Unit 27: The Editor's Choice

Click or select any word to translate.

Word List

  • n. A coward is a person who lacks courage to do risky or dangerous things.
    A firefighter cannot be a coward. They have to be able to act quickly.
  • v. To delete something means to remove or erase written material.
    Several lines had been deleted from her speech.
  • adj. If someone is earnest, then they are honest.
    The child was very earnest when she told her mother how she broke the dish.
  • adj. If something is ethnic, then it is related to a group with a similar culture.
    Many sections of the city are home to different ethnic communities.
  • v. To exclude someone means to not accept them into a group.
    Carol was excluded from the contest because her friend was a judge.
  • adj. If something is firsthand, then it is from an original source.
    If you want firsthand knowledge, ask someone who saw it.
  • adj. If someone is fluent in a language, then they are able to speak it very well.
    She was so fluent in German that you'd have thought she was from Germany.
  • adj. If something is imperial, then it is related to an empire.
    These old imperial coins were once used in the Roman Empire.
  • adj. If something is inclusive, then it is open to all groups and people in society.
    A more inclusive event would have allowed children to attend.
  • n. A legislature is the section of a government that makes laws.
    The senator had served ten years in the national legislature.
  • adj. If something is linguistic, then it is concerned with language.
    A linguistic way of studying culture focuses on words within that culture.
  • adj. If someone is monolingual, then they speak only one language.
    In today's global economy, being monolingual limits your opportunities.
  • n. Nationality is an identity based on the nation from which you come.
    His nationality is German, but he speaks French, Spanish, and Korean.
  • n. A patriot is someone who loves, supports, and defends their country.
    Every year, young patriots join their countries' militaries.
  • v. To prosecute someone means to take legal action against them.
    They were prosecuted for fishing in the river without a permit.
  • adj. If something is racial, then it is related to a race or races.
    The differences between racial groups are physical characteristics and culture.
  • adj. If something is solemn, then it is serious and honest.
    The professor preferred a solemn relationship between him and his students.
  • n. Solidarity is a union formed from common responsibilities or interests.
    All the citizens came together in a show of solidarity to create change.
  • n. Tact is the ability to avoid offending people when dealing with problems.
    Since both sides would not agree, it required someone with tact to make peace.
  • v. To undermine someone means to betray them or weaken their efforts or authority.
    The documents helped to undermine the workers' trust in their bosses' honesty.

 

Exercise

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

  1. No matter how much she begged, the older girls still did not accept Suzy. _____
  2. Language-based approaches are the best way to learn about a culture. _____
  3. Constant changes were weakening the project's chances of being finished on time. _____
  4. The boy made a serious and honest promise to his parents that he would never again cheat. _____
  5. The movie director gave the actors and actresses a personal and original view of the newly completed movie. _____
  6. Everyone knew that Luke studied Chinese. But no one knew he was able to speak it very well. _____
  7. The teacher was waiting for one of the students to be honest about what had happened on the playground. _____
  8. The internet has made talking to people everywhere very natural. As a result, having a sense of common support for your ideas is easy. _____
  9. Although he looked Greek, his identity based on the country he came from was Mexican. _____
  10. Today, no one lives in the old royal palace. Instead, it's part of the university. _____

 

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

WORD BANK
  • nationalities
  • coward
  • delete
  • excluded
  • tact
  1. The girl felt _____ from the activities.
  2. All public speakers must learn _____ in order to be successful.
  3. Please _____ all files containing personal information.
  4. Only certain _____ are eligible for this scholarship.
  5. The _____ was too afraid to jump into the lake.

 

C ‣ Write the word that best fits each sentence.

  1. ethnic / linguistic
    Children begin _____ training from the day they are born.
    We ask everyone to bring a(n) _____ dish to the party.
  2. patriot / coward
    The man was hailed as a _____ for fighting for his country.
    The kids called the boy a _____ for not joining them on the trip.
  3. solidarity / solemn
    The event was _____ and quiet, with very little celebration.
    Students voiced _____ over changes to university life.
  4. undermines / firsthand
    We witnessed _____ the destructive power of the storm.
    Managers claimed the new system _____ their authority.
  5. deleted / prosecute
    I accidentally _____ the file while working on it.
    The old woman chose not to _____ the store owner.
  6. inclusive / excludes
    The term 'police officer' is more _____ than 'policeman'. The cost of this ticket _____ food and drinks.
  7. monolingual / fluent
    Being _____ is a disadvantage nowadays when looking for a job. We are looking for someone _____ in Russian.
  8. legislature / tact
    Debates about the _____ will take place at the next town hall meeting. Walter was respected due to his _____ and wit while speaking.
  9. imperial / earnest
    Life at the _____ court was not always easy. She tried in _____ to win the respect of her classmates.
  10. nationality / racial
    Please write your name and _____ on this form. The company was accused of _____ discrimination in the workplace.

 

The Editor's Choice

A newspaper editor sat at his desk and stared at the flashing cursor on his computer's screen. He didn't know if he should delete the article he had just written or go ahead and publish it. He was scared and filled with doubt.

The empire had passed a new law stating that citizens could only use the imperial language. The editor disagreed with the law and decided to write an article about why it was wrong. He felt that the new law excluded people of different nationalities, and racial and ethnic backgrounds. He had firsthand knowledge of what it felt like not to be fluent in the imperial language because he was from a remote part of the empire.

He felt that the empire shouldn't be monolingual and should be more inclusive. Yet, he was afraid that he would get in trouble for having this belief. Many would say that he was not a patriot - that he didn't love the empire. But he didn't wish to undermine the authority of the empire. He wanted to argue that the empire could be stronger if it accepted people of various cultures and beliefs.

At last, he decided to stop being a coward and to be earnest about how he felt. He wrote the article. It wasn't rude or angry, but rather, very solemn and intelligent. The next day, it was published in all the papers.

Everyone was impressed by his tact and showed solidarity with his ideas. He expected to be arrested any day, but the police never came. Surprisingly, instead of being prosecuted, he became a hero. The legislature changed the law, and people from many linguistic backgrounds praised him.

"Never be afraid to be vocal, the editor later wrote. "If you think something is wrong, then stand up for what you believe."

 

Reading Comprehension

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

  1. _____ The editor felt the imperial law excluded people of different nationalities, and racial and ethnic backgrounds.
    __________
  2. _____ The legislature prosecuted the editor for undermining the authority of the empire.
    __________
  3. _____ The editor was not fluent in the empire's language.
    __________
  4. _____ Everyone was impressed by the editor's tact and showed solidarity with his ideas.
    __________
  5. _____ The article wasn't solemn and intelligent, but rather rude and angry.
    __________

 

Part B: Answer the questions.

  1. What is the passage about?
    • a. Doing something illegal
    • b. Learning a new language
    • c. Standing up for one's beliefs
    • d. Showing one's patriotism
  2. Where was the editor when he was deciding to delete or to publish his article?
    _____
  3. Why was the editor afraid to say that the empire should be more inclusive?
    _____

 

Answer Key

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