4000 Essential English Words 3 » Unit 24: The Bremen Town Musicians

Word List
  • baggage [ˈbægɪdʒ] n.
    Baggage is the set of bags that people take with them when they travel.
    → I’m taking several pieces of baggage with me on vacation.
  • bulb [bʌlb] n.
    A bulb is the glass part of an electric light.
    → I had to change the light bulb in my bedroom.
  • bundle [ˈbʌndl] n.
    A bundle is a number of things that are tied together.
    → I was shocked when he showed me a bundle of money.
  • cattle [ˈkætl] n.
    Cattle are cows and bulls, especially on a farm.
    → The rancher’s cattle were eating the grass in the field.
  • flee [fliː] v.
    To flee means to run away from trouble or danger.
    → The crowd of men tried to flee from the danger.
  • graze [greɪz] v.
    To graze means to eat grass.
    → The cows grazed in the field.
  • greed [griːd] n.
    Greed is a desire to have more than the things that you need.
    → She ate all the cookies out of her greed.
  • herd [həːrd] n.
    A herd is a large group of the same type of animals that live together.
    → The herd of cows moved slowly across the ranch.
  • initiate [ɪˈnɪʃɪeɪt] v.
    To initiate something means to start it.
    → You have to turn the switch on to initiate the computer system.
  • lane [leɪn] n.
    A lane is a small road.
    → The lane passes directly in front of our house.
  • nerve [nəːrv] n.
    Nerve is bravery or the belief that you can do something.
    → He has the nerve to think that he can actually wrestle with a lion.
  • optimist [ˈɔptəmɪst] n.
    An optimist is somebody who sees the good parts of a situation.
    → Even though he has physical problems, my brother is an optimist.
  • parade [pəˈreɪd] n.
    A parade is a celebration when groups of people walk in the same direction.
    → There were many marching bands in the spring parade.
  • pave [peɪv] v.
    To pave the ground is to lay material on it to make it easier to walk or drive on.
    → The path was paved with yellow bricks.
  • phantom [ˈfæntəm] n.
    A phantom is a ghost or spirit.
    → A scary phantom appeared from out of the darkness.
  • portable [ˈpɔːrtəbəl] adj.
    Something that is portable is able to be moved or carried easily.
    → Since computers are portable, people can use them anywhere.
  • poster [ˈpoustər] n.
    A poster is a written announcement that is used to advertise something.
    → I saw a poster about a free concert in the park.
  • scratch [ˈskrætʃ] v.
    To scratch is to make small cuts with a claw or fingernail.
    → I used a stick to scratch my back.
  • symphony [ˈsɪmfənɪ] n.
    A symphony is a long piece of music performed by many musicians.
    → Alex, a violin player, has always dreamt of playing a symphony.
  • widow [ˈwɪdou] n.
    A widow is a woman whose husband has died.
    → The widow had no children and was very lonely.
Exercise 1

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

  1. a group of animals, such as cows
    • a. graze
    • b. a herd
    • c. a bundle
    • d. a poster
  2. to escape from trouble or danger
    • a. flee
    • b. graze
    • c. pave
    • d. initiate
  3. somebody who thinks that good things will happen
    • a. a widow
    • b. a phantom
    • c. a parade
    • d. an optimist
  4. able to be moved or carried easily
    • a. greed
    • b. parade
    • c. portable
    • d. nerve
  5. a small road
    • a. a bulb
    • b. a symphony
    • c. a scratch
    • d. a lane

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

  1. baggage
    • a. a group of animals
    • b. an object used during a trip
    • c. a glass object
    • d. a celebration
  2. nerve
    • a. happiness
    • b. sadness
    • c. anger
    • d. bravery
  3. initiate
    • a. to run away
    • b. to start
    • c. to hit
    • d. to cut
  4. graze
    • a. to eat
    • b. to want more than you need
    • c. to carry
    • d. to make nice sounds
  5. phantom
    • a. an animal
    • b. a person who sees the good side of situation
    • c. a ghost
    • d. a person whose husband has died
Exercise 2

Choose the word that is the better fit for each blank.

