4000 Essential English Words 5 » Unit 25: The Man and the Monkey

Word List
  • aesthetic [esˈθetik] adj.
    If something is aesthetic, then it is concerned with a love of beauty.
    → The dresses were noteworthy for their aesthetic design.
  • arrogant [ˈærəgənt] adj.
    If someone is arrogant, they think that they are more important than others.
    → He is very arrogant. Even though he’s not the boss, he tells everyone what to do.
  • bias [ˈbaiəs] n.
    A bias is a person’s likelihood to like one thing more than another thing.
    → The mothers had a natural bias for their own child’s picture.
  • canyon [ˈkænjən] n.
    A canyon is a narrow valley with steep walls through which a river often flows.
    → The canyon was so deep that the ground inside was covered in shadow.
  • creek [kriːk] n.
    A creek is a stream or small river.
    → Only small fish lived in the shallow waters of the creek.
  • drill [dril] n.
    A drill is a tool with a point that spins in order to make a hole.
    → The carpenter used the drill to make several holes in the wood.
  • executive [igˈzekjətiv] n.
    An executive is the top manager of a business.
    → After twenty years at the company, he finally became the executive.
  • fatigue [fəˈtiːg] n.
    Fatigue is a feeling of extreme tiredness.
    → After three days with little sleep, she was feeling a lot of fatigue.
  • incline [ˈinklain] n.
    An incline is a sharp rise in something, especially a hill or mountain.
    → This mountain has one of the steepest inclines in the world.
  • nasty [ˈnæsti] adj.
    If something is nasty, then it is not nice or pleasant.
    → The rotten apple left a nasty taste inside her mouth.
  • perceive [pərsiːv] v.
    To perceive something means to be aware of it.
    → He was talking loudly, so he did not perceive that the music had stopped.
  • primate [ˈpraimeit] n.
    A primate is a type of mammal that includes monkeys, apes, and humans.
    → Primates use their hands for such tasks as swinging from branches.
  • primitive [ˈprimətiv] adj.
    If something is primitive, then it is simple, basic, and not very developed.
    → The computers of the 1980s are primitive compared to those of todays.
  • stereotype [ˈsteriətaip] n.
    A stereotype is a general but often incorrect idea about a person or thing.
    → There’s a stereotype that pigs are dirty animals. But they are rather clean.
  • sticky [ˈstiki] adj.
    If something is sticky, then it is covered with a substance that things stick to.
    → Place the sticky part of the tape against the paper, so it will cling to the wall.
  • termite [ˈtəːrmait] n.
    A termite is an insect that lives in groups and feeds on wood.
    → The wood we found was full of termites.
  • thereby [ˈðɛə:rˈbai] adv.
    If something happens thereby an action, then it is the result of that action.
    → He didn’t score a goal, thereby ending his chance at setting a record.
  • trail [treil] n.
    A trail is a path through a wild area.
    → A narrow trail cut through the field and over the hills.
  • twig [twig] n.
    A twig is a short and thin branch from a tree or bush.
    → They started the fire with a handful of dry twigs.
  • welfare [ˈwelfɛə:r] n.
    Welfare is the health and happiness of a person or group.
    → Having plenty of clean water is necessary for the welfare of people.
Exercise 1

Choose the answer that best fits the question.

  1. Which of the following might be eaten by a termite?
    • a. A log
    • b. A brick
    • c. A cake
    • d. A feather
  2. Who would most likely use a drill?
    • a. A captain
    • b. A carpenter
    • c. A cowboy
    • d. A lifeguard
  3. What job would an executive do?
    • a. Clean floors
    • b. Manage workers
    • c. Teach science
    • d. Prepare food
  4. What would best describe something that smells nasty?
    • a. Sweet
    • b. Steamy
    • c. Stinky
    • d. Pleasant
  5. How would you describe someone who could NOT perceive sound?
    • a. Deaf
    • b. Blind
    • c. Quiet
    • d. Mute
Exercise 2

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

WORD BLANK
trail stereotype twig canyon
creek fatigue aesthetic welfare
primitive termites    

The path leading out of the 1___________ was very steep.
When they reached the top, they had to rest because of their 2___________ .

He had a(n) 3___________ about ancient cultures.
He thought that all their customs and ideas were 4___________ .

The 5___________ led travelers to the top of the mountain.
I was astonished by the 6___________ view.

A line of 7___________ stretched from the mound across the forest floor.
They were all going to eat a 8___________ hat had fallen off a tree.

People thought that the water from the 9___________ cured illnesses.
They drank it because they hoped it would beneficial to their 10___________ .

