Unit 11

UNIT 11 WORD LIST alliance An alliance is a group of people who work together. The junior executives formed an alliance with each other. applause Applause is the noise made when people clap their hands to show approval. At the end of his speech, everyone burst into loud applause. armed If you are armed, you are carrying a weapon. The robber was armed with a gun. authoritative If something is authoritative, it uses the best information available. This book is an authoritative source on ancient Egypt's Queen Nefertiti. bravery Bravery is brave behavior. The books commended the general's bravery. ceremony A ceremony is an event that happens on special occasions. Tom and Amy's marriage ceremony is in June. culture Culture is the music, art, and writings of a certain place or group of people. Ancient Mexican culture is renowned for its architecture. defense A defense is something that is done to protect another thing. The air force works in defense of its country. detail A detail is a small piece of information. Jane told Ben all the details of her trip to China. diverse When a group of things is diverse, it is made up of a wide variety of things. Big cities have diverse populations with people of different races and ages.

enchant To enchant someone is to make them feel very interested or happy. The beautiful woman enchanted everybody in the room. equip To equip someone is to give them the things needed to do something. Steve was equipped with the tools needed to do the job. exception An exception is someone or something not conforming to a rule. Most students thought the test was hard, but Tim was the exception. genre A genre is a type of literature, art, or music characterized by its style. She is considered a master in the comedy genre. impact An impact is the effect someone or something has. My grandmother had a great impact on my life. lure To lure someone is to convince them to do something by using a trick. The store lures people in with big signs that say "Sale!" obstacle An obstacle is an object or a problem that stops you from doing something. Climbing over the giant rock was the biggest obstacle for the hikers. shelter A shelter is a place to go that is safe from danger or bad weather. The frog took shelter from the storm in a nearby hold. supply To supply something means to give people what they need or want. The water heater supplied the house with warm water. vain If people are vain, they are only concerned with how they look. Rebecca is so vain that she looks at herself in every mirror.

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How a Singer Helped Win the War Sometimes famous people are vain. They only care about themselves. But Josephine Baker was an exception. In the 1930s and 1940s, Baker was one of the most famous women in France. She was a big part of the new jazz genre and culture and had a diverse group of fans. The French people especially loved her. And she loved France. So when World War II started, she wanted to help the nation that had given her so much. In 1940, armed German troops entered Paris. When this happened, some French people formed a secret alliance. It was called the French Resistance. The group worked for the defense of France. It helped the European and American armies fight the Germans. Baker was an important member of the Resistance. She had three jobs. The first was to carry messages to end from other members. The messages were written in code on her sheets of music. The second was to provide shelter and supply goods to Resistance members. It would have been dangerous if the Germans found them. Baker's third job was the most important. Baker held concerts for European politicians and army members. She lured them in, promising an entertaining show. She enchanted them with her singing and dancing, and got lots of applause. But Baker was always equipped with a small notebook at these concerts. She listened for details about the war and wrote them down. Baker sorted the details and gave authoritative reports to the Resistance. Some thought Baker's fame would be an obstacle. The Germans knew who she was, but they didn't think she was smart enough to work for the Resistance. So she could get information from the Germans easily. This helped the Resistance and the French army save lives and win the war. Baker had a big impact on the Resistance's work. She got many awards for her help. When she died, the army had a special ceremony to thank her again for her bravery.