4000 Essential English Words 4 » Unit 4: The Tricky Fox

Word List
  • beak [beak] n.
    A beak is the hard curved part of a bird’s mouth.
    → The bird used her beak to dig a small hole in the ground.
  • damp [dæmp] adj.
    If something is damp, it is somewhat wet.
    → My hair is still damp from my shower.
  • disapprove [disəˈpruːv] v.
    To disapprove of something is to think that it is wrong.
    → Alex, disapproved of his son’s behavior.
  • except [ɪkˈsept] prep.
    You use except to talk about the only thing that a statement does not apply to.
    → Everyone had fun on the trip except Jim, who felt ill the whole time.
  • flight [flaɪt] n.
    A flight is an act of flying, often in an airplane.
    → The airplane made a flight around the world.
  • fond [fɒnd] adj.
    When someone is fond of something, they like it.
    → I am very fond of chocolate cake.
  • immoral [ɪˈmɔ(:)rəl] adj.
    When something or someone is immoral, they are evil or do bad things.
    → Stealing money from one’s mother is an immoral act.
  • ivy [ˈaivi] n.
    Ivy is a plant with long vines that grows upward typically on walls.
    → The walls of the castle are covered with ivy.
  • moan [moun] v.
    To moan is to make a low sound when feeling pain or sadness.
    → The sick man moaned from his bed.
  • oblivious [əˈblɪvɪəs] adj.
    If someone is oblivious of something, they are unaware of it.
    → I was late to school because I was oblivious of the time.
  • perish [ˈperɪʃ] v.
    To perish means to die, usually because of bad conditions or bad events.
    → Many people perish in wars.
  • pit [pit] n.
    A pit is a big hole in the ground.
    → Michael fell into the pit and needed some help to get out.
  • rim [rim] n.
    The rim is the outside edge of a round thing, like a cup or bottle.
    → I put my lips to the rim of the bottle and took a drink.
  • roost [ruːst] n.
    A roost is a place where birds can land and rest or sleep.
    → The family of doves made a roost at the top of the tree.
  • slippery [ˈslɪpərɪ] adj.
    If something is slippery, it is wet or smooth and causes people to slip.
    → The repairman fell down on the floor because it was too slippery.
  • soar [sɔːr] v.
    To soar means to fly high in the air.
    → As the sun rose, two eagles soared through the sky.
  • trivial [ˈtrɪvɪəl] adj.
    If something is trivial, it is not important or meaningful.
    → Television is trivial, but learning to read is very important.
  • typical [ˈtɪpɪkəl] adj.
    If something is typical, it is normal for a certain type of thing.
    → Barking is typical behavior for dogs.
  • utterly [ˈʌtəlɪ] adv.
    If something is utterly a way, it is completely that way.
    → When the sun was blocked by the moon, it was utterly dark outside.
  • weep [wiːp] v.
    To weep means to cry.
    → My sister told me the dramatic movie would make me weep.
Exercise 1

Choose the answer that best fits the question.

  1. What does a sad movie cause people to do?
    • a. To weep
    • b. To except
    • c. To perish
    • d. To disapprove
  2. Where would a bird build a home?
    • a. On a rim
    • b. In a pit
    • c. On a roost
    • d. On a flight
  3. Which word best describes a wet towel?
    • a. Immoral
    • b. Damp
    • c. Trivial
    • d. Fond
  4. What does it mean to fly?
    • a. To soar
    • b. To moan
    • c. To be oblivious
    • d. To be typical
  5. Which word would best describe a smooth, wet stone?
    • a. Ivy
    • b. Utterly
    • c. Slippery
    • d. Immoral
  6. Which word describes something that would have a rim?
    • a. A thought
    • b. A cup
    • c. A person
    • d. A smell
  7. Which word describes something that has a beak?
    • a. A bird
    • b. A boat
    • c. A car
    • d. A lion
  8. What is typical about fish?
    • a. They can swim.
    • b. One type can sing.
    • c. They can live on land.
    • d. Some can live for close to 50 years.
  9. Which of these people would most likely be moaning?
    • a. A doctor
    • b. A happy boy
    • c. A wife
    • d. A hurt woman
  10. Which person has been proven to have committed an immoral act?
    • a. A teacher
    • b. A criminal
    • c. A judge
    • d. A fireman
Exercise 2

