4000 essential english words L.5 U21-->U30

Unit 21: The Twins Word List  1. astounded [əˈstaundid] adj.  If you are astounded, you are very surprised. → I was astounded that Monica won the art competition.  2. attribute [ˈætribjuːt] n.  An attribute is a characteristic of a person or thing. → He isn’t very clever, but he does have some other positive attributes.  3. bilingual [baiˈliŋgwəl] adj.  If someone is bilingual, then they can speak two languages. → Since you already know English, after learning French you’ll be bilingual.  4. clone [kloun] n.  A clone is an identical copy of a living creature. → Scientists recently made a clone of a sheep.  5. colloquial [kəˈloukwiəl] adj.  Colloquial describes informal words that are more suitable for speech than writing. → I find it difficult to understand people if they use colloquial language.  6. cosmetics [kɒzˈmetiks] n.  Cosmetics are substances that make the face and skin more beautiful. → Girls often look nicer when they don’t use so many cosmetics.  7. dash [dæʃ] v.  To dash means to run or move quickly. → Helen dashed up the stairs, so she wouldn’t be late for her appointment.  8. disgust [disˈgʌst] n.  Disgust is a feeling of distaste and anger caused by something rude or unpleasant. → He felt disgust toward his date because she had such terrible eating habits.  9. fluorescent [fluəˈresnt] adj.  If something is fluorescent, it is such a bright color that it seems to give off light. → She highlighted the key words in the document with a fluorescent yellow pen.  10. furious [ˈfjuəriəs] adj.  If you are furious, you are extremely angry. → My father was furious when he read my bad school report.  11. gulf [gʌlf] n.  A gulf is a gap between people who do not understand each other. → There has been a gulf between James and Tony since their parents died.  12. humanities [hju:mænətiz] n.  Humanities are subjects which analyze human ideas, such as history and literature. → Jennifer has always been more interested in humanities than science.  13. knot [nɒt] n.  A knot is made when you tie the ends of rope or cord together. → He tied a knot in his shoelaces, so they wouldn’t come off during the race.  14. linguist [ˈliŋgwist] n.  A linguist is someone who studies languages. → Tony is a good linguist and speaks four different languages.  15. participant [pɑːrˈtisəpənt] n.  A participant is someone who joins in a social event or competition. → There were thousands of participants in this year’s marathon.  16. plausible [ˈplɔːzəbəl] adj.  If something is plausible, it is reasonable or possible. → It is plausible that Jack isn’t here today because he is sick.  17. ritual [ˈritjuəl] n.  A ritual is a formal custom that people do regularly. → Ken was very interested to learn about the religious rituals of the natives.  18. sibling [ˈsibliŋ] n.  A sibling is a brother or sister. → Jane has two siblings, an older brother and a younger sister.  19. skinny [ˈskini] adj.  If someone is skinny, they are extremely thin. → Polly is very skinny. I think she needs to eat more.  20. vague [veig] adj.  If something is vague, it is not clear, and it gives very few details. → I asked him about his mother’s health, but he was very vague about it.

