Word List
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v. To abolish something means to put an end to it, such as a system or law.President Lincoln abolished slavery in the US.
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v. To amend something means to change it to improve or make it accurate.The countries were in agreement that the treaty needed to be amended.
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v. To aspire means to have a strong desire to achieve or do something.George aspired to be a doctor from a young age.
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v. To censor information means to remove it if it is dangerous, rude, or rebellious.To protect innocent people, the location of the bomb was censored.
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n. A charter is a document that describes the rights of an organization or group.The company charter explained that all employees had to pay a tax.
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n. A constitution is a document of principles for a government.The country's constitution said a prime minister could only serve three terms.
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adj. When a place is cosmopolitan, it is full of people from many different places.There are dozens of different types of restaurants in a cosmopolitan city.
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v. To disseminate information or knowledge means to distribute it.The organization disseminates information about the dangers of smoking.
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v. To flatter people means to praise them in an effort to please them.He was just flattering me when he said that my new dress looked gorgeous.
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adj. When someone is infamous, they are well known for something bad.That news channel is infamous for presenting biased information.
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adj. If one is lame, they cannot walk properly due to an injury to the leg or foot.The terrible accident left many people dead and several others lame.
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v. To limp means to walk with difficulty because someone's leg or foot is hurt.After the injury, the player limped off of the field.
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n. An outburst is a sudden, strong expression of an emotion.There was an outburst of cheers when the comedian took the stage.
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adj. When a behavior is pathological, it is extreme, unacceptable, and sometimes a symptom of disease.The pathological liar could not even tell the truth about unimportant matters.
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adj. When something is phenomenal, it is unusually great.The child's ability to play the piano is nothing short of phenomenal.
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n. A poll is a survey in which people give their opinions about important things.The poll showed that many people support the plan to stop gang violence.
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n. Remorse is a strong feeling of sadness and regret.When I realized what I had done, I felt remorse for my actions.
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n. Secrecy is the behavior of keeping things secret.The secrecy of the big organization made the government nervous.
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v. To tackle something means to deal with it in a determined and efficient way.Such social problems need to be tackled right away.
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n. A trance is a state where people seem asleep and have no control of themselves.The woman's powerful eyes often put men in a trance.
Exercise
A ‣ Circle the answer that best fits the question.
- What might be abolished?
- a. A rule
- b. A toy
- c. A car
- d. A star
- Who tackles crime?
- a. Bankers
- b. Criminals
- c. Postal workers
- d. Police officers
- Who is infamous?
- a. A trusting friend
- b. An evil king
- c. A tiny puppy
- d. A newborn baby
- If a behavior is pathological, it _____.
- a. is envied
- b. cannot be controlled
- c. can be bad
- d. is pleasant
- Who might be lame?
- a. A healthy baby
- b. An athlete
- c. A young man
- d. Someone in a wheelchair
- A trance is most similar to _____.
- a. dancing
- b. eating
- c. showering
- d. sleeping
- What is most likely to have a charter?
- a. An unknown island
- b. A new automobile
- c. A large company
- d. A basketball
- What might be censored?
- a. A newspaper
- b. A fly
- c. A cruise
- d. A cell phone
- If your skills are phenomenal, they are _____.
- a. ordinary
- b. not appreciated
- c. in need of practice
- d. great
- Which area is likely to be cosmopolitan?
- a. A television set
- b. A bedroom
- c. A big city
- d. A small village
B ‣ Circle the one that is opposite in meaning to the given word.
- lame
- a. rude
- b. kind
- c. smart
- d. healthy
- secrecy
- a. well known
- b. hidden
- c. upset
- d. popularity
- abolish
- a. great
- b. start
- c. round
- d. caring
- remorse
- a. again
- b. grief
- c. happiness
- d. glow
- disseminate
- a. distribute
- b. collect
- c. open
- d. forget
C ‣ Write a word that is similar in meaning to the underlined part.
- His moving speech caused a huge strong, sudden expression of happy tears. _____
- The main goal of the group was to distribute information about the needs of the poor. _____
- The wounded soldier had to walk with difficulty because of a hurt foot back to the base. _____
- We excitedly watched the results of the survey in which people give opinions. _____
- The boys have a strong desire to finish college in less than three years. _____
- When he saw how badly things had turned out, he felt a strong feeling of sadness and regret. _____
- It is a difficult process to improve the official rulebook. _____
- Those salesmen praise in an insincere way people to trick them into buying useless items. _____
- The document of principles for the government was based on freedom for all people. _____
- We were immediately suspicious of the boy because of his act of keeping things secret. _____
D ‣ Write the word that best fits each sentence.
- cosmopolitan / poll
According to a recent _____, 20% of the town doesn't like the new park.
Whitney stared in amazement at the people on the streets of the _____ city. - amend / remorse
The husband sent flowers to his wife to _____ for his mistake.
The man admitted feeling no _____ for stealing the money. - constitution / outburst
There are no plans to change the country's _____ anytime soon.
Chris was sent to the principal's office for her angry _____ in class.
The Mayor of Sherman
The cosmopolitan city of Sherman needed to elect a new mayor. Two men aspired to become mayor: Mr. Jones and Mr. Webb. Mr. Jones was a tall, handsome man. He was a phenomenal speaker, and the citizens loved him. However, Mr. Jones didn't know much about running a city. He was a pathological liar who merely flattered people with his words. Mr. Webb was very different. He was a small, unattractive man. He was lame and limped when he walked. But he was an expert in politics and knew what was best for the people.
The citizens of Sherman didn't care about what the politicians had to say. No one listened to Mr. Webb even though he had great ideas. They cheered when Mr. Jones spoke although he didn't talk about important things. It was as if his pretty words put people in a trance. All the polls predicted that Mr. Jones would win the election.
When the votes were totaled, Mr. Jones won easily. But when he took office, he didn't know what to do! He tried to hide his ignorance by working in secrecy. He added a law to the city's constitution that prevented citizens from seeing the mayor. He even censored newspapers that tried to disseminate information about his inability to help the people.
Soon, however, Mr. Jones became infamous for his poor leadership. There was an outburst of anger among the citizens. They were full of remorse for their misguided decision to elect an ignorant mayor. They voted to remove Mr. Jones and let Mr. Webb take over. Immediately, Mr. Webb proved that he was a great mayor. He abolished Mr. Jones's law, and he was willing to talk openly with everyone. He tackled important issues and amended unfair laws in the city's charter.
The citizens learned that a pleasant appearance and nice words do not make a good leader. The most important qualities are intelligence and a desire to help others.
Reading Comprehension
Part A: Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false statements to make them true.
- _____ Two men aspired to be mayor of the cosmopolitan city of Sherman.
__________ - _____ Mr. Jones was a pathological speaker who flattered people with his words.
__________ - _____ Mr. Webb was lame, so he limped when he walked.
__________ - _____ Mr. Webb tackled important issues and amended unfair laws in the city charter.
__________ - _____ Mr. Jones censored newspapers that tried to disseminate outbursts of anger.
__________
Part B: Answer the questions.
- What is the passage about?
- a. Winning elections
- b. Creating new laws
- c. Making fair judgments
- d. Getting involved in politics
- What misguided decision did the people feel remorse for making?
_____ - What did the phenomenal speaker become infamous for?
_____
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