He 20th Century technology time line

Hardly is an adverb with several closely related meanings. 
It can mean almost not or almost none, particularly when used with ever or any.
We hardly ever visit them.
There were hardly any people left.
This meaning is used in the poem:
Hardly a man is still alive. . .
It can also mean just.
The people had hardly arrived when the battle started.

---

The Early United States | 75
Because this meaning deals with time, it is often used with the conjunction when.
Because the meaning of hardly is negative, in standard English it is not used in 
negative sentences. (Double negatives are normally avoided.)
Note: Hardly is not the adverb for hard. Hard can be an adjective or an adverb.
That was hard work.
He works hard.
The adverbs scarcely and barely are very close in meaning to hardly.
Rewrite or combine the sentences using hardly.
Examples:
He had spread the alarm. The British came right away.
He had hardly spread the alarm when the British came.
There were almost no chairs in the room.
There were hardly any chairs in the room.
1. We almost never go to the movies.
2. He had just loaded the gun. Then he had to ire.
3. He closed the book. He fell asleep immediately.
4. There were almost no professional soldiers in the army.
5. They almost never spoke about the problem.
VI. READ IT AGAIN
Read the poem again. Answer the questions.
1. What two names are used for the British army?
2. Why does Longfellow say that Paul Revere’s word would “echo for 
evermore”?

---

76 | Better Reading English
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
I. PRE-READING
A.
Background information
The U.S. Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. This 
document, written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, explains why the United 
States declared independence from Great Britain. The excerpt here contains 
the most famous lines from the Declaration.
B.
Words to know before you read
_____ 1. self-evident 
a. change
_____ 2. endowed 
b. eliminate
_____ 3. unalienable* 
c. basis
_____ 4. end 
d. given
_____ 5. alter 
e. goal
_____ 6. abolish 
f. come from
_____ 7. derive 
g. clear; obvious
_____ 8. foundation 
h. something that cannot be taken away
*This word was used in the Declaration of Independence, but the more usual 
form is “inalienable.” It’s almost always used to describe rights.
C.
Reading strategy
At the time this was written, English did not have the modern rules for 
capitalization. Writers often capitalized words they felt were important. Look 
through the text quickly. Write the words and phrases that are capitalized here 
but wouldn’t be in a modern text.
_________________________________ ______________________________
_________________________________ ______________________________
_________________________________ ______________________________
_________________________________ ______________________________
_________________________________ ______________________________

---

The Early United States | 77
II. READ
Read the text. Mark the words you don’t know, but don’t stop reading to look 
them up.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that 
they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among 
these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these 
rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from 
the consent of the governed,—That whenever any Form of Government 
becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to 
abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such 
principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most 
likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
III. COMPREHENSION CHECK
Circle the letter of the phrases with the same meaning.
1. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. . .
a. 
We believe that it’s clear that all men are created equal.
b. 
We can provide evidence that all men are created equal.
2. . . .that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights. . .
a. 
that God has rights that cannot be taken away
b. 
that God has given men rights that cannot be taken away
3. . . .Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from 
the consent of the governed. . .
a. 
Governments have power because the people agree to give it to them.
b. 
Governments can take power from the people they govern.
4. . . .That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these 
ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it. . .
a. 
People have the right to change or eliminate any government.
b. 
People have the right to change or eliminate government that takes 
away their rights.
5. . . .institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and 
organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to 
effect their Safety and Happiness.
a. 
create a new government based on these ideas and set up in a way that 
will allow people to be safe and happy
b. 
create a new government based on these ideas and set up in a way that 
is destructive to safety and happiness

---

78 | Better Reading English
IV. VOCABULARY BUILDING
A.
Word families
Read the word families in the chart.