4000 Essential English Words 1 » Unit 27: The Spider and the Bird

Word List
  • actually [ˈaktʃʊəli] adv.
    Actually means in fact or really.
    → My dad looks a little mean, but actually he’s very kind.
  • bite [bʌɪt] n.
    Bite is the act of using your teeth to cut and tear into something.
    → The boy took a big bite out of his hamburger.
  • coast [kəʊst] n.
    The coast is the land by an ocean.
    → I stayed on the southern coast of Australia.
  • deal [diːl] n.
    A deal is an agreement that you have with another person.
    → I made a deal with the other company to give us some money.
  • desert [dɪˈzəːt] n.
    The desert is an area of land without many plants or water.
    → Not many plants grow in the desert.
  • earthquake [ˈəːθkweɪk] n.
    An earthquake is a shaking movement of the ground.
    → The building shook during the earthquake.
  • effective [ɪˈfɛktɪv] adj.
    If something is effective, it works well.
    → Swimming is an effective way to stay healthy.
  • examine [ɪɡˈzamɪn] v.
    To examine something is to look at it carefully.
    → The doctor examined my eyes today.
  • false [fɔːls] adj.
    If something is false, it is not correct.
    → If you think the answer is false, press the red button.
  • gift [ɡɪft] n.
    A gift is something you give someone.
    → Dave received many gifts for Christmas.
  • hunger [ˈhʌŋɡə] n.
    Hunger is the feeling that you get when you need to eat.
    → After playing all day long, he was filled with hunger.
  • imagine [ɪˈmadʒɪn] v.
    To imagine something is to think of it in your mind.
    → Sally imagined herself winning lots of money.
  • journey [ˈdʒəːni] n.
    A journey is a long trip.
    → I went on a journey across the country with my parents.
  • puzzle [ˈpʌz(ə)l] n.
    A puzzle is something that is hard to understand.
    → The question was a puzzle to him.
  • quite [kwʌɪt] adv.
    Quite is used to say that something is complete or very much.
    → I think typing on a keyboard is quite easy.
  • rather [ˈrɑːðə] adv.
    Rather is used when you want to do one thing but not the other.
    → I would rather have the red one than the blue one.
  • specific [spəˈsɪfɪk] adj.
    If something is specific, it is precise or exact.
    → Please choose a specific place on the map.
  • tour [tʊə] n.
    A tour is a short trip in which you see many sights.
    → I took a tour of Asia and Europe.
  • trip [trɪp] n.
    A trip is a journey to a certain place.
    → Ken took a trip to the city yesterday.
  • value [ˈvaljuː] n.
    If something has value, it is worth a lot of money.
    → Matthew found a treasure of very high value.
Exercise 1

Choose the right definition for the given word.

  1. gift
    • a. somewhere you go
    • b. something you give
    • c. someone at a doctor
    • d. something you think about
  2. value
    • a. worth
    • b. the ocean
    • c. information
    • d. not true
  3. earthquake
    • a. to see many things
    • b. movement of the ground
    • c. a need to eat
    • d. to work well
  4. quite
    • a. to feel awake
    • b. instead
    • c. to look at
    • d. very much
  5. puzzle
    • a. sand
    • b. to be gone a long time
    • c. in fact
    • d. a difficult question
  6. deal
    • a. a lot of information
    • b. an agreement with another person
    • c. a game
    • d. to want to do one thing but not another
  7. hunger
    • a. a strong need for food
    • b. a long trip to a place
    • c. when you feel awake
    • d. something worth a lot of money
  8. desert
    • a. a place without water
    • b. something you give someone
    • c. in fact
    • d. something that is not correct
  9. effective
    • a. to think in your head
    • b. to go somewhere
    • c. to choose something
    • d. working very well
  10. coast
    • a. to look at something
    • b. to see many things
    • c. the ground moving
    • d. the edge of the ocean
Exercise 2

Check (V) the better response to each question.

