Basic English Words

Essential English Words 1 Unit 4

by Waine Evans

Fill in the Blanks

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

The story about the police dog got to many people in town.

spr

Fill in the Blanks

I was happy to sit and listen to music all night.

con

Fill in the Blanks

The house will move back and forth if a strong wind blows.

sh

Fill in the Blanks

I waited for the monster to come out of the cave

ex

Fill in the Blanks

I didn’t want to talk to my sister, so I stayed away from her.

av

Multiple Choice

Select the one that suits the blank naturally.

Before Kimberly sang, _________.

• the teacher reminded everyone to behave

• she instructed the people to go to sleep

Multiple Choice

When we heard the loud sound, __________.

• I turned around out of habit

• there was none left

Multiple Choice

The man told us to be quiet, __________.

• so I decided to stroll through town

• so I knew it was not appropriate to talk

Multiple Choice

They asked us to wait, ___________.

• so I felt concerned about them

• so I had to be patient

Multiple Choice

I met a new friend yesterday, and __________.

• frequently I would sit and read

• I shook his hand

Multiple Choice

Select the sentence with the underlined word that makes better sense.

• The girl’s positive words made me feel better.

• We took the village out of the house.

Multiple Choice

Select the sentence with the underlined word that makes better sense.

• The calm girl yelled a lot.

• The team members asked Kate to represent them at the dinner.

Multiple Choice

Select the sentence with the underlined word that makes better sense.

• I was content to stay at home by the warm fire.

• My mom punished me for doing my homework.

Multiple Choice

Select the sentence with the underlined word that makes better sense.

• The man expected me to say yes.

• The issue did not taste very good.

Multiple Choice

Select the sentence with the underlined word that makes better sense.

• I behaved wisely while I was asleep.

• I avoided my friend because she had laughed at me.

Multiple Choice

Select the sentence with the underlined word that makes better sense.

• At first I was nervous, but then I started to feel calm.

• The angry bear looked content.

Multiple Choice

Select the sentence with the underlined word that makes better sense.

• When my dog died, it made me feel positive.

• Few people live in the village.

Multiple Choice

Select the sentence with the underlined word that makes better sense.

• I wanted to avoid food, so I bought a sandwich.

• The class needed to talk about the issue.

Multiple Choice

Select the sentence with the underlined word that makes better sense.

• The students behaved quite well for their new teacher.

• Students are expected to be late to class.

Multiple Choice

Select the sentence with the underlined word that makes better sense.

• I was punished because I broke the window.

• The man represented the award to the girl.

​The Dog's Bell

​John’s dog was a bad dog. He bit people frequently. John had great concern about this. It was not an appropriate way for a dog to behave. His friends in the village always expected the dog to bite them. The news about John’s dog spread through the village. None of the people wanted to go to John’s house. John tried to instruct the dog to behave, but it never worked. He tried to be patient and teach the dog to be calm. That also didn’t work. John didn’t want to punish the dog. “How will I stop my dog’s bad habit?” John asked himself.

​John’s friend came to talk to him about the issue. During their important meeting, his friend said, “The people in the village asked me to represent them. We want your dog to stop this habit. Why don’t you put a bell around the dog’s neck? This way, we would hear your dog coming down the street.” John thought this was a great idea. Now, people could stay away from the dog. It would not be able to bite anyone anymore. The dog liked the bell, too. People looked at him when they heard his bell. This made the dog very content. He liked the song the bell played when he walked.

​One day, John’s dog strolled through the village and met some other dogs. He expected them to want a bell like his. But they laughed at his bell. They said the bell made people avoid him. John’s dog shook his head. “No, they look at me because they like the bell.” The other dogs said, “You have the wrong idea of what makes you popular. Of course they like your bell. It tells them where you are so they can avoid you. You aren’t able to bite them anymore!” You see, being popular isn’t something positive when it’s for the wrong reason.

Multiple Choice

Answer the questions.

What is this story mainly about?

• A dog that is frequently bad

• A dog’s stroll through town

• A content man and his dog

• A village that liked John’s dog

Multiple Choice

What is true of the dog?

• He likes none of John’s friends.

• He shakes his head too much.

• He bites when it’s not appropriate.

• He expects people to be calm around him.

Multiple Choice

Why did the issue with the dog bother John

• People didn’t think of John in a positive way.

• People avoided going to John’s house.

• People didn’t want John to represent them.

• People didn’t like the song that John played.

Multiple Choice

What did John do to stop the dog’s bad habit

• He instructed the dog on learning tricks.

• He punished the dog for biting.

• He was patient and showed concern.

• He put a bell around the dog’s neck.

Open Ended

What did the other dogs say about the bell?