Unit 1: The Real St. Nick

4000 Essential English Words 3 » Unit 1: The Real St. Nick

Word List

arise [əˈraɪz] v.

To arise is to happen.

→ Difficulties arose with his computer because it was old.
benefactor [ˈbenəfӕktər] n.

A benefactor is a person who gives money to help someone.

→ The student’s benefactor gave him money to spend on his studies.
blacksmith [ˈblæksmɪθ] n.

A blacksmith is a person who makes things out of metal.

→ The blacksmith pounded the piece of metal until it was flat.
charitable [ˈtʃærətəbəl] adj.

When someone is charitable, they help people who are in need.

→ My sister was charitable enough to help me buy my first house.
chimney [ˈtʃɪmnɪ] n.

A chimney is a tall pipe used to carry smoke out of a building.

→ The cat was on the roof sitting next to the chimney.
compensate [ˈkɒmpənseɪt] v.

To compensate is to pay someone for the time they spent doing something.

→ Her boss compensated her for the extra work she did last week.
encounter [ɪnˈkaʊntər] v.

If you encounter something, you meet or come close to it.

→ I encountered a sea turtle while I was swimming.
exceed [ɪkˈsiːd] v.

To exceed is to be more than something.

→ Since I exceeded my limit, I decided to get rid of my credit cards.
forge [fɔːrdʒ] v.

To forge is to make or produce, especially with difficulty.

→ Stacy and Heather forged their friendship when they were teenagers.
humble [ˈhʌmbl] adj.

People who are humble do not believe that they are better than other people.

→ Even though Bob is the smartest boy in his class, he is humble.
iron [ˈaɪərn] n.

Iron is a strong metal that is used to make many objects.

→ The horse had shoes made of iron.
ladder [ˈlædə:r] n.

A ladder is an object that is used to climb up and down things.

→ He used a ladder to climb to the top of his tree house.
modest [ˈmɒdɪst] adj.

If people are modest, they do not think that they are too important.

→ Derek is very modest for someone who is so rich.
occupy [ˈɒkjəpaɪ] v.

To occupy a place is to live, work, or be there.

→ Kevin and Alice occupied the chairs and had a long discussion.
penny [ˈpenɪ] n.

A penny is a coin worth one cent.

→ U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is on the penny.
preach [priːtʃ] v.

To preach is to talk about and promote a religious idea.

→ Aaron often preached about living an honest life.
prosper [ˈprɒspər] v.

To prosper is to be successful or make a lot of money.

→ Frank’s new business finally prospered after many years of hard work.
province [ˈprɒvɪns] n.

A province is a small area that is controlled by a country.

→ Canada is divided into several different provinces.
satisfaction [ˌsætɪsˈfækʃən] n.

Satisfaction is a feeling you get when you do or receive something good.

→ Brad was filled with satisfaction when he saw what was for dinner.
sustain [səsˈteɪn] v.

To sustain something is to keep it going.

→ Wind power is a clean way to sustain a city with energy.

Exercise 1

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

to make or produce with difficulty
- a. prosper
- b. arise
- c. penny
- d. forge
a person who works with metal
- a. iron
- b. blacksmith
- c. charitable
- d. benefactor
to keep something going
- a. exceed
- b. sustain
- c. preach
- d. occupy
a small area that is part of a country
- a. ladder
- b. province
- c. encounter
- d. compensate
thinking oneself not to be too important
- a. humble
- b. satisfaction
- c. chimney
- d. modest

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

benefactor
- a. giver
- b. an area
- c. money
- d. too much
compensate
- a. where smoke goes
- b. to shape metal
- c. a tool used to climb
- d. to pay someone in return
occupy
- a. to be rich
- b. to happen
- c. to see someone you know
- d. to be in a place
iron
- a. a baby
- b. a type of metal
- c. a good feeling
- d. a person who makes things with metal
exceed
- a. to keep something going
- b. to not talk about yourself too much
- c. to be kind to others
- d. to go past a certain limit

Exercise 2

Choose the answer that best fits the question.

