4000 Essential English Words 2 » Unit 28: The Fisherman

Word List
  • accompany [əˈkʌmpənɪ] v.
    To accompany other people means to join them or go with them.
    → My brothers accompanied me to the movie.
  • bare [bɛər] adj.
    When something is bare, it is plain. It has no covering.
    → He likes to walk around in his bare feet.
  • branch [bræntʃ] n.
    A branch is the part of a tree with leaves.
    → The monkey was hanging from a branch on the tree.
  • breath [breθ] n.
    A breath is the air that goes into and out of one’s lungs.
    → You can’t take a breath under water.
  • bridge [brɪdʒ] n.
    A bridge is something that is built over a river so people can cross it.
    → The old bridge fell into the river.
  • cast [kæst] v.
    To cast something means to throw it.
    → The fisherman cast his line into the water.
  • dare [dɛər] v.
    To dare means to be brave enough to try something.
    → He dared to jump out of the airplane and skydive.
  • electronic [ɪlekˈtrɒnɪk] adj.
    When something is electronic, it uses electricity to do something.
    → I like having electronic devices such as an MP3 player.
  • inn [ɪn] n.
    An inn is a place where travelers can rest and eat.
    → The visitor got a room at the inn.
  • net [net] n.
    A net is a bag made of strong thread. It is used to catch animals.
    → The boy caught butterflies in his net.
  • philosophy [fɪˈlɒsəfɪ] n.
    A philosophy is a way to think about truth and life.
    → My philosophy is “live and let live. ”
  • pot [pɒt] n.
    A pot is a deep, round metal container used for cooking.
    → Don’t touch the pot on the stove. It’s hot.
  • seed [siːd] n.
    A seed is the hard part of a plant or fruit that trees grow from.
    → I planted the seed in the dirt hoping that it would grow into a tree.
  • sharp [ʃɑːrp] adj.
    When something is sharp, it has a thin edge that cuts things easily.
    → That knife is very sharp. Be careful not to hurt yourself.
  • sort [sɔːrt] n.
    A sort of something is a type of it.
    → What sort of instrument do you want to learn to play?
  • subtract [səbˈtrækt] v.
    To subtract means to take something away.
    → We learned how to subtract numbers from each other in class.
  • tight [taɪt] adj.
    When something is tight, it is fixed or fastened firmly in place.
    → The knots were too tight to untie.
  • virtual [ˈvəːrtʃuəl] adj.
    If something is virtual, then it is very close to being true or accurate.
    → Because he’s popular, Joe is the virtual leader of the group.
  • weigh [weɪ] v.
    To weigh something means to see how heavy it is.
    → The little dog weighed exactly 3kgs.
  • whisper [ˈwɪspə:r] v.
    To whisper means to say very quietly.
    → We have to whisper in the library so people can focus on reading.
Exercise 1

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

  1. to take away
    • a. subtract
    • b. weigh
    • c. dare
    • d. net
  2. to join
    • a. tight
    • b. branch
    • c. whisper
    • d. accompany
  3. a place for travelers to rest
    • a. seed
    • b. inn
    • c. net
    • d. pot
  4. a way to think about life
    • a. philosophy
    • b. sharp
    • c. electronic
    • d. sort
  5. to throw
    • a. breath
    • b. virtual
    • c. cast
    • d. bridge

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

  1. branch
    • a. a part of a tree
    • b. the hard part of a fruit
    • c. very close to being real
    • d. a metal container
  2. bare
    • a. to cut easily
    • b. to use electricity
    • c. plain
    • d. fixed in place
  3. whisper
    • a. to join
    • b. to say quietly
    • c. to be brave
    • d. to throw
  4. net
    • a. a metal container
    • b. a way to think about life
    • c. a small restaurant
    • d. a bag made of thread
  5. tight
    • a. fixed in place
    • b. to cut easily
    • c. plain
    • d. the air you take in
Exercise 2

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

    • ____ a. It is easy to seed your dinner.
    • ____ b. It’s raining so much that it’s a virtual flood.
    • ____ a. The boy whispered as loudly as he could.
    • ____ b. I don’t care what sort of food I eat.
    • ____ a. Will you accompany me to the party?
    • ____ b. The dog made a branch to catch the ball.
    • ____ a. The door was bare when we took the paint off of it.
    • ____ b. She put the net inside the fish.
    • ____ a. The man dared to leap over the big fire.
    • ____ b. It is important to weigh your math tests.
    • ____ a. The virtual in my house was dirty.
    • ____ b. When I tell a secret, I whisper so no one else will hear.
    • ____ a. You should save the seed so you can grow another plant.
    • ____ b. Sort your hands before dinner.
    • ____ a. The boy was accompanied alone to school.
    • ____ b. The fish could not get out of the net.
    • ____ a. The bird built a nest on the highest branch.
    • ____ b. I dare my bed before going to sleep.
    • ____ a. The bare tree was covered in leaves and bark.
    • ____ b. You can weigh yourself to see if your diet is working.
Answer Key
Exercise 1
Part A
  1. a
  2. d
  3. b
  4. a
  5. c
Part B
  1. a
  2. c
  3. b
  4. d
  5. a
Exercise 2
  1. b
  2. b
  3. a
  4. a
  5. a
  6. b
  7. a
  8. b
  9. a
  10. b
Answer Key
The Fisherman

Every day, a fisherman sat on a bridge. He ate apples and spit the seeds into the water. He had a simple way to catch fish. He cut a branch off of a tree and tied a line to it. He put a sharp hook on it and made a tight knot. Then he whispered, “Come here fish.” Like magic, the fish bit the hook. He put them in a big net and took them home to make big pots of fish soup from them.

One day, another man walked up to him. He said, “My name is George. I am staying at the inn. I bet that I am a better fisherman than you. I will accompany you today. I dare you to prove your skill!” The fisherman cast his line.

George had a lot of electronic tools. One machine gave him the virtual locations offish. His rod weighed fish.

At the end of the day, George subtracted his fish from the fisherman’s. The fisherman had beaten him by forty-seven!

George asked, “How do you catch fish with only a branch and a bare line? I have many different sorts of tools.” The fisherman told George, “My philosophy is simple. I am patient, and I believe in myself. Take a breath, and try it my way.”

Reading Comprehension

Answer the questions.

  1. What is this story about?
    • a. Why fishermen use nets
    • b. How a man’s philosophy was a good match for fishing
    • c. Why George did not like the fisherman
    • d. How to whisper to fish
  2. What did the fisherman do with the fish?
    • a. He sold them to a restaurant.
    • b. He subtracted the fish.
    • c. He made all sorts of food.
    • d. He made soup with them.
  3. What did the fisherman do every day at the bridge?
    • a. He would cast his line into the water.
    • b. He would take a breath then jump into the river.
    • c. He would accompany George from the inn.
    • d. He would eat a virtual pot offish soup.
  4. According to the passage, all the following are true about the fisherman EXCEPT _________.
    • a. he used a tree branch
    • b. he used a bare line with a tight knot
    • c. he used a sharp hook
    • d. he used an electronic rod to weigh fish
  5. What did George dare the fisherman to do?
    _____________
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
  1. b
  2. d
  3. a
  4. d
  5. George dared the fisherman to prove his skill.
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