Word List
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n. An acid is a chemical that can burn or dissolve other substances.In chemistry class, we mixed two acids together and watched the reaction.
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n. An administration is the group of people who manage a company or organization.She hoped she could be promoted to a job in administration.
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adj. Administrative describes anything related to managing a company or organization.I work as an administrative assistant to the owner of the company.
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n. Biotechnology is the use of living parts, such as cells, in industry and technology.Researchers at the biotechnology company use bacteria to make medicine.
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n. Cholesterol is a substance in fat, tissues, and blood of all animals.When people have too much cholesterol, they are at a high risk for heart problems.
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n. A coalition is a group of people or organizations working for a common purpose.The companies formed a coalition to make trade less expensive.
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adj. When something is deceptive, it encourages one to believe something that is false.The scary-looking man's appearance is deceptive; he is actually very nice.
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n. Diabetes is a medical condition in which a person's body cannot control the level of sugar in their blood.Overweight people are more likely to suffer from diabetes than slimmer ones.
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v. To eliminate something that is unwanted means to completely remove it.Wearing a seatbelt eliminates some of the dangers of driving a car.
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n. Erosion is the destruction of rock or soil due to flowing water or weather.Canyons are formed because rivers of fast-moving water caused erosion.
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n. Ethics are moral beliefs or rules about right or wrong.The act of stealing certainly doesn't go against some people's ethics.
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adj. If something is explicit, it is very clear, open, and truthful.The man gave a very explicit account of the car accident.
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n. A framework is a set of rules or ideas that people use to solve problems.His ideas fit into the framework of a successful business plan.
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v. To manufacture something means to make it in a factory.My father's company manufactures steel building materials.
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n. A mechanism is a part of a machine that performs a certain function.I can't open my car door because the locking mechanism is broke.
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v. To minimize means to reduce something to the lowest possible level.I checked my homework twice to minimize errors I might have made.
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n. Nectar is a sweet liquid produced by flowers that bees and other insects collect.Bees use nectar to make their honey.
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n. A notion is an idea or belief about something.I had a notion that this route would get us to the beach.
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n. A regime is a system of government or management.He was a member of the old regime that had been overthrown in the election.
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adj. When something is straightforward, it is good because it is easy to understand.The teacher's grading system was straightforward and fair.
Exercise
A ‣ Circle the answer that best fits the question.
- What is something you want to eliminate?
- a. A problem
- b. A present
- c. A statue
- d. A victory
- What would collect nectar?
- a. A tree
- b. A bee
- c. A cat
- d. A housefly
- If you have good ethics, you _____.
- a. dislike school
- b. know right from wrong
- c. rarely follow the rules
- d. are extremely smart
- Which is most closely related to something administrative?
- a. Loss
- b. Fatigue
- c. Organization
- d. Swimming
- What might cause erosion?
- a. A strong wind
- b. A fast car
- c. A lonely person
- d. Loud music
B ‣ Write the word from the word bank that best fits each sentence.
- cholesterol
- regime
- deceptive
- coalition
- framework
- mechanisms
- administration
- straightforward
- explicit
- manufactures
I learned about all the different things the factory 1_____.
They make big machinery as well as tiny parts and 2_____.
The students asked the school's 3_____ to buy a better kind of meat.
The meat served there is too high in fat and 4_____.
I can't stand companies that are 5_____.
Customers have to make sure they get 6_____ information about all details.
Citizens formed a(n) 7_____ because the city's air was making people ill.
Under the current 8_____ there is no hope of introducing a this kind of change.
To solve our problem, we'll first need a strong 9_____.
Our ideas need to be intelligent and 10_____.
C ‣ Check(✓) the one that best fits the blank.
- Once we finish the design, _____.
- a. I don't know where she got that notion
- b. it will take a week to manufacture
- The old man put up a hummingbird feeder, but _____.
- a. the directions are pretty straightforward
- b. the nectar remained untouched
- While it looks like a great deal, _____.
- a. the pricing is extremely deceptive
- b. they are facing administrative difficulties
- The doctor ordered him to cut out eggs, which _____.
- a. is a cause for erosion
- b. helped him lower his cholesterol
- By buying in bulk, _____.
- a. we will be able to minimize our costs
- b. we demonstrate a good set of ethics
D ‣ Circle the one that is opposite in meaning to the given word.
- erosion
- a. eliminate
- b. construction
- c. abandonment
- d. framework
- explicit
- a. detailed
- b. explanation
- c. vague
- d. prominent
- minimize
- a. shorten
- b. erosion
- c. loss
- d. maximize
- straightforward
- a. ambiguous
- b. lean
- c. curved
- d. honest
- acid
- a. sour
- b. sharp
- c. paint
- d. mild
The New Bioco

Jack got a new job at a biotechnology company called Bioco. Bioco manufactured drugs to treat diabetes and high cholesterol. Jack's job was to use a tiny mechanism to get nectar from flowers. The nectar was a main ingredient in the drugs. Jack liked his job, and he thought that Bioco was a caring company. However, Jack soon learned that the company wasn't as kind as he first thought.
Bioco's motto was "Make the Earth a Better Place." However, this motto was deceptive. The company actually did a number of really bad things to the environment. The company produced a lot of smog and harmful acid. Bioco poured the acid in a nearby river, which killed the fish. The waste from the factory also caused erosion of the river banks.
After a few weeks at the new job, Jack saw all the bad things Bioco was doing. He had always had strong ethics, and he knew he had to do something. One day, while the Bioco workers were eating in the cafeteria, Jack stood up and gave a speech. He said, "My fellow coworkers, I know you have all seen the evil things our company is doing. I have a notion that we can fix them if we form a coalition. We can go to the administration and tell them we'll quit if they don't eliminate the problems. They'll have no choice but to listen to us."
Jack explained what they were to do. His coworkers liked his explicit plan. They went to the administrative offices and demanded that Bioco stop damaging the environment, or they all would quit. One supervisor said to them, "Thank you for being straightforward about this issue. Since I can't afford to lose all of you workers, I guess we'll just have to fix things."
Jack, his supervisor, and his coworkers spent the next month designing a new framework for the company. They cleaned up the acid from the river and minimized the amount of air pollution the company released. At last, under this new regime, the company's motto was more suitable.
Reading Comprehension
Part A: Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false statements to make them true.
- _____ Bioco was a biotechnology company that manufactured diabetes and high cholesterol.
__________ - _____ Jack used a mechanism to get nectar from flowers.
__________ - _____ The new framework involved an explicit plan to fix the smog and acid problems.
__________ - _____ The waste from the factory caused erosion and made fish die.
__________ - _____ After the company minimized Jack's ethics, the motto became suitable.
__________
Part B: Answer the questions.
- What is the passage about?
- a. Illness treatment
- b. Company ethics
- c. Making lunch
- d. Global warming
- What did Jack stand up to do in the cafeteria?
_____ - What did the coalition of workers threaten to do if the administration didn't eliminate the problems?
_____

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