The publisher provides truncated definitions, removing each example, to make the item more difficult. It also presents the definitions in paragraph form. In contrast, here is a genuine dictionary entry for the word cake.

cake

1. A sweet baked food made of flour, liquid, eggs, and other ingredients, such as raising agents and flavorings.

2. A flat rounded mass of dough or batter, such as a pancake that is baked or fried.

3. A flat rounded mass of hashed or chopped food that is baked or fried; a patty.

4. A shaped or molded piece, as of soap or ice.

5. A layer or deposit of compacted matter: a cake of grime in the oven.

If this is a test of children’s real=world skills, then why don’t they supply real-world materials–and use real dictionary entries?

Note that the real dictionary put each definition on a separate line, making things easier to read and sort out.

And now for the test question:

2. Read this sentence from the article.

Along the way, Matthew Henson stepped out on a large cake of ice.

Now study this dictionary entry showing four meanings of the word cake.

cake (kak) n 1. a sweet baked dessert of flour, liquid, eggs, and other ingredients 2.a flat, rounded mass of dough that is baked or fried 3. a flat rounded patty of chopped food that is baked or fried 4. a shaped, solid object.

Which definition BEST explains cake as it is used in the sentence?

__Definition 1
__Definition 2
__Definition 3
__Definition 4