  1. initiated / symphony
    • The band was almost ready to perform the ____________. After a few moments, they ____________the thirty-minute piece.
  2. graze / cattle
    • The large field was full of grass where the animals could ____________. The farmer knew his ____________ could be glad to live there.
  3. optimist / nerve
    • Andy didn’t have the ____________ to tell his teacher that he had made a mistake. However, Kristin, an ____________, thought the teacher wouldn’t get angry.
  4. lane / paved
    • The man wondered if the ____________ near his house would ever be ____________ .
  5. bundle / herd
    • A ____________ of goats followed the rancher into the barn. He opened a ____________ of food and fed them.
  6. greed / widow
    • The ____________ told the hungry children to leave her house. She had more than enough food, but her ____________ kept her from sharing.
  7. parade / posters
    • My whole class was invited to walk in the ____________ . We carried large ____________ that had our school’s name on them.
  8. bulb / portable
    • The woman bought a ____________ lamp that she could take with her on trips. After a year, however, she had to buy a new ____________ for the lamp.
  9. fled / phantom
    • There was a loud noise, then a large ____________ came into the room. The children screamed and ____________ immediately.
  10. baggage / scratched
    • He bought new ____________ before the trip, but after the first time he used them, they were ____________ and looked old.
Answer Key
Exercise 1
Part A
  1. b
  2. a
  3. d
  4. c
  5. d
Part B
  1. b
  2. d
  3. b
  4. a
  5. c
Exercise 2
  1. symphony, initiated
  2. graze, cattle
  3. nerve, optimist
  4. lane, paved
  5. herd, bundle
  6. widow, greed
  7. parade, posters
  8. portable, bulb
  9. phantom, fled
  10. baggage, scratched
Answer Key
The Bremen Town Musicians

Larry the cow, Harry the rooster and Lester the duck lived on a widow’s farm. They dreamed of playing music in a parade.

One day, the widow went to the lawn where her herd of cattle was grazing. “ I’ll eat him tomorrow,” she said, pointing to Larry.

Larry wanted to flee, but he didn’t have the nerve to go by himself. Then his friends Lester and Harry showed him a poster.

“ It’s for a parade in Bremen. We’ll go with you, and we can perform our symphony there,” Lester said.

The animals put together a small bundle that held a drum, a flute and a portable microphone. Then they took their baggage and initiated their long journey.

They walked down a paved lane all day. That night, they looked in the window of a house. They saw a group of thieves. They were eating a large dinner and telling stories about their greed and the people they stole from.

Lester was an optimist. He said, “ I think we can scare them away!”

Soon, the animals came up with a plan. Harry flew inside and knocked over the lamp. “ What was that?” screamed a thief as the bulb broke. They could barely see now.

Then Larry stood on two feet, and Lester flew to the top of his head. They looked very big. All three of the animals made scary noises. The thieves tried to hit the animals. But Harry flew over them and scratched them.

“ It’s a phantom!” yelled one thief.

The thieves ran away. The animals ate and rested. The next morning, Larry said, “Why go to Bremen? We can stay here and make music!” And so they remained there and were quite happy.

Reading Comprehension

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

  1. _____ Larry, Harry and Lester were cattle on the widow Riley’s farm.
    • _____________________________________________________
  2. _____ The animals fled because the widow wanted to kill the herd.
    • _____________________________________________________
  3. _____ Larry, Harry and Lester wanted to go to Bremen to perform in a parade.
    • _____________________________________________________
  4. _____ The animals initiated the journey with only a portable microphone and a drum in a bundle.
    • _____________________________________________________
  5. _____ Larry was an optimist.
    • _____________________________________________________
  6. _____ Harry scratched the bulb to break it.
    • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. Where did the cattle graze at the beginning of the story?
    • a. In an old house
    • b. On a lawn
    • c. On the paved lane
    • d. At a parade
  2. How did Larry, Harry and Lester find out about the parade?
    • a. From an invitation letter
    • b. From the widow Riley
    • c. From a poster
    • d. From the other animals
  3. What were the greedy thieves doing when the animals arrived at the house?
    • a. Stealing things from the house
    • b. Eating a large dinner
    • c. Planning to steal from the widow
    • d. Packing their baggage
  4. What did the animals pretend to be in order to scare the thieves away?
    • a. Phantoms
    • b. The police
    • c. The owners of the house
    • d. Thieves
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
Part A
  1. F / Larry was a cow, Harry was a rooster and Lester was a duck on the widow Riley’s farm.
  2. T
  3. T
  4. F / The only things the animals took with them were a portable microphone, a flute and a drum.
  5. F / Lester was an optimist.
  6. F / Harry knocked over the lamp to break the bulb.
Part B
  1. b
  2. c
  3. b
  4. a
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