Short Articles for Reading Comprehension-Book 2 (E)

fatality

the quality of being able to cause death or fatal disasters
Drunk driving fatalities have declined more than 10 percent over the past 10 years.

inflict

to make something bad or displeasing happen to someone
Rebels say they have inflicted heavy casualties on government forces.

inject

to insert a substance such as a medicine or poison into a body via a syringe or teeth
The nurse injected the medicine into my arm.

jellyfish

a sea creature that has a clear soft body
jellyfish are strange in that they do not have a skeleton and just float in the sea.

prey

an animal that is killed and eaten by another animal
The hawk saw the mouse and swooped in to catch his prey.

provoke

deliberately annoying someone or something to try to make them behave aggressively
Do not provoke the mother bear by hurting her cubs.

purpose

a particular reason why something is done; a desired result
What was the purpose of cheating on the test when she already knew all the answers?

toxicity

the quality or degree of being poisonous
Some house plants have a high toxicity so keep them away from pets and small children.

venom

a poisonous substance that is produced by some animals and insects that can harm or kill other animals, insects, or people
It was the venom in the bite that caused her skin to get red and puffy.

victim

a person who has been hurt or killed by another person
Two-year-old Christie was a victim in the car accident.

acknowledge

to admit that something exists or is important
Peter acknowledged his parents had been right about his study habits and wanted to do better.

certificate

an official paper that is accepted as proof of something
You will get a certificate showing that you finished this class.

considerable

being large enough or important to notice
Jeff had a considerable number of shells in his collection.

documentary

a program that records factual report
He made an important documentary about the lives of sharks.

fame

the state of being well-known
Michael Phelps gained his fame by setting a world swimming record at the Olympics.

fortune

a lot of money; great wealth
Warren Buffet has a vast fortune he made from investing his money wisely.

gap

the difference between several groups, things or people
There is usually a huge gap between what wealthy people make and what the poor people make.

playwright

a person who writes plays
Shakespeare was a famous playwright, and even the King liked his work.

suspicion

a feeling that something or something is doubtful or not to be trusted
I have a suspicion that she took the jacket without asking and was too scared to say it.

alligator

a large REPTILE that lives mostly in water
alligators have powerful jaws and like the water.

armor

a protective suit worn during battle
The knight put on a heavy suit of armor and went out to fight.

breed

a group of animals from the same ancestor
People breed certain kinds of dogs so they will be gentle and good with children.

captive

caught and held against one's will
The pirates held the captive tourists until the army arrived.

decrease

to become less in amount, size or number
The amount of water in the pool decreased every time someone splashed it out.

environment

the natural world in which plants and animals live
It is important to take care of the environment so that there is clean air and food for everyone.

farming

the activity of growing crops or keeping animals on a farm
Rice farming requires a significant amount of water.

nuisance

a person, thing, or condition that upsets people or causes problems and troubles
Mosquitoes are a constant nuisance during the hot summer nights.

particularly

in a special manner; more than others
Kiho was particularly careful when he picked up the baby.

problem

a math problem that someone solves to show that they understand the math concept
Pollution is a serious problem for everyone.

rare

occurring infrequently; not commonly found
The red wolf is a rare animal, and is on the endangered species list because there are so few.

wild

living in a state of nature without human control
Most animals live in the wild.

career

a job that someone does for a long time
It is important to think about your career and not just about getting money from one job.

driver

someone who operates a vehicle
The race car driver smiled and waved as he got in the vehicle.

ensure

to make something certain
Please wear a seatbelt to ensure your safety on the ride.

gradually

occurring in a slow manner over a period of time
Nathan practiced every day and gradually became much better.

member

something that belongs to a larger group or structure
The club members had to come to the meetings and pay dues.

repeat

to say or tell something again; to say something that someone else has already said
Tom's teacher had to repeat the instructions several times before Tom understood.

retire

to stop working at a job, usually due to reaching a certain age
My grandfather retired when he was 70.

sponsor

a person or organization that helps pay for an event, usually so that they can advertise at the event
I like to play virtual combat games on my computer.

track

an often circular course laid out for racing, usually for runners or cars
Cars raced around the track at the Indy 500.

victory

the success of winning against someone or something else
Napoleon experienced victory after victory until he went to Waterloo.

artistic

related to art
Marcus showed his artistic side by painting a picture of the sunset.

