4000 Essential English Words 4 » Unit 3: The Young Man and the Old Man

Word List
  • admonish [ədˈmɒnɪʃ] v.
    To admonish someone is to tell them you disapprove of their behavior.
    → The teacher admonished Mark because he was chewing gum in class.
  • audible [ˈɔːdəbl] adj.
    If something is audible, then it is able to be heard.
    → The sound of the drums was audible from miles away.
  • awesome [ˈɔːsəm] adj.
    If something or someone is awesome, they are impressive or frightening.
    → The huge military plane was an awesome sight.
  • beware [bɪˈwɛər] v.
    To beware means to be careful of something or someone that is dangerous.
    → You should beware of driving fast on wet roads.
  • brag [bræg] v.
    To brag means to talk of one’s abilities or achievements in a proud way.
    → He had strong muscles and bragged about it to the entire class.
  • conscious [ˈkɒnʃəs] adj.
    If someone is conscious of something, then they are aware of it.
    → The new student was conscious of the other students staring at her.
  • disagree [dɪsəgriː] v.
    To disagree with someone means to have a different opinion from them.
    → The lawyers disagreed about the best way to settle the case.
  • echo [ˈekou] v.
    To echo means that a sound repeats itself because it bounced off an object.
    → The child yelled over the canyon, and the wall echoed the sound.
  • eventual [iˈventʃuəl] adj.
    If something is eventual, it will happen at the end of a series of events.
    → The constant training and planning led the team to an eventual victory.
  • hint [hint] n.
    A hint is information that suggests something will happen or is true.
    → I quietly passed on a hint to my sister about the test.
  • idiot [ˈɪdɪət] n.
    An idiot is a person who is not smart or who has done something silly.
    → Because he got lost in the forest, the man felt like an idiot.
  • immense [iˈmens] adj.
    If something is immense, it is very large.
    → An immense amount of money was needed to buy such a large boat.
  • indirect [indiˈrekt] adj.
    If something is indirect, then it is not the easiest or straightest way.
    → He chose to take the most indirect route to the coast.
  • option [ˈɒpʃən] n.
    An option is a choice between two or more things.
    → The children were given the option of three houses to pick from.
  • pastime [ˈpæstaɪm] n.
    A pastime is an activity done for fun that you do often.
    → In the US, baseball is considered the national pastime.
  • perfect [ˈpəːrfɪkt] adj.
    If something is perfect, then it is without any mistakes.
    → She got all the questions right, so her score was perfect.
  • pinpoint [ˈpɪnpɔɪnt] v.
    To pinpoint something means to locate it exactly.
    → The navigation system in my car is able to pinpoint my exact location.
  • switch [swɪtʃ] v.
    To switch means to change something to something else.
    → Mom switched the TV station from the news to her favorite show.
  • thorough [ˈθə:rou] adj.
    If something or someone is thorough, then they are complete in every way.
    → Tina did a thorough job of cleaning the stains out of the carpet.
  • torment [ˈtɔːrment] v.
    To torment someone means to cause them to suffer on purpose.
    → She tormented her little brother by taking his favorite toy.
Exercise 1

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

  1. idiot / option
    • I had the ____________ of going with them or staying home. I felt like an ____________ for the choice I made.
  2. admonished / torment
    • Because he liked to ____________ the kitten by pouring water on it, the boy’s mother ____________ him for his cruel behavior.
  3. echoed / pinpoint
    • It was difficult to ____________ the dog’s location because its cries ____________ off of the hills.
  4. brag / perfect
    • My sister likes to ____________ about how my mother and father think her behavior is ____________ .
  5. beware / switch
    • When you ____________ the machine on, you need to ____________ because the machine is dangerous.
  6. eventual / pastime
    • All of the accidents at the swimming pool led to the ____________ closing of it and the end of a favorite summer ____________ .
  7. disagreed / awesome
    • The king wanted people to think that his power was ____________ . He would put people in jail if they ____________ with him.
  8. audible / conscious
    • Even though the little girl was trying to sneak up on her parents, her ____________ steps made her parents ____________ of her.
  9. immense / indirect
    • An ____________ tree fell across the road, forcing the travelers to take a more ____________ route through the countryside.
  10. hint / thorough
    • The police could not find a single clue to the crime, which gave a ____________ as to how ____________ the thief had been.
Exercise 2

Part A: Match the phrases to make complete sentences.

  1. You should beware ______.
  2. My favorite pastime ______.
  3. The doctor did a thorough check ______.
  4. The two friends disagreed ______.
  5. She switched the bag ______.
  6. His proud sister brags ______.
  7. An immense pile of garbage ______.
  8. The indirect route ______.
  9. The awesome storm caused ______.
  10. She admonished the student ______.
  1. a. about which game was better
  2. b. of the hole in the bridge
  3. c. for talking during the test
  4. d. was the reason for the bad smell
  5. e. about how good she is at sports
  6. f. of the sick man’s health
  7. g. took an hour more to drive
  8. h. fear that his home would be damaged
  9. i. from her left hand to her right
  10. j. is listening to music

Part B: Match the clauses to make complete sentences.