 Unit 22: The New Bioco Word List  1. acid [ˈæsid] n.  An acid is a chemical that can burn or dissolve other substances. → In chemistry class, we mixed two acids together and watched the reaction.  2. administration [ədˌminəsˈtreiʃən] n.  An administration is the group of people who manage a company or organization. → She hoped she could be promoted to a job in the administration.  3. administrative [ədˈminəstrətiv] adj.  Administrative describes anything related to managing a company or organization. → I work as an administrative assistant to the owner of the company.  4. biotechnology [ˌbaioutekˈnɒlədʒi] n.  Biotechnology is the use of living parts, such as cells, in industry and technology. → Researchers at the biotechnology company use bacteria to make medicine.  5. cholesterol [kəˈlestəroul] n.  Cholesterol is a substance in fat, tissues, and blood of all animals. → When people have too much cholesterol, they are at a high risk for heart problems.  6. coalition [kouəˈliʃən] n.  A coalition is a group of people or organizations working for a common purpose. → The companies formed a coalition to make trade less expensive.  7. deceptive [diˈseptiv] adj.  When something is deceptive, it encourages one to believe something that is false. → The scary-looking man’s appearance is deceptive, but he is actually very nice.  8. diabetes [daiəˈbiːtis] n.  Diabetes is a medical condition where a person has too much sugar in their blood. → Overweight people are more likely to suffer from diabetes than slimmer ones.  9. eliminate [iˈliməneit] v.  To eliminate something that is unwanted means to completely remove it. → Wearing a seatbelt eliminates some of the dangers of driving a car.  10. erosion [iˈrouʒən] n.  Erosion is the destruction of rock or soil due to flowing water or weather. → Canyons are formed because rivers of fast-moving water caused erosion.  11. ethics [ˈeθiks] n.  Ethics are moral beliefs or rules about right or wrong. → The act of stealing certainly doesn’t go against some people’s ethics.  12. explicit [iksˈplisit] adj.  If something is explicit, it is very clear, open, and truthful. → The man gave a very explicit account of the car accident.  13. framework [ˈfreimwəːrk] n.  A framework is a set of rules or ideas that people use to solve problems. → His ideas fit into the framework of a successful business plan.  14. manufacture [ˌmænjəˈfæktʃə:r] v.  To manufacture something means to make it in a factory. → My father’s company manufactures steel building materials.  15. mechanism [ˈmekənizəm] n.  A mechanism is a part of a machine that performs a certain function. → I can’t open my car door because the locking mechanism is broke.  16. minimize [ˈminəmaiz] v.  To minimize means to reduce something to the lowest possible level. → I checked my homework twice to minimize errors I might have made.  17. nectar [ˈnektər] n.  Nectar is a sweet liquid produced by flowers that bees and other insects collect. → Bees use nectar to make their honey.  18. notion [ˈnouʃən] n.  A notion is an idea or belief about something. → I have a notion that this route would get us to the beach.  19. prone [proun] adj.  When things are prone to some bad thing, they are likely affected by it. → Some people are more prone to catching colds than others.  20. straightforward [ˌstreitˈfɔːrwərd] adj.  When something is straightforward, it is good because it is easy to understand. → The teacher’s grading system was straightforward and fair.

Unit 21: The Twins Katie and Alice were twins. They were so alike that few people could tell the siblings apart. They were almost like clones. They even used the same colloquial language as each other. They were best friends. But the twins’ attributes were not all identical. Alice liked humanities, and Katie was a good linguist. One summer, Katie decided to be a participant at a summer camp in France. Alice wasn’t interested in the French language, so she didn’t go. But she felt angry that Katie wanted to spend the summer away from her. Two months later, Katie returned. Alice dashed to the airport to greet her sister. But when Alice saw Katie, she was astounded. Katie was now bilingual, and she looked completely different! She was wearing nice clothes, cosmetics and looked skinnier. Alice felt very messy next to her. She was just wearing a fluorescent t-shirt, and her hair had knots in it. When Alice asked Katie about France, Katie was vague and didn’t say much. It made Alice furious and filled her with disgust because in the past they’d always told each other everything. Now there was a huge gulf between them. Over the weeks, the sisters spoke even less. Two months later, it was the twins’ birthday. All their lives, they’d had a ritual. Before their birthday, they’d talk all night long. That night, Alice came into Katie’s bedroom. “I’m sorry I haven’t spoken much lately,” Katie said. “I understand. You have new friends now,” said Alice, angrily. Katie said, “My French friends don’t write much nowadays. For a while, I thought they were more exciting than my friends at home. But I was wrong. You’re my sister, and you’ll always be my best friend.” Alice said, “I’m sorry, too. I wanted our relationship to stay the same forever. But it’s totally plausible for twins to have different interests. We can still be best friends without being together all the time.”

