Unit 21: The Butler

Click or select any word to translate.

Word List

  • n. Bliss is a state of complete happiness.
    Every time he sees his girlfriend, he feels a sense of bliss.
  • n. A butler is the most important male servant in a wealthy house.
    Whenever he needed something, he rang a bell, and the butler appeared.
  • n. A cramp is a strong pain caused by a muscle after a lot of physical use.
    After the marathon, Jenny got a terrible cramp in her calf muscle.
  • v. When you decorate a room, you make it more attractive by adding beautiful things to it.
    Have you decorated the room for Christmas yet?
  • adj. When a building is dilapidated, it is old and in bad condition.
    Paint peeled off of the old dilapidated apartment building.
  • v. To evoke a memory or emotion means to make it occur.
    The picture evoked memories of when she was a young girl.
  • n. A farewell is an instance of saying goodbye or a way to say it.
    She got on the plane after we said our farewells.
  • n. A faucet is a device that controls the flow of a liquid or gas.
    Turn off the faucet when you are done brushing your teeth.
  • n. Filth is dirt or dirty things that disgust you.
    There was tons of filth and trash on the shore of the river.
  • n. A flaw is a mistake in something that causes it to be less effective or correct.
    We discovered a major flaw in the metal chain.
  • v. To grin means to smile broadly.
    That joke makes me grin every time I hear it.
  • n. Housekeeping is the maintenance of a house or an establishment like a hotel.
    Housekeeping is not much fun, but it has to be done.
  • n. A mound of something is a large pile of it.
    There was a mound of clothes on the teenager's messy floor.
  • adj. When a body part is numb, it does not have any feeling.
    After holding my hand under the icy water, my fingers were numb.
  • adj. When people are reckless, they act in an unsafe way.
    The reckless driver posed a threat to everyone else on the road.
  • n. Slate is a dark grey rock that can easily be split into layers.
    The roof of the church is made of slate.
  • n. A stool is a seat with legs but no support for a person's arms and back.
    I don't find stools very comfortable to sit on.
  • n. A testament to something shows that it exists or is true.
    The beautiful performance was a testament to the singer's natural talents.
  • n. Timber is wood that is used for building houses and making furniture.
    Trees in this area are grown specifically to be used for timber.
  • n. A valve is a device attached to a pipe and controls the flow of liquid or air.
    The mechanic removed the dirt to clear the engine valve.

 

Exercise

A ‣ Circle the one that is similar in meaning to the given word.

  1. reckless
    • a. impressive
    • b. careless
    • c. fake
    • d. colorful
  2. flaw
    • a. loss
    • b. injury
    • c. mistake
    • d. relative
  3. farewell
    • a. goodbye
    • b. maybe
    • c. instead
    • d. with luck
  4. filth
    • a. ice
    • b. dirt
    • c. tear
    • d. track
  5. bliss
    • a. boldness
    • b. comfort
    • c. greatness
    • d. happiness

 

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

  1. The large pile of dirt covered most of the backyard. _____
  2. Please call for the most important male servant. _____
  3. I don't think we have enough wood used for building furniture to complete the project. _____
  4. The playful puppy made the baby smile broadly. _____
  5. We'll have to install a new device that attaches to a tube to control the flow of liquid. _____
  6. I got a small muscle pain in my leg after having a long workout at the gym. _____
  7. To reach the TV, the young girl stood on the seat with leg but no arm support. _____
  8. A high examination score is a proof of the existence of good studying skills. _____
  9. The man became worried when his arm was without feeling. _____
  10. He was hired to repair the house that had become old and in bad condition. _____

 

C ‣ Write the word from the word bank that best fits each sentence.

WORD BANK
  • cramp
  • valve
  • decorate
  • numb
  • filth
  • timber
  • butler
  • faucet
  • stool
  • mound
  1. Don't forget to wipe the _____ and mirror when cleaning the bathroom.
  2. The runner got a _____ while running the marathon.
  3. At the top of the _____ stood a statue of a small girl.
  4. The _____ opened the door for the master of the house.
  5. The young boy was told to sit on a _____ and not move a muscle.
  6. Sally helped me _____ the entire office.
  7. My entire hand is _____, I can't feel it at all!
  8. We realized the _____ was shut when no water came from the sink.
  9. The construction company ordered ten logs of _____.
  10. Contrary to popular belief, pigs do not like to live in _____.

 

D ‣ Check(✓) the better response to each question.

  1. What do you think of this picture?
    • a. It's quite dilapidated.
    • b. It evokes a lot of emotion.
  2. Why was Darrell scolded earlier?
    • a. He was reckless with the company credit card.
    • b. The faucet won't turn on.
  3. Why are you walking like that?
    • a. We don't have enough timber.
    • b. My whole leg is numb.
  4. What was so great about last night's performance?
    • a. She climbed up the mound.
    • b. It was a testament to her dancing ability.
  5. What's wrong with the roof?
    • a. The slate needs to be replaced.
    • b. I have a cramp.
  6. How long have you been married?
    • a. I just bought the stool.
    • b. It has been 12 years of marital bliss.
  7. Where is Tiffany?
    • a. She is saying farewell to the others.
    • b. I never saw the stool.

 

The Butler

Greta was an elderly lady who lived alone in a huge, dilapidated mansion. The mansion was in terrible condition. It was covered with filth, and most of the furniture was broken. Plus, the kitchen sink leaked water all over the floor. Greta was too old to do housekeeping and repairs herself, so she hired a butler named Gordon.

Gordon was a young, muscular man. His muscles were a testament to his strong work ethic. He believed that if he worked hard, great things would happen for him. On his first day, he worked for hours cleaning and making repairs. He swept up mounds of dirt. He tightened the valve underneath the kitchen faucet to stop the leak. He even bought timber to build new stools for the kitchen. He worked so hard that his fingers went numb, and he got cramps in his shoulders.

Gordon worked hard every day. Even when tasks were boring, he was never reckless. He made sure there were no flaws in his work. Gordon was worried, however, that Greta wasn't pleased. She never expressed thanks or said that he did a good job. The lack of appreciation evoked unhappy feelings in Gordon. He even thought about quitting. But he decided the right thing to do was to keep working hard.

One day, while Gordon was sweeping, Greta said, "Gordon! I have a surprise for you!" He went to Greta's room and saw a beautiful slate statue. It looked just like him! It was decorated with a banner that read: "Welcome home."

Greta said, "You've made this ugly old mansion look new again. I'm so thankful for your hard work that I want you to have it. I'll move into a smaller house."

He grinned and gave Greta a big hug. He said, "What bliss! My hard work really paid off!"

The two said their farewells, and Gordon spent the afternoon admiring his beautiful new home.

 

Reading Comprehension

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

  1. _____ The dilapidated mansion was covered in filth.
    __________
  2. _____ Gordon's muscles were a testament to his flaws.
    __________
  3. _____ Gordon was never reckless even when tasks were boring.
    __________
  4. _____ The mound of dirt evoked unhappy feelings in Gordon.
    __________
  5. _____ Gordon tightened the valve under the kitchen faucet and bought timber to build stools.
    __________

 

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. What is the passage about?
    • a. Bad managers
    • b. An artwork's price
    • c. The value of hard work
    • d. Unhappy workers
  2. Why did Greta hire a butler to do the housekeeping and repairs?
    _____
  3. What did Gordon say when he grinned and felt bliss?
    _____

 

Answer Key

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