The Phantom of the Opera
Gaston Leroux
Word / Page / Phonetic Spelling / Part Of Speech / Med Star Rating / Definition / Sample Sentence / Translation / Exercisesaccident / A Note About this Story
p6 / /ˈæksɪd(ə)nt/ / noun [count] / 3 / an unexpected event that causes injury or damage / He had a seriousaccident at work. / 1–5) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
accidents / angel / architect / audience / ball
1) The ______Gabriel appeared to Jesus’ mother, Mary.
2) There has been an increase in the number of traffic ______.
3) She drew the plans for the new house with the help of an ______.
4) She met her future husband at the ______.
5) The ______clapped and cheered at the end of the song.
angel / 12 / /ˈeɪnʤ(ə)l/ / noun [count] / a spirit that is believed to live with God, often illustrated as a beautiful creature with wings / The card showed a picture of an angel playing a flute.
architect / 25 / /ˈɑːkɪtekt/ / noun [count] / someone whose job is to design buildings / Gaudì was a famous Spanish architect.
audience / 16 / /ˈɔːdiəns/ / noun [count] / 3 / the people who watch or listen to a performance / The audience seemed to love the play.
ball / 33 / /bɔːl/ / noun [count] / 3 / a formal social event at which there is dancing / Have you been invited to the ball?
box / 16 / /bɒks/ / noun [count] / 3 / a small private space with seats in a theatre / We got seats in the box for the opera. / 6–10) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
box / cellar / chandelier / cheered / circular
1) The ______fell to the floor and smashed.
2) Supporters ______when their team won.
3) Hundreds of bottles of wine are kept in the ______.
4) The stage is ______in shape.
5) I envy people who sit in the ______.
cellar / 13 / /ˈselə/ / noun [count] / a room under a building that is below the ground / All sorts of things are stored in the cellar.
chandelier / A Note About this Story
p6 / /ˌʃændəˈlɪə/ / noun [count] / a light that hangs from a ceiling with a lot of branches that hold lights or candles / A beautiful crystal chandelierwas in the middle of the ceiling.
cheered
to cheer / 19 / /ʧɪəd/ / verb / to shout loudly to show you are happy / The audience clapped and cheered when she came on stage.
circular / 54 / /ˈsɜːkjʊlə/ / adjective / in the shape of a circle / A large circular mirror hung on the wall.
clapped
to clap / 19 / /klæpt/ / verb / to hit your hands together many times as a way of showing that you like something / The audience clapped and cheered when she came on stage. / 11–15) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
clapped / cloak / corridor / costume / disappears
1) A ______joins the different parts of the building together.
2) The car ______around a bend.
3) He wore a long velvet ______.
4) The actor wore a fabulous ______.
5) Everyone ______politely at the end.
cloak / 14 / /kləʊk/ / noun [count] / a long coat without sleeves / She was dressed as a witch in a cloak and hat.
corridor / A Note About this Story
p5 / /ˈkɒrɪdɔː/ / noun [count] / 2 / a long passage inside a building with doors on each side / Thiscorridor seems endless!
costume / 13 / /ˈkɒstjuːm/ / noun [count] / clothes that people wear at a party when they pretend to be a famous person, animal, etc. / He came to the party wearing a costume.
disappears
to disappear / 16 / /ˌdɪsəˈpɪəz/ / verb / 3 / to become impossible to see or find / One day, the child suddenly disappears.
foolish / 23 / /ˈfuːlɪʃ/ / adjective / silly or stupid / That was a foolish thing to do! / 16–20) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
foolish / frightened / frightening / ghost / grille
1) Being a prisoner is a ______experience.
2) The little girl looked pale and ______.
3) They removed the ______using a large knife.
4) You ______child!
5) A ‘phantom’ is another name for a ______.
frightened / 15 / /ˈfraɪt(ə)nd/ / adjective / 1 / feeling or showing fear / What’s the matter? You look frightened.
frightening / 23 / /ˈfraɪt(ə)nɪŋ/ / adjective / 1 / making you feel afraid or nervous / At first, I thought school was a bit frightening.
ghost / A Note About this Story
p6 / /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.
grille / 54 / /grɪl/ / noun [count] / a metal frame with bars across it used for protecting a door or window / The hole was covered by a metal grille.
huge / 13 / /hjuːʤ/ / adjective / 3 / extremely large / There’s a huge garden at the back of the house. / 21–25) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
huge / ladder / lawyer / lively / marry
1) As a ______, she earns a good salary.
2) They’re a very ______class.
3) She drives a ______car.
4) I’d like to ______one day.
