Topic 18: A heroic deed

The story of man is full of heroic deeds. One of the acts of heroism that I have seen myself was that of my uncle, who
was attacked by a huge tiger while we were in our plantation, one day.

My uncle, a young and well-built man, and I had left our home early in the morning to do some work in the plantation.
When we reached there, we could hear some dogs barking in the distance. But we did not suspect anything, and began to
do our work.
While we were working, however, we noticed some foot-prints of some animal. We then examined them closely and
were satisfied that they did not belong to any member of the cat family, the most ferocious of animals. We then resumed
our work. My uncle took a long knife and began to cut some sticks and branches of plants scattered throughout the
plantation, while I did some other work. Soon, however, I saw a movement in the bush, a short distance away. I was
alarmed. I ran up to my uncle to draw his attention, but he was hardly interested in what I had to say. He continued to do
his work. But shortly afterwards, my uncle himself observed the movement in the bush. Yet, he showed no signs of fear,
and his composure dispelled my anxieties. He warned me, however, to be careful, and picked up an axe that had been
lying on the ground. His knife, he gave to me. Then, he moved slowly and cautiously towards the bush, ready for any
attack.
To our horror, a huge tiger soon emerged from the bush. But my uncle was prepared to face it, to escape seemed
impossible. The tiger too seemed to be fully aware of the strength and courage of its adversary. It paused several times
while advancing towards my uncle. Then all of a sudden, it sprang on my uncle, but his agility enabled him to escape the
sharp claws of the brute with the slightest injury. Now with the axe still in his firm grip, my uncle struck the tigers face
again and again, until it was bleeding profusely. The length of the handle of the axe made it difficult for the tiger to get
to close to my uncle. That the tiger was at a disadvantage was clear to me from the beginning.
In the end, however, the tiger collapsed and died. Within hours, after that all the people in our area heard of my uncle's
bravery, which saved us both from death. It was indeed a greatest act of heroism that I had witnessed.
NEW WORDS:
1. heroic deed (n): hành động dũng cảm
2. plantation (n): đồn điền, vườn cây, khu đất trồng trọt
3. well-built (adj): lực lưỡng, cường tráng
4. suspect (v): nghi, nghi ngờ, hoài nghi, ngờ vực
5. ferocious (adj): dữ tợn, hung ác
6. composure (n): sự bình tĩnh, sự điềm tĩnh
7. cautiously (adv): cẩn thận, thận trọng

8 . horror (n): nỗi kinh hoàng, sự khiếp sợ, sự ghê rợn
9. spring (sprang-sprung) (v): nhảy, bật mình
10. agility (n): sự nhanh nhẹn, sự lẹ làng, sự lanh lợi
11. profusely (adv): ướt đẫm, nhiều, dồi dào
12. collapse (v): đổ sụp xuống, ngã gục