The Canterville Ghost and Other Stories
Oscar Wilde
Word / Page / Phonetic Spelling / Part Of Speech / Med Star Rating / Definition / Sample Sentence / Translation / Exercisesalarm / 53 / /əˈlɑːm/ / noun [count] / 2 / a piece of electrical equipment that makes a loud noise to warn you of something / The alarm went off in the middle of the night! / 1–5) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
alarm / amusing / anarchist / Baron / beggar
1) The revolution was led by a young ______.
2) The sound of the ______woke me up.
3) A ______on the street approached me.
4) She’s so ______-- she always makes me laugh.
5) The ______lives in a huge castle in Scotland.
amusing / 40 / /əˈmjuːzɪŋ/ / adjective / funny or entertaining / He’s a clever and amusing man.
anarchist / 39 / /ˈænəkɪst/ / noun [count] / someone who believes that there should be no government or laws / When she was a student, she was a bit of an anarchist.
Baron / 34 / /ˈbærən/ / noun [count] / a male member of the nobility with low rank / Over 300 guests were invited to the Baron’s party.
beggar / 31 / /ˈbegə/ / noun [count] / someone who lives by asking people for money for food / She gave some money to a beggar.
believe in / 6 / /bɪˈliːv ˌɪn/ / phrasal verb / to think that something exists / Do you believe inghosts? / 6–10) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
believe in / blood / blow up / bombs / broke
1) She cut her head, and there was ______everywhere.
2) They threatened to ______the building if the police entered it.
3) We couldn’t sleep because of the ______.
4) Students are often ______!
5) I ______the existence of life on other planets.
blood / 8 / /blʌd/ / noun [uncount] / 3 / the red liquid inside your body / Blood was pouring from the wound.
blow up / 51 / /ˌbləʊ ˈʌp/ / phrasal verb / to destroy something by making it explode / Terrorists tried to blow up the plane.
bombs / 39 / /bɒmz/ / noun [count] / 1 / a weapon designed to explode at a particular time, or when it hits something / Enemy planes dropped bombs on the city.
broke / 30 / /brəʊk/ / adjective / without any money / I’m broke. Can you lend me some money?
chains / 12 / /ʧeɪnz/ / noun [count] / 2 / a series of metal rings that are connected to each other / The prisoner was tied up in chains. / 11–15) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
chains / charming / corridor / death / delay
1) I heard footsteps coming down the ______.
2) Because of the ______, she couldn’t move.
3) Unfortunately, we’ll have to ______the wedding.
4) Most people are afraid of ______.
5) He’s a ______and handsome man.
charming / 42 / /ˈʧɑːmɪŋ/ / adjective / attractive and pleasant / She was a charming woman and everyone loved her.
corridor / 12 / /ˈkɒrɪdɔː/ / noun [count] / 2 / a long passage inside a building with doors on each side / A group of students came running down the corridor.
death / 22 / /deθ/ / noun [uncount] / 3 / the end of someone’s life / She wrote me a letter after she heard about the death of my mother.
delay / 47 / /dɪˈleɪ/ / verb / 1 / to do something later than is planned or expected / She became ill and had to delay her holiday.
envelope / 34 / /ˈenvələʊp/ / noun [count] / 3 / a flat paper case that you put a letter in before you send it / Could you find an envelope for this card, please? / 16–20) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
envelope / explode / explorer / fainted / fate
1) It is programmed to ______at fifteen hundred hours.
2) Can you think of the name of a famous ______?
3) She put a stamp on the ______.
4) ______can be very cruel.
5) She turned white and ______.
explode / 52 / /ɪkˈspləʊd/ / verb / 1 / to burst with a lot of force and a loud noise / Security guards warned us that the bomb could explode at any minute.
explorer / 39 / /ɪkˈsplɔːrə/ / noun [count] / someone who travels around a place that is not well known in order to find out what is there / Captain Cook was a well-known explorer.
fainted
to faint / 9 / /ˈfeɪntɪd/ / verb / to suddenly become unconscious for a short time / One minute she was standing up, the next she had fainted!
fate / 44 / /feɪt/ / noun [count] / 1 / the things that happen to someone / I wonder what our fate will be.
fetch / 21 / /feʧ/ / verb / to go and get someone or something / If you throw the ball, the dog will fetch it. / 21–25) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
fetch / fiancée / foolish / fortune-teller / funeral
1) Meet Sue. She’s my ______.
2) Try not to say anything ______.
3) A ______was sitting in one of the tents.
4) He cried all the way through the ______.