5) A ______was leaning against the side of the house.
ladder / 53 / /ˈlædə/ / noun [count] / 1 / a piece of equipment for reaching high places consisting of two long pieces of wood or metal joined by shorter pieces / He climbed the ladder onto the roof.
lawyer / A Note About the Author
p4 / /ˈlɔːjə/ / noun [count] / 2 / someone whose job is to provide legal advice and services / How long does it take to qualify as a lawyer?
lively / A Note About the Author
p4 / /ˈlaɪvli/ / adjective / full of energy and enthusiasm / She’s a lively, intelligent girl.
marry / 35 / /ˈmæri/ / verb / 2 / to become someone’s husband or wife / We’re hoping to marry next year.
mask / 14 / /mɑːsk/ / noun [count] / something that you wear in order to cover your face / Dentists often wear a mask. / 26–30) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
mask / mirror / mysterious / party / phantom
1) A ‘______’ is another name for a ghost.
2) Why are you wearing that ______?
3) There were over 100 people at the ______.
4) A ______car was parked outside the house.
5) She keeps a tiny ______in her handbag.
mirror / 30 / /ˈmɪrə/ / noun [count] / 2 / a piece of glass in which you can see yourself / She checked her face in the mirror.
mysterious / 30 / /mɪˈstɪəriəs/ / adjective / secret and not known about / Who is that mysterious woman in the corner?
party / 13 / /ˈpɑːti/ / noun [count] / 3 / a social event at which people meet in order to celebrate something / Have you had an invitation to the party?
phantom / 14 / /ˈfæntəm/ / noun [count] / the spirit of a dead person that someone sees / She was pale and thin, and looked like a phantom.
popular / A Note About this Story
p7 / /ˈpɒpjʊlə/ / adjective / 3 / liked by many people / She’s very popular – everyone likes her. / 31–35) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
popular / programme / roof scarf / scenery
1) Birds were perched on the ______.
2) The costumes and ______were fantastic.
3) The Phantom of the Opera is very ______.
4) He always wears his football ______at the matches
5) A theatre ______usually costs £5.
programme / 16 / /ˈprəʊgræm/ / noun [count] / 3 / a small book that tells you about a performance or event / How much is it to buy a programme?
roof / 35 / /ruːf/ / noun [count] / 3 / the top outer part of a building / Water was coming in through a hole in the roof.
scarf / 9 / /skɑːf/ / noun [count] / a piece of cloth that you wear around your neck when it is cold / She was wearing a matching hat and scarf.
scenery / 13 / /ˈsiːnəri/ / noun [uncount] / the furniture and painted background on a theatre stage / We need volunteers to help us paint the scenery.
secret / 40 / /ˈsiːkrət/ / noun [count] / 2 / a piece of information that is not known by many people / It’s a secret – you mustn’t tell anyone. / 36–41) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
secret /stage / stars / storeroom / terrible
1) This must stay a ______.
2) She walked onto the ______wearing a wig.
3) All the old books are kept in the ______.
4) She had a ______expression on her face.
5) She looked at the ______above.
stage / 13 / /steɪʤ/ / noun [count] / 3 / the part of a theatre where the actors perform / Do you like appearing on stage?
stars / 11 / /stɑːz/ / noun [count] / 3 / a small, bright light that appears in the sky at night / Astronomers study the stars and planets.
storeroom / A Note About this Story
p5 / /ˈstɔːˌruːm/ / noun [count] / a room that is used for storing things / There were lots of old costumes in the storeroom.
terrible / 60 / /ˈterəb(ə)l/ / adjective / 2 / extremely frightening / The massacre was a terrible sight.
trapdoor / 46 / /ˈtræpˌdɔː/ / noun [count] / a small door that covers an opening in a floor / Careful you don’t fall through the trapdoor! / 42–45) Choose the correct words and fill the gaps in the sentences below.
trapdoor /unlucky / violin / worried
1) Do you believe walking under ladders is ______?
2) Can you play the ______?
3) He often looks ______.
4) We looked through the ______to the space below.
unlucky / 26 / /ʌnˈlʌki/ / adjective / believed to bring bad luck / Thirteen is supposed to be an unlucky number.
violin / 9 / /vaɪəˈlɪn/ / noun [count] / a string instrument that you hold under your chin and play by pulling a bow across its strings / When I was young, I had violin lessons.
worried / 22 / /ˈwʌrid/ / adjective / 1 / anxious, nervous or afraid / You look worried. What’s the matter?
Wordlist definitions adapted from the Macmillan Essential Dictionary © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2003
Macmillan ReadersThis page has been downloaded from It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2014