4000 Essential English Words 2 » Unit 15: The Lucky Knife

Word List
  • absorb [əbˈzɔːrb] v.
    To absorb a liquid means to take it inside.
    → He used a sponge to absorb the water on the floor.
  • boss [bɔ(:)s] n.
    A boss is a person in charge of other people at work.
    → My boss is a nice person.
  • committee [kəˈmɪtɪ] n.
    A committee is a group of people who meet together to make decisions.
    → The school’s committee agreed on a new dress code for students.
  • contract [ˈkɒntrækt] n.
    A contract is a written agreement between two people.
    → The woman signed a contract when she bought the house.
  • crew [kruː] n.
    A crew is a group of workers.
    → My father has a crew. They help him build houses.
  • devote [dɪˈvəʊt] v.
    To devote time to something means to spend a lot of time doing it.
    → She devotes two hours a day to playing the piano.
  • dig [dɪg] v.
    To dig is to make a hole in the ground.
    → My dog digs in the yard so he can hide his bones.
  • dine [daɪn] v.
    To dine means to eat dinner.
    → The young couple dined at their home.
  • donate [ˈdouneit] v.
    To donate is to give something to a charity or organization.
    → We donate money to Christmas charities every year.
  • double [ˈdʌbəl] adj.
    If something is double, it is twice as much, or twice as many.
    → I paid almost double the amount for that shirt.
  • elevate [ˈeləveɪt] v.
    To elevate something is to put it at a higher level.
    → The man elevated the picture so he could see it better.
  • flavor [ˈfleivər] n.
    A flavor is the taste of food or drinks.
    → The flavor of the ice cream was very good.
  • foundation [faʊnˈdeɪʃən] n.
    A foundation is a group that provides money for research.
    → The foundation raised money to give scholarships to students.
  • generation [ˌdʒenəˈreɪʃən] n.
    A generation is a group of people who live at the same time.
    → My grandparents are from a different generation than me.
  • handle [ˈhændl] n.
    A handle is the part of an object people hold while using it.
    → The pot is very hot. So pick it up by the handle.
  • layer [ˈleɪə:r] n.
    A layer covers over something or is between two things.
    → There was a layer of snow on the tops of the houses this morning.
  • mud [mʌd] n.
    Mud is soft, wet dirt.
    → My brother played rugby in the mud. Now he’s dirty.
  • smooth [smuːð] a.
    If something is smooth, it has no bumps.
    → The baby’s skin felt very smooth.
  • soil [sɔɪl] n.
    Soil is the top layer of land on the Earth.
    → The boy planted flowers in the soil and watered them every day.
  • unique [juːˈniːk] adj.
    If people or things are unique, they are not like the others.
    → Her dog is unique. I’ve never seen one quite like it.
Exercise 1

Part A: Choose the right word for the given definition.

  1. someone who controls workers
    • a. absord
    • b. boss
    • c. generation
    • d. crew
  2. not like anything else
    • a. flavor
    • b. foundation
    • c. committee
    • d. unique
  3. to make two of something
    • a. layer
    • b. dig
    • c. double
    • d. devote
  4. to eat something
    • a. dine
    • b. precise
    • c. mud
    • d. handle
  5. to put something higher
    • a. donate
    • b. elevate
    • c. soil
    • d. contract

Part B: Choose the right definition for the given word.

  1. foundation
    • a. special
    • b. a group that provides money for research
    • c. the part held in the hand
    • d. wet dirt
  2. generation
    • a. the same age group
    • b. without bumps
    • c. to eat
    • d. something used to cut
  3. committee
    • a. a group of workmen
    • b. taste of food or drink
    • c. to put higher
    • d. a group that makes decisions
  4. donate
    • a. to move dirt
    • b. an agreement
    • c. to give something
    • d. a single thickness
  5. boss
    • a. to give something
    • b. someone who controls workers
    • c. to give everything
    • d. dirt
Exercise 2

Check (V) the one that suits the blank naturally.

  1. The sponge _________ .
    • ____ a. absorbed all the water
    • ____ b. contracted to save money
  2. They will help. _________ .
    • ____ a. They are the crew working on this job
    • ____ b. They aren’t in the same generation
  3. The food tastes better now _________ .
    • ____ a. that you added more salt to give it some flavor
    • ____ b. that you added some soil to make it grow
  4. She was very special. _________ .
    • ____ a. She seldom spent time with the foundation
    • ____ b. She had a unique skill that few people have
  5. Dr. Dion started a _________ .
    • ____ a. boss at work
    • ____ b. foundation to help sick children
  6. We were able to _________ .
    • ____ a. devote no attention
    • ____ b. dig very deep into the soft soil
  7. Where will you _________ ?
    • ____ a. dine at for dinner
    • ____ b. donate your table from
  8. The rock was _________ .
    • ____ a. missing its handle
    • ____ b. smooth and flat
  9. You will get dirty _________ .
    • ____ a. if you elevate your feet
    • ____ b. if you play in the mud
  10. If you are cooking for more than two people, _________ .
    • ____ a. layer it with some milk
    • ____ b. double the amount of water in the recipe
Answer Key
Exercise 1
Part A
  1. b
  2. d
  3. c
  4. a
  5. b
Part B
  1. b
  2. a
  3. d
  4. c
  5. b
Exercise 2
  1. a
  2. a
  3. a
  4. b
  5. b
  6. b
  7. a
  8. b
  9. b
  10. b
Answer Key
The Lucky Knife

I’ve devoted my life to studying past generations. Last year, I had a unique chance to work with my uncle. Our job was to find old treasures for a school’s history foundation. He also hired a crew of students. They signed a contract to work with him. He was the boss. The place was strange, though. I dined on many things that I had never tasted before. They had an unusual flavor.

We had been there about a month and hadn’t found anything. One day, I began to dig in the soil. The ground’s layers got wetter. Soon I was digging in the mud. My shovel began to get very heavy. It felt like it had doubled in weight because the ground had absorbed a lot of water.

Finally, I saw something in the mud. It was an old knife! The handle felt smooth in my hand. I elevated it so I could see it better. There was writing on it.

“It says it will bring good luck,” my uncle said with a smile. “Why don’t you keep it?”

I put it in my tent. The next day, we found many more things. There were pots, jewelry and weapons. My uncle donated all of the things to a special committee. Many newspapers wrote stories about it. It seemed the knife really did bring good luck!

Reading Comprehension

Answer the questions.

  1. What is this story about?
    • a. How someone found an old knife
    • b. A generation of college students
    • c. A crew of committee workers digging in the mud
    • d. How a smooth knife handle feels
  2. All of the following are true EXCEPT_________.
    • a. the college students signed a contract
    • b. the author’s uncle worked for a foundation
    • c. the items found at the site were donated
    • d. the teen worked double the amount of everyone else
  3. What is probably true of the teen in the story?
    • a. He could not read the writing on the knife.
    • b. He held a higher position than the other students.
    • c. He had to elevate the knife to see what it was.
    • d. He didn’t want to devote his time to history.
  4. Where did the teen find the knife?
    • a. On top of the soil
    • b. Under layers of dirt
    • c. In the museum
    • d. In his boss’s tent
  5. Why did the dirt become heavier?
    _____________
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
  1. a
  2. d
  3. a
  4. b
  5. The dirt became heavier because the ground had absorbed a lot of water.
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