Unit 23: How Comet Got His Tail Word List  1. astronomical [ˌæstrəˈnɒmikəl] adj.  If something is astronomical, then it is extremely large. → It’s an astronomical distance between the Milky Way galaxy and the nearest galaxy.  2. atom [ˈætəm] n.  An atom is the smallest unit of a substance. → A molecule consists of a combination of two or more atoms.  3. breadth [bretθ] n.  Breadth is the distance from one side to the other side of something. → The breadth of the northern wall of the house is twenty meters.  4. circumference [səˈkʌmfərəns] n.  A circumference is the distance completely around a circular object. → The circumference of the Earth is obviously much larger than a baseball’s.  5. comet [ˈkɒmit] n.  A comet is an object in space made of ice and rock with a tail of glowing dust. → Comets take many decades to complete an orbit around a star.  6. crater [ˈkreitər] n.  A crater is a large hole in a planet’s or moon’s surface. → They could clearly see the big crater on the moon through the telescope.  7. crescent [ˈkresənt] n.  A crescent is the curved shape lit on the moon’s face during its early and late stages. → Ten days ago the entire moon was bright, but now only a small crescent is shining.  8. debris [ˈdəbriː] n.  Debris is the small pieces scattered from something wrecked or destroyed. → The debris from the cube scattered on the floor.  9. despair [disˈpɛər] n.  Despair is the complete loss of hope. → After the other company won the account, our salespeople were filled with despair.  10. embed [imˈbed] v.  To embed something means to place it firmly within a surrounding thing. → The logger embedded the ax into the wood after chopping several logs.  11. fragment [ˈfrægmənt] n.  A fragment is a small part of something. → After the light broke, there were fragments of glass to clean up.  12. galaxy [ˈgæləksi] n.  A galaxy is any extremely large collection of star systems. → Our solar system is located in the outer area of our galaxy.  13. gigantic [dʒaiˈgæntik] adj.  If something is gigantic, then it is extremely large. → Some dinosaurs were so gigantic that they were the size of buildings.  14. gloom [gluːm] n.  Gloom is a state of being almost completely dark. → In the gloom of the morning, it was difficult to see the boat on the lake.  15. radiate [ˈreidieit] v.  To radiate means to send out energy or heat. → The heat from the fireplace radiated throughout the room.  16. roam [roum] v.  To roam means to move around without a plan or purpose. → All day the cows roamed around the field eating grass.  17. solitary [ˈsɒliteri] adj.  If something is solitary, then it is lonely or the only one. → The only thing in the room was a solitary chair.  18. spectrum [ˈspektrəm] n.  The spectrum is the full range of color ranging from red to violet. → You can see the entire spectrum in a rainbow.  19. sphere [sfiə:r] n.  A sphere is a three-dimensional round shape, like a ball. → The balloons were inflated into a variety of colorful spheres.  20. status [ˈsteitəs] n.  Status is the position of something or someone in relation to others. → She had achieved the status of being the smartest girl in the class.

Unit 22: The New Bioco Jack got a new job at a biotechnology company called Bioco. Bioco manufactured drugs to treat diabetes and high cholesterol. Jack’s job was to use a tiny mechanism to get nectar from flowers. The nectar was a main ingredient in the drugs. Jack liked his job, and he thought that Bioco was a caring company. However, Jack soon learned that the company wasn’t as kind as he first thought. Bioco’s motto was “Make the Earth a Better Place.” However, this motto was deceptive. The company actually did a number of really bad things to the environment. The company produced a lot of smog and harmful acid. Bioco poured the acid in a nearby river, which caused erosion and made fish prone to illness. After a few weeks at the new job, Jack saw all the bad things Bioco was doing. He had always had strong ethics, and he knew he had to do something. One day, while the Bioco workers were eating in the cafeteria, Jack stood up and gave a speech. He said, “My fellow coworkers, I know you have all seen the evil things our company is doing. I have a notion that we can fix them if we form a coalition. We can go to the administration and tell them we’ll quit if they don’t eliminate the problems. They’ll have no choice but to listen to us.” Jack explained what they were to do. His coworkers liked his explicit plan. They went to the administrative offices and demanded that Bioco stop damaging the environment, or they all would quit. One supervisor said to them, “Thank you for being straightforward about this issue. Since I can’t afford to lose all of you workers, I guess we’ll just have to fix things.” Jack, his supervisor, and his coworkers spent the next month designing a new framework for the company. They cleaned up the acid from the river and minimized the amount of air pollution the company released. At last, the company motto became apt.

