4000 Essential English Words 6 » Unit 29: The Shortcut

Word List
  • analogous [əˈnæləgəs] adj.
    If something is analogous to another thing, then it is like it in certain ways.
    → The relationship with his teacher was analogous to that of a son and mother.
  • binoculars [bəˈnɒkjələrz] n.
    Binoculars are a device used for seeing things that are far away.
    → He could see the ship on the horizon only if he used his binoculars.
  • bulk [bʌlk] n.
    The bulk of something is its great size.
    → The large elephant moved its bulk with legs as strong as tree trunks.
  • comprise [kəmˈpraiz] v.
    If something comprises something else, it consists of or is made up of it.
    → Our school’s football team is mostly comprised with seniors.
  • depict [diˈpikt] v.
    To depict something means to show or portray it, often using art.
    → The statue’s face depicted the general’s determination and courage.
  • dual [ˈdju:əl] adj.
    If something is dual, then it is made up of two parts.
    → The room had a dual function. It was a living room, but at night it was a bedroom.
  • Fahrenheit [ˈfærənhait] n.
    Fahrenheit temperature is a scale where water freezes at 32° and boils at 212°.
    → When the temperature dropped to 32° Fahrenheit, it started snowing.
  • fulfill [fulˈfil] v.
    To fulfill something means to achieve or finish it.
    → The professor did not fulfill his promise not to miss a single class.
  • grove [grouv] n.
    A grove is a small group of trees.
    → All the trees in this grove are apple trees.
  • ore [ɔːr] n.
    Ore is the raw form of rock or material from which a valuable metal is taken.
    → The factory melted the ore and used it to make iron products.
  • outback [ˈautbæk] n.
    The outback is the wild inland region of Australia where very few people live.
    → Many Australian farmers use the outback to raise cattle.
  • outweigh [autˈwei] v.
    To outweigh something means to exceed it in value, amount, or importance.
    → Finding a warm place to sleep outweighed the need to find something to eat.
  • paradox [ˈpærədɒks] n.
    A paradox is a true statement or real event that seems illogical.
    → The paradox of her work was that the less she worked, the more she got done.
  • pier [piər] n.
    A pier is a structure that extends into a body of water.
    → If you want to catch bigger fish, then go to the far end of the pier.
  • shortcut [ˈʃɔːrtkʌt] n.
    A shortcut is a route that is shorter than the main route.
    → We got to the house first because we took a shortcut through the forest.
  • tariff [ˈtærif] n.
    A tariff is a tax or fee paid on certain imports or exports.
    → Our tariff on imported wool makes foreign wool more expensive.
  • thermometer [θə:rˈmɒmitə:r] n.
    A thermometer is a device that measures temperature.
    → The thermometer outside the window indicated that it was a hot day today.
  • tilt [tilt] v.
    To tilt something means to tip it into a sloping position.
    → She tilted her glass and almost spilled some of the wine inside.
  • vice versa [ˈvaisiˈvəːrsə] adv.
    If a statement is vice versa, then its two main ideas are switched with one another.
    → Students learn from their teachers, and vice versa.
  • whereabouts [ˌhwɛərəˈbauts] n.
    The whereabouts of someone or something is the place where they are.
    → The police looked for the lost dog, but its whereabouts were still unknown.
Exercise 1

Choose the answer that best fits the question.

  1. Binoculars help you to see things that are ______.
    • a. close by
    • b. under the sea
    • c. far away
    • d. covered in mud
  2. If you have dual responsibilities, then you have ______ things to take care of.
    • a. two
    • b. three
    • c. ten
    • d. twelve
  3. Which of the following is about the same as a tariff?
    • a. A salary
    • b. A tax
    • c. A surplus
    • d. A bonus
  4. Where would you most likely see a pier?
    • a. In the water
    • b. On a plane
    • c. Under the ground
    • d. On a road
  5. Fahrenheit is used to measure ______.
    • a. height
    • b. distance
    • c. weight
    • d. temperature
Exercise 2

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

WORD BLANK
outback thermometer vice versa ore
outweighed whereabouts grove fulfill
Fahrenheit shortcut    

When the food is ready, its temperature should be 140 degrees 1___________ .
You can use that 2___________ to determine when it is hot enough.

There are not many forests in the Australian 3___________ .
But there might be a 4___________ wherever there is enough water.

She didn’t have much time to get to the house to 5___________ her promise.
Therefore, she took a(n) 6___________ that would get her there in no time.

The need to create more jobs 7___________ the need to spend more money.
But in other years it was 8___________ .

According to legend, gold was made from the cave’s 9___________ .
However, today its 10___________ have been forgotten.