5) ______that book for me, will you?
fiancée / 40 / /fɪˈɒnseɪ/ / noun [count] / the woman that a man is going to marry / Sarah is John’s fiancée.
foolish / 33 / /ˈfuːlɪʃ/ / adjective / silly or stupid / That was a foolish thing to do!
fortune-teller / 38 / /ˈfɔːʧənˌtelə/ / noun [count] / someone who tells you what will happen to you in the future / Have you ever visited a fortune-teller?
funeral / 26 / /ˈfjuːnrəl/ / noun [count] / 1 / a ceremony that takes place after someone dies / Over 200 people attended the funeral.
get married / 30 / /ˌget ˈmærid/ / phrase / to marry / After their engagement, they will get married. / 26–30) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
get married / ghost /
good-looking / hammer / handsome
1) She’s young and very ______.
2) He claimed he had seen a ______in the corridor!
3) I hit the nail into the wall with a ______.
4) When did they ______?
5) He’s very ______-- in fact, he’s gorgeous!
ghost / 6 / /gəʊst/ / noun [count] / the spirit of a dead person that someone believes they can see / People say that the house is haunted by a ghost.
good-looking / 7 / /ˌgʊdˈlʊkɪŋ/ / adjective / physically attractive / Girls love him – he’s so good-looking!
hammer / 53 / /ˈhæmə/ / noun [count] / a tool used for hitting something / A tiny hammermakes the alarm ring.
handsome / 30 / /ˈhæns(ə)m/ / adjective / 2 / a handsome man or boy has a very attractive face / What a handsome young man!
honeymoon / 42 / /ˈhʌniˌmuːn/ / noun [count] / a holiday that two people take after they get married / Where are you going on your honeymoon? / 31–35) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
honeymoon / housekeeper / jewels / lords / make plans
1) The ______answered the door.
2) They want to ______for their next holiday.
3) They went to Jamaica for their ______.
4) ______, ladies, and gentlemen. I wish you all welcome!
5) The ______were absolutely beautiful.
housekeeper / 6 / /ˈhaʊsˌkiːpə/ / noun [count] / someone whose job is to clean or cook in a large house or hotel / Mrs Nelson has been our housekeeper for 20 years.
jewels / 25 / /ˈʤuːəlz/ / noun [count] / a hard, valuable stone that has been cut and made shiny / Jewels belonging to the Queen are kept in The Tower of London.
lords / 39 / /lɔːdz/ / noun [count] / a man who has a high rank in the British aristocracy (= highest social class) / My lords and ladies, please sit down.
made plans
make plans / 17 / /ˌmeɪd ˈplænz/ / phrase / to decide what you are going to do / Theymade plans for the future.
medicine / 17 / /ˈmed(ə)s(ə)n/ / noun [count / uncount] / 2 / a substance that you take to treat an illness / Don’t forget to take your medicine. / 36–40) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
medicine /millionaire / model / murdered / nonsense
1) Police are looking for a man who attacked and ______three women.
2) Are you taking any ______at the moment?
3) She chose a male ______from the art college.
4) “Ben says he saw a snake in the cupboard.”
“______.”
5) I wish I were a ______!
millionaire / 30 / /ˌmɪljəˈneə/ / noun [count] / someone who has more than a million pounds / Her business was very successful and she’s now a millionaire.
model / 31 / /ˈmɒd(ə)l/ / noun [count] / 3 / someone whose job is to be drawn or painted by an artist / She posed as a model for Picasso.
murdered
to murder / 9 / /ˈmɜːdəd/ / verb / 1 / to commit the crime of deliberately killing someone / He murdered his wife and was sent to prison.
nonsense / 31 / /ˈnɒns(ə)ns/ / interjection / 1 / something that you say when you think someone has said something that is not true or sensible / “I’m not feeling well.”
“Nonsense, you look fine!”
palmist / 38 / /ˈpɑːmɪst/ / noun [count] / someone who tells you what will happen to you in the future by looking at the lines on your hand / A palmist offered to tell my fortune. / 41–45) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
palmist /pharmacy / pillows / poison / pond
1) The local ______closes at seven o’clock.
2) I prefer to sleep on two ______.
3) He claimed to be a ______with supernatural powers.
4) She slipped and fell in the ______.
5) The mixture contained adeadly ______.
pharmacy / 46 / /ˈfɑːməsi/ / noun [count] / a place where medicines are prepared and sold / You can buy some pain-killers at the pharmacy.
pillows / 12 / /ˈpɪləʊz/ / noun [count] / a soft object on which you rest your head in bed / She put her head down on the soft pillows and fell asleep.
poison / 46 / /ˈpɔɪzən/ / noun [count] / a substance that can kill you or make you ill if you eat or drink it / The glass jars contained a strongpoison.
pond / 24 / /pɒnd/ / noun [count] / an area of water that is smaller than a lake / Fish were swimming in the pond.
portrait / 30 / /ˈpɔːtrɪt/ / noun [count] / 1 / a painting, drawing or photograph of someone / He painted a portrait of the queen. / 46–50) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
portrait /pray / reception / relatives / rope
1) She asked me to do a ______of her son.