Unit 25: The Man and the Monkey While flying over a jungle, a wealthy executive’s private plane crashed. Some of the crew were hurt, so the pilot decided to stay with them and wait for help. The arrogant executive, though, didn’t care about the welfare of the pilot and crew. Rather, he thought he could walkout of the jungle and find a town to stay in. He followed a trail through a canyon and along a creek. The jungle was actually very stunning. If the arrogant executive had stopped to look around, he might have perceived the jungle’s beauty. But he was in a nasty mood and had no care for the aesthetic value of the jungle. He continued to walk up the steep incline of the jungle’s hills. Soon, he was lost. Several days passed, and fatigue and hunger weakened him. He was very tired and afraid. Just then, a monkey came out of the trees. It was carrying a twig covered in honey. It walked up to a mound where termites lived. He then used the twig like a drill to make a hole in the mound. Then very carefully, it removed the twig from the hole. The sticky twig was covered with termites. Instead of eating the bugs, the monkey offered them to the executive, but he didn’t want what the monkey offered. He shouted at the monkey, “Get away from me, you stupid primate!” The executive’s stereotype of the monkey was wrong. The monkey was not stupid. It knew how to find food, whereas the executive did not. He refused the help of the monkey, thereby leaving himself to starve. When the executive was finally found, he was very skinny and sick. He had not eaten for a very longtime. Because he held a bias against the primitive ways of the monkey, he had gone hungry and almost died. The executive didn’t understand that it was his arrogant attitude that had caused all of his problems.

Unit 23: How Comet Got His Tail A solitary rock roamed through the cold gloom of outer space. It slowly drifted through the debris of broken asteroids with a feeling of sadness. In the vast and beautiful galaxy, it was only a tiny rock. It felt like an insignificant atom. In its journeys it encountered many amazing objects. It flew by beautiful crescent moons that were covered with craters and moon dust. “Why can’t I be as beautiful as them?” it thought. The rock passed a gigantic planet. The sphere had a circumference hundreds of times larger than the breadth of the small rock. “Why can’t I be as large as that?” it wondered. The rock was filled with despair. It was surrounded by beauty and greatness, yet it was just a small and ugly fragment of rock. One day, it approached the area of an astronomical star. “What’s wrong?” the star asked. “Oh, I wish I had a higher status in the galaxy. All the other objects are so beautiful and large,” the rock replied. “But I’m just an ugly rock.” The star considered the problem. At last it said, “You don’t have to worry anymore. I think I can help.” The star radiated its light brighter and hotter than it had ever done before. “Come a little closer,” the star said to the rock. The rock drifted closer to the star. Suddenly, the ice that was embedded in the rock’s tiny cracks melted and became steam. Then the steam extended behind the comet to form a brilliant tail. The tail shined with all the colors of the spectrum. The little rock had become a beautiful comet. It looked so amazing. It realized that the star helped it change its appearance. “Thank you,” the comet said and then flew away with its new beautiful tail following behind it like a galactic cape.

