Unit 16: The Last Queen of the Islands
Image: A historical portrait of Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii, wearing a crown and royal gown, looking dignified yet solemn.
In this unit, we explore the vocabulary surrounding the dramatic story of Liliuokalani, the last monarch of Hawaii. The words in this list help describe power, conflict, and the events that led to the end of a kingdom. Understanding these terms will clarify historical texts and improve your ability to discuss governance and personal history.
Study the definitions below carefully. Pay attention to how words like abdicate and reign relate specifically to royalty, while words like bungle and provoke describe actions and their consequences inany context.
Target Vocabulary
abdicate (v.) To give up a high office formally or officially, especially the throne.
assume (v.) 1. To take for granted; to suppose. 2. To take over; to occupy.
bungle (v.) To do something clumsily or awkwardly; to botch.
dominate (v.) To rule or control; to have a very important place or position.
former (adj.) Coming before in time; having been previously.
guardian (n.) One who protects.
hoist (v.) To lift or raise, especially by using a rope.
intercept (v.) To stop or seize something while it is on its way somewhere.
jubilee (n.) The celebration of an anniversary, especially a fiftieth anniversary.
kin (adj.) Related by birth ormarriage. (n.) Relatives; family.
pardon (v.) To forgive. (n.) Freedom from legal punishment.
proclaim (v.) To declare publicly or officially.
provoke (v.) 1. To annoy or make angry. 2. To call forth; to rouse.
reign (v.) To rule as a queen or king. (n.) The rule of a queen or king.
riot (n.) Public disorder or violence. (v.) To behave in a violent and uncontrolled way.
Image: A colorful illustration of a royal jubilee celebration with fireworks, banners,and a large crowd cheering.
Exercise 1: Match the Definition
Write the letter of the correct definition next to each word.
1. jubilee ______ (A) To lift or raise up.
2. hoist ______ (B) To rule as a monarch.
3. reign ______ (C) A special anniversary celebration.
4. kin ______ (D) To give up power.
5. abdicate ______ (E) To stopsomething in transit.
6. intercept ______ (F) Relatives or family.
7. bungle ______ (G) To handle badly; to botch.
8. pardon ______ (H) To forgive or free from penalty.
Exercise 2: Complete the Sentence
Choose the best word to complete each sentence: assume, dominate, former, guardian, proclaim, provoke, riot, bungle.
1. The tall skyscrapers _____________ the city skyline, visible from miles away.
2. The president sent a letter to _____________ peace throughout the land.
3. Please do not _____________ the dog by teasing him with the bone.
4. After the unfair verdict, a _____________ broke out in the town square.
5. As her legal _____________, her uncle made decisions about her education.
6. I _____________ you will be coming to the party since youbought a gift.
7. The _____________ mayor ofthe town still visits City Hall occasionally.
8. If you _____________ the repair job, the machine might never work again.
Image: Atimeline showing events: a flag being hoisted, a riot in the streets, and a queen signing a document to abdicate.
Exercise 3: Synonymsand Antonyms
Determine if the word pairsare Synonyms (S) or Antonyms (A).
1. abdicate / seize ______
2. provoke / soothe ______
3. bungle / botch ______
4. hoist / lower ______
5. kin / family ______
6.pardon / punish ______
7. former / current ______
8. proclaim / announce ______
Exercise 4: True or False?
Read the statement and decide if the target word isused correctly.
1. If you intercept a pass in football, you catch the ball before it reaches the receiver. (True / False)
2. A jubilee is a time of great sadness and mourning. (True / False)
3. To dominate a conversation means to speak very little and listen mostly. (True / False)
4. Your kin are the people you are related to. (True / False)
5.If you assume responsibility, you take it upon yourself. (True/ False)
6. A guardian is someone who tries to harm you. (True / False)
7. When a king reigns, he rules over the country. (True / False)
8. To hoist a flag means to take it down and fold it. (True / False)
Exercise 5: Context Clues
Circle the word that best fits the context.
