Unit 21: From the Earth to the Stars

4000 Essential English Words 2 » Unit 21: From the Earth to the Stars

Word List

astronaut [ˈæstrənɔːt] n.

An astronaut is a person that goes into outer space.

→ The astronaut was walking on the moon.
awake [əˈweɪk] adj.

When you are awake, you are not asleep.

→ Sometimes I lay awake in bed because I am not tired.
courage [ˈkə:rɪdʒ] n.

When you have courage, you are not afraid.

→ The man had the courage to touch the lion.
float [fləʊt] v.

To float is to move on top of water without sinking.

→ The boy’s toy boat floated in the pool.
grant [grænt] v.

To grant something is to allow someone to have it.

→ The teacher granted us a break after studying hard all day.
gravity [ˈgrӕvəti] n.

Gravity is the force that makes things fall to Earth.

→ There is no gravity in space.
jewel [ˈdʒuːəl] n.

A jewel is a beautiful stone that is worth a lot of money.

→ A diamond is one of the most expensive jewels in the world.
miner [ˈmaɪnər] n.

A miner is a person who works in a mine.

→ The miner was looking for gold.
mineral [ˈmɪnərəl] n.

A mineral is a type of substance found in the Earth.

→ Rocks are made up of different kinds of minerals.
participate [pɑ:rtɪsəpeɪt] v.

To participate is to take part in something.

→ The students participated in the school play.
permission [pə:rmɪʃən] n.

Permission means the act of allowing the doing of something.

→ I have permission to drive my mom’s car.
pour [pɔːr]

To pour a liquid means to make it come out of a container.

→ I poured some milk into my sister’s cup.
presence [ˈprɛzəns] n.

Someone or something’s presence is the fact they are there.

→ The presence of dark clouds meant it would rain.
raw [rɔː] adj.

If a material is raw, it is natural and has not been processed.

→ The company dumped raw sewage into the river.
satellite [ˈsætəlaɪt] n.

A satellite is something that is sent into space to get information.

→ The satellite was traveling around the earth.
scale [skeɪl] n.

The scale of something is its size, especially when it is very large.

→ I was surprised by the scale of the buildings in the downtown area.
skip [skɪp] v.

To skip something is to not do it.

→ He skipped work to get more sleep.
stretch [stretʃ] v.

To stretch is to make your arms or legs reach out.

→ She stretched her body before exercising.
telescope [ˈtɛləskoʊp] n.

A telescope is a tool people use to look at the stars.

→ With a telescope, you can see the moon and stars easily.
underground [ˈʌndəgraʊnd] adv.

When something is underground, it is below the surface of the Earth.

→ Subway trains travel underground.

Exercise 1

Choose the right definition for the given word.

permission
- a. to not be scared
- b. the act of allowing the doing of something
- c. to not be asleep
- d. something sent into space
scale
- a. size
- b. below the earth
- c. a chemical
- d. an expensive stone
courage
- a. to be alert
- b. the act of allowing the doing of something
- c. to take part in an activity
- d. bravery
satellite
- a. to not do something
- b. something sent into space
- c. to take part in an activity
- d. the act of allowing the doing of something
pour
- a. a chemical in the earth
- b. a tool for looking
- c. to move liquid
- d. to be afraid
raw
- a. a tool for looking
- b. natural
- c. a man in space
- d. something in a place
telescope
- a. a tube for water
- b. a spirit
- c. a tool for looking
- d. a man in space
awake
- a. to not do something
- b. not asleep
- c. not afraid
- d. the act of allowing the doing of something
gravity
- a. a chart of numbers
- b. a spirit
- c. to move on top of water
- d. a powerful force
presence
- a. a man in space
- b. a worker in a mine
- c. a spirit
- d. the fact of being present

Exercise 2

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

angels / astronauts
- The movie had _______________ flying in heaven and singing beautiful songs.
- I watched a TV show about how people trained to become _______________.
participate / satellite
- Russia was the first country to send a _______________ into space.
- The teacher asked all of us to _______________ in writing the story.
grants / permission
- My mother gave me _______________ to attend the party.
- The man at the door _______________ people permission to enter the building.
jewels / minerals
- We are studying _______________ that we use in everyday life.
- The woman keeps her _______________ in a safe place.
telescope / pipe
- The water _______________ broke, and now the street is flooded.
- Thomas got a _______________ from his grandfather on his birthday.

Exercise 3

Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the word bank.

WORD BLANK

jewel	participate	permission
awake	underground

One day I saw an ad in the newspaper. It was for a treasure hunt in some ¹ ___________ caves. I really wanted to ² ___________. but I had to get my parents' ³ ___________. They said I could do it. The night before the hunt, I was ⁴ ___________ all night long. I kept wondering what we’d be looking for. Maybe it would be a big ⁵ ___________ or gold. When I got to the hunt, there were a lot of other kids there. We were given maps. Each map led to a different place. My treasure turned out to be a book called Treasure Island. I was a little disappointed. But I had fun looking for it!

Answer Key

Exercise 1

b
a
d
b
c
b
c
b
d
d

Exercise 2

angels / astronauts
satellite / participate
permission / grants
minerals / jewels
pipe / telescope

Exercise 3

underground
participate
permission
awake
jewel

Answer Key

From the Earth to the Stars

Jeremy was from a family of miners. Like them, he worked underground during the day. His job was to gather raw minerals and jewels. Each night after work, he lay awake in an open field. With his telescope, he looked at the stars. He was amazed by the scale of space. He wished someday he might travel there.

One day there was an accident in the mine. Water poured into the mine. Everything was dark. Jeremy stretched out and grabbed a piece of wood. It kept him from sinking. Jeremy felt a presence nearby.

“I am an angel,” said a voice.

“What?” Jeremy exclaimed.

“You must never come underground again. Have the courage to make your wishes come true.”

For a long time he floated in silence. Then he heard other voices. The other miners were coming to rescue him.

The next day Jeremy skipped work. He decided to become an astronaut. For the next two years, he studied hard. One day, he was given permission to participate in a mission to space. His wish had been granted.

His spaceship left the ground. It went higher until there was no more gravity. He saw satellites floating next to the ship.

Then Jeremy saw a beautiful angel outside his spaceship. It smiled at Jeremy. For some minutes, Jeremy could not speak. Finally, he said, “Thankyou.”

Reading Comprehension

Answer the questions.

What is this story about?
- a. Why satellites are useful
- b. How a man escaped gravity
- c. Why a telescope is a useful thing
- d. How a miner became an astronaut
Why did Jeremy stop going underground?
- a. It kept him awake all night long.
- b. He could not find any jewels or minerals.
- c. An angel told him to stop working there and make his dreams come true.
- d. He stopped having the courage to skip work.
In the second paragraph, we can infer that Jeremy _________.
- a. did not know how to float
- b. could not see the angel
- c. broke the pipe by accident
- d. felt the presence of the workers
According to the passage, all the following are true EXCEPT _________.
- a. Jeremy was granted permission to leave the mine
- b. Jeremy used a telescope to watch the stars
- c. Jeremy stretched out to grab the wood
- d. Jeremy was amazed by the scale of space
What did Jeremy participate in after finishing astronaut school?
_____________

Answer Key

Reading Comprehension

d
c
b
a
He participated in a mission to outer space.

Favorite Books

4000 Essential English Words 1

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 1: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

4000 Essential English Words 3

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 3: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

4000 Essential English Words 4

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 4: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

4000 Essential English Words 5

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 5: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

4000 Essential English Words 6

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 6: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

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