cast

a group of people who perform in a movie, play, show, etc.
The entire cast of "Cats" sings and dances well.

complete

to finish something
You may leave after you complete the test.

credit

a form of praise
The TV show's credits named all of the actors and dancers.

dramatic

referring to a sudden or extreme event
The dramatic conclusion came when the wicked man realized his father had died in his place.

film

a movie
Would you like to see the new film at the theater?

include

to add something to a group or total
Please include graphs with your research paper.

responsible

able to be trusted to do what is required or should be done
A responsible person takes care of himself and others.

scene

a part of a play or movie in which something particular happens in one place and at one time
In the first scene of the movie, people are getting ready to board the Titanic.

sequence

a set of events, actions, or things that follow each other in a particular order
There was a sequence of strange events that led up to the war.

shot

an injection of something, usually medicine
Everyone needed to travel to China because the director wanted a shot of those mountains.

affect

to do something that causes a change in someone's situation
The Bible has greatly affected the lives of many people.

calculate

to do mathematical processes to find the answer to a problem
Sid calculated the amount of water he could carry in one bucket.

echo

the repetition of a sound that occurs when sound waves bounce off something
Marcie shouted into the canyon but only heard her echo reply.

experiment

a scientific test that is performed to study something and see how it reacts to different conditions
The experiment consisted of several parts, beginning with the acid test.

flash

a bright light that occurs for a very short time
A flash off to the right proved that the electric storm had already begun.

foghorn

(항해) 농무 경적
The captain steered more carefully when he heard the bellow of the foghorn.

sound

something that is heard; a noise
Even if there is no one to hear it, a tree falling in a forest still makes a sound.

speed

the rate at which something or someone is moving
Most cars cannot travel at a high speed.

thunder

the loud sound that comes from the sky, usually during a storm, and is produced by LIGHTNING
thunder rolled loudly across the plain and frightened people and animals.

vice versa

If a statement is vice versa, then its two main ideas are switched with one another.
Healthy lives lead to healthy habits and vice versa.

alphabet

the ordered set of letters, symbols, or characters of a written language
Roman and Greek alphabets consisted of many letters.

civilization

an organized society where technology and culture are highly developed
Archaeologists are realizing that civilization has always existed.

destroy

to damage something so that it cannot be repaired
Jerusalem was completely destroyed in AD 70 by the Roman army led by Titus.

lesson

an activity which helps people learn something
Quinn loved his math lesson and always got there early.

navigator

a person who conducts explorations by sea
Mason was a navigator on a bomber in World War II.

power

the condition or position of having political control over a certain country, region, or government
The British Empire had a lot of power in the 1700s.

precursor

something which happens or exists before something else and introduces, influences, or leads to its development
The disappearing coastal water was the precursor to the tsunami.

script

the set of letters or characters used in writing a language
Cuneiform was a kind of script invented by the ancient Sumerians.

symbol

a person or thing who represents a larger quality
Egyptian hieroglyphs are symbols for words.

trader

a person who buys and sells goods, services, or stocks
traders or merchants form an important part of the economy.

affection

having feelings of like or love for another person
Cats and dogs always show a lot of affection for their owners.

badge

a piece of metal, plastic, or other material that a person wears to show membership in a particular group
The "badge" of an animal distinguishes from others.

chemical

relating to or produced by CHEMISTRY
The use of chemical weapons is strictly banned.

dominance

the state of being more powerful, successful, or important than others
Hitler rose to dominance because of the way people felt after World War I.

enemy

someone who is opposed to another; someone who tries to harm another
Anger is an enemy of peace, so you should try to control your anger.

mate

the BREEDING partner of an animal
Certain animals have the same mate for life.

predator

a person who takes advantage of other people's weaknesses in order to control, use, or harm them in some manner
Tiger sharks are predators of the deep.

shape

someone or something that cannot be seen clearly
Since the light was dim, the detective could only make out the shape of a man's head.

spread

to move something apart, or to put space between things
spread some flour on the counter before kneading the bread.

warn

to tell someone about something bad or dangerous
Paul Revere rode through the streets and shouted to warn everyone that the British had arrived.

attempt

to try to do something, usually something that is challenging or difficult
Do not give up without attempting to find out the truth-don't just believe anything.

cause

to create an effect or result
Do you think carbon dioxide causes global warming?

