4000 Essential English Words 5 » Unit 4: The Corrupt Administrator

Word List
  • administrator [ædˈminəstreitər] n.
    An administrator is a person who controls a business, company, or organization.
    Everyone in the store did whatever the administrator asked them to do.
  • affluent [ˈæflu(:)ənt] adj.
    If someone is affluent, they are wealthy.
    People in the city are usually more affluent than people in the country.
  • audit [ˈɔːdit] v.
    To audit means to inspect financial records from a person or business.
    The government usually audits companies that report lower than usual incomes.
  • automate [ˈɔːtəmeit] v.
    To automate a company means to install machines or computers to do the work.
    When the bank automated, it started installing ATM machines.
  • bribe [braib] v.
    To bribe someone means to illegally persuade them for a favor with money.
    The judge was bribed so that she would set the suspect free.
  • corrupt [kəˈrʌpt] adj.
    If someone is corrupt, they break the law for money or fame.
    The corrupt policemen didn’t arrest the man because he gave them money.
  • dispose [diˈspouz] v.
    To dispose of something means to get rid of it.
    He disposed of the can by throwing it into the recycle bin.
  • headquarters [ˈhedˈkwɔːrtərz] n.
    A headquarters is a building where the bosses of a company work.
    He drove the long route to headquarters because it was a nice day.
  • incentive [inˈsentiv] n.
    An incentive is what makes a person want to do something.
    The chance of winning a prize was incentive to get people to play the game.
  • infrastructure [ˈinfrəˌstrʌtʃər] n.
    An infrastructure is a collection of services needed to run a society or business.
    Power lines are important parts of a city’s infrastructure.
  • legislate [ˈledʒisleit] v.
    To legislate means to make laws.
    Senators have to legislate fairly, so most people will enjoy the benefits.
  • legitimate [liˈdʒitəmit] adj.
    If something is legitimate, then it is acceptable according to the law.
    She found a legitimate plan to raise extra funds for her vacation.
  • manipulate [məˈnipjəleit] v.
    To manipulate something means to skillfully or unfairly control or affect it.
    The Dr. manipulated the data to make it look like the cure was working.
  • merchandise [ˈməːrtʃəndaiz] n.
    Merchandise is goods ready to be purchased or sold.
    The store added more merchandise because there were more shoppers.
  • retail [ˈriːteil] n.
    Retail is the activity of selling goods to the public, often for personal use.
    Though cheap to make, once a t-shirt reaches retail, it costs ten times as much.
  • revenue [ˈrevənjuː] n.
    Revenue is the income made by a company.
    The new products really increased the business’s monthly revenue.
  • rubbish [ˈrʌbiʃ] n.
    Rubbish is trash or waste.
    The floor around the garbage can was covered with all kinds of rubbish.
  • subsidy [ˈsʌbsidi] n.
    A subsidy is money given by the government to companies to assist them.
    The official gave the company a subsidy, so it could open two new factories.
  • transaction [trænˈsækʃən] n.
    A transaction is an act of buying or selling something.
    Because the clerk was new at the job, the simple transaction took a long time.
  • violate [ˈvaiəleit] v.
    To violate a law, rule, or agreement means to break it.
    I was given a ticket because the policeman said I violated the speed limit.
Exercise 1

Choose the one that is similar in meaning to the given word.

  1. merchandise
    • a. stores
    • b. money
    • c. goods
    • d. fame
  2. corrupt
    • a. healthy
    • b. bad
    • c. angry
    • d. nice
  3. rubbish
    • a. trash
    • b. power
    • c. food
    • d. truth
  4. transaction
    • a. meeting
    • b. friend
    • c. test
    • d. sale
  5. revenue
    • a. concert
    • b. guide
    • c. income
    • d. trade
  6. manipulate
    • a. control
    • b. explain
    • c. decrease
    • d. attempt
  7. infrastructure
    • a. education
    • b. science
    • c. religion
    • d. roads
  8. headquarters
    • a. material
    • b. base
    • c. dream
    • d. section
  9. audit
    • a. enjoy
    • b. leave
    • c. inspect
    • d. prepare
  10. incentive
    • a. reason
    • b. product
    • c. waste
    • d. idea
Exercise 2

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

  1. ______ This is the affluent area of the city. It is where most of the poor people live.
  2. ______ He added his trash to the large pile of rubbish.
  3. ______ The company automated by hiring twenty new workers.
  4. ______ This painting is an important part of the city’s infrastructure.
  5. ______ The subsidy helped the company recover some of the money it had lost.
  6. ______ The store sold most of its merchandise in the sale over the weekend.
  7. ______ The cook violated the two sauces together into one delicious sauce.
  8. ______ She took the food out of the refrigerator and then disposed the door.
  9. ______ The company’s bank records were audited.
  10. ______ Bigger kids sometimes find it easy to manipulate smaller children.
Exercise 3

Choose the one that is opposite in meaning to the given word.

