Word List
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n. A brick is a block of hard clay that is used for building things, such as walls.There were several bricks scattered on the ground.
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v. To crumble means to break or fall apart into small pieces.The old house's walls crumbled into a pile of rock and wood.
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n. Dough is a mixture of flour and water that becomes bread when baked.I made heart-shaped cookies from the dough.
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v. To express a feeling or idea means to show others how one thinks or feels.The nurse expressed her sympathy for the sick patient.
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n. A fist is a hand with fingers bent in toward the palm.The bully made a fist and threatened to hit the small boy.
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adj. If something is flexible, then it can bend easily without breaking.The tree branch was so flexible it could be bent into a circle and not break.
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v. To flush means the face becomes red due to heat, illness, or emotion.After the long race, the runner's face was flushed.
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v. To injure someone means to damage a part of their body.The car crash injured two people.
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n. A lump is a small piece of something that is solid.The artist took a lump of clay and turned it into a beautiful pot.
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n. A mixture is something that is made by mixing other things together.The walls were built using a mixture of water, rock, and dirt.
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v. To reconcile means to return to a friendly relationship.After arguing, the two friends were reconciled with each other.
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v. To ruin something means to harm or damage it greatly.Our walk in the park was ruined by the sudden rain.
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v. To shatter something means to break it suddenly into many tiny pieces.When the ball hit the window, the glass shattered.
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n. Shutters are wooden or metal covers in front of a window.Mr. Smith closed the shutters every night to make his bedroom dark.
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v. To sift something means to remove all the large pieces.The baker sifted the flour into a large bowl.
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adj. If something is slight, then it is small or minor.There was only a slight change in the little boy's height.
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v. To sparkle means to shine brightly with quick flashes of light.The stars sparkled in the winter night's sky.
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v. To sprinkle means to scatter something all over something else.He sprinkled the pasta with salt and black pepper.
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adj. If food is stale, then it is not fresh but dry, hard, and not good to eat.The cookies sat on the table so long that they became stale.
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v. To utter a word or a sound means to say it.The lost boy was so scared that he could barely utter a single word.
Exercise
A ‣ Circle the right definition for the given word.
- ruin
- a. to damage
- b. to hate
- c. to fly
- d. to cook
- brick
- a. a fast car
- b. a hard piece of clay
- c. a best friend
- d. a favorite kind of toy
- sprinkle
- a. to scatter
- b. to create
- c. to mend
- d. to agree
- injure
- a. to run
- b. to fall
- c. to hurt
- d. to roast
- slight
- a. growing
- b. minor
- c. quick
- d. risky
B ‣ Circle the answer that best fits the question.
- How would a man show others an emotion?
- a. By flushing it
- b. By injuring it
- c. By ruining it
- d. By expressing it
- Which of the following means that two former enemies become friends again?
- a. To reconcile
- b. To shatter
- c. To utter
- d. To sparkle
- How would you describe a girl who can stretch her leg behind her head?
- a. A little bit stale
- b. Very flexible
- c. More than slight
- d. Ready to crumble
- Which of these would you use to make bread?
- a. A brick
- b. Some dough
- c. A fist
- d. A lump
- Which word describes something usually found on windows?
- a. Mixture
- b. Crumble
- c. Slight
- d. Shutters
C ‣ Write the word that best fits each blank.
- brick / lump
Before the project, the clay was one big _____. But when he was finished, he made a perfectly square _____. - reconciled / uttering
Five minutes ago, the two senators were _____ insults at each other, but now they have _____ because they both agree with the new law. - shutters / sparkled
In the middle of the night, she got out of bed and opened the _____. She gazed at the sky, where the stars _____ like tiny fires. - flushed / stale
The rice was not eaten soon enough, so it tasted _____. It made me feel sick, and my face became _____. - crumbled / dough
The cook picked up the block of cheese and _____ it into little pieces. Then he mixed them with the _____ before placing it in the oven. - sift / shattered
When he started to _____ the flour into the bowl, he slipped and dropped it. The bowl hit the ground and _____. - fist / flexible
He hit the punching bag with his _____. Since the bag was _____, it did not break. - sprinkle / mixture
The _____ of ice cream and chocolate tastes good, but it will be even better if you _____ sugar on the top of it. - slight / expressed
The doctor _____ a lot of concern about my hurt ankle, but I told him the pain was only _____. - ruined / injured
The ship was _____ when it crashed into the island. Even though it was greatly damaged, none of the passengers were _____.
The Brothers and the Bread
Two brothers wanted to go outside and play. However, because the only bread in the house was stale, their mother told them they needed to bake fresh bread.
"I have to have the car repaired," she said. "When I return, if the bread is ready, you can play." The brothers hurried to prepare the bread, but they were not careful enough. They didn't sift the flour. They were careless and sprinkled too much salt into the mixture. The dough needed to be soft and flexible, but the salt made it into a lump that was as hard as a brick.
The younger brother uttered a sigh. "Now we have to start again," he said. “No, we don't,” the older brother replied. "I'll fix it. I just need to make the dough flat again and add water to it."
He decided to hit the ball of dough with his fist to make it flat. But he hit it so hard that it flew right off of the table and knocked over a glass, which shattered. The dough then crashed into the kitchen window's shutters and crumbled. Luckily, the brothers were not injured, but they had made a huge mess.
A slight mistake now had become a major problem. The brothers had ruined the kitchen. Just then their mother returned. She saw the mess and became flushed with anger.
"Now you can't play," she said. "Instead, you have to clean the kitchen. I want this kitchen to be so clean that it sparkles!"
The brothers cleaned the floor and expressed their sorrow to their mother. Soon, they were reconciled. But there was no bread, and it was too late to play. They realized that trying to do something quickly often makes more work.
Reading Comprehension
Part A: Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false statements to make them true.
- _____ Because the bread was stale, the mother wanted them to bake fresh bread.
__________ - _____ The dough became a lump that was as hard as a brick.
__________ - _____ The bread needed to be hard and sturdy.
__________ - _____ The older brother uttered a sigh.
__________ - _____ The brothers had to clean the kitchen so it sparkled.
__________ - _____ A major mistake only caused a slight problem.
__________
Part B: Answer the questions.
- What is the passage about?
- a. Making a mistake
- b. Rushing through a task
- c. Following parents' directions
- d. Learning how to bake
- What happened first when the older brother hit the dough with his fist?
_____ - Why was the mother flushed with anger?
_____
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