Exercise 3

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

  1. comprise
    • a. return
    • b. consist
    • c. explain
    • d. favor
  2. tilt
    • a. mix
    • b. dig
    • c. lean
    • d. grip
  3. pier
    • a. dock
    • b. cake
    • c. chef
    • d. fort
  4. analogous
    • a. metric
    • b. powerful
    • c. secure
    • d. similar
  5. paradox
    • a. illogical
    • b. cattle
    • c. calendar
    • d. feather
Exercise 4

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

  1. These mines produce several types of valuable raw forms of rock.
    ____________
  2. The company had to pay a tax on exports for the steel it shipped to Europe.
    ____________
  3. She used the device used for seeing things far away to observe the small bird.
    ____________
  4. The painting portrayed what the beach looked like twenty years ago.
    ____________
  5. He had sent a letter from the city three days earlier. But his precise location was still a mystery.
    ____________
  6. The two-part plan involves scientists from both universities.
    ____________
  7. The meal was made up mostly of beans and vegetables.
    ____________
  8. If you’re sick, take your temperature. The device for measuring temperature is in the cabinet.
    ____________
  9. His promotion was a real event opposite to common knowledge due to his sparse knowledge.
    ____________
  10. It was difficult to lift the great mass that had accumulated in his backpack.
    ____________
Answer Key
Exercise 1
  1. c
  2. a
  3. b
  4. a
  5. d
Exercise 2
  1. Fahrenheit
  2. thermometer
  3. outback
  4. grove
  5. fulfill
  6. shortcut
  7. outweighed
  8. vice versa
  9. ore
  10. whereabouts
Exercise 3
  1. b
  2. c
  3. a
  4. d
  5. a
Exercise 4
  1. ore
  2. tariff
  3. binoculars
  4. depicted
  5. whereabouts
  6. dual
  7. comprised
  8. thermometer
  9. paradox
  10. bulk
Answer Key
The Shortcut

A truck driver was driving cargo from the outback to the coast. His load was comprised of many types of ore. He needed a huge truck to carry its bulk to a ship waiting at a pier on the country’s eastern coast. At the border between two counties, he’d have to pay a tariff on the cargo. However, he could keep his money if he avoided the station at the border. He worried about getting in trouble for not paying the tariff, but the thought of extra money outweighed this concern.

He took out his road map. To his surprise, it depicted a small road that had a dual advantage. It not only avoided the border station but also was a shorter route to the coast. He decided to take the shortcut.

However, along his journey, he soon ran into problems. First, he had to cross a small wooden bridge. His truck weighed too much for the bridge. It was analogous to an elephant trying to stand on a tree branch. The bridge started to break as the truck crossed, and the trailer tilted to the right. Fortunately, the truck made it safely across, but most of the ore fell into the river below.

Next, it was a very hot day. The thermometer read over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The truck’s engine became too hot, so the driver parked it in the shade of a grove of trees until it cooled down.

Later, he took a wrong turn. He stopped and took out his binoculars. He scanned his surroundings and eventually discovered a landmark that led him back to the proper route.

Finally, he arrived at the pier, but the ship wasn’t there. When he asked about the ship’s whereabouts, a man said that it had left thirty minutes ago. He had not fulfilled his duty. He realized then the paradox of the shortcut. The shortest route can be the longest, and vice versa, a long route may be the fastest.

Reading Comprehension

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

  1. _____ The driver’s load was comprised of many types of ore.
    • _____________________________________________________
  2. _____ The paradox of the shortcut was that the shortest route could be the longest but not vice versa.
    • _____________________________________________________
  3. _____ The thermometer read under 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • _____________________________________________________
  4. _____ When the trailer tilted, the driver’s binoculars fell into the river.
    • _____________________________________________________
  5. _____ The driver had fulfilled his duty.
    • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. What was the truck crossing the bridge analogous to?
    _____________
  2. What outweighed the driver’s concern of being punished for not paying the tariff?
    _____________
  3. What was the dual advantage of the route depicted on the map?
    _____________
  4. What made the driver park his truck in a grove of trees while in the outback?
    _____________
  5. Why couldn’t the driver determine the ship’s whereabouts at the pier?
    _____________
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
Part A
  1. T
  2. F / The paradox of the shortcut was that the shortest route could be the longest and vice versa.
  3. F / The thermometer read over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
  4. F / When the trailer tilted, most of the ore fell into the river.
  5. F / The driver had not fulfilled his duty.
Part B
  1. It was analogous to an elephant trying to stand on a tree branch.
  2. The thought of extra money outweighed this concern.
  3. It not only avoided the border station but also was a shorter route to the coast.
  4. The truck's engine became too hot.
  5. The driver couldn't locate the ship's whereabouts at the pier because it had left thirty minutes ago.
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