Word List
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n. An addict is a person who cannot stop doing something.She was a coffee addict. She had more than three cups each day.
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adj. When something is archeological, it relates to archeology.They found archeological evidence of an ancient species of man.
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n. Archeology is the study of ancient people through their artifacts.He studied archeology to learn more about ancient Egyptian culture.
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v. To brainstorm is to have a lot of ideas about a certain topic.The students met after school to brainstorm ideas for their assignments.
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n. A budget is the amount of money available to spend on something.His budget for food was very tight.
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adj. When something is chaotic, it is crazy, confused, and hectic.The first day of school can be chaotic for a new student.
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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.
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v. To correspond is to match or to be similar to something.The boy's story didn't correspond with his mother's version.
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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.
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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.
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n. Fraud is the crime of gaining money by lying or by tricking people.Experts say that credit card fraud increases around the holidays.
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n. Hydrogen is a gas that has no taste, color, or smell.Airships used to be filled with hydrogen, but it exploded easily.
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n. Integrity is honesty and good morals.The principal had a lot of integrity.
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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.
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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.
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adj. When something is prehistoric, it is from a time before written history.The scientists found prehistoric pots used by the people in the area.
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n. A proponent is a person who supports an idea or a plan.He was a proponent of using environmentally-friendly products.
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v. To refine something is to make it better by making changes.The principal refined his method of controlling students over the years.
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v. To restrict something is to limit it and prevent it from getting bigger.The club restricted the amount of members.
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n. A team is a group of people who work closely together.The All Blacks are my favorite sports team.
Exercise
A ‣ Circle the answer that best fits the question.
- Someone with integrity _____.
- a. invents new things
- b. tricks people
- c. lies
- d. is honest
- 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
- 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
- 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
- In order to refine an invention, one has to _____.
- a. spend money on it
- b. make it better
- c. be ignorant
- d. know Italian
B ‣ Write a word that is similar in meaning to the underlined part.
- The teacher held classes in the outdoor area surrounded by walls on warm days. _____
- The airport is usually hectic on Saturdays because many people are traveling. _____
- The teacher made sure the correct answers matched with the questions on the test. _____
- The student gave an example from an interview she heard on the radio. _____
- The victim of the crime of tricking told the police about her experience. _____
C ‣ Circle the one that is similar in meaning to the given word.
- prehistoric
- a. large
- b. old
- c. upsetting
- d. under
- outlook
- a. outside
- b. plan
- c. work
- d. viewpoint
- proponent
- a. supporter
- b. teacher
- c. traveler
- d. scientist
- estate
- a. gas
- b. property
- c. airplane
- d. evidence
- brainstorm
- a. to come up with
- b. to read a lot
- c. to get wet
- d. to jump
D ‣ Write the word that best fits each sentence.
- outlook / brainstorm
The two men were asked to _____ ideas for the upcoming party.
The young woman has a positive _____ on life. - budget / fraud
The man was convicted of _____ and sent to jail.
Creating a _____ will help you spend less money than you have. - cite / refined
You must _____ your sources in your essay if you use any information from them.
The girl _____ her act by practicing for an hour each day. - addict / estate
The _____ was sent to a rehabilitation center.
After the man passed away, his _____ was divided between his surviving children. - archeological / prehistoric
The scientists were unsure why the _____ tribe had migrated to this area.
The _____ site is not accessible to the public.
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. Lenormand brainstormed with a team of 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 fell toward the ground. Many people thought that he was up to some kind of fraud, but Lenormand 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 made a large parachute. Finally, he jumped off a tall building on a French estate and landed safely in the courtyard.
Lenormand's work gave another man an idea. Jean-Pierre Blanchard had a different outlook than Lenormand. 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.
- _____ Archeological evidence shows there were prehistoric parachutes in China.
__________ - _____ Archeology experts cite an old Chinese book describing a parachute that corresponds with modern parachutes.
__________ - _____ Lenormand brainstormed with scientists to invent a device that would allow people to jump from buildings safely.
__________ - _____ On Lenormand's first jump, he used a large blanket to restrict his speed as he fell to the ground.
__________ - _____ Jean-Pierre was a hot air balloon addict.
__________
Part B: Answer the questions.
- What is the passage about?
- a. Designing a parachute
- b. Saving someone's life
- c. Encouraging fire safety
- d. Going hot air ballooning
- Why did Lenormand use umbrellas on his first jump?
_____ - How did Lenormand test his refined parachute design?
_____
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