125 truyện ngắn cho người mới học tiếng anh (có audio)

125 SHORT STORIES FOR BEGINNERS
Passage 1: Red Rubber Ball
1. Fred had a red rubber ball. He kicked the ball. It flew through the air. He picked it up.
He threw it against a wall. The ball came back to Fred. He kicked it with his foot again.
The ball flew over the wall. He picked it up again. He bounced it on the street. The ball
bounced up and down. Then it stopped bouncing up and down. It didn't move. Fred's
dog barked at the ball. Fred kicked the ball. His dog ran after the ball. 0.0
Passage 2: Barking Dog
2. Bobby woke up because he heard a dog. He heard a dog barking outside his window.
Bobby woke up when he heard the dog barking. Bobby got out of bed. He got out of bed
and walked to the window. He looked out the window. He saw a big brown dog. It was
barking very loud. Bobby opened his window. He looked at the barking dog. ″Why are
you barking so loud?″ he asked the dog. The dog looked at Bobby. Then it stopped
barking. 1.5
Passage 3: A Long Life
3. Nancy wants to live a long time. She wants to live for one hundred years. She is five
years old now. She wants to live 95 more years. Then she will be 100. Her father is 30
years old. He wants to live a long time, too. He wants to live for one hundred years. He
wants to live for 70 more years. ″Daddy, we will grow old together, okay?″ Nancy said
to her father. ″Yes, honey, we will grow old together,″ he said to Nancy. Then Nancy
smiled. She gave her daddy a big hug. 1.9
Passage 4: The Jumper
4. Johnny jumped over the dog. The dog was lying on the ground. Johnny jumped over
it. The dog saw Johnny jump over it. The dog got up. The dog got up and barked at
Johnny. Johnny laughed. He laughed while the dog barked. Johnny ran over to the
fence. The dog chased him to the fence. Johnny jumped over the fence. He turned
around and looked at the dog. The dog stopped at the fence. The dog could not jump
over the fence. Johnny said, "Jump, jump!″ The dog barked, but did not jump. 0.6
Passage 5: Red Berry
5. Mary ate a blueberry. She loved blueberries. Then she ate a blackberry. She loved
blackberries. Then she ate a strawberry. She loved strawberries. Mary was confused. A

blueberry is blue, so you call it a blueberry. A blackberry is black, so you call it a
blackberry. A strawberry is red. So, why don't you call it a redberry? Mary asked her
mom. Her mom didn't know. She asked her dad. Her dad didn't know. She asked her
little brother. "Because a red berry is a cherry!" her brother said. 2.8


Passage 6: His New Book
6. Louis got a new book. The book was about animals. Louis loved animals. The book
had lots of pictures. It had pictures of dogs and cats. It had pictures of cows and pigs. It
had pictures of chickens and rabbits. It had pictures of squirrels and birds. Louis looked
at the pictures on the first page. Then he turned the page. He looked at the pictures on
the second page. Then he turned the page again. The book had 30 pages in it. Louis
looked at all the pictures on all the pages. 2.0
Passage 7: Bug in a Bottle
7. Charles found a glass bottle. He found the glass bottle in his back yard. It was a
pretty glass bottle. It was dark green. He looked inside the dark green bottle. He couldn't
see anything. He shook the bottle. Something came out of the bottle. It landed on the
ground. It was a bug. Charles picked up the bug. He looked at it. The bug looked at
Charles. Charles put the bottle back on the ground. He put the bug on the ground, next
to the bottle. The bug crawled back into the bottle. 0.7
Passage 8: Hungry Birds
8. The baby birds sat in the nest. There were two baby birds. They were in the nest. The
nest was in the tree. The baby birds were waiting for mama bird. They were hungry.
When would mama bird be back? Then they saw mama bird. She landed on the nest.
She had two worms in her mouth. She gave one worm to each baby bird. The worms
were delicious. The baby birds ate the worms very fast. Then they opened their mouths.
They wanted another worm. Mama bird flew away. She went to get more worms. 0.9
Passage 9: Row Your Boat
9. Brenda sang a song. She sang the song while she walked to school. The name of the
song was "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." Brenda liked to sing this song. It was her favorite

song to sing. She sang it every day while she walked to school. Sometimes she sang it
with her best friend. Sometimes her best friend walked to school with Brenda. Then they
both sang the song together. Brenda liked the song because it was easy to remember
the words. "Row, row, row your boat" are easy words to remember. 2.3
Passage 10: Add Numbers
10. Maria was learning to add numbers. She liked to add numbers. It was easy to add
numbers. She could add one and one. She knew that one and one are two. She knew
that two and two are four. She knew that three and three are six. But that was it. She
didn't know what four and four are. She asked her mom. Her mom told her that four and
four are eight. "Oh, now I know," Maria said. "I am four years old now. In four more
years, I will be eight." Maria was a fast learner. She wasn't a slow learner. 0.4


