4000 Essential English Words 4 » Unit 8: Janie and the Music Player

Word List
  • access [ˈækses] n.
    Access is the right to enter or use something.
    → The manager was the only person with access to the password.
  • conduct [ˈkɒndʌkt] n.
    Conduct is the way that someone acts.
    → She was punished for her bad conduct.
  • constant [ˈkɒnstənt] adj.
    When an event or action is constant, it happens a lot or all the time.
    → The television at home is in constant use.
  • crack [kræk] n.
    A crack is a narrow space between the parts of something broken.
    → The old window was covered with cracks.
  • device [diˈvais] n.
    A device is an object or a machine.
    → A thermometer is a device that tells temperature.
  • enclose [inˈklouz] v.
    To enclose something is to contain it.
    → The cows in the field were enclosed by a fence.
  • grip [grɪp] v.
    To grip something is to hold it very tightly.
    → I was scared, so I gripped my older sister’s hand.
  • halt [hɔːlt] v.
    To halt is to stop moving.
    → The criminal halted when he saw the police coming.
  • impending [ɪmˈpendɪŋ] adj.
    If something is impending, it is going to happen soon.
    → The student was nervous about his impending test.
  • influence [ˈinfluəns] v.
    To influence someone or something is to have an effect over them.
    → My friend influenced my decision to attend Terrance University.
  • law [lɔː] n.
    A law is a rule made by the legislative body.
    → The students learned about different laws during social studies class.
  • mode [moud] n.
    A mode is a setting or condition on a machine.
    → Mother turned the TV to quiet mode while she talked on the phone.
  • perspire [pəsˈpaɪər] v.
    To perspire means to sweat.
    → I usually perspire a lot when I am at practice.
  • replace [riˈpleis] v.
    To replace something is to put it in the place of something else.
    → I replaced the tire on my car because it was flat.
  • snap [snæp] v.
    To snap something means to break it suddenly, which causes a loud noise.
    → I took the stick and snapped it with my hands.
  • sly [slai] adj.
    If a person or animal is sly, they are sneaky or good at tricking people.
    → The sly fox stole the eggs from the nest.
  • tend [tend] v.
    To tend to do something is to be likely to do it or to do it often.
    → My mom tends to buy me the perfect gift each Christmas.
  • valid [ˈvælid] adj.
    When something is valid, it is correct or based on good reasoning.
    → The expert’s opinion on the subject was more valid than others.
  • version [ˈvəːrʒən] n.
    A version is an account of something that differs slightly from the original.
    → She read the students British version of the Chinese fairy tale.
  • whatsoever [hwɒtsouˈevər] adj.
    You use whatsoever after a noun to emphasize that there is nothing of that thing.
    → The boy had no idea whatsoever how to solve the story problem.
Exercise 1

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

  1. conduct / replace
    • Mr. Holloway was sent to ____________  the old coach, who was known for his wild ____________  during games.
  2. influenced / laws
    • Decisions made in courts are often ____________ by the personal views of the judge. In some cases, the decisions help change ____________ .
  3. gripped / snapped
    • I ____________ the pencil and squeezed it until it ____________ .
  4. whatsoever / enclosed
    • My father ____________ a check in the letter he sent me. He always offered to help even if I didn’t ask for any help ____________ .
  5. constantly / impending
    • The soldier dreaded the ____________ battle. He ____________ thought about what might happen to him.
  6. tends / cracks
    • I saw several ____________ in the ice. This ____________ to happen when the weather becomes warmer.
  7. device / mode
    • Sheila took the ____________ from her purse and pressed a couple of buttons. It took her awhile to figure out how to turn it to silent ____________ .
  8. halt / access
    • She ran from room to room quickly, but ____________ suddenly. She couldn’t have ____________ to the room without a key.
  9. valid / version
    • The student had a ____________ reason for leaving the classroom when his teacher was gone. He tried to explain his ____________ of what happened while she was gone.
  10. sly / perspired
    • The thief ____________ while the police questioned him. They didn’t feel sorry for the ____________ crimminal.
Exercise 2

Part A: Match the phrases to make complete sentences.

  1. Scientists have a device that helps ______.
  2. The driver gripped the wheel ______.
  3. I always perspire more often ______.
  4. The concert halted ______.
  5. The sly boy took a cookie while ______.
  6. My father replaced the old ______.
  7. He had a valid reason ______.
  8. I snapped the toy ______.
  9. The teacher tends to give the best grades to ______.
  10. I got no joy whatsoever from getting ______.
  1. a. as she turned around the corner
  2. b. when the electricity went out
  3. c. by holding it too tightly
  4. d. light bulb with a new one
  5. e. in the summer
  6. f. them tell how old an object is
  7. g. to miss school today
  8. h. students who do all of their homework
  9. i. my brother in trouble
  10. j. his mother wasn’t watching him

Part B: Match the clauses to make complete sentences.

