Unit 17: The Fossil Hunters

Click or select any word to translate.

Word List

  • v. To coexist with something means to exist with it in the same time and place.
    Our pets coexist in our home with few or no problems.
  • v. To conceive something means to be able to imagine or believe it.
    The child could not conceive the actual size of the Earth.
  • adj. When something or someone is dubious, they are not considered honest.
    The police thought that the man's description of the crime was dubious.
  • n. An ego is a person's sense of their own worth.
    Kelly's ego made her think that she was some kind of a superhero.
  • adj. Elastic is a rubber that stretches when it is pulled.
    He attached the elastic bungee to his legs before he jumped off the platform.
  • n. An endeavor is an attempt to do something, especially something new, or original.
    The company's new advertising endeavor ended in a horrible failure.
  • v. To engrave means to cut a design, or words, into the surface of something.
    The couple engraved their names onto the old pine tree.
  • v. To excavate means to dig on land and remove dirt to look for something.
    The team wishes to excavate the site in hope of finding fossils.
  • adj. When something is jagged, it has a tough, uneven shape or edge.
    The swimmer was hurt when he fell on the jagged rocks.
  • n. A locale is a small area or place where something specific happens.
    The spa was the perfect locale for my mother to relax and enjoy her vacation.
  • n. Magnitude refers to large size.
    This was a discovery of great magnitude.
  • n. A mold is a hollow container that is used to make certain shapes.
    Using a cupcake mold will ensure that they come out just right.
  • adj. When something is outright, it is open and direct.
    Everyone knew that the boy's story was an outright lie.
  • n. The periphery of an area, place, or thing is the edge of it.
    A beautiful floral pattern is on the periphery of the stationery.
  • n. Plaster is a smooth paste that gets hard when it dries.
    He used plaster to fill in the cracks in the old walls.
  • n. A shovel is a tool with a long handle that is used for digging.
    The boy grabbed his shovel and got all of the snow off of the sidewalk.
  • adj. When something is skeletal, it relates to bones in the body.
    We studied the skeletal system in anatomy class.
  • v. When you stumble, you move in an awkward, unplanned way.
    She stumbles a lot when she is drunk.
  • n. Your thigh is the upper half of your leg.
    He suffered from a serious thigh injury.
  • adj. When something or someone is vicious, they are violent and cruel.
    The vicious dog tried to bite the small child.

 

Exercise

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

  1. He chose to make his sculpture out of a smooth paste that hardens when it dries. _____
  2. Our violent and cruel boss forced us to work twelve hours in a row without a break. _____
  3. The race was close, so it was difficult to determine an open and direct winner. _____
  4. This is the perfect small area where something happens for a picnic. _____
  5. Puberty causes changes to a human's bone structure. _____
  6. The salesperson's claim seemed quite dishonest, unsafe, and unreliable. _____
  7. The man's upper legs were thick due to excessive exercise. _____
  8. The man had his and his wife's initials carved into the ring. _____
  9. The prisoners were unable to imagine and believe a plot for escaping the jail. _____
  10. To plant these seeds, I will first need to buy a tool used for digging. _____

 

B ‣ Circle the answer that best fits the question.

  1. What might a person with a large ego say?
    • a. "I am the best."
    • b. "I can't do it."
    • c. "I'm hungry."
    • d. "I'm sorry."
  2. Which is likely to be jagged?
    • a. A doll
    • b. A cliff
    • c. A cloud
    • d. A pillow
  3. Which is likely to be excavated?
    • a. Water
    • b. A sofa
    • c. A computer
    • d. The ground
  4. What is part of the skeletal system?
    • a. The skin
    • b. The tongue
    • c. The skull
    • d. The fingernails
  5. What is an example of an endeavor?
    • a. Waking up
    • b. Inventing a new machine
    • c. Making coffee
    • d. Combing your hair

 

C ‣ Circle the one that is opposite in meaning to the given word.

  1. conceive
    • a. to concur
    • b. to receive
    • c. to deliberate
    • d. to destroy
  2. vicious
    • a. victorious
    • b. wonderful
    • c. indifferent
    • d. gentle
  3. excavate
    • a. to dig
    • b. to wander
    • c. to cover
    • d. to explore
  4. jagged
    • a. blurred
    • b. smooth
    • c. slow
    • d. healthy
  5. periphery
    • a. center
    • b. upper
    • c. southern
    • d. westward
  6. outright
    • a. direct
    • b. straight
    • c. leftover
    • d. uncertain
  7. elastic
    • a. stiff
    • b. elongated
    • c. rubbery
    • d. shiny
  8. dubious
    • a. doubtful
    • b. honest
    • c. simple
    • d. plentiful
  9. stumble
    • a. to muddle
    • b. to straighten
    • c. to trip
    • d. to lose

 

The Fossil Hunters

Tim and Dean were great fossil hunters. They were the very best at finding dinosaur bones. Although Tim and Dean were quite similar, they were outright enemies. The two men got into vicious arguments all the time. They couldn't coexist peacefully because their egos were too large. Tim thought he was the best fossil hunter, while Dean was sure that he was much better than Tim.

One day, Tim was searching for fossils on the periphery of the city when he stumbled on a huge thigh bone. He had never seen anything like it! He took his shovel and carefully excavated the dirt around it. As he dug, he uncovered more jagged bones. He realized that he had found an entire dinosaur skeleton! Tim couldn't conceive of the magnitude of the find. He could not think of a plan to remove the huge skeleton all by himself. Such an endeavor would be beyond his capability. He needed help. He tried to think of people who would be capable of helping him remove the skeleton without breaking it. The only person Tim could think of was Dean, his enemy.

Tim ran into the city to find Dean. Tim found him and said, "Dean, I've found the skeletal remains of a huge animal. But I can't get the skeleton out by myself. Will you please help me?

Dean thought that Tim's claim might be dubious. He replied, "If you're serious about the skeleton, I'll help."

Tim excitedly showed Dean the skeleton's locale. They worked together to carefully remove each bone. To keep the bones together, they tied them with elastic strips. When they were finished, they had uncovered a perfect skeleton. They used plaster to make a mold of the dinosaur's skull. They engraved their initials into it and gave it to the curator of a local museum.

Tim and Dean found out that they could work very well together. They decided to end their feud and become friends. By combining their talents, the men became even greater than they were before.

 

Reading Comprehension

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

  1. _____ Tim and Dean were outright enemies who got into vicious arguments.
    __________
  2. _____ Tim and Dean removed the jagged bones and used elastic to uncover them.
    __________
  3. _____ Tim couldn't conceive of a plan to remove the bones because by himself the endeavor would be too difficult.
    __________
  4. _____ Dean thought that Tim's ego might be dubious.
    __________
  5. _____ When Tim excavated the land, he uncovered many engraved bones.
    __________

 

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. What is the passage about?
    • a. Applying to a museum
    • b. Putting together fossils
    • c. Getting back at someone
    • d. Putting aside differences
  2. What did Tim use his shovel to do?
    _____
  3. What did the fossil hunters do to the plaster mold before they gave it to the curator?
    _____

 

Answer Key

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