Definition: To deal with a situation, a person, or a problem successfully.
Examples: Don't worry about the cooking tonight, I can handle it. Our manager is very calm and knows exactly how to handle angry customers. She had too much work last week and couldn't handle the stress.
Definition: To seem true or interesting after hearing or reading about it, or to make a noise similar to something else.
Examples: Going to the beach this weekend sounds like a fantastic idea! I heard a strange noise outside last night that sounded like a cat. You sound like a professional musician when you play the piano.
Definition: Ready to do something very soon, or very close to happening.
Examples: Hurry up and get in the car! The train is about to leave. I was just about to call you when your text message arrived. Look at those dark clouds in the sky; it looks like it is about to rain.
Definition: For a very long period of time.
Examples: We had to wait at the airport for hours because our flight was late. My brother can play video games for hours without taking a single break. They sat in the cafe and talked for hours about their childhood memories.
Definition: To become more bad, difficult, or painful than before.
Examples: If your cold gets worse tomorrow, you should definitely see a doctor. The traffic in the city center always gets worse around 5:00 PM. I really hope the weather doesn't get worse before our football match starts.
Definition: A very large number of things or people (usually groups of twelve, but used generally to mean "a lot of").
Examples: There were dozens of people standing in line to buy the new phone. She has dozens of beautiful plants all over her apartment. We saw dozens of colorful birds during our walk through the forest.
Definition: To fill your lungs with a lot of air, usually to help yourself relax, calm down, or feel better.
Examples: Before the important job interview started, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Just take a deep breath and explain to me what happened. The doctor asked the patient to take a deep breath while she listened to his chest.
The small, round boat was safe for someone of my size, but it was extremely difficult to handle. No matter what I did, the boat just turned round and round. It moved in every direction except the one I wanted. Most of the time, we were moving sideways, and I only reached the Hispaniola because the tide was pulling me down towards it.
Soon, the black shape of the big ship appeared in the dark. The current was very powerful. The thick anchor rope was pulled tight like a guitar string, and the water moved loudly around the ship. If I cut this rope with my knife, the Hispaniola would quickly float away with the tide.
However, I suddenly remembered that cutting a tight rope could be a real danger. It could jump back and hit me, knocking me and my small boat right into the water. This thought stopped me. But then, a breeze blew from the south-west. It pushed the ship forward against the current, and the heavy rope became loose in my hands.
I quickly opened my knife with my teeth and started cutting the thick rope, piece by piece, until only two parts held it together. Then I waited for another breeze to make the rope loose again.
While I waited, I heard loud, angry voices coming from the ship’s cabin. One belonged to the sailor, Israel Hands, and the other belonged to another pirate, whose name I did not know. Both men were had been drinking and were shouting at each other, and it sounded like they were about to start a fight.
Finally, the wind blew again. The rope became loose, and with much effort, I cut the last pieces of the rope. The current immediately took my small boat, pushing it against the front of the Hispaniola. The big ship began to turn slowly in the water. I tried to push myself away so I wouldn’t be killed. As I pushed away from the ship, my hand touched a light rope hanging over the back of the ship. I grabbed it immediately because I was curious. I wanted to see what was happening inside.
I pulled myself up using the rope and looked through the cabin window. The ship was now moving fast with the current. When I looked inside, I understood why the two men hadn't noticed anything. Hands and his partner were fighting, each with his hands around the other's throat.
I quickly dropped back down into my boat. At that moment, the ship jumped and changed direction. The speed increased quickly. I opened my eyes and saw that the current had turned completely, carrying both the big ship and my tiny boat out into the open sea. On the ship, I heard shouting and running feet. The two men had finally realised that the ship was floating away.
Frightened, I lay flat on the bottom of my miserable boat. I was sure we would hit giant waves and that would be the end of me. I would not watch my own death, so I just lay there for hours as the waves pushed and pulled me around. I grew so tired and cold that I fell asleep, dreaming of my home.
The day was bright when I woke up. I was floating near the southwest coast of Treasure Island. The sun was up, but it was hidden behind the huge cliffs of the mountain. Only a quarter of a mile away, I saw giant waves crashing hard against the rocky shore. Landing there was impossible; the rocks would break my boat to pieces. And then it got worse, I saw dozens of huge, strange creatures barking on the rocks. I learned later that they were seals – and not dangerous, but they looked scary to me. I preferred hunger at sea rather than land there.
Fortunately, I had a better option. I remembered that a current moved north along the west coast of the island. I decided to save my strength and try to land further up the coast, where there were beautiful green trees.
The sea was moving in large, calm waves. I discovered that if I lay flat and didn't move, the light boat would gently slip over the top of the giant waves like a bird. But when I sat up, the boat dropped its nose straight into a wave, covering me with cold water. Still, by holding myself up on my elbows, I could carefully put my paddle in the water from time to time to push the boat towards the shore.
It was hard work, but I was slowly getting closer to land. By now, I was dying for a drink. The hot sun and the saltwater made my throat burn.
Suddenly, I saw something surprising less than half a mile away: the Hispaniola was sailing right in front of me! I was afraid the pirates would catch me, but I needed water so badly that I almost did not care. However, as I watched the ship, I realised something had gone wrong. The ship turned in different directions, its sails moving uselessly in the wind. "They must still be drunk," I thought.
Soon, I understood the truth: nobody was in control of the ship. The men were either dead or asleep below deck. The current was carrying both of us at the same speed. I realised that if I sat up and paddled hard, I could catch up with the ship and perhaps save it.
I stood up, took a deep breath, and paddled as hard as I could. I got closer and closer. No one appeared on the deck.
At long last, the wind dropped, and the ship stopped moving for a moment. I had no time to think. The ship's front was directly over my head. I got to my feet and jumped, pushing my small boat under the water. I caught the ship’s ropes with my hands and climbed up. A loud crash below told me that the Hispaniola had destroyed my little boat. I was finally on board, but I had no way to return.
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