  1. He didn’t understand, ______.
  2. He was told to behave, ______.
  3. Joe was such a bad person ______.
  4. To keep the jewels safe, ______.
  5. Be careful ______.
  6. Mark tried the code, ______.
  7. She practices the violin during the day, ______.
  8. He studied hard ______.
  9. She turned her phone off, ______.
  10. He replaced the glass ______.
  1. a. but he wasn’t given access to the room
  2. b. because he can influence people to do anything
  3. c. because the impeding test was so important
  4. d. so the constant music wouldn’t annoy the neighbors
  5. e. that he broke every law
  6. f. it was enclosed in glass
  7. g. because there were cracks in it
  8. h. so they told him a different version
  9. i. so his conduct was excellent
  10. j. so the mode wouldn’t disturb anyone

Answer Key
Exercise 1
  1. replace / conduct
  2. influenced / laws
  3. gripped / snapped
  4. enclosed / whatsoever
  5. impending / constantly
  6. cracks / tends
  7. device / mode
  8. halted / access
  9. valid / version
  10. perspired / sly
Exercise 2
Part A
  1. f
  2. a
  3. e
  4. b
  5. j
  6. d
  7. g
  8. c
  9. h
  10. i
Part B
  1. h
  2. i
  3. e
  4. f
  5. b
  6. a
  7. d
  8. c
  9. j
  10. g
Answer Key
Janie and the Music Player

Janie had constant thoughts about getting a music player. One day, she was late to class. She hurried down the hall but halted when she saw a backpack on the floor. She looked inside and found nothing but some books. She reached inside the bag and felt a small object at the bottom. It was a music player enclosed in a black case! Janie tended to be honest, and she had no valid reason to take the device. However, her desire for the player influenced her decision. Janie was being sly. She put the device into her own backpack. When she arrived at class, she gave her teacher the bag. “I found this,” she said.

Ms. Johnson asked, “Does this backpack belong to anyone?” A girl named Linda claimed the bag. Linda looked inside and yelled, “My music player is missing! Janie took it!” Janie answered, “I did not.” Linda responded, “You were the only one that had access to it! If your version of the story is true, you’ll let Ms. Johnson check your bag.” Janie started to perspire as she realized the impending trouble she was in. She gripped her bag tightly.

Ms. Johnson took the bag from Janie. Inside she found the player. “Janie, I never expected this kind of conduct from you,” she said. “You’ve always been such a good student.”

Ms. Johnson gave Linda the player. Linda said, “Ms. Johnson, look!” There was a crack along one side. She turned it to the “on” mode, but it wouldn’t work. It must’ve snapped while Janie was holding onto the bag so tightly.

Ms. Johnson called Janie’s parents. They were very upset. “Stealing is illegal. You have no respect for the law whatsoever,” they said. “We bought you a music player, but we’re giving it to Linda. It will replace the one you broke.” In the end, Janie’s bad behavior left herwith nothing at all.

Reading Comprehension

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

  1. _____ Janie thought constantly about a device that played videos.
    • _____________________________________________________
  2. _____ Janie halted while she walked to class because she found a backpack.
    • _____________________________________________________
  3. _____ Janie found the player when she gripped the bag.
    • _____________________________________________________
  4. _____ The backpack belonged to a student in Janie’s class.
    • _____________________________________________________
  5. _____ When Linda put the player to “on” mode, it started to work.
    • _____________________________________________________
  6. _____ Janie’s parents gave the music player to Linda to replace the one she broke.
    • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. What did Janie find enclosed in the black case?
    • a. A music player
    • b. A backpack
    • c. A locker
    • d. A key
  2. The reading explains that Janie lied to her teacher about what?
    • a. A backpack she found
    • b. Taking Linda’s music player
    • c. The reason she snapped the player
    • d. How the player got a crack
  3. What did Ms. Johnson NOT expect from Janie?
    • a. Bad conduct
    • b. Her banking information
    • c. Poor schoolwork
    • d. Her influence
  4. Janie’s parents said she had no respect whatsoever for what?
    • a. Her impending trouble
    • b. The law
    • c. Her sly behavior
    • d. The valid reasons
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
Part A
  1. F / Janie thought constantly about a device that played music.
  2. T
  3. F / Janie found the player when she reached into the bag.
  4. T
  5. F / When Linda put the player to “on” mode, it didn’t work.
  6. T
Part B
  1. a
  2. b
  3. a
  4. b
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