Passage 11: Clean Hands
11. Elizabeth washes her hands every day. She likes to wash her hands. She washes
her hands with soap and water. She uses soap and water to wash her hands. She uses
warm water and soap. She washes her hands for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, she
stops washing her hands. She turns off the water. She dries her hands on a clean towel.
Every few hours she turns on the water and washes her hands. Elizabeth has very
clean hands. She does not have many germs on her hands. Germs cannot live on her
clean hands. 3.1
Passage 12: The Farm
12. Daniel wanted to visit a farm. He asked his parents to take him to a farm. His
teacher told him about the animals on a farm. There are lots of animals on a farm.
Daniel wanted to see the animals. He wanted to see the cows. He wanted to see the
chickens. He wanted to see the pigs. He wanted to pet the animals. He wanted to feed
the animals. He loved animals. He wanted to live on a farm. He wanted to live with cows
and chickens and pigs. They would be his friends. He didn't have any friends in school.
2.5
Passage 13: A Funny Story

13. Barbara likes funny stories. She likes to hear funny stories. She likes to tell funny
stories. She told her mom a funny story. When she finished, she waited for her mom to
laugh. "Mom, why aren't you laughing? That was a funny story," Barbara said. "Oh, I'm
sorry," her mom said. "Sometimes you think something is funny, but someone else
thinks it isn't funny." So, Barbara's mom did not laugh at Barbara's story. Barbara told
the same story to her younger sister. Her younger sister laughed at the story. 4.6
Passage 14: Horse Rider
14. "Can I ride my horse, Mommy?" Sara asked her mom. Sara loved to ride her horse.
She rode her horse almost every Saturday. "Okay, honey, get ready to go," her mom
said. Sara was happy. She went into her bedroom. She put her pink socks on. She put
her pink sneakers on. She grabbed her pink hat. She went to the front door. "I'm going
to wait in the car," she told her mom. "Okay, I'll be there in a minute," her mom said.
Sara opened the car door. She sat down in the front seat. She put on her hat. She was
excited. 1.4
Passage 15: A Happy Cat
15. Bruce picked up the cat. The cat meowed. The cat didn't like most people. The cat
liked to be alone. It liked to sleep on the sofa. It liked to sleep in the fruit bowl. It liked to
sleep on top of the TV. It liked to chase bugs in the front yard. It liked to chase lizards in
the back yard. It liked to chase flies in the kitchen. Bruce put the cat on the floor. He


rubbed the cat's stomach. The cat liked that. The cat licked his hand. Bruce rubbed the
cat's stomach some more. The cat meowed. The cat was happy. 0.2
Passage 16: Short Girl
16. Margaret was a small girl. She was a little girl. All her friends were taller than her.
She was shorter than all her friends. She wanted to be tall. Her mom told her not to
worry. One day Margaret would be tall. One day she would be taller than her friends.
One day all her friends would be shorter than her. She was happy to hear that. She only
had one question for her mom. When would she be taller than her friends? Would it be
next year? She hoped it would be next year. She was tired of being the shortest girl. 0.9

Passage 17: Swimming Pool
17. Sharon jumped into the water at the swimming pool. She held her nose. She went
under the water. Then she came back up. She swam to the ladder in the pool. She
climbed out of the pool. She stood at the edge of the pool. She held her nose. She
jumped in again. Sharon liked to jump into the pool. The water felt good. It was a hot
day. The water was cool. The water felt so good. Sharon's mother had brought her to
the pool. Her mother was sitting in a chair. She was watching Sharon. She wanted
Sharon to have fun. 1.1
Passage 18: Lulu’s Letter
18. Lulu's mom gave Lulu a pencil. It was a yellow pencil. It was a number two pencil. It
had a pink eraser. The eraser was small and round and pink. Lulu's mom gave Lulu a
piece of paper. It was a white piece of paper. There were blue lines on the white paper.
Lulu wrote a letter to her grandma. Her letter said, "Dear Grandma, Hello, I love you."
Lulu told her mom she was done. Her mom looked at the letter. "This is a short letter,"
her mom said. Lulu said, "Yes, Mom, it is a short letter. It is short but sweet." 2.1
Passage 19: The Flu
19. Larry has the flu. His nose is running. He coughs a lot. He sneezes a lot. When he
coughs, he covers his mouth. When he sneezes, he covers his mouth. When his nose is
running, he wipes his nose with a tissue. Larry's mother is taking care of him. She
makes hot soup for him. She gives him fresh orange juice. She makes him comfortable
in his bed. She turns on the TV so he can watch TV in his bed. She turns out the light so
he can sleep in his bed. She gives him medicine so he will get better. Larry will get
better soon. 1.4
Passage 20: A New Car
20. Mark bought a new car last week. He is happy with his new car. He got a good deal
on his new car. It was on sale. His new car is green. The four tires are black. His new
car has four doors. It has one trunk. The spare tire is in the trunk. All new cars have a