  1. violate
    • a. borrow
    • b. respect
    • c. approve
    • d. explain
  2. affluent
    • a. smart
    • b. quick
    • c. poor
    • d. evil
  3. dispose
    • a. keep
    • b. make
    • c. feed
    • d. speak
  4. administrator
    • a. singer
    • b. student
    • c. mother
    • d. worker
  5. legitimate
    • a. free
    • b. pretty
    • c. wrong
    • d. alert
Exercise 4

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

  1. Getting to play with her friends was something to make her want to clean her room.
    ____________
  2. The act of selling something took place right before the shop closed.
    ____________
  3. By the end of the meeting, they had made into law the repair of the highways.
    ____________
  4. She illegally persuaded the guard, so he would let her into the secret meeting.
    ____________
  5. It was a good year for the banks, but it was a bad year for places that sell things to the public.
    ____________
  6. The person who controls the company is a very efficient manager.
    ____________
  7. The papers that she needed were at the building where the bosses worked.
    ____________
  8. The law-breaking company was stealing money from many of its investors.
    ____________
  9. Shawn is working for a law-following organization in a bad part of town.
    ____________
  10. The money made by our company was even better than last year’s.
    ____________
Answer Key
Exercise 1
  1. c
  2. b
  3. a
  4. d
  5. c
  6. a
  7. d
  8. b
  9. c
  10. a
Exercise 2
  1. I
  2. C
  3. I
  4. I
  5. C
  6. C
  7. I
  8. I
  9. C
  10. C
Exercise 3
  1. b
  2. c
  3. a
  4. d
  5. c
Exercise 4
  1. incentive
  2. transaction
  3. legislated
  4. bribed
  5. retail
  6. administrator
  7. headquarters
  8. corrupt
  9. legitimate
  10. revenue
Answer Key
The Corrupt Administrator

Mr. Pig was an administrator at a big factory that made different kinds of merchandise. During a meeting at the company’s headquarters, his bosses said they wanted the factory to make more money.

“If the factory makes more money, then you will too,” his boss, Mr. Horse, told him. It was a great incentive. Pig had always wanted to be as affluent as his bosses.

Mr. Pig returned to the factory and started making changes. However, most were not very nice, and some were not legitimate.

First, he fired all his employees. Then he automated the entire factory. Machines now made everything, and the other animals, Mr. Rabbit, Mr. Sheep, and Mr. Dog had no jobs. Next, he bribed some corrupt senators into legislating special subsidies for the factory. Finally, instead of paying a company to dispose of the factory’s rubbish properly, he violated the law by throwing it into the river to save money.

At first, all the changes to the factory’s infrastructure created more revenue. But soon many stores could no longer sell the factory’s goods at retail. It seemed that the machines couldn’t make products as well as the workers. The customers were disappointed with the factory’s merchandise.

There were other problems, too. The animals had told their friends and family to stop buying the factory’s goods. Officials discovered the factory’s rubbish in the river, and when they audited the company, they discovered that Pig had manipulated the law in order to get more money.

All transactions with Pig’s factory stopped. The factory lost money, and Pig lost his job. He realized his mistakes too late. He had tried to become rich by saving money any way possible, but the cheapest way was not always the best.

Reading Comprehension

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

  1. _____ Mr. Rabbit was an administrator at a big factory that made different kinds of merchandise.
    • _____________________________________________________
  2. _____ Some of the changes made to the factory were legitimate.
    • _____________________________________________________
  3. _____ Mr. Pig bribed some corrupt senators into legislating special subsidies for his factory.
    • _____________________________________________________
  4. _____ Mr. Pig violated the law by disposing of the factory’s rubbish in the ocean.
    • _____________________________________________________
  5. _____ At first, changes to the factory’s infrastructure created less revenue.
    • _____________________________________________________

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. During their meeting at headquarters, what incentive did Mr. Pig’s affluent boss give him?
    _____________
  2. What happened to the other animals after Pig automated his factory?
    _____________
  3. According to the officials who audited Pig’s factory, why did he manipulate the law?
    _____________
  4. What happened to Mr. Pig and his factory when all transactions stopped?
    _____________
  5. Why could the stores no longer sell goods at retail?
    _____________
Answer Key
Answer Key
Reading Comprehension
Part A
  1. F / Mr. Pig was an administrator at a big factory that made different kinds of merchandise.
  2. F / Some of the changes made to the factory were not legitimate.
  3. T
  4. F / Mr. Pig violated the law by disposing of the factory's rubbish in the river.
  5. F / At first, changes to the factory’s infrastructure created more revenue.
Part B
  1. His boss told him, “If the factory makes more money, then you will too.”
  2. After Pig automated his factory, the other animals had no jobs.
  3. According to the officials, Pig manipulated the law in order to get more money.
  4. When all transactions stopped, the factory lost money, and Pig lost his job.
  5. The stores could no longer sell goods at retail because the machines didn't make products as well as the workers, and customers were disappointed with the factory's merchandise.
Favorite Books

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 1: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

Read more

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 2: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

Read more

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 3: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

Read more

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 4: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

Read more

The activities in "4000 Essential English Words" are specially designed to make use of important learning conditions. Firstly, the words are introduced using sentence definitions and an example sentence. 4000 Essential English Words 6: 600 words (Unit 1 - Unit 30).

Read more