Unit 16: Matthew Learns a Lesson

Click or select any word to translate.

Word List

  • n. An adolescent is a young person or a teenager.
    The adolescent was excited about getting a skateboard for his birthday.
  • n. Aptitude is a natural ability or skill.
    He has a natural aptitude for water skiing.
  • v. To compliment is to say a nice thing about someone or something.
    Her co-worker complimented her for doing a good job.
  • v. To hinder is to stop someone or something from doing something.
    All the traffic hindered me from getting to work on time.
  • n. Journalism is the work of collecting the news to put in newspapers or on TV.
    Before becoming a teacher, she worked in journalism.
  • n. A jury is a group of people that listen to a trial and say if someone is guilty.
    The jury listened closely to the attorney before they made their decision.
  • n. Justice is fairness in the way that people are treated.
    People turn to the court system when they are seeking justice.
  • n. Liberty is freedom to do what one wants.
    To many people, the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom.
  • adj. A literary person or thing is involved with literature in some way.
    He worked hard to create a successful literary career.
  • n. A pharmacy is a place where medicine is sold.
    My mother sells medicine to people at the pharmacy.
  • n. A pill is a small object that has medicine inside.
    She took a pill for her headache.
  • v. To presume is to believe something is true without being certain.
    Since the girl raised her hand, the teacher presumed she knew the answer.
  • n. Privacy is the state of being happily away from other people.
    Please hang the sign on the door so we can have some privacy.
  • n. A punishment is something that one must endure for any wrongdoing.
    He was given a punishment for being rude to the teacher.
  • adj. A sensible person or thing is good and smart.
    It was sensible for her to save some money each month.
  • n. A slice is a piece from something larger, such as a cake.
    The girl enjoyed a slice of cake at her birthday party.
  • n. Sorrow is a very sad feeling.
    The girl felt sorrow after her best friend moved away.
  • n. A straw is a thin tube that is used to suck liquid into the mouth.
    I drank the orange juice through a straw.
  • v. To swell is to become larger and rounder.
    My sister's stomach began to swell after she got pregnant.
  • adj. A tidy place or person is clean and in order.
    Leon has always been a very tidy boy.

 

Exercise

A ‣ Circle the word that fits the definition.

  1. the condition of being away from other people
    • a. presume
    • b. privacy
    • c. slice
    • d. jury
  2. to say something nice to someone
    • a. compliment
    • b. sensible
    • c. hinder
    • d. swell
  3. an object with medicine inside
    • a. straw
    • b. pill
    • c. aptitude
    • d. adolescent
  4. fairness to others
    • a. sorrow
    • b. justice
    • c. liberty
    • d. punishment
  5. a store that sells medicine
    • a. pharmacy
    • b. compliment
    • c. literary
    • d. justice

 

B ‣ Circle the answer that best fits the question.

  1. What is a group of people that decides whether someone is guilty or not?
    • a. A jury
    • b. A punishment
    • c. A pill
    • d. An adolescent
  2. If you are going to someone's wedding, what will others presume?
    • a. That you are out for justice
    • b. That you know the couple
    • c. That you are tidy
    • d. That you work in a pharmacy
  3. If you are naturally skilled at something, what do you have?
    • a. Aptitude
    • b. Swell
    • c. Privacy
    • d. Hinder
  4. Which word describes a person who reads a lot of books?
    • a. Literary
    • b. Liberty
    • c. Pill
    • d. Journalism
  5. What kind of person exercises regularly?
    • a. One who values privacy
    • b. A sensible person
    • c. One who likes to give compliments
    • d. A person who enjoys a slice of pizza

 

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

  1. The teacher preferred working with children instead of teenagers. _____
  2. It was hard for the students not to feel sadness or regret at the end of the school year. _____
  3. The newspaper was known for its excellent work in writing news stories. _____
  4. The pregnant woman's stomach started to grow larger and rounder. _____
  5. The wall stopped his ability to see what was on the other side. _____
  6. Henry's sentence for doing wrong was to spend two years in prison. _____
  7. Everybody in the group received three pieces or portions of pizza each. _____
  8. I asked my father if we had any long tubes for drinking liquid. _____
  9. The children enjoyed their freedom on the playground after school. _____
  10. The doctor's office was clean and orderly. _____

 

Matthew Learns a Lesson

Matthew was an adolescent and a sensible boy. He always kept his room tidy and had a natural literary aptitude. He hoped to one day have a career in journalism. He spent much of his time reading and liked his privacy. But his quiet personality hindered his ability to make friends.

One day, Matthew went to the pharmacy to pick up some pills for his grandmother. He saw some boys leaning against a tree outside. One of the boys complimented Matthew: "I like your jacket."

Another boy asked, "Do you want to go to Nate's Restaurant?""Sure!" Matthew said. The boys walked to the restaurant. They were going to have slices of pizza. They ordered their food and drank soda with straws. They ate until their bellies swelled up. Matthew was having so much fun.

One of the boys said, “Let's leave without paying.” Matthew didn't want to. But he presumed his new friends wouldn't like him if he didn't.

Suddenly, the waiter yelled, “Stop!” The two other boys ran, leaving Matthew there alone.

Soon, the police arrived. “Leaving without paying for your meal is the same as stealing," said the police officer. "The restaurant wants justice. So next week you have to go to court and let a jury decide your punishment." When he went to court, the judge asked, "Do you have anything to say, Matthew?" He said, "I am full of sorrow for what I've done. Now I know that real friends won't ask you to do something illegal.” The jury then let him have his liberty. But they made Matthew pick up garbage as a punishment. Much to Matthew's surprise, he ended up meeting some new friends.

 

Reading Comprehension

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

  1. _____ The adolescent had a natural literary aptitude.
    __________
  2. _____ The boy leaning against the pole complimented Matthew's pills.
    __________
  3. _____ Matthew ordered a slice of pizza at the restaurant.
    __________
  4. _____ The boys ate too much, so their bellies swelled.
    __________
  5. _____ Matthew wanted to work in the justice system when he grew up.
    __________
  6. _____ The jury allowed Matthew to keep his liberty, but he had to help in the community as a punishment.
    __________

 

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. Why was Matthew at the pharmacy?
    • a. He wanted some privacy.
    • b. He needed to buy straws.
    • c. He was buying pills.
    • d. He felt sorrow.
  2. Which of the following is NOT a word used to describe Matthew?
    • a. Sensible
    • b. Quiet
    • c. Rude
    • d. Tidy
  3. Why did Matthew get to keep his liberty at the end of the story?
    • a. He complimented the jury.
    • b. He persuaded the jury to teach the other boy a lesson.
    • c. He picked up trash as a punishment
    • d. He hindered the jury from making a decision.

 

Answer Key

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