spare tire. His new car has one hood. The engine is under the hood. All new cars have

an engine. His new car has two big seats. One seat is in the front. One seat is in the
back. Mark sits in the front seat when he drives his new car. He always buckles his seat
belt. 0.0
Passage 21: Birthday Card
21. Dora wanted to buy a card for her mother. Her mother's birthday was next week.
Dora loved her mom. She wanted to get a nice birthday card. She wanted a card that
was pretty. She wanted a card that said the right thing. What was the right thing? The
card must say, "I love you, Mom." It must say, "Mom, you are the best mother in the
world." It must say, "I'm so happy that you are my Mom." Those are all the right things
for the card to say. But there was one more thing the card must say. It must say, "Happy
Birthday!" 1.2
Passage 22: Chocolate Milk
22. James took the milk out of the refrigerator. He put the carton of milk on the counter.
He took the cap off the carton of milk. He opened the kitchen cabinet. He took a glass
out of the cabinet. He put the glass on the counter next to the milk. He poured some
milk into the glass. He put the cap back on the carton of milk. He put the milk back into
the refrigerator. He took the chocolate syrup out of the refrigerator. He poured some
chocolate syrup into the glass of milk. He stirred the milk with a spoon. He licked the
spoon. 3.1
Passage 23: A Summer Job
23. Maria is 18. She will go to college in September. She will be a college student in
September. But right now it is summer time. It is June. Maria needs a job. She needs
money for college. She needs money to buy books for college. She wants a job. Maria
went to a restaurant. "Can I have a job?" she asked. The restaurant manager said, "I'm
sorry. I don't need anyone right now." Maria went to a book store. "Will you give me a
job?" she asked. The book store manager said, "I'm sorry. I don't need new workers
right now." 2.7
Passage 24: His Red Bike
24. Paul has a red bicycle. He loves his red bicycle. He got the red bicycle for his ninth
birthday. His parents gave him his bike when he was nine. He takes care of his bike. He

puts air in both tires. He puts air in the front tire. He puts air in the rear tire. He puts oil
on the bike chain. He wipes dirt off the bike with a damp rag. He puts water on the rag
and wipes all the dirt away. He rides his bike everywhere. He rides it to school. He rides
it to the library. He rides it to his friend's house. He really loves his bike. 0.8


Passage 25: Good Teacher
25. Jeff sat down. He was in class. He was at school. He was in English class. He liked
his English class. He liked his teacher. His teacher was friendly. His teacher helped all
the students. His teacher answered everyone's questions. Jeff asked a new question
every day. Yesterday he asked his teacher a spelling question. He asked his teacher
how to spell "myself." His teacher told him how to spell it. Jeff thanked his teacher. His
teacher said, "You're welcome. Ask me anything anytime. That's what I'm here for, to
help you." 2.6
Passage 26: Trust God
26. Don has cancer. He is 12 years old. But he is lucky. The doctor knows how to fix
Don's cancer. The doctor told Don's mom to bring him to the hospital. Don's mom said
no. She will let God fix Don's cancer. God will fix Don's cancer. She does not trust the
doctor. She doesn't trust the hospital. She only trusts God. The doctor said Don will die.
He said Don must come to the hospital. Don's mom ran away. She ran away with Don.
The police are looking for Don and his mom. They want to save Don's life. Only the
doctor can save Don's life. 1.2
Passage 27: The Swimmer
27. Karen is on the swim team. She is on the swim team at school. She is a good
swimmer. All the swimmers on the swim team are good swimmers. She swims every
day. She goes to the pool after her last class. Her last class is her English class. After
English class, she walks over to the pool. She changes into her swim suit. She dives
into the water. She swims for two hours. Her coach watches her swim. He gives her
advice. He tells her how to swim better. Her coach is her swim instructor. He is a good
instructor. She will win a race one day. 1.3

