Unit 2: Key Words, Unit 2

This list covers "The Elephant Shepherd," "Doctors Without Borders," "The Origin of Fire," and "Water Spider Gets the Fire."
18 words 10 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. cattle
    domesticated cows as a group
    Ousmane was finally old enough to watch the cattle by himself.
  2. pasture
    a field covered with grass and suitable for grazing
    He loved spending his days on top of the hill looking over the pasture.
  3. survive
    support oneself
    Ousmane’s father, Amadou, told him that the family needed the cattle to survive.
  4. herd
    a group of wild mammals of one species that remain together
    Ousmane saw what was making the noise. It was a herd of elephants.
  5. tend
    have care of or look after
    They watched the elephants for a little while and then went back to tend their cattle.
  6. relate
    have or establish a connection to
    “They are such beautiful, strong creatures,” Amadou said. “Look how nicely the baby elephant and the adults are getting along.”
    “Do you think they are related?” Ousmane asked.
    “Probably,” replied Amadou. “Elephants have families like we do.”
  7. emergency
    a sudden unforeseen crisis that requires immediate action
    A group called Doctors Without Borders works to help people in need. If there is an emergency, these doctors volunteer to go where they are needed.
  8. train
    educate for a future role or function
    Sometimes the doctors train other people so they can help, too.
  9. refugee
    an exile who flees for safety
    Refugees are people who have to leave their homes. They leave because there is no food or because fighting has made their homes unsafe.
  10. intervene
    get involved, so as to alter or hinder an action
    Doctors Without Borders can intervene to help refugees.
  11. teamwork
    cooperative labor done by a group
    Sometimes the volunteers help people in a town build new hospitals. That involves real teamwork!
  12. courageous
    able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
    The volunteers who work for Doctors Without Borders travel all over the world to help people after emergencies. They are courageous, and borders do not stop them.
  13. clever
    mentally quick and resourceful
    Fox was clever, and he wanted to get fire for the world.
  14. pretend
    make believe with the intent to deceive
    After a while, Fox pretended to be tired and gave his drum to the fireflies to beat.
  15. scatter
    strew or distribute over an area
    Hawk flew high above the ground and continued to scatter fire sparks everywhere.
  16. punishment
    the act of imposing a penalty
    When the fireflies caught Fox, they said, “Because you stole our fire, your punishment is that you will never be able to use fire for yourself.” And to this day, no fox uses fire.
  17. eager
    having or showing keen interest or intense desire
    Every animal was eager to be the one who would bring fire to the rest.
  18. fasten
    cause to be firmly attached
    Water Spider spun a thread from her body and wove it into a bowl. Then she fastened the bowl on her back.
Created on Fri Feb 04 10:48:01 EST 2022 (updated Fri Feb 04 13:41:22 EST 2022)

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