Word List
-
adj. If something is archaic, it is very old or outdated.To be competitive, we must update our archaic equipment.
-
n. Brass is a metal that is used to make musical instruments and ornaments.Brass is used to make musical instruments like trumpets.
-
n. Capitalism is an economic system where private companies make goods for profit.Most economies in the world today are based on capitalism.
-
n. A component is a part of a larger machine.Computers have many different components, so they are complicated to build.
-
n. Dependence is a situation in which somebody relies on something else.Young children have a dependence on their parents.
-
v. To diminish means to reduce or get smaller.As the economy got worse, my savings diminished.
-
n. A drawback is a disadvantage.The drawback of having a car is that it is very expensive to maintain.
-
v. To impose means to interrupt or force your ideas on other people.He imposes on his wife every morning by expecting her to make his breakfast.
-
n. Industry is a kind of business that produces services or things for sale.The tourist industry is doing well all around the world.
-
adj. Managerial describes something related to a manager or management.Nancy has a managerial position at the bank.
-
adj. If something is medieval, it comes from the period between 650 and 1500 CE.We visited a castle that was built during medieval times.
-
adj. If something is obsolete, it is not used anymore because something better exists.Since computers became inexpensive, typewriters have become obsolete.
-
adj. When you are oriented towards something, you are faced in that direction.He is living a money-oriented lifestyle.
-
n. A peninsula is a large piece of land that is surrounded by the sea on three sides.The state of Florida is an example of a peninsula.
-
n. If a person has prestige, people admire or respect them.The young actress gained much prestige after she won an award.
-
n. A proportion is an amount that shows the link between the parts and the whole.Only a small proportion of the people in this town actually work here.
-
adj. If something is radical, it is very new or different.The president is planning to make some radical changes to the law.
-
v. To refute something means to prove that it is false or incorrect.The bank manager has refuted the claims that he lied to his customers.
-
adj. If something is spectacular, it looks or sounds very impressive.There was a spectacular fireworks display in the park at New Year.
-
v. To weave means to make cloth using horizontal and vertical threads.We saw a woman weave a blanket on our vacation to South America.
Exercise
A ‣ Circle the answer that best fits the question.
- What is something that is archaic?
- a. A computer
- b. An Egyptian pyramid
- c. Some bread
- d. Spaceships
- Which of these things is often made of brass?
- a. A saxophone
- b. A coat
- c. A chair
- d. A doll
- Which of these is a component in a radio?
- a. Music
- b. Wires
- c. A television
- d. Diamonds
- Which of these things could be seen during the medieval ages?
- a. Telephones
- b. Skateboards
- c. Castles
- d. Soda
- If you are on a small peninsula, you will be quite near to _____.
- a. the mountains
- b. a forest
- c. the sea
- d. the moon
B ‣ Circle the one that is opposite in meaning to the given word.
- weave
- a. to sew
- b. to create
- c. to pull apart
- d. to move
- managerial
- a. entry-level
- b. legislative
- c. ruling
- d. supervisory
- prestige
- a. fame
- b. honor
- c. sin
- d. lowliness
- drawback
- a. artist
- b. benefit
- c. disadvantage
- d. boost
- obsolete
- a. old
- b. innovative
- c. stale
- d. bright
C ‣ Circle the one that is similar in meaning to the given word.
- oriented
- a. crazy
- b. facing a certain way
- c. angry
- d. becoming smaller
- diminish
- a. buy
- b. decide
- c. ignore
- d. decrease
- radical
- a. new
- b. closure
- c. picture
- d. disadvantage
- spectacular
- a. unusual
- b. sad
- c. amazing
- d. sudden
- industry
- a. business
- b. annoyance
- c. equipment
- d. sale
D ‣ Write the word that best fits each sentence.
- medieval / obsolete
A historian was consulted when restoring the _____ castle.
With the invention of cell phones, home phones have become _____. - radical / spectacular
The crowd cheered at the _____ firework show.
All ideas seem _____ when they are new. - impose / weave
The government plans to _____ a tax on tobacco beginning next month.
My grandmother taught me how to _____ a basket. - refuted / diminished
The man _____ the claim of fraud despite evidence to the contrary.
After a month of not finding the girl, hope had _____ significantly. - capitalism / drawback
The economy class debated the pros and cons of _____.
The one _____ to this plan is that it costs a lot of money.
The Weaving Machine
Mr. Joseph Franklin invented a machine that could weave cloth. It wove faster and straighter than anyone could weave by hand. He decided to take it to two cities on a peninsula: Netherton and Wilton. In these cities, a large proportion of the people worked in the weaving industry. Joseph felt sure he could sell his machine there.
Joseph first took his machine to the mayor of Netherton. "Think of the money you will earn from this machine!" Joseph said to him.
But the mayor was a people-oriented man. He knew about the people's dependence on weaving for their livelihood. If he bought the machine, the people would lose their jobs. So he refused to buy it.
Joseph said, "We are no longer in the medieval age! Soon everything will be made by machines. Cloth made by hand will soon be obsolete. If you don't change your archaic ways, your town's income will diminish!"
But the mayor said, "I don't like capitalism. Don't impose your radical ideas on my town. Go away!"
So Joseph took his machine to the mayor at Wilton. This mayor thought Joseph's machine was spectacular and spent a long time looking at its different components made of brass. The mayor couldn't refute the fact that the machine had drawbacks that would affect the people's jobs. But he realized the machine could bring money and prestige. So he ordered Joseph to build twenty of them.
Within a year, Wilton was a wealthy city, famous for its wonderful cloth. People no longer wove but worked in managerial jobs at cloth factories instead. Nobody bought the cloth from Netherton anymore. The people of Netherton became poor and hungry.
Finally, the mayor of Netherton called Joseph and said, "Now I realize that your machine is not just a crazy idea. To succeed in business, we must be willing to change." He then ordered twenty weaving machines.
After that, both Netherton and Wilton became rich cities, famous throughout the land for their wonderful cloth.
Reading Comprehension
Part A: Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false statements to make them true.
- _____ The mayor of Netherton wanted Joseph to impose his radical idea on the town.
__________ - _____ Joseph thought the mayor of Netherton's ideas were medieval and archaic.
__________ - _____ The mayor of Wilton refuted the fact that the machine had drawbacks.
__________ - _____ In Wilton, the people who used to weave got managerial positions at the factories.
__________ - _____ In the end, capitalism brought prestige to both cities.
__________
Part B: Answer the questions.
- What is the passage about?
- a. Asking for help
- b. Being greedy
- c. Dying fabrics
- d. Being stubborn
- What job did a large proportion of the people on the peninsula do?
_____ - According to Joseph, what would soon be obsolete?
_____
Leave a comment
Load more