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

  1. oblivious / perish
    • All of the people in the movie will ____________ if they remain ____________ of the monster.
  2. roost / fond
    • When the owl wants to make a ____________ , it is ____________ of using an empty barn.
  3. pit / rim
    • He grabbed the can by its ____________ , then tossed it far down into the ____________ .
  4. flight / soars
    • The eagle ____________ into the clouds when it goes on a long ____________ .
  5. moan / weep
    • Every time the sick woman would ____________ in pain, her daughter would ____________ .
  6. immoral / typical
    • It is not ____________ for a policeman to do ____________ things like stealing.
  7. beak / except
    • Every part of the bird was beautiful, ____________ for its short, ugly ____________ .
  8. trivial / disapprove
    • Because his assistant is teaching them ____________ plays, the coach will ____________ of the time wasted.
  9. utterly / ivy
    • Because it ____________ covered the fence, the gardener had to remove all of the ____________ .
  10. slippery / damp
    • The ground became dangerous and ____________ because everyone placed their ____________ towels there.
Answer Key
Exercise 1
  1. a
  2. c
  3. b
  4. a
  5. c
  6. b
  7. a
  8. a
  9. d
  10. b
Exercise 2
  1. perish / oblivious
  2. roost / fond
  3. rim / pit
  4. soars / flight
  5. moan / weep
  6. typical / immoral
  7. except / beak
  8. trivial / disapprove
  9. utterly / ivy
  10. slippery / damp
Answer Key
The Tricky Fox

There was a fox that lived in the forest. Fox loved to play mean tricks on the other animals. One day, he used the sharp rim of a bottle to dig a pit in the ground. He hid in a tree until Rabbit came to the pit’s edge. Then, he jumped out and pushed Rabbit into the pit. Fox laughed and ran away. The angry Rabbit climbed out and told the other animals what happened.

The others said, “That is typical behavior for Fox. He does mean things all the time. Sometimes, he is completely immoral. We all disapprove of his actions, so we should teach him a lesson. Tomorrow, we’ll push Fox into that pit.”

The next day, all of the animals hid near the pit and waited for Fox. Fox was oblivious to the hidden animals. He walked up to the pit to see if Rabbit was still trapped. Just then, the other animals ran up to Fox and pushed him in. All the animals laughed and cheered, except Fox, of course.

Fox couldn’t get out! The walls of the pit were covered in damp ivy. It was too slippery for him to climb out. He was utterly helpless. He moaned and began to weep.

At last, he saw Eagle watching him from her roost. He yelled, “Eagle, please help me! If I don’t get out of here, I will perish!”

Eagle said, “You may think your tricks are trivial, but you hurt others when you do mean things. I’ll help you if you promise to be nice.”

Fox said, “I promise!”

Eagle began her flight to the bottom of the pit. She picked up Fox with her beak and soared out of the pit. She dropped Fox safely on the ground.

Fox thanked Eagle and kept his promise. He was nice to the other animals. The animals even became fond of Fox, and the forest was happy place.

Reading Comprehension

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

  1. _____ Fox used the rim of a bottle to dig a deep pit.
    • _____________________________________________________
  2. _____ Fox had a roost near the pit.
    • _____________________________________________________
  3. _____ The damp ivy was too slippery for Fox to climb out.
    • _____________________________________________________
  4. _____ Immoral and mean behavior was typical with Fox.
    • _____________________________________________________
  5. _____ Fox was oblivious to the hidden pit.
    • _____________________________________________________
  6. _____ Eagle flew into the pit to save Fox.
    • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. How did Rabbit fall into the pit?
    • a. Rabbit ran into the pit.
    • b. Fox pushed him into the pit.
    • c. Rabbit sat on the edge.
    • d. Fox laughed and ran away.
  2. Why did Fox thank Eagle?
    • a. She gave him money.
    • b. She became fond of Fox.
    • c. She did not let Fox perish.
    • d. She gave Fox some rope to climb out.
  3. Why did Fox moan and weep?
    • a. The animals taught him a lesson.
    • b. He saw Eagle in her roost.
    • c. He felt trivial.
    • d. He felt utterly helpless.
  4. What happened after Eagle’s flight to the bottom of the pit?
    • a. She disapproved of Fox.
    • b. She got stuck in the pit.
    • c. She made Fox promise to leave the forest.
    • d. She picked up Fox with her beak.
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
Part A
  1. T
  2. F / Eagle had a roost near the pit.
  3. T
  4. T
  5. F / Fox was oblivious to the hidden animals.
  6. T
Part B
  1. b
  2. c
  3. d
  4. d
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