Gorilla

• actual (n)


  true or real. She looks like she is 15 years old, but her actual age is 25.
• actually (adv)


  really, truly, or in fact. His birthday is actually tomorrow, but he is celebrating today
• aggressive (a)


  forceful, bold, or ready to fight hard for something. The aggressive girl pushed ahead of somebody else who was waiting in line.

  
• avoid (v)


  to stay away from. She tries to avoid stepping in puddles, because she does not like wet shoes.
• bond (v)


  to form a close relationship. The students in a class often bond with each other; they spend a lot of time together and become close friend
• enemy (n)


  a person or animal that is not friendly to another person or animal and may want to cause harm. A cat is an enemy of a mouse
• groom (v)


  to make clean and neat. People use brushes and combs to groom their hair
• images (n)


  the pictures a person has in mind when thinking about something
• mature (a)


  completely grown or fully developed. The puppy is very small now, but it will be over two feet tall when it is mature.

  
• pound (v)


  to hit or stomp hard. He will pound on the door when he wants to get in.

  
• shy (adj)


  quiet, nervous, or uncomfortable around others. My sister is shy, so she doesn't talk when we have guests at our house.
• uncommon 


  If something is uncommon, it does not happen often or is not seen often. In Alaska, it is uncommon to have hot weather during the winter
• usually


  most of the time. Summer days are usually hot, but sometimes they can be cool.
• frightening (a)


  making someone afraid or anxious; terrifying.

  
• leaf (singular) - leaves (plural)


  any usually flattened green outgrowth from the stem of a vascular plant.

  
• beast (n)


  an animal, especially a large or dangerous four-footed one.

  
• Read the story (part 1)

  Gorilla! The very word may bring up scary images in your mind. To many people, gorillas seem frightening. They are large animals, and people often think they look mean. But actually, gorillas are shy. They do not want to eat people. They eat mostly fruit and leaves.
• Read the story (Part 2)

  Gorillas sometimes pound their chests. But they are not trying to start a fight. Gorillas use chest pounding to avoid fights. When an enemy comes near, a gorilla makes noise and tries to look frightening. The enemy may get scared and run away. If the enemy does not leave, the gorilla usually will. Actual fights are uncommon.
• Read the story (Part 3)

  Gorillas usually live in small groups. A mature male gorilla protects the group and decides where the group should go. Female gorillas spend a lot of time with their babies. They also groom the others in the group. They use their fingers—and sometimes their teeth—to clean the other gorillas' hair. This grooming helps the group members bond. Gorillas are certainly not the aggressive beasts that some people think. In many ways, they are more peaceful than humans.
• peaceful (a)


  quiet and free from disturbance. "everything was so quiet and peaceful in the early morning"