Unit 9: Growing to be Great

4000 Essential English Words 4 » Unit 9: Growing to be Great

Word List

alongside [əˈlɒŋˈsaɪd] adv.

If something is alongside another thing, then it is next to it.

→ We work alongside each other in the office.
appetite [ˈæpitait] n.

Your appetite is your hunger for food.

→ Tom has a big appetite. He eats all the time.
assist [əˈsist] v.

To assist someone is to help them.

→ Andrew assisted me with my homework.
breeze [briːz] n.

A breeze is a soft wind.

→ The breeze caused the leaves to fall off the tree.
defy [diˈfai] v.

To defy someone is to work against them or refuse to do what they say.

→ The students got into trouble for defying their teacher’s rules.
display [disˈplei] v.

To display something is to show it, especially by putting it in a certain place.

→ The museum displayed many wonderful paintings.
efficient [iˈfiʃənt] adj.

If something or someone is efficient, they do not waste energy.

→ My car is very efficient. I rarely have to buy gas.
feeble [ˈfiːbəl] adj.

If someone is feeble, they are small or weak.

→ The boy was too feeble to carry the object very far.
forgive [fə:rgɪv] v.

To forgive someone is to stop being angry with them.

→ Sandra forgave Peter after he said he was sorry.
lively [ˈlaivli] adj.

If someone is lively, they have a lot of energy.

→ Jennifer is very lively: she’s always running and playing.
majestic [məˈdʒestik] adj.

If something is majestic, it is large and beautiful.

→ The rich people lived in a big, majestic house.
nor [nɔːr] conj

You use nor to connect two negative ideas.

→ I eat neither apples nor oranges. I don’t like either one.
outraged [ˈautreɪdʒ] adj.

If someone is outraged, they are very angry.

→ My father was outraged when he saw that I had crashed his car.
pessimistic [ˌpesəˈmistik] adj.

If someone is pessimistic, they believe that the worst will happen.

→ John is pessimistic. He always thinks something bad will happen.
rumor [ˈruːmər] n.

A rumor is something people talk about even though it may not be true.

→ Kevin was spreading rumors about Marcia to everyone.
slap [slæp] v.

To slap someone means to hit them with the palm of the hand.

→ Out of anger, Helen slapped Eunice on the face.
smash [smæʃ] v.

To smash something is to break it into many small pieces.

→ Jacob smashed the window with a rock.
subject [ˈsʌbdʒɪkt] n.

A subject is the topic that is being discussed or taught.

→ The subject of Marco’s speech was the economy.
wage [weɪdʒ] n.

A wage is the money that a person gets for doing a job.

→ The wages I receive from my job are really great!
whereas [hwɛərˈæz] conj.

You use whereas to show how two things are different.

→ My sister loves horror movies, whereas I prefer comedies.

Exercise 1

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

a gentle wind
- a. breeze
- b. appetite
- c. subject
- d. display
money for a job
- a. rumor
- b. forgive
- c. wage
- d. whereas
big and beautiful
- a. feeble
- b. majestic
- c. efficient
- d. outraged
full of energy
- a. lively
- b. nor
- c. pessimistic
- d. alongside
used to show how two things are different
- a. alongside
- b. smash
- c. defy
- d. whereas

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

pessimistic
- a. to show something
- b. believing that something bad will happen
- c. full of energy
- d. large and beautiful
slap
- a. to hit someone
- b. to break something
- c. to be beside
- d. to be small or weak
rumor
- a. to pay
- b. to become windy
- c. to be a sign
- d. an unproven story
outraged
- a. angry
- b. connecting two ideas
- c. showing contrast
- d. believing something bad will happen
defy
- a. hunger
- b. to stop being angry
- c. helping someone
- d. to go against

Exercise 2

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

lim walks to school beside Tim.
____________
I needed Jamie to help me in fixing my car.
____________
The story that may not be true about his life is spreading around town.
____________
I spend all my money that I make at my job on new clothes.
____________
The chair broke into small pieces when Rob sat down on it.
____________
Bob is small and weak because he doesn’t eat healthy food.
____________
My new car is not wasteful.
____________
My favorite topic to study in school is science.
____________
She was very angry when someone stole her purse.
____________
I stopped being angry at Joseph when he said he was sorry.
____________

Exercise 3

Choose the answer that best fits the question.

