Confluence — A Vocabulary Story
The Great Paper Boat Race
Marina had made the fastest paper boat in the history of paper boats. Probably. She hadn't tested it yet, but it had a lightning bolt drawn on the side, which obviously counted for something.
"Race you," said her dad, holding up his own boat. It was lumpy and looked like it had been sat on. It had, in fact, been sat on.
The plan was simple. Two streams ran through the park, one on each side of the big hill, and they joined together at the confluence near the old stone bridge. Marina would launch her boat on one stream, Dad would launch his on the other, and whichever boat reached the confluence first would be crowned Champion of All Water.
Confluence means the place where two rivers flow together. It can also mean a coming together of people or things.
"Three, two, one, GO!" Marina dropped her boat and sprinted along the bank, cheering it past a suspicious-looking duck.
On the far side of the hill, she could hear Dad shouting encouragement at his soggy lump.
Marina reached the bridge, breathless, and stared at the swirling spot where the two streams tumbled into one. The confluence bubbled and churned. Then, bobbing round the bend, came her boat, lightning bolt gleaming.
Dad arrived thirty seconds later, holding his boat, which had sunk almost immediately.
"It needed rescuing," he said, dripping slightly.
Marina watched her champion sail proudly through the confluence and off down the river, off to wherever brilliant boats go.
"Same time next week?" asked Dad.
"Only if you stop sitting on your boat first," said Marina.
Word Definition
confluence
meaning
the point where two or more rivers or streams flow together; a coming together of people or things
synonyms
junction · meeting · union · merging · convergence
antonyms
divergence
example sentence
The town was built at the confluence of two great rivers.