Unit 18

UNIT 18 WORD LIST accent An accent is a certain way of speaking that shows where a person is from. The new teacher's accent was clearly a German one. barber A barber is a person whose job is to cut men's hair. My hair is getting much too long. I'd better go to the barber's shop. basement A basement of a house or building is a room that is built underground. They turned their basement into a game room. blank When something is blank, it does not have anything on it. She got a blank piece of paper to draw on. blink To blink means to shut the eyes and quickly open them again. I blinked many times so that my eyes could adjust to the bright light. choir A choir is a group of people who sing together. He had choir practice every day after school. comic When something is comic, it is funny. The comic actor was famous for his jokes. complicate To complicate something means to make it harder than necessary. The bad weather complicated finishing the job quickly. decline To decline an offer or invitation means to say no to it. She declined his offer to pay for her dinner. errand An errand is a trip taken to do a specific activity. He couldn't go to practice because he had several errands to do.

glove A glove is a piece of clothing that covers your fingers and hand. When it gets cold, I always put on a pair of gloves. hermit A hermit is one who lives alone and does not spend time with others. The hermit lived a simple life in a small cave in the forest. justly If something is done justly, then it is fair. We justly decided to give the prize to him. leather Leather is a material made from animal skin that is used to make clothing. He got a new leather jacket for his birthday. ponder To ponder something is to think about it carefully. She sat in the park and pondered her problem. reserve To reserve something means to keep it for a certain person or time. He reserved a table at the busy restaurant. script A script is the words of a film or play. He read the script of the play three times. search To search for something or someone means to look for them carefully. I searched the newspaper for a new job. slam To slam is to close something hard. She slammed the book shut after she finished reading it. staircase A staircase is a set of stairs found inside a building. The staircase leads directly into the kitchen.

The School Play Peter was excited. Next week he was going to audition for the school play. Everybody knew he was a great actor. He was sure he would get the lead role. Later, his friend Robby asked him, "Have you seen the script for the play?" "Yes. The title is The Lost Glove—it's a comic play," replied Peter. Robby said, "I want to play the part of the hermit because the hermit gets to talk with an accent!" "I want the lead role of the barber. I didn't know you liked acting. I thought you liked choir better," said Peter. "Acting is also a hobby of mine. Do you want to practice with me? The basement at my house is quiet. It's perfect!" Robby replied. "I don't like practicing with others. It complicates the process for me," said Peter. Actually, Peter didn't want to practice at all. The teacher would surely reserve the lead part for him. A few days later, Robby came to his house. Robby said, "Do you want to practice the scene on the staircase? It's the part where the migrant searches for a new job." Peter declined the invitation. "I can't today. I need to do some errands." Then he slammed the door. It was just an excuse. Peter didn't want to help Robby. On the day of auditions, Peter wore his lucky leather jacket. He always got the best part when he wore it. The teacher told him to begin, but his mind was blank. He couldn't remember the lines! A week later, the teacher put a list of the parts on the wall. Peter read the list, looking for his name. He was shocked by what he saw. He blinked his eyes and looked again. He didn't get the lead part—Robby did! Peter pondered the situation and came to the idea that Robby justly received the part. He earned it by practicing. Next time. Peter would practice, too.