communicable

able to be given from one person to another
Do not allow anyone into her hospital room because her illness is communicable.

contagious

able to be passed on by touch
The flu is contagious, so please wash your hands and be careful around sick people.

epidemic

affecting many people
The Black Plague was a terrible epidemic that killed about one third of Europe's people.

illness

an unhealthy condition of the mind or body
Her mother nursed her through her long illness and helped her recover.

infected

carrying a disease
Wash that cut and keep it clean so it does not get infected.

organism

a living thing, often one that is small
Every living organism needs some kind of food to survive.

physical

relating to someone's body and not his or her mind or feelings
Stephen Hawkings has a physical disability and is confined to a wheelchair.

transmit

to send something using waves, such as radio or television waves
Email is transmitted all over the world at the push of a button.

academic

related to school or learning
His academic pursuits included history, geography, and physics.

classic

relating to excellence and the finest quality
The Mona Lisa is a classic painting.

cultural

relating to a particular group or society and their beliefs and ways of living
Each civilization has its own cultural standards.

epic

a long story, often about many people and events
War and Peace is an epic novel about several Russian families in the early 1800s.

fantasy

a work of literature set in an unreal world
Isaac Asimove wrote some fantasy stories about space and time travel.

influence

the ability to have an effect on the way a person or thing acts or happens without directly controlling the person or thing
Everything you watch and hear influences your mind so be very careful.

literary

being related to literature
The literary club met every other week and discussed a classic novel.

mythical

based on or described in a MYTH
Centaurs and dragons are mythical animals.

publish

to print a written work and make it available to read
Big universities publish academic books for people to read.

series

a set of stories or articles on a particular subject that are presented over a period of time on television or in books and generally feature the same characters
There are seven books in the Harry Potter series.

trilogy

a series of three connected works
The Three Musketeers was actually the first book in a trilogy by Alexander Dumas.

carve

to cut and shape a piece of something, such as wood or stone, into an object
The old man carved small animals and flowers from small blocks of wood.

explorer

a person who explores an area
Vasco de Gama was a famous Portuguese explorer and discovered a route between India and Europe.

fascinate

to cause a person to become very interested in something
People have always been fascinated by diamonds.

figure

a person who is very important or famous
Public figures have a responsibility to set a good example for their people.

identity

who a person is, including their name
Guard your personal information or someone will steal your identity.

inhabit

to live in a certain area or place
Archaeologists dig up ancient cities that used to be inhabited by different peoples.

magnificent

splendid, brilliant
The Taj Mahal is a magnificent tomb that was built around 1648.

primitive

being of an early time period in the past
There were primitive drawings on the walls of the cave.

sparse

being few in number and often widely spread
The edge of the desert had only sparse vegetation.

statue

an image of a person, animal or thing made from something solid, like stone or metal
Many ancient Greek statues can be seen in museums.

amazing

surprising in a pleasing way
Mount Kilamanjaro is an amazing sight-it rises 19,340 feet into the air.

celebrate

to do something special for a holiday or other event
Mary celebrated her birthday by taking everyone out for ice cream sundaes.

culture

the beliefs, attitudes, and ways of life of a particular group of people or society
Every nation has its own culture, and people everywhere have their own ways of living.

discover

to find something for the first time
The scientist discovered a cure for cancer.

displays

to show, to demonstrate
Mike likes the comic book shows because there are many displays with his favorite characters on them.

gunpowder

an explosive mixture of substances in the form of a powder, used to make explosives and fireworks
gunpowder is a useful but highly explosive substance, and should be handled with care.

historian

someone who studies or writes about the course of history
Josephus and other historians wrote about the history of the Jewish people.

ordinary

being not exciting or IMPRESSIVE
Some people feel that they are ordinary, not special in any way.

search

to look carefully for someone or something
All of the police were searching for the lost children.

substance

a particular type of material
The children had all kinds of substances on them-mud, water, sand, and chocolate.

absorb

to take in a liquid or other substance
My mother rushed to absorb the spilled milk with a sponge.

atmosphere

the air around a PLANET
Our atmosphere is special in that it protects us and maintains the air we need to breathe.

deforestation

the process of removing the trees from an area
Farmers in the Amazon caused some deforestation because they needed to plant crops.

demand

the strong desire that customers have for a certain product or service
The demand for oil became greater than the supply so the price went up.

