4000 Essential English Words 3 » Unit 27: Pizarro and the Inca Gold

Word List
  • acknowledge [əkˈnɒlɪdʒ] v.
    If you acknowledge something, you accept that it is true or that it exists.
    → The teacher acknowledged that the young student was hungry.
  • ambassador [æmˈbæsədər] n.
    An ambassador is a government worker who works in another country.
    → The ambassador from Korea was in charge ofthe conference.
  • blonde [blɒnd] adj.
    If someone is a blonde, they have light-colored hair.
    → My cousin is different from me. She is a blonde with blue eyes.
  • conquer [ˈkɒŋkər] v.
    To conquer a country means to attack and take control of it.
    → The soldiers were trying to conquer the world.
  • drag [dræg] v.
    To drag something means to pull it across the ground.
    → The dog was dragging his owner down the street.
  • exaggerate [ɪgˈzædʒəreɪt] v.
    To exaggerate is to say that something is bigger or better than it really is.
    → Jimmy wasn’t exaggerating about the seriousness of his injury.
  • heritage [ˈherɪtɪdʒ] n.
    Heritage is the collection of features of a society, such as language and religion.
    → Teepees are part ofthe heritage of the American Indians of the plains.
  • insult [ˈɪnsʌlt] v.
    To insult someone is to say things that will hurt their feelings.
    → The girls insulted each other all afternoon.
  • meanwhile [ˈmiːnhwaɪl] adv.
    Meanwhile means until something happens or while something is happening.
    → He wants to be a doctor in the future, but meanwhile, he works a regular job.
  • necklace [ˈneklɪs] n.
    A necklace is a piece of jewelry that people wear around their necks.
    → Joyce received a lovely pearl necklace for her wedding anniversary.
  • noble [ˈnoubəl] n.
    A noble is a rich and powerful person.
    → The Queen invited a noble from a nearby country to dinner.
  • precious [ˈpreʃəs] adj.
    When something is precious, it is valuable and important.
    → In a desert, water can be more precious than money.
  • prejudice [ˈpredʒudɪs] n.
    A prejudice is an unfair opinion about someone before you get to know them.
    → The company’s rules against gender prejudice must be enforced.
  • rumor [ˈruːmə:r] n.
    A rumor is a story that may not be true.
    → Carla was spreading rumors around the office.
  • sin [sin] n.
    A sin is something that is wrong for religious reasons.
    → Taking something that doesn’t belong to you is a sin.
  • spectacle [ˈspektəkəl] n.
    A spectacle is an amazing sight.
    → Niagara Falls is quite a spectacle.
  • stack [stæk] n.
    A stack is a pile of different things.
    → There was a stack of paperwork on his desk to complete.
  • suspicious [səsˈpɪʃəs] adj.
    If someone is suspicious of someone else, they do not trust that person.
    → Dad was suspicious ofthe caller on the line.
  • tin [tɪn] n.
    Tin is a cheap white metal.
    → Soup is a common food that is often sold in tin cans.
  • vase [veis] n.
    A vase is an attractive container where people keep flowers.
    → The vase was filled with such lovely flowers.
Exercise 1

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

  1. something you keep flowers in
    • a. vase
    • b. stack
    • c. tin
    • d. spectacle
  2. to say something is better than it really is
    • a. exaggerate
    • b. drag
    • c. heritage
    • d. insult
  3. a rich and important person
    • a. ambassador
    • b. noble
    • c. necklace
    • d. prejudice
  4. having light, yellow-colored hair
    • a. suspicious
    • b. blonde
    • c. rumor
    • d. conquer
  5. not trusting of someone
    • a. suspicious
    • b. meanwhile
    • c. acknowledge
    • d. precious

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

  1. heritage
    • a. features of a society
    • b. to put into something else
    • c. a government worker
    • d. a rich and powerful person
  2. spectacle
    • a. an amazing sight
    • b. to take something
    • c. something that is wrong
    • d. a piece of jewelry
  3. drag
    • a. to attack
    • b. very important
    • c. not trusting
    • d. to pull something
  4. sin
    • a. something wrong for religious reasons
    • b. the traditions of a country
    • c. a place to keep flowers
    • d. an official working in a foreign country
  5. tin
    • a. a color of hair
    • b. to say mean things
    • c. a cheap metal
    • d. to control a country
Exercise 2

