4000 Essential English Words 6 Unit 2: The Fossil Hunters

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Congratulations - you have completed 4000 Essential English Words 6 Unit 2: The Fossil Hunters. You scored %%SCORE%% out of %%TOTAL%%. Your performance has been rated as %%RATING%%

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Question 1

Choose the answer that best fits the question.

What might a person with a large ego say?

A	“ I am the best.”
B	“ I can’t do it.”
C	“ I’m hungry.’
D	“ I’m sorry.”

Question 2

Choose the answer that best fits the question.

Which is likely to be jagged?

A	A doll
B	A cliff
C	A cloud
D	A pillow

Question 3

Choose the answer that best fits the question.

Which is likely to be excavated?

A	Water
B	A sofa
C	A computer
D	The ground

Question 4

Choose the answer that best fits the question.

What is part of the skeletal system?

A	The skin
B	The tongue
C	The skull
D	The fingernails

Question 5

Choose the answer that best fits the question.

What is an example of an endeavor?

A	Waking up
B	Inventing a new machine
C	Making coffee
D	Combing your hair

Question 6

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

The alarm clock was set to endeavor every morning at seven A.M.

A	C
B	I

Question 7

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

Experts excavated the site in hopes of finding an ancient city buried underneath.

A	C
B	I

Question 8

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

Everyone loved to hug and kiss the vicious baby.

A	C
B	I

Question 9

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

The elephant is one of the largest terrestrial animals still in existence.

A	C
B	I

Question 10

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

The dubious chocolate ice cream is a favorite treat at the restaurant.

A	C
B	I

Question 11

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

The concerned owner built a fence along the periphery of the parking lot.

A	C
B	I

Question 12

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

Preparing for the difficult test was an arduous task for the nervous students.

A	C
B	I

Question 13

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

You’ll need a shovel if you plan on getting on top of the roof.

A	C
B	I

Question 14

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

The delicate flower was a jagged addition to the arrangement.

A	C
B	I

Question 15

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

Children cheered as the circus clown attained balloons into different shapes.

A	C
B	I

Question 16

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

He filled the ugly holes in the ceiling with plaster.

A	C
B	I

Question 17

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

At the factory, the workers made screws by pouring liquid metal into a mold.

A	C
B	I

Question 18

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

I hope she is able to engrave all of her homework before school tomorrow.

A	C
B	I

Question 19

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

I cannot conceive the reason why he would act in such a mean way.

A	C
B	I

Question 20

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

The small fights and arguments eventually led to an outright war.

A	C
B	I

Question 21

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

When the glass vase fell to the floor, we heard an elastic sound.

A	C
B	I

Question 22

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

She bought a cute new ego from the pet store today.

A	C
B	I

Question 23

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

We need to choose a locale for Brian’s birthday party.

A	C
B	I

Question 24

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

Derrick bought a skeletal from that new clothing store downtown.

A	C
B	I

Question 25

Write C if the italicized word is used correctly. Write I if the word is used incorrectly.

Although they were rivals, the stores were able to coexist in the same neighborhood.

A	C
B	I

Question 26

(Please note: The following questions are related to a specific reading passage, available solely before the first question. Remember, referring back to the reading text while answering the questions may be helpful to ensure accuracy.)

THE FOSSIL HUNTERS

Tim and Dean were great fossil hunters. They were the very best at finding dinosaur bones. Although Tim and Dean were quite similar, they were outright enemies. The two men got into vicious arguments all the time. They couldn’t coexist peacefully because their egos were too large. Tim thought he was the best fossil hunter, while Dean was sure that he was much better than Tim.

One day, Tim was searching for fossils on the periphery of the city when he discovered a huge bone. He had never seen anything like it! He took his shovel and carefully excavated the dirt around it. As he dug, he uncovered more jagged bones. He realized that he had found an entire dinosaur skeleton! Tim couldn’t conceive a plan to remove the huge skeleton all by himself. Such an endeavor would be too arduous. He needed help. He tried to think of people who would be capable of helping him remove the skeleton without breaking it. The only person Tim could think of was Dean, his enemy.

Tim ran into the city to find Dean. Tim found him and said, “ Dean, I’ve found the skeletal remains of a huge terrestrial animal. But I can’t get the skeleton out by myself. Will you please help me?

