4000 Essential English Words 5 » Unit 15: The Big Ship

Word List
  • accessory [ækˈsesəri] n.
    An accessory is a thing that is added to another thing to make it look better.
    → The store sold colorful accessories like bags, sunglasses, and makeup.
  • acquisition [ˌækwəziʃən] n.
    An acquisition is something that a person buys or gets in some way.
    → Marty was happy with his new acquisition: a very fast bicycle.
  • adequate [ˈædikwit] adj.
    When something is adequate, it is good enough for something else.
    → Without adequate notice of the road block, they will have to turn around.
  • cardboard [ˈkɑːrdbɔːrd] n.
    Cardboard is a material made out of stiff paper. It is often used to make boxes.
    → We packed our things into cardboard boxes and moved to our new home.
  • dilemma [diˈlemə] n.
    A dilemma is a difficult situation in which a choice has to be made.
    → Choosing either the tastier or healthier drink proved to be quite a dilemma.
  • elaborate [iˈlæbərit] adj.
    When something is elaborate, it contains a lot of details.
    → She gave the teacher an elaborate explanation of her project.
  • facilitate [fəˈsiləteit] v.
    To facilitate something is to make it easier.
    → To facilitate the meeting, Melissa used a simple computer program.
  • fleet [fliːt] n.
    A fleet is a group of ships.
    → The fleet of ships spent a few days at the dock.
  • grid [grid] n.
    A grid is a pattern of squares with numbers and letters to find places on a map.
    → We located our town using the grid.
  • import [ˈimpɔːrt] v.
    To import means to bring in a product from another country.
    → Foods that have been imported are usually more expensive.
  • infer [inˈfəːr] v.
    To infer something is to decide it is true based on other information one has.
    → By the position of the sun in the sky, she inferred that it was noon.
  • inflate [inˈfleit] v.
    To inflate something means to fill it up with air.
    → I helped him inflate the balloons.
  • innate [iˈneit] adj.
    When something is innate, it is something that one is born with, it is not learned.
    → He had the innate desire to please his teachers.
  • marble [ˈmɑːrbəl] n.
    Marble is a type of rock that feels cold and is smooth when cut.
    → The large house had floors made of marble.
  • mast [mæst] n.
    A mast is a long pole on a ship that holds the sail.
    → The mast held both sails of the ship upright.
  • nausea [ˈnɔːziə] n.
    Nausea is the feeling of being sick to your stomach.
    → The doctor said the medicine would help get rid of her nausea.
  • naval [ˈneivəl] adj.
    When something is naval, it relates to a country’s navy or military ships.
    → The country sent all of its naval forces to protect them.
  • pouch [pautʃ] n.
    A pouch is a small, flexible bag that is usually made of cloth.
    → I keep my money in a small pouch.
  • saturated [ˈsætʃəreitid] adj.
    If something is saturated, it is completely wet.
    → Leigh’s hair became saturated in the rain storm.
  • update [ʌpˈdeit] n.
    An update is an act of making something more modern.
    → I’m doing an update on my personal phone directory.
Exercise 1

Choose the answer that best fits the question.

  1. What is marble often used to for?
    • a. To make cars
    • b. To make boats
    • c. To make statues
    • d. To make fires
  2. Accessories like earrings, purses, an ______ often make clothes book nicer.
    • a. computers
    • b. shoes
    • c. eye color
    • d. muscles
  3. What does it mean to update something?
    • a. To put away
    • b. To leave as it is
    • c. To make more modern
    • d. To break
  4. What is something that should not be imported?
    • a. Fruits
    • b. Shoes
    • c. Ideas
    • d. Diseases
  5. Naval forces are designed to ______ a country from danger.
    • a. protect
    • b. fly
    • c. incorporate
    • d. lead
Exercise 2

Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the word bank.

WORD BLANK
adequate fleet inflated inferred
mast innate pouch saturated
facilitate update    

The equipment in the school was so old that Isla 1___________ that it would not be 2___________ for students to use.

Marilyn had a(n) 3___________ love for education.
She read many books to 4___________ her learning.

Larry took a pen out of the 5___________ in his backpack and used it to 6___________ the information on the form.

The 7___________ was used to being out at sea.
As a result, they didn’t mind having their clothes 8___________ with sea water.

After the fire, nothing was left of the ship except for its tall 9___________ .
Soon, the sailors 10___________ a rescue boat and sailed to safety.

Exercise 3

Choose the one that is similar in meaning to the given word.