Passage 28: A New Name
28. Herman didn't like his first name. He had never liked it. He wanted to change it. He
asked his mother. She said it was too late to change his name. She said he could use
his middle name. She would call him by his middle name. She asked him if that was
okay. Herman said yes. "From now on," he said, "please call me by my middle name.
From now on, please call me Adam." His mother said that was no problem. "Goodbye,
Herman," she said, "and hello, Adam." When Adam's father came home from work,
Adam's mom said, "Guess what? We have a new son." 1.3
Passage 29: Chicken Soup
29. William looked at his bowl of soup. It was chicken soup. There was white rice in the
soup. William liked rice. There were pieces of chicken in the soup. William loved
chicken. The pieces of chicken were white. They were small and square. They weren't
big and round. There were pieces of orange carrots in the soup. William didn't like


carrots. He picked up a piece of carrot with his fingers. He put it on the table next to his
bowl. He took all the pieces of carrots out of the bowl. He put them all on the table.
Then he ate his soup. 1.3
Passage 30: Dear God
30. Peggy went to church every Sunday. She loved to go to church. At church she was
with her family and friends. At church she was with the saints. She was with the angels.
And most of all, Peggy was with God. She always talked to God in church. She always
asked God to stop war. She asked God to stop hate. She asked God to stop sickness.
But war and hate and sickness did not stop. There were war and hate and sickness
every day. "Mommy, why doesn't God stop war and hate and sickness?" Peggy asked.
"God will," her mom said, "when more people ask." 1.3
Passage 31: Green Corn, Yellow Peas?
31. Brian sat down for dinner. He sat down in the chair. He sat down at the table. He
looked at his white plate. He looked at his silver fork. He looked at his silver spoon. His
dad said, "Pass me your plate, Brian." His dad put white rice on the plate. His dad put

yellow corn on the plate. His dad put green peas on the plate. He gave the plate back to
Brian. "This looks delicious," Brian said. "It is delicious," his dad said. Brian wondered
why corn was yellow. He wondered why peas were green. He wondered if there were
yellow peas and green corn. 1.1
Passage 32: Xmas Doll’s Ex-Looking Glass
32. Patty got a doll for Christmas. It is her favorite doll. It is a rag doll. It has a yellow
dress. It has a blue blouse. The name of the doll is Molly. Molly has bright red hair. She
has red lips. She has blue eyes. She has a pink ribbon in her hair. Molly is wearing red
shoes. She's wearing white socks. Molly has a purse. Her purse is pink. The purse is
empty. There is nothing in the purse. There was a little mirror in the purse. But Patty lost
the mirror. When she lost the mirror, she said, "I'm sorry, Molly. I will get you another
mirror." 1.2
Passage 33:Bucks for Bugs
33. Anthony went to the book store. He wanted to buy a book. He wanted to buy a book
about bugs. He liked bugs. He picked up bugs in his yard. He took them to school. He
showed the bugs to his teacher. His teacher told him the name of each bug. Then
Anthony took the bugs home. He showed them to his parents. His mom told him to take
the bugs out of the house. His dad liked to see the bugs. He said Anthony did a good
job. He gave Anthony money to buy a book. So Anthony took the money to the book
store. He looked for a book with lots of pictures of bugs. 1.1


Passage 34: BFF Push, Pull Hair, Split
34. Sharon was five years old. Her best friend was Pam. They played games together.
They played all kinds of games. They had fun together. But one day Pam pushed
Sharon. "Why did you push me?" Sharon asked. "Because," Pam said. Sharon told Pam
not to push her again. So, Pam pushed Sharon again. Sharon pushed Pam back. Then
Pam pulled Sharon's hair. Then Sharon pulled Pam's hair. Both of them started crying.
Sharon's mom came into the room. She told Pam to go home. Pam ran out of the
house. "Sharon, you can't play with Pam anymore," Sharon's mother said. 1.2