Which of the following connects two negative ideas?
- a. A breeze
- b. Nor
- c. Defy
- d. An outrage
What is a positive way to describe someone?
- a. Forgive
- b. Pessimistic
- c. Lively
- d. Feeble
What can you study in school?
- a. A breeze
- b. A subject
- c. A wage
- d. An outrage
What controls how much you eat?
- a. Your appetite
- b. Your subject
- c. Your herald
- d. An efficient mouth
If you are showing something, what are you doing?
- a. Assist
- b. Displaying it
- c. Slapped
- d. Smashed

Answer Key

Exercise 1

Part A

a
c
b
a
d

Part B

b
a
d
a
d

Exercise 2

alongside
assist
rumor
wages
smashed
feeble
efficient
subject
outraged
forgave

Exercise 3

b
c
b
a
b

Answer Key

Growing to be Great

When George was just a boy, he didn’t have any parents. The rumor was that they died in a car accident. Many bad things could have happened to George, but he was lucky. He was sent to live alongside other children without parents. There were kind people to assist George and help him go forward with his life. However, he was a pessimistic and mean little boy.

George was often outraged. He told mean rumors about the other kids. He smashed furniture and even slapped other boys. He defied anyone who tried to help him, and soon it was difficult for them to forgive him. But George did display a love for one thing. He loved to play baseball. Whereas he was lazy in school and liked neither the subjects nor the teachers, he was lively and happy when he played baseball.

One of George’s teachers noticed his talent. He began to work with the boy. At first - • they only talked about baseball. The teacher watched George play. He was a very efficient hitter. He almost never missed the ball. The teacher thought that George looked majestic when he played. When George hit the ball, it flew through the breeze as if it would never come down. In time, they began to talk about other things. They talked about George’s 3 family and his dreams for the future. They developed a very good relationship.

As George got older, he began to grow. His appetite was huge. He ate and ate. He got stronger. Soon the other boys and even the teachers looked small and feeble next to him. Everyone thought that this heralded the start of a great baseball career.

When George got his first job as a baseball player, he gave most of his wages to the people who had helped him as a boy. He hoped that other children would also find a way to live happy, successful lives.

Reading Comprehension

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

_____ George grew up alongside other children who didn’t have parents.
- _____________________________________________________
_____ George looked majestic when he played baseball.
- _____________________________________________________
_____ George was a feeble boy with a small appetite.
- _____________________________________________________
_____ When George grew up, he gave some of his wages to the people who had assisted him.
- _____________________________________________________
_____ George was a lively student who liked many subjects.
- _____________________________________________________
_____ George smashed things and slapped other boys when he was outraged.
- _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

Why did one of George’s teachers begin to work with him?
- a. George displayed a talent for baseball.
- b. No one wanted to talk to George.
- c. George was a pessimistic student.
- d. George didn’t like the boys at school.
When was George lively and happy?
- a. When he had lunch with other children
- b. When he was playing baseball
- c. When he was at school
- d. When he got married
Why was George good at baseball?
- a. He was very tall.
- b. He could swim very well.
- c. He was a very efficient hitter.
- d. He usually defied his teachers.
What was the rumor about George’s parents?
- a. They were very sick.
- b. They were not able to take care of him.
- c. They went on a trip.
- d. They died in a car accident.

Answer Key

Reading Comprehension

Part A

T
T
F / George was a strong boy with a large appetite.
T
F / George was a lazy student who didn’t like any subjects.
T

Part B

a
b
c
d

Favorite Books

4000 Essential English Words 1

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 1: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

4000 Essential English Words 2

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 2: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

4000 Essential English Words 3

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 3: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

4000 Essential English Words 5

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 5: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

4000 Essential English Words 6

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 6: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

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