  1. adequate
    • a. smart
    • b. enough
    • c. new
    • d. safe
  2. facilitate
    • a. to make easier
    • b. to do first
    • c. to try once
    • d. to find out
  3. elaborate
    • a. beautiful
    • b. small
    • c. detailed
    • d. welcoming
  4. dilemma
    • a. two parts
    • b. contradiction
    • c. problem
    • d. rescue
  5. inflate
    • a. to fill with air
    • b. to enter
    • c. to put away
    • d. to utilize
  6. innate
    • a. strong
    • b. natural
    • c. evil
    • d. full
  7. saturated
    • a. wet
    • b. likely
    • c. uncommon
    • d. unable to change
  8. pouch
    • a. a costume
    • b. an animal
    • c. a bag
    • d. a part
  9. nausea
    • a. improvement
    • b. strength
    • c. lost
    • d. sickness
  10. fleet
    • a. shipbuilder
    • b. structure
    • c. group
    • d. underwater
Exercise 4

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

  1. ______ The cardboard box was made from a tough metal.
  2. ______ The man had an acquisition for being mean to the people that he met.
  3. ______ The man helped the old woman infer the large object on the shelf.
  4. ______ We used the grid on the map to help us locate the museum.
  5. ______ The painting was elaborate. The artist paid attention to every detail.
Answer Key
Exercise 1
  1. c
  2. b
  3. c
  4. d
  5. a
Exercise 2
  1. inferred
  2. adequate
  3. innate
  4. facilitate
  5. pouch
  6. update
  7. fleet
  8. saturated
  9. mast
  10. inflated
Exercise 3
  1. b
  2. a
  3. c
  4. c
  5. a
  6. b
  7. a
  8. c
  9. d
  10. c
Exercise 4
  1. I
  2. I
  3. I
  4. C
  5. C
Answer Key
The Big Ship

Ernest looked at his fleet of ships. Usually, he used them for his firm, which imported marble statues from other countries. But today he was going fishing. And the ship he chose was his favorite. It had an elaborate painting on the side that showed a naval battle. It also had some new updates to its computer system. His favorite ship’s latest acquisition was a device with a small grid to show the ship’s exact location. This new accessory kept Ernest from getting lost.

At daybreak, Ernest happily sailed the temperate waters until he was far from land. Then he saw a small boat in the distance. There was an old man standing next to its mast. He was waving his arms in the air. There was also a boy with his head hanging over the boat’s edge. Ernest inferred that the boy was suffering from nausea. Both of their clothes were saturated with sea water. Ernest assumed that they were in trouble. Most people never realized, but Ernest had an innate desire to help people. He began sailing toward them, eager to facilitate their rescue and thus solve their dilemma.

As he got closer to the boat, he was shocked by its simplicity. The boat’s wood looked no stronger than cardboard, and the equipment was old. Still, there were several large fish in a pouch in the boat.

Ernest threw a large package onto the boat. He yelled, “Here! You can inflate this boat to get you back to land.”

“Get out of here!” screamed the old man.

Ernest was confused. “Don’t you need help?” he asked. “Your ship doesn’t seem adequate enough to sail so far away from land.”

“You’ve just scared away a huge fish,” the boy said. “We waved to let you know you were too close to us.”

Ernest turned around and headed home. He learned that it’s better not to help unless asked to. Otherwise, you might not help anyone 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. _____ Ernest usually used his fleet for his firm that imported marble statues from other countries.
    • _____________________________________________________
  2. _____ His favorite ship had updated accessories like a new grid.
    • _____________________________________________________
  3. _____ When Ernest saw the old man standing next to the mast, he decided to go home.
    • _____________________________________________________
  4. _____ Ernest offered the man and the boy a boat that inflates to facilitate their rescue.
    • _____________________________________________________
  5. _____ Ernest had the innate desire to make a lot of money.
    • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. What was on the side of Ernest’s favorite ship?
    _____________
  2. How does the author describe the clothes of the people in the boat?
    _____________
  3. What did Ernest think was wrong with the boy?
    _____________
  4. Where did the people in the small boat keep their fish?
    _____________
  5. What did Ernest learn at the end of the story?
    _____________
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
Part A
  1. T
  2. T
  3. F / When Ernest saw the man standing next to the mast, he decided to help him out of his dilemma.
  4. T
  5. F / Ernest had the innate desire to help others.
Part B
  1. There was an elaborate painting of a naval battle on the side of his boat.
  2. Their clothes were saturated with seawater.
  3. Ernest thought the boy was suffering from nausea.
  4. There were several large fish in a pouch in the boat.
  5. Ernest learned it better not to offer help unless it was asked for.
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