4000 Essential English Words 4 » Unit 11: How a Singer Helped Win the War

Word List
  • alliance [əˈlaiəns] n.
    An alliance is a group of people who work together.
    → The junior executives formed an alliance with each other.
  • applause [əˈplɔːz] n.
    Applause is the noise made when people clap hands to show approval.
    → At the end of his speech, everyone gave applause.
  • armed [ɑːrmd] adj.
    If you are armed, you are carrying a weapon.
    → The robber was armed with a gun.
  • authoritative [əˈθɔːriteitiv] adj.
    If something is authoritative, it uses the best information available.
    → This book is an authoritative source on Ancient Egypt’s Queen Nefertiti.
  • ceremony [ˈserəmouni] n.
    A ceremony is an event that happens on special occasions.
    → Tom and Amy’s marriage ceremony is in June.
  • culture [ˈkʌltʃər] n.
    Culture is the music, art, and writings of a certain place or group of people.
    → Ancient Mexican culture is renowned for its architecture.
  • defense [diˈfens] n.
    A defense is something that is done to protect another thing.
    → The airforce works in defense of its country.
  • detail [ˈdiːteil] n.
    A detail is a small piece of information.
    → Jane told Ben all the details of her trip to China.
  • diverse [diˈvəːrs] adj.
    When a group of things is diverse, it is made up of a wide variety of things.
    → Big cities have diverse populations with people of different races and ages.
  • enchant [inˈtʃænt] v.
    To enchant someone is to make them feel very interested or happy.
    → The beautiful woman enchanted everybody in the room.
  • equip [iˈkwip] v.
    To equip someone is to give them the things needed to do something.
    → Steve was equipped with the tools needed to do the job.
  • exception [ikˈsepʃən] n.
    An exception is someone or something not conforming to a rule.
    → Most students thought the test was hard, but Tim was the exception.
  • genre [ʒɑ̃ːnrə] n.
    A genre is a type of literature, art, or music characterized by its style.
    → She is considered a master in the comedy genre.
  • impact [ˈimpækt] n.
    An impact is the effect someone or something has on another.
    → My grandmother had a great impact on my life.
  • lure [luər] v.
    To lure someone is to convince them to do something, by using a trick.
    → The store lures people in with big signs that say “Sale!”
  • obstacle [ˈɒbstəkəl] n.
    An obstacle is an object or a problem that stops you from doing something.
    → Climbing over the giant rock was the biggest obstacle for the hikers.
  • shelter [ˈʃeltə:r] n.
    A shelter is a place to go that is safe from danger or bad weather.
    → The frog took shelter from the storm in a nearby cave.
  • sort [sɔːrt] v.
    To sort means to separate things into different groups or classes.
    → He sorted his clothes by colors and sizes.
  • supply [səˈplai] v.
    To supply something means to give people what they need or want.
    → The water heater supplied the house with warm water.
  • vain [vein] adj.
    If people are vain, they are only concerned with how they look.
    → Rebecca is so vain that she looks at herself in every mirror.
Exercise 1

Choose the right word for the given definition.

  1. to provide the things that someone needs to do something
    • a. sort
    • b. enchant
    • c. equip
    • d. lure
  2. a safe place
    • a. genre
    • b. shelter
    • c. defense
    • d. culture
  3. holding a weapon
    • a. authoritative
    • b. vain
    • c. diverse
    • d. armed
  4. pieces of information
    • a. details
    • b. impacts
    • c. applause
    • d. supplies
  5. a group working together
    • a. ceremony
    • b. alliance
    • c. exception
    • d. obstacle
Exercise 2

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

  1. Please put into different groups all the leaves you find.
    ____________
  2. Everybody was very interested when Kate read that beautiful poem out loud.
    ____________
  3. The performer heard great sounds of people clappingtheir hands.
    ____________
  4. Tim takes a long time to get ready because he is so concerned with how he looks.
    ____________
  5. Ocean life is made up of a wide variety of things.
    ____________
  6. What is your favorite kind or style of music?
    ____________
  7. The special event will start at 8 o’clock tonight.
    ____________
  8. The city’s only action taken to protect itself was to build a giant brick wall around it.
    ____________
  9. Ben went through many problems before he finished his project.
    ____________
  10. Most girls like to play with dolls, but Samantha is the one who doesn’t conform.
    ____________
Exercise 3

Part A: Match the phrases to make complete sentences.

  1. I’m going to try to lure my friends ______.
  2. Sort the pieces ______.
  3. The biggest obstacle Mary faced ______.
  4. The genre of abstract art ______.
  5. The awards ceremony is ______.
  6. Mexican culture is ______.
  7. The best defense against skin cancer ______.
  8. The students were equipped ______.
  9. An armed man ran into ______.
  10. The vain woman could ______.
  1. a. was popularized by artists like Picasso and Dali
  2. b. is to wear a lot of sunscreen
  3. c. with pencils, scissors, and a lot of glue
  4. d. known for its interesting folk art
  5. e. into coming to the museum with me
  6. f. tonight at the Royal Crown Hotel
  7. g. talk about herself for hours and hours
  8. h. into three equal groups
  9. i. was not being able to read very well
  10. j. the jewelry store and stole diamonds

Part B: Match the clauses to make complete sentences.