Unit 24: The Resourceful Landlord Word List  1. bankrupt [ˈbæŋkrʌpt] adj.  If someone is bankrupt, then they are unable to pay their debts. → The store had few customers and soon went bankrupt.  2. conform [kənˈfɔːrm] v.  To conform to rules or laws is to obey them. → The new student had to conform to the school’s dress code.  3. employ [imˈplɔi] v.  To employ someone means to give work to them. → The bookstore employed two full-time clerks.  4. expel [iksˈpel] v.  To expel someone means to force them to leave a place. → Since he would not follow the rules, the principal had to expel the student.  5. extension [iksˈtenʃən] n.  An extension is a part added to something to give it more time or space. → My parents decided to add an extension to our house for the new baby.  6. forthcoming [fɔːrθˈkʌmiŋ] adj.  If something is forthcoming, then it is about to happen in the future. → Some economists predicted that the forthcoming world economy would be severe.  7. furnish [ˈfəːrniʃ] v.  To furnish means to put furniture in a house or room. → Most homes are furnished with tables, chairs, and beds.  8. hygiene [ˈhaidʒiːn] n.  Hygiene is the conditions or methods needed for health and cleanliness. → People who brush their teeth at least twice a day are practicing good hygiene.  9. hygienic [haiˈdʒinik] adj.  If something is hygienic, then it is clean and unlikely to cause disease. → My sister works very hard to keep her entire home as hygienic as possible.  10. landlord [ˈlændlɔːrd] n.  A landlord is a man who rents property to a person. → The landlord collected everyone’s rent money on the first day of every month.  11. lease [liːs] v.  To lease means to rent property, usually an apartment or land. → When the family first leased the apartment, the rent was very low.  12. mandatory [ˈmændətɔ:ri] adj.  If something is mandatory, then it is required by law. → It’s mandatory that everyone be at least sixteen to drive a car in the US.  13. mend [mend] v.  To mend something means to fix it when it is broken or damaged. → Mother mended the rip in my pants with a piece of cloth.  14. mortgage [ˈmɔːrgidʒ] n.  A mortgage is a loan for property, especially homes and businesses. → When they bought their new home, the married couple had to sign a mortgage.  15. personnel [ˌpəːrsəˈnel] n.  Personnel are employees in a business. → When business increased, we had to hire more personnel.  16. plumbing [ˈplʌmiŋ] n.  Plumbing is the system of pipes used in a home to supply water. → When the plumbing stopped working, no one was allowed to use the toilets.  17. tenant [ˈtenənt] n.  A tenant is a person who rents property from a landlord. → The new tenants moved into the house across the street.  18. trendy [ˈtrendi] adj.  If something is trendy, then it is very popular and new. → Carlo bought a trendy new car.  19. utility [juːˈtiləti] n.  A utility is a business that supplies services such as water or electricity. → If you don’t pay the utilities, you may have your electricity turned off.  20. whereby [hwɛə:rˈbai] conj.  Whereby means by which or through which. → The mayor had a new bridge built whereby the citizens could cross the river.

Unit 24: The Resourceful Landlord A kind landlord was afraid that he would lose his apartment building. He needed to make some mandatory repairs to the old building, or his tenants would have to leave by the end of the month. Without tenants to lease the rooms, the landlord would be unable to pay his mortgage. He’d be bankrupt, and the bank would take his building. But he didn’t have the money whereby he could employ the personnel needed to make the repairs. It would seem like he did not want to conform to the city’s codes before the forthcoming inspection. He had requested an extension, but it was denied by the city. He held a meeting with his tenants and explained the unfortunate situation. “If the building does not meet the appropriate standards for safety and hygiene,” he said, “the city will expel everyone.” The tenants were all sad for the kind old man. “Maybe we can help,” the hairdresser who lived on the first floor stated. The other tenants agreed. One tenant had worked for the city’s utilities. He knew a lot about plumbing, so that’s how he helped. Another tenant was a carpenter; he mended the holes in the floor and walls. Others cleaned the building from top to bottom so that it was more hygienic. They even furnished some of the apartments with new beds, dressers, and chairs. When they were done, all of the people dispersed, and the landlord went home to rest. When the deadline of the inspection arrived, the apartment building was hygienic and safe. The landlord couldn’t believe it. His old building now looked like one of the trendiest buildings in town. The building passed its inspection, and the landlord and the tenants had a big party. “Thank you all so much,” the landlord said during the party. “I could never have done it by myself. But by working together, we now all have a beautiful place to live.”

