Word List. Unit 18
If something is done beforehand, then it is done in advance.
He packed his luggage beforehand, so he was able to leave right away.- If a temperature is centigrade, it is scaled, so water freezes at 0° and boils at 100°.
During the spring time, the temperature gets as warm as 26 degrees centigrade. | - To chatter means to talk quickly about unimportant things.
The children chattered in the back of the classroom. - A concerto is music for a solo instrument and played with an orchestra.
The piano concerto has a section in which only the piano plays. - To condense a gas means to make it a liquid.
The cool air made tiny drops of water condense on the tops of the grass. - A cove is a part of land where it curves inward around the sea.
They hid the boat in a small cove on the south side of the island. - To deteriorate means to become steadily worse.
The nation’s economy continued to deteriorate despite the politicians’ efforts. - An exterior is the outside surface of something.
The exterior of the nut was hard and woody, but the inside was soft and delicious. - A freeway is a road with no stops where cars travel at high speeds.
Once you get on the freeway, it only takes an hour to drive to my parent’s farm. - If someone or something is hearty, then they are loud and happy.
The grandmother ended her story with a hearty laugh that pleased her grandchild. - If someone is hospitable, they are friendly to strangers.
At dinner, Dad was very hospitable to my friends. - A manor is a large house with many rooms.
The manor had over forty rooms in addition to beautiful gardens. - A monastery is a building in which monks live.
The monks at this monastery are famous for their bread and music. - A nursery is a room where babies and children sleep, play, or are cared for.
The children kissed their parents goodnight and went upstairs to the nursery. - If something is outstretched, then it is extended to its full length.
The cat stood on its back legs with its front legs outstretched. - A parcel is a package of things to be carried or mailed somewhere.
The parcel looked like it had been stepped on by someone. - A profile is an outline of a face, usually as seen from the side.
The drawing of Olivia’s profile came out very well. - If someone is vivacious, they are talkative and cheerful.
Everyone at the party was very vivacious and having a good time. - If something is winding, then it follows a twisting course.
The winding river turned and looped around the bases of the hills. - To zip something means to close it with a zipper.
She zipped her backpack closed after putting her books inside it.
The Nurse’s Lesson
One of the children in the nursery was sick. The child’s mother, who was usually quite vivacious and chattered constantly, was quiet and worried. She knew that if she did not act quickly, the child’s condition would deteriorate. She summoned the children’s nurse and said to her, “The monks make a medicine that can cure my child’s sickness. Please, hurry tonight to the monastery and get it.” The nurse immediately hurried from the manor to get the medicine. The monastery was far away by Rabbit Cove, and there was no freeway leading to it. The only way there was to walk along a dark and winding trail.
The temperature was close to zero degrees centigrade, and it was raining. Luckily, the nurse had grabbed her raincoat beforehand. She zipped it up and pulled the hood over her head. “I’ll never make it there,” she thought. “Perhaps I should return and go in the morning.” But she remembered the sick child and decided to continue. Finally, she arrived at the monastery. It was very late. She feared the monks would not be hospitable. But she approached the door and knocked anyway. The rain had condensed on the exterior of the windows by the door.
All she could see was the profile of a large man coming to answer the door. Again, she was filled with fear. But the monk smiled at her when he opened the door. He took her outstretched hand and welcomed her with a hearty voice. The place was warm, and she heard a concerto playing in another room. She relaxed. “How can I help you?” the monk asked, and the nurse explained the situation. He instantly knew what to do. He grabbed a parcel of medicine and took her back to the manor in a carriage. The medicine worked. The nurse was happy she had persevered through the bad weather and found the monastery. Now the boy would be able to live a long natural life.
