4000 Essential English Words 2 » Unit 13: The Cat and the Fox

Word List
  • anxiety [æŋˈzaɪətɪ] n.
    When someone has anxiety, they have a lot of worries and fear.
    → When I have to climb to high places, I’m filled with anxiety.
  • army [ˈɑːrmɪ] n.
    An army is a large group of people who fight in wars.
    → The army protects all the people in the country.
  • billion [ˈbɪljən] n.
    A billion is a very large number: 1,000,000,000.
    → There are billions of stars in outer space.
  • carve [kɑːrv] v.
    To carve means to cut into something.
    → My father usually carves the turkey for Thanksgiving.
  • consult [kənˈsʌlt] v.
    To consult someone means to ask them for help.
    → I will consult my accountant to find a way to pay for my bills.
  • emergency [ɪˈməːrdʒənsɪ] n.
    An emergency is a time when someone needs help right away.
    → There is a huge fire in my house! This is an emergency!
  • fortune [ˈfɔːrtʃən] n.
    When someone has good fortune, it means they have luck.
    → I have good fortune when I play cards.
  • guarantee [ˌgærənˈtiː] v.
    To guarantee means to know something will happen.
    → I guarantee that the sun will come up in the morning.
  • hike [haɪk] v.
    To hike means to walk in the mountains or forest.
    → I always bring plenty of equipment with me when I hike.
  • initial [ɪˈnɪʃəl] adj.
    When something is initial, it is the first thing.
    → The initial step when writing a paper is to find a good topic.
  • intense [ɪnˈtens] adj.
    If something is intense, it is very strong.
    → The skunk made an intense odor that filled the air.
  • lend [lend] v.
    To lend something is to give it to someone for a short time.
    → My sister lost her pen, so I will lend her mine.
  • peak [piːk] n.
    The peak is the very top of a mountain.
    → There is snow on the peaks of those mountains.
  • potential [pəˈtenʃəl] adj.
    Potential means capable of being but not yet in existence.
    → I’ve thought of some potential problems with your idea.
  • pride [praɪd] n.
    When you have pride, you are happy with yourself.
    → I take pride in getting good grades.
  • proof [pruːf] n.
    Proof is a fact that shows something is real.
    → They used his fingerprint as proof for the crime he committed.
  • quit [kwɪt] v.
    To quit something means to stop doing it.
    → I quit running because I got tired.
  • spin [spɪn] v.
    To spin is to turn around in circles.
    → The boy kept spinning until he fell down.
  • tiny [ˈtaɪnɪ] adj.
    When people or things are tiny, they are very small.
    → A baby’s hand is tiny.
  • tutor [ˈtjuːtər] n.
    A tutor is someone who gives lessons in a certain subject.
    → My sister is bad at math. So my mother hired a tutor to help her.
Exercise 1

Choose the right definition for the given word.

  1. carve
    • a. to know
    • b. to stop
    • c. to teach
    • d. to cut into
  2. consult
    • a. to stop
    • b. to ask for help
    • c. to give
    • d. to turn in circles
  3. anxiety
    • a. very small
    • b. luck
    • c. worries
    • d. group of fighters
  4. intense
    • a. strong
    • b. first
    • c. bad
    • d. mountain top
  5. proof
    • a. luck
    • b. facts
    • c. a large number
    • d. a group of fighters
  6. tutor
    • a. a group of fighters
    • b. someone who gives lessons
    • c. to turn in circles
    • d. to stop
  7. lend
    • a. to stop
    • b. to know
    • c. to give
    • d. to cut
  8. initial
    • a. first
    • b. mountain top
    • c. very small
    • d. strong
  9. hike
    • a. to walk in the forest
    • b. to teach
    • c. to turn in circles
    • d. to ask for help
  10. pride
    • a. a group of fighters
    • b. able to happen
    • c. needing help
    • d. being happy with yourself
Exercise 2

Check (V) the sentence with the bolded word that makes better sense.

    • ____ a. I should quit eating candy because it is bad for me.
    • ____ b. The tiny tower stretched to the sky.
    • ____ a. We ran far above the mountain peak.
    • ____ b. I will need water if I’m going to hike the long trail.
    • ____ a. If I want to get better at sports, I should quit playing.
    • ____ b. The tiny ant crawled in under the door.
    • ____ a. The clouds look like they can touch the mountain peaks.
    • ____ b. I have a great deal of pride when I lose a contest.
    • ____ a. The boy was filled with pride when he learned how to read.
    • ____ b. I hiked downstairs from my room.
Exercise 3

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

  1. guarantee / potential
    • There are _______________ problems with her plan.
    • I _______________ you that I’ll get a good grade because I studied hard
  2. lends / tutor
    • My mother _______________ me her car when I need it.
    • I work as a _______________ during the summer to make money.
  3. billions / intense
    • My eyes hurt when I looked into the _______________ light.
    • There are _______________ of people in the world.
  4. quit / initial
    • To cook noodles, the _______________ step is to boil water.
    • She _______________ taking care of her plants, so they died.
  5. emergency / anxiety
    • I had a feeling of _______________ when I thought the bully would hit me.
    • When the man stopped breathing, his wife knew it was an _______________.
Answer Key
Exercise 1
  1. d
  2. b
  3. c
  4. a
  5. b
  6. b
  7. c
  8. a
  9. a
  10. d
Exercise 2
  1. a
  2. b
  3. b
  4. a
  5. a
Exercise 3
  1. potential / guarantee
  2. lends / tutors
  3. intense / billions
  4. initial / quit
  5. anxiety / emergency
Answer Key
The Cat and the Fox

One day, a cat hiked on a mountain. When he reached the peak, he met a fox. They began talking about how they get away from their enemies.

“I am very smart. I have billions of ideas. I can carve a tiny hole in a tree, and then climb in,” the fox said. He added, “I have a lot of friends. If I am in trouble, I can call them to lend their help. I can escape an entire army if I have to!”

Then, the fox asked, “What are your potential plans?” The cat said, “I have only one plan.” The fox said, “I hope you have good fortune, then! Do you want me to be your tutor? I can teach you many things.” The cat said, “I guarantee that my plan works every time. We can quit talking about it.”

Soon, they saw a group of wolves. It was an emergency. The cat quickly used her plan. She ran up a tree. The fox could not decide which plan to use. “What should my initial move be? Should I consult my friends?” The fox felt intense anxiety. All he could do was spin in a circle. The wolves caught the fox. The cat was full of pride. This is proof that having a good plan is better than having many bad plans.

Reading Comprehension

Answer the questions.

  1. What is this story about?
    • a. Why cats have good fortune
    • b. How you make guarantees about plans
    • c. Why you need a good plan in an emergency
    • d. How foxes have the potential to make billions of plans
  2. Why did the fox feel intense anxiety?
    • a. Because he tried to spin in circles
    • b. Because his army of friends did not lend their help
    • c. Because he did not know what his initial move should be
    • d. Because he could not find a tree in which to carve a tiny hole
  3. Why was the cat full of pride at the end of the story?
    • a. He hiked to the peak of the mountain.
    • b. He had proof that his plan was best.
    • c. He did not let the fox become his tutor.
    • d. He loved to hide in the trees.
  4. According to the passage, all the following are true EXCEPT _________.
    • a. the fox got caught by the wolves
    • b. the cat did not get caught by the wolves
    • c. the fox said he could consult his friends if he got into trouble
    • d. the fox decided to quit thinking of plans and just use one
  5. What guarantee did the cat make to the fox?
    _____________
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
  1. c
  2. c
  3. b
  4. d
  5. His plan works every time.
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