devastate

to ruin or destroy something
The end of the Gold Rush devastated many small towns, leaving them to become 'ghost towns'.

ecology

the study of plants, animals, people, and their environments
The ecology of a place needs to be considered when adding new animals to the area.

global warming

the increase in the temperature of the Earth that is caused partly by the increase in carbon dioxide in the air
global warming occurs when the temperature goes up.

oxygen

a gas that has no color or smell and is needed to support life
oxygen and nitrogen are important parts of the air we breathe.

profitable

making a profit
Dean started selling more tickets when he realized it was profitable.

rainforest

a wet forest, where it rains almost every day
The rainforest has many different kinds of tropical plants and animals.

survival

the act or state of continuing to exist, especially when facing difficulties
Every animal has a keen sense of survival and will fight to the death if necessary.

automobile

a vehicle used to carry people and goods which moves on wheels
The police made all the automobiles go one way and all the trucks go another.

avoid

to stay away from something
It is wise to avoid people who have bad morals because they will get you into trouble.

differentiate

to make things distinct from one another
It takes wisdom and guidance to be able to differentiate between good and bad.

general

relating to or affecting all the things or people in a group
In general, Penny always did her work on time and was a good student.

grammar

the rules of a language that describe its structure and how words are formed into sentences
grammar is necessary in learning a language, but it should not be the most important thing.

idiom

a group of words that mean a particular thing when put together that is different from their individual meanings
Get out of hand and "drop her a line" are two idioms that sound confusing.

limited

restricted in extent or amount
We did not go into the forest because of our limited knowledge of the area.

pronunciation

the way that a word is pronounced
Tolly knew a lot of English, but his poor pronunciation made it hard to understand him.

rule

an official statement which explains how things must be done and what is allowed in a particular system or situation
There are many rules at school.

vocabulary

words in general
Any person who reads a lot has a broad vocabulary.

astronaut

a person who travels in space
Buzz Aldrin was an astronaut who walked on the moon.

communicate

to express information by writing, speaking or making gestures
Please communicate your ideas by writing them down or drawing pictures.

conquer

to take control of something by force
We conquered our enemy after a long battle.

indicate

to make somebody notice something, often by pointing to it
Jimmy indicated Sally's hiding place by pointing toward the door.

national

of or relating to a nation as a whole
Every country has a national anthem, a song that shows the pride in the country.

plant

to put seeds or trees in the ground so that they can grow
Grandmother planted a vegetable garden full of delicious lettuce, beans, and tomatoes.

separate

to move two or more people or things away from each other
The teacher carefully separated the sheets of papers into different piles.

standard

a level of quality used to judge something
Jerry set high standards for himself, but thought they were important in getting the most out of life.

stripe

a long line which is a different color from the areas next to it
The American flag has thirteen stripes on it.

territory

an area of land or ocean controlled by a government or person
The Shilla and Paekche kingdoms ruled the southern territories.

Aborigine

the first people to live in Australia; a primitive, tribal people
The first people to live in Australia were the aborigines.

attention

notice or awareness given to a person or thing
Please pay attention to what I am saying.

claim

to state something unproven to be true
George went to the 'Lost and Found' office to claim his lost scarf and gloves.

coastal

relating to a COAST or area of sea near land
Many coastal areas, like the beaches of Australia, are in danger from pollution.

continent

one of seven large land masses which Earth's land is divided between
Hector said there are only five continents: America, Africa, Oceania, Antarctica, and Eurasia.

desert

a dry place with little rain
Crossing a desert like the Sahara is dangerous due to the lack of water.

interior

the part of something that is on the inside
Dr. Simons opened the box to show us its interior.

monotreme

단공류 동물
Monotremes are not like other mammals, since mammals give birth to live babies.

permanent

lasting forever; intended to last for a very long time
I'm looking for a permanent job, not a temporary one.

settlement

a place or region where people build homes and few people have lived before
The travelers built a settlement near the coast and began to farm the land.

ancient

belonging to the distant past, especially thousands of years ago
Cheops, an ancient ruler of Egypt, built the largest pyramid in Giza.

competitive

being related to competition
Vin was a very competitive person because he always wanted to be the best at everything.

debate

a discussion between people who have conflicting ideas about a subject being discussed
I watched the political debates on television.

derive

to receive or obtain a pleasant feeling from something
Some medicines are derived from plants, so people think they are better for your body.

