4000 Essential English Words 5 » Unit 16: The History of Parachutes

Word List
  • addict [ˈædikt] n.
    An addict is a person who cannot stop doing or having something.
    → She was a coffee addict. She had more than three cups each day.
  • archeological [ˌɑːrkiəˈlɒdʒikəl] adj.
    When something is archeological, it relates to archeology.
    → They found archeological evidence that proved an ancient species of man.
  • archeology [ˌɑːrkiˈɒlədʒi] n.
    Archeology is the study of ancient people through their artifacts.
    → He studied archeology to learn more about ancient Egyptian culture.
  • brainstorm [ˈbreinstɔːrm] v.
    To brainstorm is to have a lot of ideas about a certain topic.
    → The students met after school to brainstorm ideas for their assignment.
  • budget [ˈbʌdʒit] n.
    A budget is the amount of money available to spend on something.
    → His budget for food was very tight.
  • chaotic [keiˈɒtik] adj.
    When something is chaotic, it is crazy, confused, and hectic.
    → The first day of school can be chaotic for a new student.
  • cite [sait] v.
    To cite something is to mention it as an example or as proof of something.
    → She cited six reasons that the school needed to build new classrooms.
  • correspond [ˌkɔ:rəsˈpɒnd] v.
    To correspond is to match or to be similar to something.
    → The boy’s story didn’t correspond with his mother’s version.
  • courtyard [ˈkɔːrtjɑːrd] n.
    A courtyard is an outdoor area that is surrounded by the walls of a building.
    → During the summer, the courtyard is a nice place to have lunch.
  • estate [isˈteit] n.
    An estate is a large area of land owned by a family or organization.
    → He lived on his father’s estate in the country.
  • fraud [frɔːd] n.
    Fraud is the crime of gaining money by lying or by tricking people.
    → Experts say that credit card fraud increases around the holidays.
  • hydrogen [ˈhaidrədʒən] n.
    Hydrogen is a gas that has no taste, color, or smell.
    → Balloons filled with hydrogen can easily float away if you aren’t careful.
  • integrity [inˈtegrəti] n.
    Integrity is honesty and good morals.
    → The principal had a lot of integrity.
  • knit [nit] v.
    To knit is to make fabric by connecting strings together.
    → My grandmother knitted me a sweater.
  • outlook [ˈautluk] n.
    An outlook is a person’s opinion or way of thinking about something.
    → He changed his outlook about rats after he read a book about them.
  • parachute [ˈpærəʃuːt] n.
    A parachute is a device that helps people and things fall to the ground safely.
    → They used parachutes dropped from airplanes to send supplies to the civilians.
  • prehistoric [ˈpriːhisˈtɔ:rik] adj.
    When something is prehistoric, it is from a time when there was no written history.
    → The scientists found prehistoric pots used by the people in the area.
  • proponent [prəˈpounənt] n.
    A proponent is a person who supports an idea or a plan.
    → He was a proponent of using environmentally friendly products.
  • refine [riˈfain] v.
    To refine something is to make it better by making changes.
    → The principal refined his method of controlling students over the years.
  • restrict [risˈtrikt] v.
    To restrict is to limit something and prevent it from getting bigger.
    → The club restricted the amount of members.
Exercise 1

Choose the answer that best fits the question.

  1. Someone with integrity ______ .
    • a. invents new things
    • b. tricks people
    • c. lies
    • d. is honest
  2. What does a person with a good understanding of a budget take care of?
    • a. Their safety
    • b. Their possessions
    • c. Their money
    • d. Their pet
  3. Which of the following might an archeological expert be interested in?
    • a. Reading about ancient devices
    • b. Studying the effects of height and speed
    • c. Learning how to save lives
    • d. Finding his car keys
  4. What does it mean to be a parachute addict?
    • a. To want to be on land
    • b. To want to jump from a plane with a parachute
    • c. To always ride in hot-air balloons
    • d. To want to be at sea
  5. In order to refine an invention, one has to _______.
    • a. spend money on it
    • b. make it better
    • c. be ignorant
    • d. know Italian
Exercise 2

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

  1. The teacher held classes in the outdoor area surrounded by walls on warm days.
    ____________
  2. The airport is usually hectic on Saturdays because many people were traveling.
    ____________
  3. The teacher made sure the correct answers matched with the questions on the test.
    ____________
  4. The student gave an example from an interview she heard on the radio.
    ____________
  5. The victim of the crime of tricking told the police about her experience.
    ____________
Exercise 3

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

  1. prehistoric
    • a. large
    • b. old
    • c. upsetting
    • d. under
  2. outlook
    • a. outside
    • b. plan
    • c. work
    • d. viewpoint
  3. proponent
    • a. supporter
    • b. teacher
    • c. traveler
    • d. scientist
  4. estate
    • a. gas
    • b. property
    • c. airplane
    • d. evidence
  5. brainstorm
    • a. to come up with
    • b. to read a lot
    • c. to get wet
    • d. to jump
Exercise 4

