4000 Essential English Words 5 » Unit 26: Cosmo’s Flight

Word List
  • behalf [biˈhæf] n.
    If something is done on one’s behalf, it is done for that person by another.
    → The original speaker was sick, so his son gave the speech on his behalf.
  • flap [flæp] v.
    To flap means to move quickly up and down or from side to side.
    → The tiny bird flapped its wings and ate from the flowers.
  • glacier [ˈgleiʃər] n.
    A glacier is a large piece of ice that moves very slowly.
    → The North Pole is covered by a huge glacier.
  • globe [gloub] n.
    The globe refers to the Earth.
    → Water covers most of the globe.
  • horizontal [ˌhɔ:rəˈzɒntl] adj.
    When something is horizontal, it is flat and level with the ground.
    → The Russian flag has three horizontal stripes of white, blue, and red.
  • hum [hʌm] v.
    To hum means to make a low, continuous noise.
    → The man hummed his favorite song.
  • inventory [ˈinvənˌtɔ:ri] n.
    An inventory is a supply of something.
    → Gwen was checking the inventory to make sure we had what we needed.
  • inward [ˈinwərd] adj.
    If a thought or feeling is inward, it is not expressed or shown to others.
    → She had an inward feeling of guilt when she lied to her mother.
  • loaf [louf] n.
    A loaf of bread is bread shaped and baked in one piece.
    → Could you please buy a loaf of bread for sandwiches?
  • oracle [ˈɔ(:)rəkəl] n.
    An oracle is person who speaks with gods and gives advice about the future.
    → The king went to the oracle to ask if going to war was a good idea.
  • orbit [ˈɔːrbit] v.
    To orbit something means to move around it in a continuous, curving path.
    → The moon orbits the Earth.
  • overview [ˈouvərvjuː] n.
    An overview is a general description of a situation.
    → My brother gave me an overview of the important parts of the book.
  • preview [ˈpriːvjuː] n.
    A preview is an opportunity to see something before it is available to the public.
    → The band played us a preview of their new song.
  • previous [ˈpriːviəs] adj.
    If something is previous, then it happened earlier in time or order.
    → He turned back to the previous page to read the paragraph again.
  • provide [prəˈvaid] v.
    To provide something means to supply it.
    → Each student was provided with a test and three sharp pencils.
  • recur [riˈkəːr] v.
    To recur means to happen more than once.
    → Burglaries seem to recur over and over in our neighborhood.
  • relevant [ˈreləvənt] adj.
    When something is relevant, it is important to a certain person or situation.
    → The thirty-year-old book about politics is still relevant to our society today.
  • rite [rait] n.
    A rite is a traditional ceremony carried out by a particular group or society.
    → Special masks are worn during the rite when a new baby is born.
  • stall [stɔːl] v.
    To stall means to stop a process and continue it at a later time.
    → If you give the car a push, it won’t stall.
  • supernatural [ˌsuːpərˈnætʃərəl] adj.
    If something is supernatural, it is not real or explainable by natural law.
    → The dragon had supernatural powers such as flying and breathing fire.
Exercise 1

Choose the answer that best fits the question.

  1. What recurs when watching a funny movie?
    • a. Boredom
    • b. Laughter
    • c. Headaches
    • d. Hunger
  2. What orbits the Earth?
    • a. The moon
    • b. A car
    • c. A bird
    • d. A kite
  3. Why do birds flap their wings?
    • a. To eat
    • b. To fly
    • c. To whistle
    • d. To exercise
  4. What is supernatural?
    • a. A frog
    • b. A school
    • c. A ghost
    • d. An eclipse
  5. If you give an overview of a movie, you ______.
    • a. describe the important parts
    • b. watch it again
    • c. tell others it was a good movie
    • d. pay money
Exercise 2

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

WORD BLANK
loaf oracles inward behalf
orbit rite globe provided
overview relevant    

I’m going on a trip halfway across the 1___________ .
While I’m gone, Sarah will turn in my homework on my 2___________ .

On our vacation to Africa, we got to witness an old Egyptian 3___________ .
We weren’t told all the details of it, but we were given a brief 4___________ .

He 5___________ slices of bread for the children’s sandwiches.
He can make several by baking a single 6___________ of bread.

Sometimes, I choose to keep my thoughts and feelings 7___________ .
Though I’m quiet about them, they are still 8___________ .

In the past, people asked 9___________ how the gods moved the planets.
Today, science explains how the planets 10___________ the sun.

