4000 Essential English Words 2 » Unit 8: Tricky Turtle

Word List
  • broad [brɔːd] adj.
    If something is broad, it is wide.
    → The river is very long and broad.
  • bush [bʊʃ] n.
    A bush is a plant with many thin branches. It is smaller than a tree.
    → My dad and I planted some small bushes around the house.
  • capable [ˈkeɪpəbəl] adj.
    If someone or something is capable of something, they can do it.
    → The Olympic athlete is capable of lifting a lot of weight.
  • cheat [tʃiːt] v.
    To cheat is to be dishonest so that you can win or do well.
    → They cheated on the test by sharing answers.
  • concentrate [ˈkɒnsəntreɪt] v.
    To concentrate on someone or something is to give your full attention.
    → I could not concentrate on my homework because the room was so loud.
  • conclude [kənˈkluːd] v.
    To conclude is to arrive at a logical end by looking at evidence.
    → I saw crumbs on my dog’s face, so I concluded that he ate my cookie.
  • confident [ˈkɒnfɪdənt] adj.
    Confident means that one believes they can do something without failing.
    → She was confident she could climb the mountain due to her training.
  • considerable [kənˈsɪdərəbl] adj.
    If something is considerable, it is large in size, amount or extent.
    → They paid a considerable amount of money for that car.
  • convey [kənˈveɪ] v.
    To convey is to communicate or make ideas known.
    → That picture of a crying child conveys a feeling of sadness.
  • definite [ˈdɛf ə nɪt] adj.
    If something is definite, it is certain or sure to be true.
    → There is a definite connection between hard work and success.
  • delight [dɪˈlaɪt] n.
    Delight is a feeling of being very happy with something.
    → He felt such delight after getting a promotion at work.
  • destination [ˌdestɪˈneɪʃən] n.
    A destination is the place where someone or something is going to.
    → The destination of this plane is Munich, Germany.
  • dictate [dɪkˈteɪt] v.
    To dictate something is to read it aloud so it can be written down.
    → He dictated his speech so his secretary could write it down.
  • edge [edʒ] n.
    The edge of something is the part of it that is farthest from the center.
    → He ran to the edge of the cliff.
  • path [pɑːθ] n.
    A path is a way from one place to another that people can walk along.
    → We followed a path through the woods.
  • resort [rɪˈzɔːt] v.
    To resort to something is to depend on it in order to solve a problem.
    → I hope they don’t resort to violence to end the argument.
  • shadow [ˈʃædəʊ] n.
    A shadow is the dark area that is made when something blocks light.
    → The man’s shadow was taller than he was.
  • succeed [səkˈsiːd] v.
    To succeed is to complete something that you planned or tried to do.
    → He will continue to work on the robot until he succeeds.
  • suspect [səsˈpekt] v.
    To suspect something is to believe that it is true.
    → I suspect that those kids stole the money.
  • valley [ˈvælɪ] n.
    A valley is a low area of land between two mountains or hills.
    → We looked at the valley below from the top of the mountain.
Exercise 1

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

WORD BLANK
resort capable bush edge
destination convey broad path
valley concentrate    
  1. This river will take us through the ___________.
  2. The doctor must ___________ during surgery to keep the patient alive.
  3. The sign was so ___________ we couldn’t see around it.
  4. People can ___________ their happiness by smiling.
  5. What is the ___________ of this train?
  6. We walked to the ___________ of the cliff and looked down.
  7. The hikers walked along the ___________ in the forest.
  8. I planted a ___________ in my yard last weekend.
  9. She is ___________ of running faster than any boy in her class.
  10. If the boys can’t agree, they will ___________ to fighting.
Exercise 2

Write a word that is similar in meaning to the underlined part.

  1. He wants to win so much that he will not obey the rules to do it.
    ch_ _ _
  2. I’m going to stand in the dark area of the tree because the sun is too hot here.
    sha_ _ _
  3. The police believe it’s true that the clerk stole the money.
    sus_ _ _ _
  4. If we do what we are trying to do, we will become very rich!
    suc_ _ _ _
  5. Please read aloud the questions so the students can write them down.
    di_ _ _ _ _
  6. I am sure I can do something because I have practiced for years.
    conf_ _ _ _ _
  7. After seeing the evidence, you must decide if the man is innocent.
    con_ _ _ _ _
  8. It was a good feeling knowing that I had saved enough money to go on a trip.
    de_ _ _ _ _
  9. This horse is a certain winner.
    de_ _ _ _ _ _
  10. The large size of the box made it difficult to move.
    con_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Answer Key
Exercise 1
  1. valley
  2. concentrate
  3. broad
  4. convey
  5. destination
  6. edge
  7. path
  8. bush
  9. capable
  10. resort
Exercise 2
  1. cheat
  2. shadow
  3. suspect
  4. succeed
  5. dictate
  6. confident
  7. conclude
  8. delight
  9. definite
  10. considerable
Answer Key
Tricky Turtle

Ricky the rabbit and Tera the turtle met by the edge of the river. “No one is capable of beating me in a race!” Ricky said. He was confident—his smile conveyed that.

“I can beat you,” Tera said.

Ricky laughed with delight.

Tera said, “We will race tomorrow. The destination is the hill.”

Ricky agreed. Tera concentrated on winning the race. She was not faster than Ricky. She needed a definite way to succeed. She told her family about the race, “I have concluded that I have to resort to something bad. I will cheat.” She dictated her instructions to them.

At the race, they all wore white feathers. They looked exactly the same! Then, her family members hid in shadows on the path.

The race began. Tera was soon far behind. However, Tera’s brother hid behind a bush in the valley below. When Ricky got close, Tera’s brother began to run. He looked just like Tera! Ricky ran as fast as he could along the path. But, to him, it seemed like Tera was always ahead. Ricky had used a considerable amount of energy.

He reached the top, but Tera’s sister was already there. “Well, you win,” Ricky said.

Later, Tera had a broad smile on her face. Ricky never suspected. He had been tricked by a family of slow turtles.

Reading Comprehension

Answer the questions.

  1. What is this story about?
    • a. A confident rabbit
    • b. A rabbit that cheats in a race
    • c. A turtle that rests in shadows
    • d. A turtle with a crazy idea and a broad family
  2. Where was the final destination of the race?
    • a. The edge of the river
    • b. Behind the first bush
    • c. The middle of the valley
    • d. The top of the hill
  3. Why was Tera the Turtle angry?
    • a. Because Ricky the rabbit said no one was capable of beating him
    • b. Because she thought that the path of the race was too difficult
    • c. Because she knew Rabbit would resort to cheating
    • d. Because her family wouldn’t gather when she asked them to
  4. What did Tera say to her family?
    • a. She concluded that she must concentrate on the race.
    • b. She conveyed that Rabbit would cheat.
    • c. She told them about her definite plan to succeed.
    • d. She said the race would take a considerable amount of energy.
  5. What had Rabbit never suspected?
    _____________
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
  1. a
  2. d
  3. a
  4. c
  5. He had been tricked by a family of slow turtles.
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