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

  1. ______ The farmer lived on a large estate. It was given to him by his father.
  2. ______ The principal was a proponent of group learning. He wanted students to learn on their own.
  3. ______ He wanted to refine the machine before he sold it. He spent three years improving it.
  4. ______ The seat belt restricted the child’s movement in the car. He was able to move a lot.
  5. ______ After an accident in the laboratory, hydrogen filled the air. The gas was completely invisible.
  6. ______ The boy had a different outlook than his brother. He thought that people should try to save the environment, but his brother thought it wasn’t worth trying.
  7. ______ The scientists found many archeological items in the desert. It would help them study modern societies.
  8. ______ Brian brainstormed with his group. After an hour, they came up with a great idea.
  9. ______ The people in the plane crash were saved by parachutes. They dropped safely to the ground using the device.
  10. ______ Ellen wanted to learn how to knit. She wanted to save people from fires.
  11. ______ The man was found guilty of fraud. He told people he was selling medicine, but it was only river water.
  12. ______ The woman showed her integrity by lying to the police about her involvement in the crime.
  13. ______ The chocolate addict ate chocolate bars about once a month.
  14. ______ The archeology expert was called to study some ancient bones. They are thought to belong to dinosaurs.
  15. ______ The children ran into the courtyard when it started raining. They didn’t want to get wet.
Answer Key
Exercise 1
  1. d
  2. c
  3. a
  4. b
  5. b
Exercise 2
  1. courtyard
  2. chaotic
  3. corresponded
  4. cited
  5. fraud
Exercise 3
  1. b
  2. d
  3. a
  4. b
  5. a
Exercise 4
  1. C
  2. I
  3. C
  4. I
  5. C
  6. C
  7. I
  8. C
  9. C
  10. I
  11. C
  12. I
  13. I
  14. C
  15. I
Answer Key
The History of Parachutes

Scientists who study archeology say that there may be some evidence of prehistoric parachutes. But the first written history of the device comes from China about 2,100 years ago. Scientists cite an ancient book that describes parachutes. However, there is no archeological evidence that proves that an actual parachute was ever made. Later, people from northern Africa and Italy also had ideas about a similar invention. In fact, a Leonardo Da Vinci’s drawing corresponds closely with the modern parachute design!

In 1783, French scientist Sebastian Lenormand invented the first modern parachute. Sebastian brainstormed with other scientists to come up with a way to help people jump safely out of burning buildings. He thought the solution was to give people an object to restrict their speed while they traveled toward the ground. Many people thought that he was up to some kind of fraud, but Sebastian had a lot of integrity. His budget was limited, so he first tested his theory by using two umbrellas. He jumped out of a tree and found that the umbrellas worked.

Next, he refined his invention. Rather than using umbrellas, he knit a large parachute. Finally, he jumped off a tall building on a French estate and landed safely in the courtyard.

Sebastian’s work gave another man an idea. Jean-Pierre Blanchard had a different outlook than Sebastian. He was a hot air balloon addict. He was one of the first people to ride in a hot air balloon powered by hydrogen gas. He was a proponent of using the parachutes to exit from hot air balloons. Starting in 1785, he used his dog to show that animals could land safely from hot air balloons by using parachutes. Then, in 1793, he was faced with a chaotic experience. The hot air balloon he was riding in burst and started to fall. He was forced to use a parachute himself. And much to his relief, it saved his life!

Reading Comprehension

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

  1. _____ Archeological evidence shows there were prehistoric parachutes in China.
    • _____________________________________________________
  2. _____ Archeology experts cite an old Chinese book that describes a parachute that corresponds with modern parachutes.
    • _____________________________________________________
  3. _____ Sebastian brainstormed with scientists to invent a device that would allow people to jump from buildings safely.
    • _____________________________________________________
  4. _____ On Sebastian’s first jump, he used a large blanket to restrict his speed as he traveled to the ground.
    • _____________________________________________________
  5. _____ Jean-Pierre was a hot air balloon addict.
    • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. Why did Sebastian use umbrellas on his first jump?
    _____________
  2. What did Sebastian think that a parachute would do?
    _____________
  3. Where did Sebastian jump with the parachute he refined and knitted?
    _____________
  4. How was Jean-Pierre’s outlook different from Sebastian?
    _____________
  5. Why did Jean-Pierre jump from his hot air balloon?
    _____________
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
Part A
  1. F / There is no archeological evidence that the Chinese actually made parachutes.
  2. F / A Da Vinci drawing of a parachute corresponds with modern parachute design.
  3. T
  4. F / He used two umbrellas to restrict his speed as he traveled to the gound.
  5. T
Part B
  1. Sebastian used umbrellas because he had a small budget.
  2. Sebastian thought that a parachute would restrict the jumper from gaining too much speed as they fell.
  3. Sebastian jumped off a tall building on a French estate and landed safely in the courtyard.
  4. Jean-Pierre was a proponent of using parachutes to jump out hot air balloons instead of using them to jump out of burning buildings.
  5. Jean-Pierre first used the parachute when he had a chaotic experience and the balloon he was riding in burst.
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