2) Our ______visit us at Christmas.
3) He climbed up the ______to the ceiling.
4) The ______will be held in the Grand Hotel.
5) When I’m worried about something, I ______.
pray / 26 / /preɪ/ / verb / 1 / to speak to God / Let us pray.
reception / 38 / /rɪˈsepʃ(ə)n/ / noun [count] / 1 / a formal party / Are you going to the reception?
relatives / 42 / /ˈrelətɪvz/ / noun [count] / 1 / a member of your family, especially one who does not live with you / Some of my relatives live in Canada.
rope / 20 / /rəʊp/ / noun [count] / 2 / a type of very thick string, usually used for tying or pulling things / They tied the boat to the anchor with a rope.
rude / 34 / /ruːd/ / adjective / 1 / not polite / Don’t be so rude! / 51–55) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
rude /servants / skeleton / spectacles / stain
1) This is where the ______works.
2) The ______is used for scientific purposes.
3) You’ve got a ______on your shirt.
4) He’s a stupid, ______little man!
5) He took off his ______and rubbed his eyes.
servant / 6 / /ˈsɜːv(ə)nt/ / noun [count] / someone whose job is to cook, clean, etc. in someone else’s home / We have a large house and employ oneservant.
skeleton / 26 / /ˈskelɪt(ə)n/ / noun [count] / the set of bones inside a human or animal body / Her body was now just a skeleton.
spectacles / 39 / /ˈspektəklz/ / noun [plural] / glasses that you wear to help you see better / She stared at me intently over her spectacles.
stain / 8 / /steɪn/ / noun [count] / a mark left accidentally on clothes or surfaces / There was a red wine stain on the tablecloth.
starve / 21 / /stɑːv/ / verb / to make someone suffer or die by not giving them food / They used to starve the prisoners to death. / 56–61) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
starve /suicide / suit of armour / supper / sword / telepathy
1) A ______hung from his belt.
2) For ______, we had bread and cheese.
3) We’ve not eaten for ages. Are you trying to ______us?!
4) A knight wearing a ______sat on a horse.
5) The power of ______can be quite strong.
6) Bullying can lead to ______.
suicide / 56 / /ˈsuːɪsaɪd/ / noun [count / uncount] / the action of deliberately killing yourself / We were shocked to hear of her suicide.
suit of armour / 15 / /ˌsuːt əv ˈɑːmə/ / noun [count] / the metal clothing that soldiers wore in the past to protect their bodies / He rode onto the battlefield, wearing a suit of armour.
supper / 12 / /ˈsʌpə/ / noun [count] / the last meal of the day / What would you like for supper?
sword / 30 / /sɔːd/ / noun [count] / a weapon with a short handle and a long, sharp blade / A group of men were fighting with swords.
telepathy / 57 / /təˈlepəθi/ / noun [uncount] / the ability to communicate directly with other people’s minds, without using words / I was just thinking about you and now you’ve called. It must be telepathy!
terrifying / 19 / /ˈterəfaɪɪŋ/ / adjective / extremely frightening / The noise of the explosion was terrifying. / 62–67) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
terrifying /thunderstorm / twins / weep / wicked / woods
1) Don’t ______. Everything will be all right.
2) We were woken by the sound of a ______.
3) Let’s go for a walk in the ______.
4) She’s just had ______– James and John.
5) I found flying for the first time a ______experience.
6) You horrible, ______girl!
thunderstorm / 7 / /ˈθʌndəˌstɔːm/ / noun [count] / a storm with thunder (= loud noise) and lightning (= flashes of light) in the sky / We got soaking wet in the thunderstorm.
twins / 7 / /twɪnz/ / noun [count] / 1 / two children who were born at the same time to the same mother / The twins were born on 22nd March 2011.
weep / 22 / /wiːp/ / verb / to cry / She put her head on my shoulder and started to weep.
wicked / 21 / /ˈwɪkɪd/ / adjective / morally wrong and deliberately intending to hurt people / That was a wicked thing to do!
woods / 11 / /wʊdz/ / noun [count] / 3 / a small forest / They enjoyed playing in the woods when they were children.
Wordlist definitions adapted from the Macmillan Essential Dictionary © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2003
Macmillan Readers / 1This page has been downloaded from It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2014