  1. Which would you have, juice or water?
    • ____ a. I would like water, please.
    • ____ b. Yes, thank you.
  2. Where did you go on your trip?
    • ____ a. We went to Rome.
    • ____ b. We like to stay home.
  3. Do you enjoy solving puzzles?
    • ____ a. They don’t taste very good.
    • ____ b. Yes, I think they are fun.
  4. Try to imagine what your future husband or wife will look like.
    • ____ a. That’s quite difficult.
    • ____ b. OK, I will go there tomorrow.
  5. Have you studied Spanish? I’m a little worried about taking the class.
    • ____ a. Actually it’s not as hard as you think.
    • ____ b. Actually I would rather sleep now.
Exercise 3

Choose the word that is a better fit for each sentence.

  1. value / gift
    • I have a _______________ for you.
    • Do you think that my car has much _______________ ?
  2. coast / desert
    • I like to watch the ocean at the _______________ .
    • It is hot in the _______________ .
  3. bite / hunger
    • Having dinner will make my _______________ go away.
    • Be careful around those dogs; they might _______________ you.
  4. tour / journey
    • I would like to take a _______________ of the capital city sometime.
    • I went on a _______________ around the world last year.
  5. examine / quite
    • I think this dress is _______________ pretty.
    • _______________ your paper to check for mistakes.
Answer Key
Exercise 1
  1. b
  2. a
  3. b
  4. d
  5. d
  6. b
  7. a
  8. a
  9. d
  10. d
Exercise 2
  1. a
  2. a
  3. b
  4. a
  5. a
Exercise 3
  1. gift / value
  2. coast / desert
  3. hunger / bite
  4. tour / journey
  5. quite / Examine
Answer Key
The Spider and the Bird

There was once a very big spider. If a bug got into his web, he would examine it. However, he didn’t eat the bug right away. He asked the bug a question first. It was always quite a difficult puzzle. If the bug’s answer was correct, he let it go. If not, he ate it.

One day, a small bird on a journey flew into the spider’s web. The spider couldn’t imagine eating a bird. It was so big! But his hunger was too great. He said to the bird, “If you cannot give me a specific answer, I will eat you.”

The bird laughed. “I could eat you!” But the bird was actually scared. She had used all her energy trying to get out of the web. And a spider’s bite can be very effective in killing animals.

“Please don’t eat me,” the bird said. “I would rather make a deal with you.”

“OK,” the spider said. “If your answer is right, I will let you go. If not, you must give me a gift. It must be something of great value.”

The bird said, “You can pick anything you want to eat. I will find it for you.” The spider agreed.

“Where can you take a trip to the coast, the desert, and the mountains at the same time?” the spider asked.

The bird asked, “Does this place have earthquakes?” But the spider did not say anything. “I can see those places when I fly. Is the ‘sky’ the right answer?”

“False!” said the spider. “The answer is Hawaii! Now you must find some bugs for me.”

The spider climbed on the bird’s back. They flew and ate bugs together. They took a tour of the forest. Then the bird took the spider home. From that day on, they were friends. And they never tried to eat each other again.

Reading Comprehension

Answer the questions.

  1. Which is NOT part of the spider’s puzzle?
    • a. The coast
    • b. An earthquake
    • c. A mountain
    • d. The desert
  2. Why does the bird make a deal instead of flying away?
    • a. Her wings are quite effective in the web.
    • b. She is too tired from trying to get out of the web.
    • c. She cannot fly because of her hunger.
    • d. She would rather take the spider on a trip.
  3. What will be the bird’s gift to the spider?
    • a. A tour of the coast
    • b. A specific kind of web
    • c. Anything the spider wants to eat
    • d. A trip to anywhere
  4. What is the spider’s response to the bird’s answer?
    • a. Your answer is false!
    • b. Can you imagine!
    • c. No deal!
    • d. That has no value!
  5. What is the first thing the spider does when a bug gets into his web?
    _____________
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
  1. b
  2. b
  3. c
  4. a
  5. He asks the bug a question first.
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