evidence

materials, facts, and information used in a court of law to establish or prove something
There was no evidence that Matthew had eaten the cookies-they were all still in the jar.

international

being present, known or active in two or more countries
Rosa opened an international restaurant and served different foods from all over the world.

invention

a device that is created for the first time
The light bulb and the computer are two useful inventions we still use today.

mention

to refer to something briefly; to write or speak about something briefly
You are not to mention that girl’s name in this house.

origin

the time or place where something begins; the source of something
The origin of the Italian language is Latin.

text

the written part of a book or other work
Our texts for class are Biology Today and Bacteria in Action.

trace

to find someone or something that has disappeared
She traced the rocks back to the pond and found a big pile of them there.

base

to station or situate
Margie based her ideas on a book she read several years ago.

border

an official line that separates countries or states from each other
Students got a blank map and needed to draw the borders of every country on it.

conference

an association of sports teams
The Manga conference was exciting, and there were all kinds of classes on drawing.

confusion

a situation in which people do not understand what is happening or what they should do
In the confusion after the hurricane, some people were injured or robbed.

devise

to think of and plan something
Sam devised a clever escape plan.

distance

the amount of space between two points
Not many people can run well over great distances-they usually get very tired.

extend

to straighten or stretch something out
Kim extended his arm and easily grabbed the next rope.

longitude

the distance measured in degrees between two imaginary lines running north to south along the surface of the earth
Ship captains need to know the longitude so they can plot a course for the boat.

meridian

a line on a map of the Earth that connects the North and South Poles, dividing it into two halves
Our class needed to label the meridians on the map.

organize

to plan and prepare for an event
It is best to be organized the day before a big event so you do not forget anything.

suggest

to state a particular idea or plan to be considered by other people
My mom suggested that we do our homework at the library and then go out for a picnic.

system

a set of ideas organized to explain a whole
The library uses a special system to organize the books and magazines.

zone

an area that has a particular quality or purpose, usually making it different from nearby areas
One dangerous zone is the Bermuda Triangle, a place where many ships and planes have disappeared.

benefit

a good or advantageous thing
One benefit of studying hard is a good grade.

circulation

the movement of blood through the body
You need to eat healthy foods and exercise to have good circulation in your body.

export

to take part in sending goods to other areas
Some are concerned with the import or export of goods or services between one country and another.

illegal

not allowed by the laws or rules
It is illegal to kill a bald eagle or a white tiger.

improve

to make something better
You can only improve with constant practice and study.

medicinal

having to do with medicine or the treatment of pain or sickness
Various plants have medicinal properties and can be used to treat illnesses.

promote

to encourage something to happen or develop
Please promote good habits by practicing them yourself.

protect

(usually followed by "against" or "from" ) to defend against harm or danger
Father walked in front of me to protect me from the strong wind.

quality

the standard or value of something
This shirt is made from high quality cotton and will not shrink.

regard

to think about or consider someone or something in a certain way
Please regard the needs of others before you think about what you want.

stress

스트레스
My parents are under a lot of stress because they need to pay a lot of bills.

verify

to prove that something is right or true
You should verify that statement by looking it up in the book.

brand

a group of products made by a specific producer
Jenny paid a lot of money for a t-shirt with a brand name on it.

chew

to bite food multiple times with your teeth in order to make it small enough to swallow
chew your food more than twenty times before swallowing it and your body will be healthier.

industry

the production of different kinds of products on a large scale, often done in factories
The oil companies are a part of the fuel industry.

manufacture

to make a large amount of products in a factory
Companies manufactured things to display at the expo.

persuade

to cause someone to do something using words or advice
My grandfather kindly persuaded us to think about things before just rushing into them.

prehistoric

relating to, existing, or happening in a time before people were capable of writing
Dinosaurs are part of our prehistoric past.

president

the leader of a republic
The president will meet with the kings of several nations at the meeting.

produce

to produce, cause, or be the reason for something
Using only paper and pencils, the artist produced a beautiful sketch of the waterfront.

resin

a sticky substance that is produced by some trees and plants
Amber is actually the resin from a certain kind of tree, and is common in Poland.

sap

a liquid substance inside a plant that carries the plant's foods
You need about 40 liters of tree sap to make 1 liter of maple syrup.

vending machine

a machine that sells things
Most vending machines are full of unhealthy junk food.