Lesson 31: GRAD / GRESS

Practice 1: Multiple Choice

Choose the word that best completes each sentence.

1. The company is making significant __________ on the new project.

a) regress
b) digress
c) progress
d) transgress

2. After months of therapy, the patient began to __________, losing skills she had regained.

a) progress
b) regress
c) graduate
d) transgress

3. The mountain road had a steep __________ that challenged even experienced cyclists.

a) grade
b) gradient
c) graduate
d) congress

4. The U.S. __________ consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

a) egress
b) ingress
c) progress
d) Congress

5. Let me finish my main point before I __________ into a related story.

a) transgress
b) digress
c) regress
d) progress

6. Change came __________, over many years rather than all at once.

a) aggressively
b) retrograde
c) gradually
d) regressively

7. To __________ against society's norms invites criticism.

a) progress
b) digress
c) regress
d) transgress

8. The building's fire code requires at least two points of __________.

a) ingress
b) egress
c) progress
d) congress

9. Critics called the new policy __________—a step backward for civil rights.

a) progressive
b) aggressive
c) retrograde
d) gradient

10. She hopes to __________ from medical school next spring.

a) degrade
b) graduate
c) regress
d) digress

11. The scandal __________ his reputation in the eyes of colleagues.

a) progressed
b) graduated
c) degraded
d) transgressed

12. An __________ sales strategy helped the startup capture market share.

a) retrograde
b) ingressive
c) regressive
d) aggressive

Practice 2: Fill in the Blank

Use each word from the word bank exactly once.

Word Bank: grade, gradual, graduate, gradient, progress, regress, digress, transgress, congress, egress, ingress, aggressive

1. The color __________ transitions smoothly from blue to purple.

2. Emergency exits provide __________ in case of fire.

3. What __________ did you get on the math test?

4. The international __________ brought scientists from twenty countries.

5. Some patients __________ after being released from structured care.

6. I'll try not to __________, but this reminds me of a story.

7. We're encouraged by the __________ the team has made.

8. She was the first in her family to __________ from college.

9. Those who __________ the rules face serious consequences.

10. The transformation was __________—barely noticeable day to day.

11. Security cameras monitor all points of __________ to the building.

12. His __________ negotiating style intimidated the other party.

Practice 3: Reading Passage

When Marcus entered seventh grade, he saw the year stretched before him like a steep gradient—one he wasn't sure he could climb. His progress in sixth grade had been minimal, and teachers worried he might regress further if he didn't find better study habits.

His math teacher, Ms. Chen, took a gradual approach. Rather than push aggressively, she helped Marcus see learning as a series of steps. "You don't graduate overnight," she said. "You don't even succeed overnight. Progress happens one grade at a time."

Sometimes Marcus would digress during their tutoring sessions, talking about video games or family drama. Ms. Chen didn't mind. "Digressions are part of the process," she said. "Just don't let them become your whole journey."

By spring, Marcus had climbed the gradient. His test grades improved. He stopped seeing himself as someone who regresses when things get hard. At the school's year-end congress—a formal ceremony for achievement awards—Marcus received recognition for most improved student.

Years later, preparing to graduate from high school, Marcus thought about Ms. Chen. She had never degraded him for struggling. She never called his pace "retrograde" or made him feel like a transgressor against academic standards. She had simply walked with him, step by step, until he could walk on his own.

Questions

1. The year ahead felt like a "steep gradient" to Marcus. This means:

a) The year felt flat and boring
b) The year felt like a difficult, uphill climb
c) The year was full of digressions
d) The year was retrograde

2. Teachers worried Marcus might "regress." This means:

a) Move forward academically
b) Move backward, losing progress
c) Graduate early
d) Transfer schools

3. Ms. Chen's approach was "gradual." This means:

a) Sudden and aggressive
b) Happening in small steps over time
c) Degrading and discouraging
d) Focused on digressions

4. What happened at the school's "congress"?

a) Students voted on policies
b) A formal ceremony for achievement awards
c) Marcus decided to digress
d) Teachers regressed

5. Ms. Chen never "degraded" Marcus. This means:

a) She lowered his confidence or dignity
b) She never treated him in a way that lowered his dignity
c) She never let him graduate
d) She was aggressive with him