  1. He couldn’t sleep at night ______.
  2. We knew he broke his leg when he fell ______.
  3. He had to choose the blue car ______.
  4. The hiker always carried a compass and map, ______.
  5. She didn’t eat good food and didn’t exercise, ______.
  6. The students had to answer all the questions correctly ______.
  7. The captain did not see the ship approaching behind him, ______.
  8. She thought someone was calling to her from the other cliff, ______.
  9. He knew his friends were having a surprise party for him ______.
  10. If you can’t tie your own shoes by the time you’re twelve years old ______.
  1. a. and it led to her eventual illness
  2. b. because they gave him so many hints
  3. c. if they wanted to get a perfect grade
  4. d. but he was conscious of the other boats
  5. e. because bad dreams tormented him
  6. f. then people might think you’re an idiot
  7. g. but it was just the echo of her voice
  8. h. because there weren’t any other options
  9. i. so he could pinpoint his location in the wild
  10. j. because the sound of the bone breaking was audible

Answer Key
Exercise 1
  1. option / idiot
  2. torment / admonished
  3. pinpoint / echoed
  4. brag / perfect
  5. switch / beware
  6. eventual / pastime
  7. awesome / disagreed
  8. audible /conscious
  9. immense / indirect
  10. hint / thorough
Exercise 2
Part A
  1. b
  2. j
  3. f
  4. a
  5. i
  6. e
  7. d
  8. g
  9. h
  10. c
Part B
  1. e
  2. j
  3. h
  4. i
  5. a
  6. c
  7. d
  8. g
  9. b
  10. f
Answer Key
The Young Man and the Old Man

A proud young man was looking for a new pastime. He heard about people hiking in the national parks and decided to try it for himself. As he started his stroll, an old man walked up to him.

“Don’t go this way,” the old man said. “Beware. The paths are not clear. It’s easy to become lost.”

But the young man disagreed with the old man and bragged that he had a perfect understanding of the park. “I studied maps of this area,” he told him. “I believe I have a thorough knowledge of these trails. I won’t become lost.”

The old man listened to the young man and then admonished him for his pride.

“I have walked these trails my entire life,” he said. “If you think you will be safe, then go ahead.”

The young man ignored the old man and started along the trail.

Whenever he had to choose between an easy or difficult route, he always chose the more difficult option. In addition, he was not conscious of which direction he was going. After a while, he decided to return home. Because his course through the wilderness was so indirect, he had no idea where he was.

He looked at his map but could not pinpoint his location. He walked one path after another but soon realized he was lost.

The sun was going down, and sudden strong winds gave a hint that it might rain. Immense clouds filled the sky. Awesome sounds of thunder were audible from all directions. It echoed off the mountains. The thought of the eventual storm tormented the young man. He hurried in one direction, but soon switched out of confusion. Luckily, it led him out of the park.

When he arrived home, he knew that he had acted like an idiot. He realized he was lucky to be alive. He decided to listen to people with more experience than himself.

Reading Comprehension

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

  1. _____ The young man decided to hike in the national parks.
    • _____________________________________________________
  2. _____ The young man disagreed with the old man.
    • _____________________________________________________
  3. _____ The young man believed that his knowledge of the park’s trails was thorough.
    • _____________________________________________________
  4. _____ When the young man had an option of two trails, he always chose the easier one.
    • _____________________________________________________
  5. _____ The young man was tormented by the thought of the eventual storm.
    • _____________________________________________________
  6. _____ When the young man got home, he knew that the old man had acted like an idiot.
    • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. What did the young man choose as his new pastime?
    • a. Picking trails
    • b. Climbing mountains
    • c. Talking with old men
    • d. Hiking in parks
  2. Why did the old man admonish the young man?
    • a. The young man was awesome.
    • b. The young man bragged that he was perfect.
    • c. The young man’s route was too indirect.
    • d. The young man chose difficult trails.
  3. Why did the young man become lost?
    • a. He was not conscious of where he went.
    • b. He pinpointed his location on his map.
    • c. He did not switch to an easier trail.
    • d. He listened to the old man’s advice.
  4. Which of the following gave a hint of an eventual storm?
    • a. The sudden strong winds
    • b. The sparse clouds in the sky
    • c. The weather getting colder
    • d. The lightining flashing in the sky
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
Part A
  1. T
  2. T
  3. T
  4. F / When the young man had an option of two trails, he always chose the more difficult of the two.
  5. T
  6. F / When the young man arrived home, he knew that he had acted like an idiot.
Part B
  1. d
  2. b
  3. a
  4. a
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