1. The angry crowd began to (riot / reign) in the streets after the announcement.
2. The queendecided to (abdicate / bungle) her throne rather than cause a war.
3. The police tried to (provoke / intercept) the stolengoods before they left the country.
4. The governor issued a (pardon / jubilee) to the prisoner, setting him free.
5. It is rude to (dominate / assume) that everyone agrees with you without asking.
6. My (former / kin) teacher, Mr. Jones, retired last year.
7. The town held a (guardian / jubilee) to celebrate its 50th year.
8. The workers used a crane to (hoist / provoke) the heavy steel beams.
Exercise 6: Word Forms
Fill in the blank with the correctform of the word (e.g., past tense, plural).
1. (provoke) His constant teasing finally ___________ a reaction from his sister.
2. (reign) Queen Victoria ___________ for over sixty years.
3. (bungle) He ___________ the speech by forgetting his notes.
4. (proclaim) The news was ___________ on television last night.
5. (riot) The police stopped the ___________ before they could cause damage.
6. (intercept) The secret message was ___________ by the spy.
7. (dominate) The home team has ___________ the league all season.
8. (hoist) They are ___________ the sails right now.
Unit 16: Further Practice
Exercise 7: Reading Comprehension
Image: An illustration of Iolani Palace in Hawaii, with guards standing at the gates and a flag flying at half-mast.
Read the passage and answer the questions.
In 1893, a group of businessmen sought to dominate the government of Hawaii. They wanted to remove QueenLiliuokalani from power. They claimed she was trying to take away the rights ofthe people, but in reality, she wanted to restore power to the monarchy. The businessmen asked the United States military for help. Fearing that a conflict would provoke a riot and hurt her people, theQueen chose to abdicate her throne under protest. She hoped the U.S. government would later restore her to her reign, but that never happened. She lived the rest of her life as a former queen, a symbol of dignity for her people.
1. Why did the Queen choose to abdicate?
________________________________________________________________
2. What did the businessmen want to do?
________________________________________________________________
3. Did the Queen ever reign again?
________________________________________________________________
4. What does the word “former” mean in this text?
________________________________________________________________
5. Which word suggests the Queen wanted to avoid violence?
________________________________________________________________
6. Who did the businessmen ask for help?
________________________________________________________________
7. What did the Queen hope would happen later?
________________________________________________________________
8. Define “dominate” as used in the passage.
________________________________________________________________
Exercise 8: Making Connections
Circle the word that does NOT belong in the group.
1. abdicate, resign, quit, reign
2. riot, peace, disorder, violence
3. guardian, protector, attacker, defender
4. kin, stranger, relative, family
5. hoist, lower, drop, sink
6. bungle, succeed, achieve, master
7. pardon, punish, sentence, fine
8. provoke, calm, soothe, pacify
Exercise 9: Writing Sentences
Write a creative sentence for each word provided.
1. jubilee: ____________________________________________________________________
2. intercept: ____________________________________________________________________
3. assume: ____________________________________________________________________
4. proclaim: ____________________________________________________________________
5. former: ____________________________________________________________________
6. hoist: ____________________________________________________________________
7. kin: ____________________________________________________________________
8. bungle: ____________________________________________________________________
Image: A montage of three scenes: a soldier intercepting a letter, a crane hoisting a heavy crate, and a town crier proclaiming news from a scroll.
Exercise 10: Analogies
Complete the analogy with a word from the list: guardian, pardon, reign,riot, former, kin, provoke, abdicate.
1. Employee is to boss as subject is to _______________.
2. Start is to finish as hire is to _______________. (Hint: step down)
3. Friend is to companion as relative is to _______________.
4. Order is to calm as chaos is to _______________.
5. Attack is to defend as punish is to _______________.
6. Future is to past as next is to _______________.
7. Parent is to child as _______________ is to ward.
8. Tickle is to laugh as _______________ is to anger.
Exercise 11: Fill in the Blanks (Story)
Fill in the blanks with the correct words to complete the story.
The King decided to (1) _____________ that there would be a grand party. It was the year of his Golden (2) _____________, marking fifty years on the throne. He wanted all his (3) _____________, including his cousins from overseas, to attend. However, a groupof rebels tried to (4) _____________ the invitations to stop them from being delivered. They hoped to (5) _____________ the King into making a mistake and (6) _____________ the celebration. Fortunately, the royal (7) _____________ caught them just in time. The King, being kind, decided to (8) _____________ them instead of putting them in jail.