Dean thought that Tim’s claim might be dubious. He replied, “ If you’re serious about the skeleton, I’ll help.”

Tim excitedly showed Dean the skeleton’s locale. They worked together to carefully remove each bone. And to keep the bones together, they tied them with elastic strips. When they were finished, they had attained a perfect skeleton. They used plaster to make a mold of the dinosaur’s skull. They engraved their initials into it and gave it to the curator of a local museum.

Tim and Dean found out that they could work very well together. They decided to end their feud and become friends. By combining their talents, the men became even greater than they were before.

Tim and Dean were outright enemies who got into vicious arguments.

A	TRUE
B	FALSE

Question 27

Tim and Dean removed the jagged bones and used elastic to attain them.

A	TRUE
B	FALSE

Question 28

Tim couldn’t conceive a plan to remove the bones because the endeavor would be too arduous.

A	TRUE
B	FALSE

Question 29

Dean thought that Tim’s ego might be dubious.

A	TRUE
B	FALSE

Question 30

When Tim excavated the land, he uncovered many engraved bones.

A	TRUE
B	FALSE

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Word List

arduous [ˈɑːrdjʊəs] adj.

When something is arduous, it demands great effort or labor.

→ The explorers began their arduous hike up the steep mountain.

attain [əˈtein] v.

To attain something means to gain or achieve it, often after a lot of effort.

→ In two more years, I will attain my high school diploma.

coexist [ˈkouigˈzist] v.

To coexist with something means to exist with it in the same time and place.

→ Our pets coexist at our home with little or no problems.

conceive [kənˈsiːv] v.

To conceive something means to be able to imagine or believe it.

→ The child could not conceive the actual size of the Earth.

dubious [ˈdjuːbiəs] adj.

When something or someone is dubious, they are not considered honest.

→ The police thought that the man’s description of the crime was dubious.

ego [ˈiːgou] n.

An ego is a person’s sense of their own worth.

→ Kelly’s ego made her think that she was some kind of a superhero.

elastic [iˈlæstik] n.

Elastic is a rubber that stretches when it is pulled.

→ He attached the elastic bungee to his legs before he jumped off the platform.

endeavor [enˈdevər] n.

An endeavor is an attempt to do something, especially something new or original.

→ The company’s new advertising endeavor ended in a horrible failure.

engrave [inˈgreiv] v.

To engrave means to cut a design or words into the surface of something.

→ The couple engraved their names onto the old pine tree.

excavate [ˈekskəveit] v.

To excavate means to dig on land and remove dirt to look for something.

→ The team wishes to excavate the site in hopes of finding fossils.

jagged [ˈdʒӕgid] adj.

When something is jagged, it has a tough, uneven shape or edge.

→ The swimmer was hurt when he fell on the jagged rocks.

locale [louˈkæl] n.

A locale is a small area or place where something specific happens.

→ The spa was the perfect locale for my mother to relax and enjoy her vacation.

mold [mould] n.

A mold is a hollow container that is used to make certain shapes.

→ Using a cupcake mold will ensure that they come out just right.

outright [autˈrait] adj.

When something is outright, it is open and direct.

→ Everyone knew that the boy’s story was an outright lie.

periphery [pəˈrifəri] n.

The periphery of an area, place, or thing is the edge of it.

→ A beautiful floral pattern is on the periphery of the stationery.

plaster [ˈplæstər] n.

Plaster is a smooth paste that gets hard when it dries.

→ He used plaster to fill in the cracks in the old walls.

shovel [ˈʃʌvəl] n.

A shovel is a tool with a long handle that is used for digging.

→ The boy grabbed his shovel and got all of the snow off of the sidewalk.

skeletal [ˈskelətl] adj.

When something is skeletal, it relates to bones in the body.

→ We studied the skeletal system in anatomy class.

terrestrial [təˈrestriəl] adj.

If something is terrestrial, it relates to Earth.

→ There are billions of terrestrial life forms.

vicious [ˈviʃəs] adj.

When something or someone is vicious, they are violent and cruel.

→ The vicious dog tried to bite the small child.

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4000 Essential English Words 6 Unit 2: The Fossil Hunters