The Mystery of the High-Tops

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The Mystery of the High-Tops

Read a story about James and his playful puppies to practice English vocabulary and reading comprehension at the A2 level.

Title

The Mystery of the High-Tops

Seo_intro

Read a story about James and his playful puppies to practice English vocabulary and reading comprehension at the A2 level.

Reading Text

On Saturday morning, James wakes up and steps into the hallway, ready for his weekly game. He looks down at the entryway mat, but he spots a problem: his favorite red basketball shoes are missing. James checks behind the living room couches and searches under the kitchen chairs. Then, he finds a trail of clues: scattered chew toys, spilled kibble bits, and tiny muddy paw prints. He follows the trail straight to the sunlit rug where his two new pups, Buster and Pip, are curled up together. Buster rests his front paws over one left shoe, while Pip gnaws eagerly on the rubber soles of the right one. Both puppies wag their little tails as James approaches. James quickly picks up the sneakers to inspect the leather sides. Fortunately, the puppies' tiny teeth are not yet strong enough to do real damage—they only left a few shallow scratches and tiny tooth marks. James laughs, tucks the shoes onto a high closet shelf, and tosses the rascals a pair of soft rubber bones instead. The playful pups happily roll onto their backs and chew their new treats.

Activities

Vocabulary

Items:

Label: missing
Answer: def_1
Label: clues
Answer: def_2
Label: gnaws
Answer: def_3
Label: inspect
Answer: def_4
Label: damage
Answer: def_5
Label: tucks
Answer: def_6

Definitions:

Text: not present or cannot be found
Text: pieces of evidence or information that help solve a mystery
Text: bites or chews on something repeatedly
Text: to look at something carefully
Text: harm or physical injury that breaks or spoils something
Text: puts something into a safe, tight, or hidden place

Fill In The Blanks:

Before: I cannot find my keys anywhere. They are
After: .
Answer: missing
Before: The detective looked for
After: around the messy room.
Answer: clues
Before: The puppy
After: on its favorite toy all afternoon.
Answer: gnaws
Before: The teacher will
After: our homework to check for mistakes.
Answer: inspect
Before: James
After: his shoes safely onto a high shelf.
Answer: tucks

Comprehension

Questions:

Text: James is getting ready for his weekly game on Saturday morning.
Answer: true
Text: James finds his shoes right away on the entryway mat.
Answer: false
Text: Muddy paw prints and scattered chew toys help James find the shoes.
Answer: true
Text: The puppies completely destroyed the leather sneakers with deep tears.
Answer: false
Text: James gives the puppies soft rubber bones instead of the shoes.
Answer: true

Scrambled:

Answer: His favorite red basketball shoes are missing.
Answer: He searches under the kitchen chairs.
Answer: The two puppies are curled up together.
Answer: James quickly picks up the sneakers.
Answer: The playful pups happily roll onto their backs.

Written Expression

Questions:

Text: Have you ever lost something important? Where did you finally find it?
Text: What are some ways to keep playful pets from chewing on things in the house?

Examples:

Example 1: Last week, I lost my glasses. I searched my bedroom and living room. Finally, I found them inside my backpack!

Example 2: To keep pets safe, you can put shoes in a closed closet and give them fun chew toys to play with.

Critical Thinking

Title: Extension & Discussion

Instructions:

Why do you think young puppies like to chew on things around the house?
If you were James, what rule would you make at home so this problem does not happen again?