Unit 25: The Man and the Monkey Word List  1. aesthetic [esˈθetik] adj.  If something is aesthetic, then it is concerned with a love of beauty. → The dresses were noteworthy for their aesthetic design.  2. arrogant [ˈærəgənt] adj.  If someone is arrogant, they think that they are more important than others. → He is very arrogant. Even though he’s not the boss, he tells everyone what to do.  3. bias [ˈbaiəs] n.  A bias is a person’s likelihood to like one thing more than another thing. → The mothers had a natural bias for their own child’s picture.  4. canyon [ˈkænjən] n.  A canyon is a narrow valley with steep walls through which a river often flows. → The canyon was so deep that the ground inside was covered in shadow.  5. creek [kriːk] n.  A creek is a stream or small river. → Only small fish lived in the shallow waters of the creek.  6. drill [dril] n.  A drill is a tool with a point that spins in order to make a hole. → The carpenter used the drill to make several holes in the wood.  7. executive [igˈzekjətiv] n.  An executive is the top manager of a business. → After twenty years at the company, he finally became the executive.  8. fatigue [fəˈtiːg] n.  Fatigue is a feeling of extreme tiredness. → After three days with little sleep, she was feeling a lot of fatigue.  9. incline [ˈinklain] n.  An incline is a sharp rise in something, especially a hill or mountain. → This mountain has one of the steepest inclines in the world.  10. nasty [ˈnæsti] adj.  If something is nasty, then it is not nice or pleasant. → The rotten apple left a nasty taste inside her mouth.  11. perceive [pərsiːv] v.  To perceive something means to be aware of it. → He was talking loudly, so he did not perceive that the music had stopped.  12. primate [ˈpraimeit] n.  A primate is a type of mammal that includes monkeys, apes, and humans. → Primates use their hands for such tasks as swinging from branches.  13. primitive [ˈprimətiv] adj.  If something is primitive, then it is simple, basic, and not very developed. → The computers of the 1980s are primitive compared to those of todays.  14. stereotype [ˈsteriətaip] n.  A stereotype is a general but often incorrect idea about a person or thing. → There’s a stereotype that pigs are dirty animals. But they are rather clean.  15. sticky [ˈstiki] adj.  If something is sticky, then it is covered with a substance that things stick to. → Place the sticky part of the tape against the paper, so it will cling to the wall.  16. termite [ˈtəːrmait] n.  A termite is an insect that lives in groups and feeds on wood. → The wood we found was full of termites.  17. thereby [ˈðɛə:rˈbai] adv.  If something happens thereby an action, then it is the result of that action. → He didn’t score a goal, thereby ending his chance at setting a record.  18. trail [treil] n.  A trail is a path through a wild area. → A narrow trail cut through the field and over the hills.  19. twig [twig] n.  A twig is a short and thin branch from a tree or bush. → They started the fire with a handful of dry twigs.  20. welfare [ˈwelfɛə:r] n.  Welfare is the health and happiness of a person or group. → Having plenty of clean water is necessary for the welfare of people.

Unit 26: Cosmo’s Flight Word List  1. behalf [biˈhæf] n.  If something is done on one’s behalf, it is done for that person by another. → The original speaker was sick, so his son gave the speech on his behalf.  2. flap [flæp] v.  To flap means to move quickly up and down or from side to side. → The tiny bird flapped its wings and ate from the flowers.  3. glacier [ˈgleiʃər] n.  A glacier is a large piece of ice that moves very slowly. → The North Pole is covered by a huge glacier.  4. globe [gloub] n.  The globe refers to the Earth. → Water covers most of the globe.  5. horizontal [ˌhɔ:rəˈzɒntl] adj.  When something is horizontal, it is flat and level with the ground. → The Russian flag has three horizontal stripes of white, blue, and red.  6. hum [hʌm] v.  To hum means to make a low, continuous noise. → The man hummed his favorite song.  7. inventory [ˈinvənˌtɔ:ri] n.  An inventory is a supply of something. → Gwen was checking the inventory to make sure we had what we needed.  8. inward [ˈinwərd] adj.  If a thought or feeling is inward, it is not expressed or shown to others. → She had an inward feeling of guilt when she lied to her mother.  9. loaf [louf] n.  A loaf of bread is bread shaped and baked in one piece. → Could you please buy a loaf of bread for sandwiches?  10. oracle [ˈɔ(:)rəkəl] n.  An oracle is person who speaks with gods and gives advice about the future. → The king went to the oracle to ask if going to war was a good idea.  11. orbit [ˈɔːrbit] v.  To orbit something means to move around it in a continuous, curving path. → The moon orbits the Earth.  12. overview [ˈouvərvjuː] n.  An overview is a general description of a situation. → My brother gave me an overview of the important parts of the book.  13. preview [ˈpriːvjuː] n.  A preview is an opportunity to see something before it is available to the public. → The band played us a preview of their new song.  14. previous [ˈpriːviəs] adj.  If something is previous, then it happened earlier in time or order. → He turned back to the previous page to read the paragraph again.  15. provide [prəˈvaid] v.  To provide something means to supply it. → Each student was provided with a test and three sharp pencils.  16. recur [riˈkəːr] v.  To recur means to happen more than once. → Burglaries seem to recur over and over in our neighborhood.  17. relevant [ˈreləvənt] adj.  When something is relevant, it is important to a certain person or situation. → The thirty-year-old book about politics is still relevant to our society today.  18. rite [rait] n.  A rite is a traditional ceremony carried out by a particular group or society. → Special masks are worn during the rite when a new baby is born.  19. stall [stɔːl] v.  To stall means to stop a process and continue it at a later time. → If you give the car a push, it won’t stall.  20. supernatural [ˌsuːpərˈnætʃərəl] adj.  If something is supernatural, it is not real or explainable by natural law. → The dragon had supernatural powers such as flying and breathing fire.

