1. Take care of. Definition: To look after someone or something and make sure they have what they need.
I need to take care of my little brother while my parents are at work.
Please take care of your new books and do not lose them.
The doctor will take care of you and help you feel better.
2. Alive. Definition: Living and not dead.
We found a small bird in the garden, and it was still alive.
My grandfather is 90 years old, but he is very active and very much alive.
Plants need water and sunlight to stay alive.
3. Recover. Definition: To get better after an illness or an injury.
It took her three weeks to recover from the bad cold.
The athlete needs to rest and recover before the next big game.
I hope you recover quickly and come back to school soon.
4. Explanation. Definition: The reasons you give to make something clear or easy to understand.
The teacher gave a clear explanation of the math problem.
He did not have a good explanation for being late to class.
Read the explanation in the book before you start the exercise.
5. Make up one's mind. Definition: To make a decision or choose what to do.
I cannot make up my mind about which movie to watch tonight.
She finally made up her mind and bought the blue jacket.
You need to make up your mind quickly because the bus is leaving.
6. By hand. Definition: Made or done by a person using their hands, not using a machine.
My grandmother makes all of her beautiful sweaters by hand.
In the past, people had to wash all their clothes by hand.
The letter was written by hand, which made it feel very special.
7. Instead of. Definition: In the place of someone or something else.
I will have water instead of juice with my lunch.
We decided to walk to the park instead of taking the bus.
You should do your homework now instead of playing video games.
The pirates did not return. As Captain Smollett said, they had plenty for one day. We were alone and could finally take care of the injured men and prepare some food.
Of the eight men hurt in the fight, only three were still alive : one pirate, Hunter, and Captain Smollett. The pirate soon died although the doctor tried to help him. Hunter never woke up again. He continued to breathe heavily all day, but his injuries were very serious. During the night, he died quietly in his sleep.
Captain Smollett was seriously hurt, but the doctor said he would recover. One bullet had damaged his shoulder and another had hurt his leg. He would need many weeks of rest and could not walk much or use his arm.
My own injury was only a small cut on my hand. Doctor Livesey bandaged it and joked with me about it.
After dinner, the doctor, the squire, and the captain talked together. Then Doctor Livesey took his gun, put the map in his pocket. and left the fort. He walked off quickly into the woods without giving an explanation.
Gray and I were in shock. Gray asked if the doctor was mad. I thought I was sure he was not and guessed he was going to find Ben Gunn, and I learned later that my guess was right.
Meanwhile, as the day became hotter, I started to feel unhappy. I could imagine the doctor walking through the cool woods while I stayed in the hot fort surrounded by dead bodies. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to leave.
While trying to tidy up the house and washing the dishes, I made a plan. I secretly started to fill up my pockets with biscuits just in case I needed food. I also took two pistols, as I knew I was doing something silly and full of danger, but I had made up my mind to do it.
My plan was to go to the white rock I had seen before and check if Ben Gunn’s boat was hidden there. I knew the others would never allow me to leave, so I planned to leave without telling anyone.
Soon I found my chance. The squire and Gray were helping the captain. Nobody was watching me. I quickly climbed over the fence and ran into the trees. Before anyone could notice. I was far away.
Looking back, this was a very bad decision. because only two healthy men were left to protect the fort. Still, that decision later helped save us all.
I walked towards the eastern side of the island. It was late afternoon and still warm. As I moved through the woods, I could hear the sea. A cool wind began to blow. Soon I reached the edge of the trees and saw the blue sea in front of me.
The waves around Treasure Island were never quiet. Even on calm days, they crashed loudly against the shore. Their sound could be heard almost everywhere on the island.
I followed the beach until I thought I was far enough south. The ship Hispaniola lay still on the water. Its pirate flag was flying. Beside it was a small boat. I could see Long John Silver and some other men talking and laughing. Suddenly, I heard an awful scream. At first it frightened me, but then I remembered it was Captain Flint, Silver’s parrot.
Soon a boat left the ship and headed for the shore. At the same time. the sun began to set and a thick fog was beginning to cover the area. I knew I had to find Ben Gunn’s boat before it became too dark.
The white rock was still some distance away. I got down on hands and knees and moved forwards through some low trees until I finally reached it. Near the rock I found a small hidden place covered with grass and plants. In the middle stood a little tent made of goat skins, and inside was Ben Gunn’s boat. It was clearly made by hand. It was small, almost round, and covered with goat skin. It looked weak, but it was very light and easy to carry.
After finding it, I should have returned to the fort, but instead of doing that, I had another idea. I wanted to use the boat at night, reach the Hispaniola, cut its anchor rope, and let the ship float away. I believed the pirates wanted to sail away as soon as possible, and this plan could stop them.
So I stayed where I was and waited for the dark. I ate some biscuits and watched the evening disappear. Thick fog covered the sky, and soon everything was black.
When night finally came, I carried the little boat towards the water. Only two lights could be seen. One came from a large fire on shore where the pirates were celebrating. The other came from the Hispaniola. Light from the cabin* windows shone through the fog.
The tide* was already moving out away from the land. I had to cross soft, wet sand before reaching the water. Several times I sank deep into the soft ground. At last. I came to the edge of the sea and carefully placed the small boat on the water, ready for the next part of my adventure.
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