Exercise 3

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

  1. perceive
    • a. notice
    • b. share
    • c. copy
    • d. gain
  2. welfare
    • a. welcome
    • b. blanket
    • c. health
    • d. sale
  3. bias
    • a. herb
    • b. sock
    • c. box
    • d. favoritism
  4. arrogant
    • a. proud
    • b. bright
    • c. loose
    • d. loud
  5. creek
    • a. button
    • b. truck
    • c. stream
    • d. arrow
  6. nasty
    • a. slow
    • b. small
    • c. smooth
    • d. mean
  7. executive
    • a. group
    • b. boss
    • c. monster
    • d. finger
  8. trail
    • a. path
    • b. moment
    • c. song
    • d. mirror
  9. incline
    • a. rise
    • b. cotton
    • c. shoulder
    • d. soldier
  10. thereby
    • a. growth
    • b. section
    • c. dream
    • d. so
Exercise 4

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

  1. The kids gathered short, thing branches for their school art project.
    ____________
  2. The glue was covered with a substance that made things stick to it.
    ____________
  3. Early rocket development was simple and basic compared to what we have in the 21st century.
    ____________
  4. Monkeys, apes, and humans are some of the few animals with opposable thumbs.
    ____________
  5. After walking 12 kilometers, I was filled with a sense of extreme tiredness.
    ____________
Answer Key
Exercise 1
  1. a
  2. b
  3. b
  4. c
  5. a
Exercise 2
  1. canyon
  2. fatigue
  3. stereotype
  4. primitive
  5. trail
  6. aesthetic
  7. termites
  8. twig
  9. creek
  10. welfare
Exercise 3
  1. a
  2. c
  3. d
  4. a
  5. c
  6. d
  7. b
  8. a
  9. a
  10. d
Exercise 4
  1. twigs
  2. sticky
  3. primitive
  4. primates
  5. fatigue
Answer Key
The Man and the Monkey

While flying over a jungle, a wealthy executive’s private plane crashed. Some of the crew were hurt, so the pilot decided to stay with them and wait for help. The arrogant executive, though, didn’t care about the welfare of the pilot and crew. Rather, he thought he could walkout of the jungle and find a town to stay in.

He followed a trail through a canyon and along a creek. The jungle was actually very stunning. If the arrogant executive had stopped to look around, he might have perceived the jungle’s beauty. But he was in a nasty mood and had no care for the aesthetic value of the jungle. He continued to walk up the steep incline of the jungle’s hills.

Soon, he was lost. Several days passed, and fatigue and hunger weakened him. He was very tired and afraid.

Just then, a monkey came out of the trees. It was carrying a twig covered in honey. It walked up to a mound where termites lived. He then used the twig like a drill to make a hole in the mound. Then very carefully, it removed the twig from the hole. The sticky twig was covered with termites.

Instead of eating the bugs, the monkey offered them to the executive, but he didn’t want what the monkey offered. He shouted at the monkey, “Get away from me, you stupid primate!”

The executive’s stereotype of the monkey was wrong. The monkey was not stupid. It knew how to find food, whereas the executive did not. He refused the help of the monkey, thereby leaving himself to starve.

When the executive was finally found, he was very skinny and sick. He had not eaten for a very longtime. Because he held a bias against the primitive ways of the monkey, he had gone hungry and almost died. The executive didn’t understand that it was his arrogant attitude that had caused all of his problems.

Reading Comprehension

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

  1. _____ The executive only cared about the welfare of his pilot and crew.
    • _____________________________________________________
  2. _____ The executive followed a trail through a canyon and along a creek.
    • _____________________________________________________
  3. _____ The executive was in a nasty mood, so he did not see the aesthetic value of the jungle.
    • _____________________________________________________
  4. _____ The executive walked up the small incline of the jungle’s hills.
    • _____________________________________________________
  5. _____ The executive’s stereotype of the primate was correct.
    • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. What was on the twig that made it sticky enough to capture termites?
    _____________
  2. What did hunger and fatigue do to the executive?
    _____________
  3. What happened to the executive because of his bias against the monkey’s primitive ways?
    _____________
  4. What did the monkey use like it was a drill?
    _____________
  5. What did the executive never perceive about his arrogant attitude?
    _____________
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
Part A
  1. F / The executive did not care about the welfare of his pilot and crew.
  2. T
  3. T
  4. F / The executive walked up the steep incline of the jungle’s hills.
  5. F / The executive’s stereotype of the primate was wrong.
Part B
  1. The honey on the twig that made it sticky enough to capture termites.
  2. Fatigue and hunger weakened him.
  3. Because he had a bias against the primitive ways of the monkey, he had gone hungry.
  4. He used the twig like it was a drill.
  5. He never perceived that his arrogant attitude was the cause of all his problems.
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).

Read more
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).

Read more
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).

Read more
4000 Essential English Words 4

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 4: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

Read more
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).

Read more