Word List
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adj. When something is animate, it has life.Rocks and machines are not animate things.
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v. To classify things is to put them into groups based on their type.The biologist classified the plant as a completely new species.
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v. To concede is to admit against your wish that something is true.The student conceded that he had cheated on the test.
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n. A concept is an idea about something.I learned some concepts about molecules before working in the science lab.
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v. To construct something means to make or build it.The men used wood and metal to construct a house.
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n. A decade is a period of ten years.She celebrated her three decades of work with the company.
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n. A diagram is a simple drawing that explains what something is or how it works.By following the diagram, I was able to put the desk together.
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n. A ferry is a boat that carries passengers over short distances.The ferry took the people across the lake.
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adj. If something is handy, it is useful.An eraser is handy if you make a lot of mistakes.
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v. To isolate is to separate one person or thing from a group.The teacher isolated the bad child from the class before talking with her.
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n. A longing is a strong feeling of wanting.Since he skipped breakfast, he had a longing for food all morning.
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adj. If something is numerous, there are many of those things.It was hard to drive fast since there were numerous holes in the road.
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n. A particle is a very small piece of something.The bottles of wine were covered in a layer of dust particles.
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n. A plea is a request that is urgent or emotional.The poor, hungry man made a plea for food.
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v. To refrain from something is to avoid doing it.The doctor asked Mary to refrain from eating fast food as part of her diet.
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n. A review of something is a formal inspection of it by people in authority.The government ordered a careful review of the economic situation.
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adj. If someone is sophisticated, they know many things about the world.Jake is one of the most sophisticated people I've ever met.
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v. To surrender something is to give it up.The thief surrendered the money to the police when he was caught.
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adj. If something is upright, it is standing up straight.Meerkats can't walk like humans, but they can stand upright.
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adj. If something is worthwhile, it is important or useful.On his visit to Canada, he realized studying English was worthwhile.
Exercise
A ‣ Circle the word that fits the definition.
- a formal inspection
- a. review
- b. diagram
- c. plea
- d. longing
- to accept the truth
- a. isolate
- b. classify
- c. construct
- d. concede
- an idea about how something is
- a. decade
- b. ferry
- c. concept
- d. particle
- knowing a lot about the world
- a. upright
- b. sophisticated
- c. handy
- d. surrender
- important
- a. refrain
- b. numerous
- c. worthwhile
- d. animate
B ‣ Circle the right definition for the given word.
- particle
- a. a small piece of something
- b. a drawing
- c. a formal inspection
- d. a strong feeling of want
- decade
- a. an idea about something
- b. a period of ten years
- c. a type of boat
- d. a thing that has life
- upright
- a. important
- b. to not do something
- c. standing straight
- d. a request
- isolate
- a. to separate
- b. to group together by type
- c. to give up
- d. to accept the truth
- handy
- a. to make something
- b. common
- c. plentiful
- d. useful
C ‣ Write the word that best fits each blank.
- animate / particle
Scientists thought that the tiny _____ was not a living thing, so they were very surprised to find that it was indeed _____ . - handy / numerous
The carpenter keeps ____ tools in his truck. However, he keeps the most ____ ones on his tool belt at all times. - classify / upright
One way that scientists _____ the different species of early humans is by how they walked. Homo erectus, for example, walked _____. - longing / plea
After sitting in the cell for just one hour, the prisoner felt a _____ to be free. He made a _____ to the officers to release him immediately. - sophisticated / worthwhile
Learning how to speak another language is a _____ skill to have in the world of international business. It also can make one into a more _____ person. - review / concept
Jack has a great _____ for a new system, but his boss needs to conduct a thorough _____ to see if it will work. - diagram / isolate
William used string to _____ the different plants in the garden? That made it easier for him to draw a(n) _____ of the leaves of each type of plant. - constructed / decades
The great pyramids of Egypt were not _____ overnight. In fact, it took many _____ to complete them. - concede / ferry
As he drove his car onto the _____, John felt sad. He wanted to travel by airplane, but after looking at the ticket prices, he had to _____ that air travel was just too expensive. - refrain / surrender
In maintaining good health, it is important to _____ from eating unhealthy foods. But that doesn't mean you must _____ all of the foods that you enjoy.
Anton's Great Discovery
Anton Van Leeuwenhoek was a Dutch cloth merchant. His life began to change after he got his first microscope in 1653. It was a very simple microscope. It had a lens in an upright stand. It could make small things look large. It was handy for looking closely at cloth.
Soon, Anton felt a longing to build a more powerful microscope. He dreamed of using it to make an important scientific discovery. He wanted to become famous. Three decades later, he did.
For many years, Anton experimented with microscopes and lenses. Eventually, he constructed a very powerful microscope. If he had sold the concept to others, it would have made him very rich. However, Anton refrained from surrendering his secret to anyone. Instead, he wanted to use it to become famous. So he used his secret microscope to study the natural world.
One day, he was looking at saliva from his mouth with the microscope. In the saliva, he saw numerous tiny particles. Some of them were moving! He thought that the particles were tiny organisms. So he isolated them from each other and studied each one carefully. Then he classified them into different categories. Some were round. Others were long and had tails. All were alive.
Anton was so excited. He knew he could become famous now. He was the first person to see these tiny organisms. So he drew diagrams of the organisms and sent them to a group of scientists in London. The scientists were sophisticated men who did not believe tiny, animate organisms could live in our mouths. Anton made a plea for them to come to Holland to see the organisms with their own eyes. The men took a ferry to Holland and met Anton. They performed a careful review of his work, and they conceded that he had made a worthwhile discovery. Anton Van Leeuwenhoek had discovered bacteria. After decades of hard work, he had become famous.
Reading Comprehension
Part A: Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false statements to make them true.
- _____ Anton's first microscope had an upright stand.
__________ - _____ Anton had a longing to become rich.
__________ - _____ The tiny particles Anton saw were bacteria.
__________ - _____ Anton classified the particles into different categories.
__________ - _____ The sophisticated scientists drew diagrams of the bacteria.
__________ - _____ Anton took a ferry to Holland.
__________
Part B: Answer the questions.
- What is the passage about?
- a. Selling cloth
- b. Finding the first organism
- c. Becoming a scientist
- d. Traveling to London
- Why was Anton's first microscope handy?
_____ - Why didn't Anton sell his concept of a powerful microscope?
_____
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