Unit 26: Cosmo’s Flight ✈️ When Cosmo woke up, he was crying. He had a dream that he was falling. This dream had recurred for the previous five nights. Cosmo was scared that his dreams were a preview of what was going to happen on his flight the next day. Cosmo was a supernatural being who was about to turn 15 years old. In his culture, boys of his age were required to participate in an important rite. They were given wings and instructed to orbit the Earth. After successful flights, the boys officially became men. Cosmo certainly wanted to be a man, but he was scared. He went to the oracle of a god named Dano. Cosmo said, “I’m not sure I can make such a long trip. What if I get tired? What if my strength stalls, and I can’t stay in the air. I’ll crash and die!” Dano replied, “Don’t be afraid. You have all the relevant skills in your personal inventory that have been building up over the years. To ease your worry, let me tell you a little about what will happen tomorrow. You’ll begin over Africa. You’ll keep flying north until you come to the Himalayas. The mountaintops will look like small loaves of bread at such a high distance. The rivers of the world will look like pieces of blue string that cross the globe. Keep your body horizontal when flying against the winds of the Pacific Ocean. Keep your eyes open and enjoy the beauty of the Earth. You will be fine, you’ll see.” Cosmo replied, “Thanks for the overview of my journey, I’ll do my best.” The next morning, Cosmo was provided with a divine set of wings and sent on his way. He flapped his wings and went high above the Earth. He flew over mountains, oceans, and glaciers. After a while, his inward thoughts were no longer about falling. He was actually having fun! He began to hum a song as he enjoyed the view. When he reached home, his tribe was there to greet him. The chief said, “On behalf of the tribe, I declare you a man. We’re proud of you, Cosmo!” Cosmo was proud of himself, too.