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

  1. The police waited for the criminals. While this was happening, the criminals were entering the building through the back door.
    _____________
  2. The person who works for the government is from the UK but works in China.
    _____________
  3. The piece of jewelry worn around the neck was made of pure gold.
    _____________
  4. I admit that I was wrong in that situation.
    _____________
  5. Don’t say unkind things to your little sister!
    _____________
  6. Alexander the Great attacked and took control over many countries in Africa and Asia.
    _____________
  7. She admired the very valuable ring that her mother wore.
    _____________
  8. Would you please place one on top of the other the boxes?
    _____________
  9. You shouldn’t spread things that may not be true about people.
    _____________
  10. Some visitors to foreign countries experience unfair judgment, but most have pleasant experiences.
    _____________
Answer Key
Exercise 1
Part A
  1. a
  2. a
  3. b
  4. b
  5. a
Part B
  1. a
  2. a
  3. d
  4. a
  5. c
Exercise 2
  1. Meanwhile
  2. ambassador
  3. necklace
  4. acknowledge
  5. insult
  6. conquered
  7. precious
  8. stack
  9. rumors
  10. prejudice
Answer Key
Pizarro and the Inca Gold

According to rumors, there’s lots of precious gold hidden in the jungles of Peru. It got there when the Spanish conquered parts of South America. The Spanish noble, Francisco Pizarro, arrived in Peru in the 1500s. He found a group of people called the Incas. The Incas believed that their leader, Atahualpa, was both a king and a god. But Pizarro didn’t agree.

“ It is a sin for a man to think he is God!” he said to Atahualpa.

Atahualpa thought Pizarro was insulting his heritage. He thought the blonde Spanish men held prejudices against the Incas. But Atahualpa was a kind man and didn’t want to fight the Spaniards. He said, “ If I give you a room full of gold, will you leave my country in peace?”

Pizarro was suspicious. He thought Atahualpa was exaggerating. But a few days later, Pizarro returned to the Inca palace with his ambassadors. He saw a room filled with stacks of gold. There were golden necklaces, cups, plates and vases. It was a great spectacle. He acknowledged that Atahualpa had told the truth. But after seeing the gold, he wanted all of Peru’s gold. So he didn’t leave the country.

The Spanish soldiers stayed in Peru and grabbed all the gold they could find. But the Inca people tricked the Spaniards. They mixed the gold with tin so that it was poor quality. They gave this gold to the Spaniards. Meanwhile, they hid the good gold. They stuffed it into sacks and dragged it deep into the jungle. The Spanish conquerors never found the gold. People think it is still there today.

Reading Comprehension

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

  1. _____ Pizarro acknowledged that Atahualpa was honest.
    • _____________________________________________________
  2. _____ The Incas of Peru had blonde hair.
    • _____________________________________________________
  3. _____ Atahualpa offered Pizarro a room filled with stacks of precious gold.
    • _____________________________________________________
  4. _____ The Spanish conquered parts of South America.
    • _____________________________________________________
  5. _____ Pizarro thought that Atahualpa had insulted his heritage and that his men held prejudices against the Incas.
    • _____________________________________________________
  6. _____ Pizarro agreed that Atahualpa was both a god and a king.
    • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. Which of the following did NOT appear in the room with gold?
    • a. Pieces of tin
    • b. Necklaces
    • c. Vases
    • d. Cups
  2. Which adjective describes Pizarro?
    • a. Noble
    • b. Gentle
    • c. Suspicious
    • d. Sensitive
  3. What do the rumors say?
    • a. Pizarro defeated the Incas easily.
    • b. There is a lot of gold in the Peruvian jungle.
    • c. The Incas discovered the Spanish.
    • d. The Spanish arrived in Peru in the 1500s.
  4. Who went to the room of gold with Pizarro?
    • a. The King of Spain
    • b. Spanish ambassadors
    • c. Men from the jungle
    • d. Tin makers
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
Part A
  1. T
  2. F / The Spanish had blonde hair.
  3. T
  4. T
  5. F / Atahualpa thought that Pizarro had insulted him.
  6. F / Pizarro did not agree that Atahualpa was both a go and a king.
Part B
  1. a
  2. a
  3. b
  4. b
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