Exercise 12: Multiple Meaning Words
Read the definition and choose the matching word: assume, provoke, pardon, reign, riot, hoist, intercept, dominate.
1. To take upon oneself (e.g., a duty or debt). Word: __________________
2. To call forth a feeling or action. Word: __________________
3. The period of time a monarch rules. Word: __________________
4. Apolite way to say “excuse me”. Word: __________________
5. To suppose something is true without proof. Word: __________________
6. To be the most important or commanding figure. Word: __________________
7. To catch a ball thrown by the opposing team. Word: __________________
8. An impressive display of color (e.g., a ___ of color). Word: __________________
Unit 16: Vocabulary Mastery
Exercise 13: What Would You Say?
Choose the best vocabulary word to describe the situation.
1. You are walking down the street and you see someone drop a heavy box. You help them lift it back onto the truck.
Action word: ____________________ (Hint: starts with h)
2. You made a big mistake on your art project and glued the wrong pieces together.
Action word: ____________________ (Hint: starts with b)
3. You stand in front of the class and loudly announce that there will be no homework.
Action word: ____________________ (Hint: starts with p)
4. You stop your friend from reading a note that was meant for someone else.
Actionword: ____________________ (Hint: starts with i)
5. You forgive your brother for breaking your toy.
Action word: ____________________ (Hint: starts with p)
6. You guess that the store is open because the lights are on.
Action word: ____________________ (Hint: starts with a)
7. You are the best player on the basketball court and scorethe most points.
Action word: ____________________ (Hint: starts with d)
8. You accidentally poke a sleeping bear with a stick.
Action word: ____________________ (Hint: starts with p)
Image: A split scene showing two outcomes: one person bungling a repair job (water spraying everywhere) and another person successfully hoisting a trophy in triumph.
Exercise 14: Crossword Clues
Read the clue and write the correct word.
1. A special anniversary (7 letters): ____________________
2. To give up the throne (8 letters): ____________________
3. A violent public disturbance (4 letters): ____________________
4. One who protects (8 letters): ____________________
5. Previous or past (6 letters): ____________________
6. Family members (3 letters): ____________________
7.To rule as a monarch (5 letters): ____________________
8. To take for granted (6 letters): ____________________
Exercise 15: Error Correction
Identify the sentence where the vocabulary word is used INCORRECTLY.
1.
A) He tried to provoke the cat by pulling its tail.
B) The beautiful flowers provoke a sweet smell.
C) Don’t provoke him; he is already angry.
2.
A) The king reigned for fifty years.
B) Heavy rain reigned down on the roof.
C) Peace reigned throughout the valley.
3.
A) She will hoist the flag at dawn.
B) Please hoist the window; it’s stuck.
C) He hoisted the secret onto the table.
4.
A) I assume you know the way home.
B) He will assume the role of captain.
C) Please assume the door when you leave.
5.
A) The former president visited the school.
B) I prefer the former option to the latter.
C) Sheis a former of bad habits.
6.
A) The riot was uncontrollable.
B) The garden was a riot of color.
C) He was so quiet he caused a riot.
7.
A) The bungle of keys fell on the floor.
B) Don’t bungle the assignment.
C) Itwas a bungle from start to finish.
8.
A)He is my closest kin.
B) She felt a kin interest in the subject.
C) Next of kin were notified.
Image: A courtroom scene showing a judge granting a pardon to a man, while a guardian stands nearby watching.
Exercise 16: Categories
Sort the words into the correct category: Positive/Neutral or Negative/Conflict.
Words: pardon, riot, jubilee, provoke, guardian, bungle, dominate, proclaim
Positive / Neutral / Authority
1. ____________________
2. ____________________
3. ____________________
4. ____________________
5. ____________________
Negative / Conflict / Mistake
6. ____________________
7. ____________________
8. ____________________
Exercise 17: Discussion Points
Answer the following questions incomplete sentences.
1. If you could proclaim one new rule for your school, what would it be?
2. Describe a time when you bungled a task. What happened?
3. Why is it important to have a guardian?
4. What would youdo if you were a king or queen and had to abdicate?
5. How would you celebrate a jubilee?
6. Why might someone need a pardon?
7. What kind of behavior might provoke a teacher?
8. Do you think it is fair for one person to dominate a group project? Why or why not?