Which of the following is a form of money?
- a. A province
- b. A penny
- c. A blacksmith
- d. A ladder
If you meet a boy on the street, you ______ him.
- a. exceed
- b. occupy
- c. encounter
- d. sustain
Which of the following is a good feeling?
- a. Modest
- b. Humble
- c. Satisfaction
- d. Charitable
Which one is part of a house?
- a. Forge
- b. Compensate
- c. Arise
- d. Chimney
Which word relates to the word religion?
- a. Iron
- b. Preach
- c. Benefactor
- d. Prosper
Which of the following means to happen?
- a. Sustain
- b. Arise
- c. Province
- d. Prosper
Which of the following do people use to reach high places?
- a. A chimney
- b. A blacksmith
- c. A benefactor
- d. A ladder
If you are smart with your money, then what will happen to you?
- a. You will occupy a jail cell
- b. You will forge a strong relationship
- c. You will prosper
- d. You will become humble
If someone gives money to others, we could say that they are ______ .
- a. charitable
- b. modest
- c. prosper
- d. exceed
Which of the following describes someone who thinks they are no better than others?
- a. Benefactor
- b. Satisfaction
- c. Humble
- d. Compensate

Answer Key

Exercise 1

Part A

d
b
b
b
d

Part B

a
d
d
b
d

Exercise 2

b
c
c
d
b
b
d
c
a
c

Answer Key

The Real St. Nick

At Christmas, children wait for St. Nicholas to bring gifts down the chimney. But it’s not just a story. St. Nicholas was a real person.

A long time ago, a man named Marcus occupied a house with his family. He was not modest. He always told everybody he was the strongest man in the province.

He worked hard, but he could barely sustain his family. He wanted to save money and prosper. Still, he could never earn a penny more than he needed.

One day, Marcus made an agreement with a blacksmith. The blacksmith had a lot of work to do. But he couldn’t do it all by himself. Marcus wanted to help him forge iron. The blacksmith agreed to compensate him with a lot of money.

In the same town, there was a man named Nicholas. At an early age, Nicholas started preaching. But he also believed that he should be humble and charitable. He learned that helping people gave him even more satisfaction than preaching.

One day, Nicholas encountered Marcus. Marcus told Nicholas about his agreement with the blacksmith. “ I worked hard for him,” Marcus said, “ but a problem arose. Even though I worked for him, he didn’t pay me.”

Nicholas wanted to help Marcus. That night, he went back to Marcus’s house. He brought a bag of gold. It exceeded the amount that Marcus needed. Nicholas climbed up a ladder and dropped the bag of gold down the chimney. Marcus thanked his benefactor.

Soon, people found out about Nicholas’s gift. He became well known and loved. Even today, people still give secret gifts to children. And we say they are from St. Nicholas.

Reading Comprehension

Part A: Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false statements to make them true.

_____ Marcus occupied a home with Nicholas.
- _____________________________________________________
_____ Marcus told Nicholas about his problem when he encountered Nicholas.
- _____________________________________________________
_____ A problem arose for Marcus because he enjoyed preaching.
- _____________________________________________________
_____ Nicholas got a lot of satisfaction from being charitable and humble.
- _____________________________________________________
_____ Marcus was compensated by the blacksmith for helping forge iron.
- _____________________________________________________
_____ The money that Nicholas gave Marcus exceeded the amount he needed.
- _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

Which of the following is true about the job Marcus did?
- a. He made pennies.
- b. He was compensated unfairly.
- c. He preached to people.
- d. He barely sustained his family.
Why didn’t Nicolas tell people that he gave money away?
- a. He prospered.
- b. He didn’t want to be modest.
- c. He wanted to be humble.
- d. He wasn’t popular in the province.
What was dropped down the chimney?
- a. A penny
- b. A ladder
- c. Gold
- d. A benefactor
Why did Marcus want more money?
- a. To buy more iron
- b. To feed his family
- c. To give it away
- d. To become a blacksmith

Answer Key

Reading Comprehension

Part A

F / Marcus occupies a house with his family.
T
F / A problem arises for Marcus because the blacksmith didn't pay him.
T
F / Marcus wasn't compensated for his work.
T

Part B

d
c
c
b

Favorite Books

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4000 Essential English Words 5

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4000 Essential English Words 6

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