Unit 27: The First Organ Transplant Word List  1. adapt [əˈdæpt] v.  To adapt means to change in order to deal with a new situation or addition. → When he went to the new town, he had to adapt to all the weather changes.  2. biological [ˌbaiəˈlɒdʒikəl] adj.  Biological describes the process of life and living things. → In science, we learned about the biological process of bacterial growth.  3. cellular [ˈseljələr] adj.  When something is cellular, it relates to the cells of animals or plants. → She used a microscope to see the activity at a cellular level.  4. dynamic [daiˈnæmik] adj.  When people are dynamic, they are lively and have creative ideas. → The new, dynamic employee came up with a good way to juggle his work load.  5. fantasy [ˈfæntəzi] n.  A fantasy is a pleasant situation that people think about but is unlikely to happen. → Becoming an astronaut is a fantasy shared by many children.  6. heredity [hiˈredəti] n.  Heredity is the process of passing on features from parents to children. → The boy’s face is similar to his father’s because of heredity.  7. internal [inˈtəːrnl] adj.  When something is internal, it exists or happens inside a person, object, or place. → We removed the outer case to reveal the computer’s internal wires.  8. minimal [ˈminəməl] adj.  When something is minimal, it is very small. → My lazy husband does a minimal amount of work around the house.  9. pioneer [paiəˈniər]  A pioneer is a person who is the first to discover or be involved in something. → He was a pioneer of computer programming.  10. prescribe [priˈskraib] v.  To prescribe medicine means to tell someone to take it. → When I was sick, the doctor prescribed me flu medicine.  11. respective [risˈpektiv] adj.  When things are respective, they relate separately to each person just mentioned. → The boxers were told to return to their respective corners.  12. revive [riˈvaiv] v.  To revive someone or something means to restore health or life to them. → She revived the feeling of warmth in her leg by rubbing it softly.  13. rigid [ˈridʒid] adj.  When rules or systems are rigid, they are severe because they cannot be changed. → Societies often have rigid rules about the way that people are supposed to act.  14. sequence [ˈsiːkwəns] n.  A sequence is a number of events or things that come one after another. → The dominos fell in a sequence of one after another.  15. substitute [ˈsʌbstitjuːt] v.  To substitute something or someone means to have them take the place of another. → When I ran out of juice, I had to substitute water to drink in the morning.  16. surgeon [ˈsəːrdʒən] n.  A surgeon is a doctor who is trained to do surgery. → The surgeon operated on the old man’s heart.  17. therapy [ˈθerəpi] n.  Therapy is treatment for a particular physical or mental illness or condition. → After she broke her legs, she used physical therapy to learn how to walk again.  18. transfer [ˈtrænsfə:r] v.  To transfer something means to move it from one place to another. → The family transferred the groceries from the shopping cart to the car.  19. transition [trænˈziʃən] n.  A transition is a process where there is a change from one form to another. → The weather gets colder during the transition from summer to autumn.  20. transplant [trænsˈplænt] n.  A transplant is an operation in which a damaged part of one’s body is replaced. → The sick child needed a heart transplant to live.

Unit 27: The First Organ Transplant In 1954, a man named Richard was dying of kidney disease. He wouldn’t survive for long unless he got a new kidney right away. Richard’s twin brother, Robert, was willing to donate one of his kidneys to his dying brother. At the time, however, no doctor had ever performed a successful internal organ transplant. The idea of taking an organ out of one person and putting it into another was just a fantasy. But the brothers decided to be brave and found a doctor who could make organ transplants a reality. Since Richard and Robert were twins, their heredity was identical. They had the exact same biological traits. Even their kidneys were identical on the cellular level. Therefore, Robert’s working kidney could be substituted for Richard’s bad one. Richard’s body could adapt to the new organ if the operation was done correctly. The twins went to Dr. Murray, who was a pioneer of new surgical methods. His dynamic team of surgeons performed the transplant. Dr. Murray made sure his surgeons followed a rigid sequence of directions so that no mistakes were made. First, they made a minimal cut in Richard’s side and removed the bad kidney. Then, they made another small cut in Robert’s side, removed his kidney, and transferred it into Richard’s body. Finally, they sewed up the respective cuts. The entire operation only took about one hour. After the surgery, it was clear that both brothers were going to be OK. The operation was confirmed a success. Richard’s new kidney worked great! Doctors prescribed medicine for the pain caused by the surgery. Since Richard was still weak, he used physical therapy to revive his strength. At last, Richard’s transition into a healthy, happy person was complete. Dr. Murray became a hero in the medical world. His success gave other doctors confidence to try organ transplants themselves. Now, doctors perform life-saving transplants and surgeries every day. Reading Comprehension Part A: Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false statements to make them true. Internal organ transplants were a fantasy after 1954. Robert was a pioneer of new surgical procedures. The twins’ kidneys were identical on the cellular level because of their heredity. The dynamic surgeons followed a rigid sequence of directions to avoid mistakes. Richard’s body adapted to the kidney that was transferred from his brother. Part B: Answer the questions. What was substituted in the passage? What was true of the twin’s biological traits? What did the doctors prescribe to revive Richard’s strength? Where did the surgeons make minimal cuts in the respective bodies of each twin? What was the result of Richard’s transition after his therapy? Answer Key adaptWord ListUnit 28: The