Eritrea Grade 8 National Examination key terms

A number that shows part of a whole or part of a group, written as one number over another, such as three quarters. The bottom number tells how many equal parts the whole is divided into.

A comparison of two or more quantities that shows how many times one amount contains another. It can be written with a colon, as a fraction, or in words, such as 3:1.

A way of expressing a number as a part of one hundred, using the percent sign. For example, 25% means 25 out of every 100, or one quarter of the whole amount.

A letter or symbol used in mathematics to stand for a number that is unknown or that can change. In the expression 3x + 2, the letter x is a variable.

A mathematical statement saying that two expressions have the same value, joined by an equals sign. Solving an equation means finding the value of the unknown that makes the statement true.

The amount of surface a flat shape covers, measured in square units such as square centimetres or square metres. It is found by multiplying measurements appropriate to the shape.

The average of a set of numbers, found by adding all the values and dividing the total by how many values there are. The mean of 2, 4 and 6 is 4.

A whole number greater than one whose only positive divisors are one and itself. Examples include 2, 3, 5, 7 and 11; the number 1 is not considered prime.

The figure formed where two straight lines or rays meet at a common point. Angles are measured in degrees, and one full turn is 360 degrees.

The amount of space a solid object occupies, measured in cubic units. For a rectangular box it is found by multiplying length, width and height.

A word that has the same meaning, or nearly the same meaning, as another word. For example, 'happy' and 'glad' are synonyms, so one can often replace the other in a sentence.

A word that means the opposite of another word. 'Hot' and 'cold' are antonyms, and knowing them helps a reader understand contrast and opposing ideas in a passage.

A letter group added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning. Adding 'un-' to 'kind' gives 'unkind', which means not kind.

A letter group added to the end of a word to change its meaning or its grammatical form. Adding '-ness' to 'kind' makes the noun 'kindness'.

The most important point a paragraph or passage communicates about its topic. The other sentences usually support or explain it, and it is often stated in the first or last sentence.

A conclusion a reader draws by combining evidence in a text with background knowledge. An inference is not stated directly, so the reader must reason about clues the writer provides.

A comparison between two unlike things that uses the words 'like' or 'as'. For example, 'her voice was as sweet as honey' compares a voice to honey.

The sentence in a paragraph that states its main point and usually appears near the beginning. The remaining sentences develop, explain or support the point that it announces.

The process by which green plants use sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to make their own food, releasing oxygen as a by-product. It takes place mainly in the leaves, inside structures called chloroplasts.

A community of living organisms together with the non-living parts of their environment, such as soil, water and air, interacting as a system. A lake, a forest or a grassland can each be an ecosystem.

The mass of a substance per unit of volume, often expressed in grams per cubic centimetre. A dense object has a lot of matter packed into a small space and may sink in water.

A push or a pull that can change the speed, direction or shape of an object. Force is measured in newtons, and gravity is one everyday example.

The change of a liquid into a gas that happens at the surface of the liquid, usually when it is warmed. Wet clothes drying in the sun is a common example.

The smallest unit of life that can carry out all the processes of living things. Some organisms consist of a single cell, while others, such as humans, are made of many.

A substance made of two or more chemical elements joined together in fixed proportions by chemical bonds. Water, for example, is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen.

The sequence in which living things feed on one another, showing how energy passes from producers such as plants to consumers and then to decomposers.

An imaginary line, or the angle it measures, running east to west around the Earth, showing how far north or south a place is from the equator, measured in degrees.

An imaginary line running from the North Pole to the South Pole, or the angle it measures, showing how far east or west a place lies from the prime meridian.

The usual pattern of weather in a place over many years, including typical temperature and rainfall. It differs from weather, which describes conditions on a particular day.

The movement of people from one place to another to live, either within a country or across borders. People migrate for reasons such as work, safety, education or family.

The practice by which a powerful country takes control of another territory and rules its people, often using its resources and changing its institutions. Many African countries experienced European colonialism.

The growth in the share of a population living in towns and cities, usually as people move from rural areas in search of work and services.

The set of fundamental principles and rules by which a country is governed, describing the powers of government and the rights of citizens.

A word that names a person, place, thing or idea, such as 'teacher', 'Asmara', 'book' or 'freedom'. Nouns can be singular or plural and often act as the subject of a sentence.

A word that expresses an action, an event or a state of being, such as 'run', 'happen' or 'be'. Every complete sentence needs at least one verb.

An expression whose overall meaning cannot be understood from the literal meanings of its individual words. For example, 'to break the ice' means to start a conversation.

A short, well-known saying that expresses a piece of practical wisdom or a common truth, often passed down through generations in a community's oral tradition.

A form of a language spoken in a particular region or by a particular group, differing from other forms in pronunciation, vocabulary or grammar while remaining mutually understandable.