Unit 20

UNIT 20 WORD LIST ambition Ambition is the desire to succeed and to become the best at something. His great ambition led him to try to climb the mountain alone. ambulance An ambulance is a vehicle that transports people in a medical emergency. The ambulance sped through the street to get to the accident. ankle An ankle connects your leg to your foot. The man hurt his ankle while jogging in the park. cabin A cabin is a small wooden house in a forest or camping area. The man reached the mountain cabin after a long day of hiking along the river. calendar A calendar is a chart that shows the days, weeks, and months of a year. Marco used an online calendar to keep track of his schedule. calorie A calorie is a unit of heat used to measure how much energy a food will produce. My sister is on a low-calorie diet for fitness training. cave A cave is an open space or hole underground or inside a mountain or cliff. A crystal blue lake could be found in the underground cave. constantly Constantly means doing something on a continuous basis. He was constantly checking his watch to see if he was late. contingent A contingent is a set of people that are part of a larger group. The movie star stood in front of an entire contingent of photographers. deadline A deadline is the time by which you need to have something completed. Marius had a short deadline in which to finish his report.

exert To exert means to use strength or ability to do something. You exert a lot of energy when you lift weights. flank To flank is to be positioned at the side of something or someone. The mayor entered the room flanked by her advisors. fond To be fond of something means to cherish or like it. The mother cow was very fond of her lovely little calf. forbid To forbid means to order someone not to do something. After Robert used his crayons on the wall, his mother wanted to forbid him from using them at all! haul To haul something means to carry it from place to place. The porter said he'd haul our suitcases up to our hotel room. impair To impair something means to make it weaker or worse. Regularly eating too much can impair your health. impatient To be impatient means to get angry or anxious when something takes too much time. The impatient teacher could not control the students in her classroom. mid Mid means in the middle or center of something. Cassandra fell asleep mid-movie. nutrition Nutrition is the process of eating the right kind of food in order to stay healthy. The mother always made sure that her baby had good nutrition. optimist An optimist is someone who has a lot of hope and always sees the bright side of things. Joe was an optimist, so he believed he would get the job that he wanted.

Climbing Kilimanjaro With great ambition, it is now possible for everyone in good health to attempt climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro (5,895m). The path to the top of Africa's tallest mountain has many cabins for climbers to use, while other routes have caves where people can camp. Unlike other mighty mountains such as Everest and K2 in the Himalayas, Kilimanjaro can be climbed even by novices. For this reason, a growing contingent of people who are fond of adventure are coming to Tanzania. Still, not every optimist's dreams will come true, and several will be forced to turn back mid-hike. What impairs some climbers and makes others successful? Kilimanjaro is only for people who are sufficiently prepared. If you become ill, there is no ambulance to take you to the hospital. Instead, your guides will have to haul you down the mountain if you break your ankle or have difficulty breathing the thin mountain air. For this reason, burning calories by exercising before the trip is vital. Healthy nutrition is also strongly recommended in order to ensure you have ample energy and are as strong as possible. Some people exert themselves too much by attempting to rush to the top, acting as if they were trying to meet a deadline. These impatient climbers often turn back due to exhaustion and sickness. Instead, those who flank the group and proceed slowly are more likely to get to the top. Guides make efforts to forbid people from climbing too quickly, constantly whispering "pole, pole." which means "slowly, slowly" in Kiswahili. Those who successfully haul themselves to the top have a great reward. The views are breathtaking. Sadly, because of global warming, much of the ice on the mountaintop has melted in recent years. Before long, there will be none left at all. For this reason, many people are marking their calendars and planning trips to Tanzania, hoping to see the beauty of the icy summit before it's too late.