Exercise 3

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

  1. relevant
    • a. important
    • b. beautiful
    • c. vast
    • d. different
  2. horizontal
    • a. heavy
    • b. flat
    • c. large
    • d. nice
  3. a rite
    • a. a story
    • b. a belief
    • c. a body
    • d. a ceremony
  4. stall
    • a. to stop
    • b. to fade
    • c. to blink
    • d. to react
  5. inventory
    • a. a brand
    • b. a trait
    • c. a supply
    • d. a car
Exercise 4

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

  1. My earlier report was just a short account of the long, difficult book.
    ____________
  2. In ancient Greece, the person who gives advice often gave information about the future.
    ____________
  3. The top of the fence was perfectly flat and level with the ground.
    ____________
  4. I know about the piece because I saw the viewing before it was available to the public.
    ____________
  5. The baker made an extra piece of bread for the homeless man in the alley.
    ____________
  6. She is embarrassed of some of her not expressed or shown thoughts.
    ____________
  7. The fisherman liked to make a low, continuous noise while he waited for a bite.
    ____________
  8. The travelers were given a place to stay, but they had to supply their own food.
    ____________
  9. The company had to stop the process of the production of the dangerous toy.
    ____________
  10. We saw a cute polar bear jump into the water from the edge of the large mass of ice.
    ____________
Answer Key
Exercise 1
  1. b
  2. a
  3. b
  4. c
  5. a
Exercise 2
  1. globe
  2. behalf
  3. rite
  4. overview
  5. provided
  6. loaf
  7. inward
  8. relevant
  9. oracles
  10. orbit
Exercise 3
  1. a
  2. b
  3. d
  4. a
  5. c
Exercise 4
  1. previous
  2. oracle
  3. horizontal
  4. preview
  5. loaf
  6. inward
  7. hum
  8. provide
  9. stall
  10. glacier
Answer Key
Cosmo’s Flight

When Cosmo woke up, he was crying. He had a dream that he was falling. This dream had recurred for the previous five nights. Cosmo was scared that his dreams were a preview of what was going to happen on his flight the next day.

Cosmo was a supernatural being who was about to turn 15 years old. In his culture, boys of his age were required to participate in an important rite. They were given wings and instructed to orbit the Earth. After successful flights, the boys officially became men. Cosmo certainly wanted to be a man, but he was scared. He went to the oracle of a god named Dano. Cosmo said, “I’m not sure I can make such a long trip. What if I get tired? What if my strength stalls, and I can’t stay in the air. I’ll crash and die!”

Dano replied, “Don’t be afraid. You have all the relevant skills in your personal inventory that have been building up over the years. To ease your worry, let me tell you a little about what will happen tomorrow. You’ll begin over Africa. You’ll keep flying north until you come to the Himalayas. The mountaintops will look like small loaves of bread at such a high distance. The rivers of the world will look like pieces of blue string that cross the globe. Keep your body horizontal when flying against the winds of the Pacific Ocean. Keep your eyes open and enjoy the beauty of the Earth. You will be fine, you’ll see.”

Cosmo replied, “Thanks for the overview of my journey, I’ll do my best.”

The next morning, Cosmo was provided with a divine set of wings and sent on his way. He flapped his wings and went high above the Earth. He flew over mountains, oceans, and glaciers. After a while, his inward thoughts were no longer about falling. He was actually having fun! He began to hum a song as he enjoyed the view. When he reached home, his tribe was there to greet him.

The chief said, “On behalf of the tribe, I declare you a man. We’re proud of you, Cosmo!”

Cosmo was proud of himself, too.

Reading Comprehension

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

  1. _____ Cosmo was scared that his recurring dreams of the previous nights were a preview of what would happen.
    • _____________________________________________________
  2. _____ Supernatural boys of Cosmo’s age participated in an important rite.
    • _____________________________________________________
  3. _____ In Dano’s summary, he told Cosmo to keep his body horizontal against the winds of the Indian Ocean.
    • _____________________________________________________
  4. _____ Dano flapped the wings he was provided with and orbited the globe.
    • _____________________________________________________
  5. _____ Cosmo sang a tune while he flew and enjoyed the view.
    • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. What inward thoughts were no longer relevant to Cosmo after he started having fun?
    _____________
  2. What did Dano tell Cosmo that the tops of the Himalaya Mountains will look like?
    _____________
  3. What did Cosmo say after he thanked the oracle for the overview?
    _____________
  4. The oracle told Cosmo that the rivers of the world will look like what?
    _____________
  5. What did the chief declare on behalf of the tribe?
    _____________
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
Part A
  1. T
  2. T
  3. F / In Dano’s summary, he told Cosmo to keep his body horizontal against the winds of the Pacific Ocean.
  4. F / Cosmo flapped his wings and orbited the globe.
  5. F / Cosmo hummed a tune while he flew and enjoyed the view.
Part B
  1. Cosmo’s inward thoughts about falling were no longer relevant.
  2. Dano told Cosmo that the mountain tops will look like loaves of bread.
  3. “I’ll do my best.”
  4. The rivers of the world would look like pieces of blue string.
  5. He declared Cosmo a man.
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