearly.” Which label on Reference Card B applies to articulate in this sentence?
Question 9 options

3. Choose and Use a Reference

Use the descriptions and glossary below to make reference decisions for the audio-guide team.

Available Reference Tools
Print dictionary: alphabetical entries with written pronunciation guides, definitions, and part-of-speech labels.
Digital dictionary: searchable entries with definitions, part-of-speech labels, and audio pronunciations.
Exhibit glossary: definitions of specialized terms used in this dinosaur gallery; no pronunciation guides.
Thesaurus: groups of synonyms and antonyms; no pronunciation guides.
Exhibit Glossary Excerpts
body fossil, n. Preserved remains of an organism’s body, such as a bone or tooth.
matrix, n. The surrounding rock or sediment in which a fossil is embedded.
trace fossil, n. Preserved evidence of an organism’s activity, such as a footprint or burrow.
10.
Match each reference task to the tool best suited to it. Use each tool once.
11.
A new line says, “Preparators carefully removed some matrix from around the fossil.” Which replacement preserves the glossary’s precise meaning of matrix?
Question 11 options
12.
A general dictionary gives several meanings for matrix. The editor chooses the first definition without reading the others. What is the best correction to this method?
Question 12 options
13.
The team adds this sentence: “This trace fossil is a preserved footprint.” Explain how you would verify both the precise meaning of trace fossil and the spoken pronunciation of trace. Name a supplied reference tool for each task and explain why it fits.