  1. It started raining really hard, ______.
  2. He saw that the children were cold, ______.
  3. Police officers work very hard, ______.
  4. Everyone always trusts Seth ______.
  5. Mother Teresa was a very well-known person, ______.
  6. He only likes one type of music, ______.
  7. James tried to write the report last night, ______.
  8. I don’t really like Jennifer, ______.
  9. Bob and Eric both want to beat James at the game, ______.
  10. The performer did a great job, ______.
  1. a. and officer Jones is no exception
  2. b. and her work impacted many lives
  3. c. but everyone else is enchanted by her
  4. d. but I like a diverse selection
  5. e. so we ran inside for shelter
  6. f. so they will form an alliance
  7. g. and the crowd gave him great applause
  8. h. so he supplied them with blankets
  9. i. but it had so many details that he couldn’t finish
  10. j. because he sounds authoritative when he speaks

Answer Key
Exercise 1
  1. c
  2. b
  3. d
  4. a
  5. b
Exercise 2
  1. sort
  2. enchanted
  3. applause
  4. vain
  5. diverse
  6. genre
  7. ceremony
  8. defense
  9. obstacles
  10. exception
Exercise 3
Part A
  1. e
  2. h
  3. i
  4. a
  5. f
  6. d
  7. b
  8. c
  9. j
  10. g
Part B
  1. e
  2. h
  3. a
  4. j
  5. b
  6. d
  7. i
  8. c
  9. f
  10. g
Answer Key
How a Singer Helped Win the War

Sometimes famous people are vain. They only care about themselves. But Josephine Baker was an exception. In the 1930s and 1940s, Baker was one of the most famous women in France. She was a big part of the new jazz genre and culture and had a diverse group of fans. The French people especially loved her. And she loved France. So when World War II started, she wanted to help the nation that had given her so much.

In 1940, armed German troops entered Paris. When this happened, some French people formed a secret alliance. It was called the French Resistance. The group worked for the defense of France. It helped the European and American armies fight the Germans.

Baker was an important member of the Resistance. She had three jobs. The first was to carry messages to and from other members. The messages were written in code on her sheets of music. The second was to provide shelter and supply goods to Resistance members. It would have been dangerous if the Germans found them.

Baker’s third job was the most important. Baker held concerts for European politicians and army members. She lured them in, promising an entertaining show. She enchanted them with her singing and dancing and got lots of applause. But Baker was always equipped with a small notebook at these concerts. She listened for details about the war and wrote them down. Baker sorted the details and gave authoritative reports to the Resistance.

Some thought Baker’s fame would be an obstacle. The Germans knew who she was, but they didn’t think she was smart enough to work for the Resistance. So she could get information from the Germans easily. This helped the Resistance and the French army save lives and win the war.

Baker had a big impact on the Resistance’s work. She got many awards for her help. When she died, the army had a special ceremony to thank her again for her bravery.

Reading Comprehension

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

  1. _____ Baker’s first job was to carry messages written in code to and from European politicians.
    • _____________________________________________________
  2. _____ Baker provided shelter for Resistance members and supplied them with goods.
    • _____________________________________________________
  3. _____ Baker was always equipped with a small notebook during her concerts.
    • _____________________________________________________
  4. _____ In 1940, armed German troops entered Europe.
    • _____________________________________________________
  5. _____ Baker enchanted politicians and army members with her singing and dancing.
    • _____________________________________________________
  6. _____ Baker sorted details about the war and gave authoritative reports.
    • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. Which genre of music was Josephine Baker famous for?
    • a. She was famous for jazz music.
    • b. She was famous for blues music.
    • c. She was famous for rock music.
    • d. She was famous for country music.
  2. What happened when the Germans entered Paris?
    • a. Armed soldiers fought them.
    • b. Baker lured them back to Germany.
    • c. The French formed a secret alliance.
    • d. They sent messages in code.
  3. What was Baker’s most important job?
    • a. To provide shelter
    • b. To give authoritative reports
    • c. To write messages in code
    • d. To have a diverse group of fans
  4. What happened when Baker died?
    • a. The army had a special ceremony.
    • b. Baker had an impact on France.
    • c. Her fame became an obstacle.
    • d. The Resistance found her secret codes.
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
Part A
  1. F / Baker’s first job was to carry messages written in code to and from Resistance members.
  2. T
  3. T
  4. F / In 1940, armed soldiers entered Paris.
  5. T
  6. T
Part B
  1. a
  2. c
  3. b
  4. a
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