Passage 35: Adopt Wild Cat?
35. The cat was not moving. It was lying in the grass. The cat was black and white. It
was a pretty, black and white cat. It was cold outside. The cat was lying on its stomach.
It was dark outside. The porch light shined on the cat. The cat looked at Sissy. "Mom,
can I have the cat?" she asked her mom. Her mom came outside on the porch. She
looked at the cat. "That is a pretty cat," her mom said. "Can I have it?" Sissy asked. Her
mom said no. Maybe the cat belonged to another family. Maybe the cat was wild. If it
was wild, it might bite Sissy. 0.3
Passage 36: Find a Rare Dime, Make a Mint
36. Tom was bored. He didn't have anything to do. He wasn't interested in doing
anything. He didn't want to watch TV. Tom didn't want to listen to the radio. He didn't
want to play sports. He didn't want to use the computer. He didn't want to read books.
"I'm bored," Tom said. "What can I do? I want to do something interesting." Tom's father
had an idea. "I have an idea," his father said. "Why don't you collect coins? Coins are
fun to collect. And coins are everywhere. You see coins every day. Some coins are
valuable. They will make you rich." 1.9
Passage 37: Tuity-Fruity for Peach of a Teach
37. Andrew was in the third grade. He loved his teacher. His teacher was young. She
was pretty. She was friendly. She helped Andrew add numbers. She helped Andrew
draw dogs and cats. She helped Andrew learn to spell. Andrew gave his teacher an
apple one day. He gave her an orange another day. He gave her a peach another day.
His teacher thanked him. "Thank you for the apple," she said the first day. "Thank you
for the orange," she said the second day. "Thank you for the peach," she said the third
day. Each day Andrew said, "You're very welcome." 1.8
Passage 38: He’s His Mom’s Fave Son
38. Billy always listens to his mother. He always does what she says. If his mother says,
"Brush your teeth," Billy brushes his teeth. If his mother says, "Go to bed," Billy goes to
bed. Billy is a very good boy. A good boy listens to his mother. His mother doesn't have
to ask him again. She asks him to do something one time, and she doesn't ask again.

Billy is a good boy. He does what his mother asks the first time. She doesn't have to ask
again. She tells Billy, "You are my best child." Of course Billy is her best child. Billy is
her only child. 2.2
Passage 39: Maybe Mailman, Maybe not
39. Joseph never opens the front door. When someone knocks on the front door,
Joseph says, "Who is it?" But he does not open the door. His parents told him to keep
the door closed. His parents want him to be safe. He will be safe if he doesn't open the
door. Yesterday someone knocked on the front door. "Who is it?" Joseph asked. "It's the
mailman," the person said. "I cannot open the door," Joseph said. "Okay, I will come
back tomorrow," the mailman said. "Goodbye," Joseph said. Joseph is a good boy. He
listens to his parents. He doesn't open the door for any person. 2.5
Passage 40: A Pumpkin Moon Rising
40. He looked at the rising moon. It was rising above the houses. It was big and orange.
It looked bigger than the rising sun. How could it be so big? How could it be so orange?
Several hours later, he looked at the moon again. Now it was high in the sky. Now it was
smaller. It wasn't orange anymore. Now it was white. What happened? It changed size.
It changed color. Before, it was big and orange. It was like a big pumpkin. Now, it was
smaller and white. It was like a light bulb. But it was still pretty. It was still bright. It was
the brightest light in the sky. 1.0
Passage 41: Water Cleans Better with - SOAP!
41. Kathy finished her sandwich. She had a chicken sandwich for lunch. She got up
from her chair. She took her plate to the kitchen sink. She put the plate in the sink. She
turned on the cold water faucet. She rinsed the plate. She picked up a paper towel. She
wiped the plate dry. She put the plate on the counter. Her mother walked into the room.
"Did you wash that plate with soap?" she asked Kathy. Kathy said no. "I couldn't find the
soap," she said. Her mom said, "What's this right next to the cold water faucet?" Kathy
said, "Soap." Her mom told her to wash the plate again. 0.9
Passage 42: Musket in Closet
42. Dotty looked at the door. It was a closet door. The door had a silver handle. The

silver handle was round. The round, silver handle was a doorknob. One day she tried to
turn the doorknob. She tried to open the closet door. But the doorknob didn't turn. She
couldn't open the closet door. The closet door wouldn't open. The door was locked.
"Why is the door locked?" Dotty asked her mom. Her mom said it was locked for her
safety. "What's behind the door?" she asked her mom. Her mom said a rifle was behind
the locked door. Daddy kept a rifle in the closet. 1.7


Passage 43: Don’t You Dare Hit Li’l Sis
43. Alice told her son Jesse to go to his room. He didn't want to go to his room. "Why do
I have to go to my room?" he said. "You were a bad boy," she said. "You hit your sister."
He said, "No, I didn't. She hit me first." Alice said, "But you shouldn't hit your sister, even
if she hits you first. She is younger than you are. And she's a little girl. Boys should
never hit little girls." Jesse said, "Okay, I won't ever hit little girls again. Now do I have to
go to my room?" Alice said yes, he still had to go to his room. "When she's a big girl, I'm
going to hit her again," he said. 1.0
Passage 44: Vanilla Frosting, Pink Candles
44. It was Jenny's fourth birthday. She was four years old. Her mom baked a cake for
her. Her mom baked a chocolate cake for her. The cake had two layers. Her mom put
vanilla frosting on the bottom layer. Her mom put vanilla frosting on the top layer. Her
mom put vanilla frosting all around the cake. Now the chocolate cake was completely
white. Her mom put four pink candles on top of the cake. Her dad lit the four pink
candles. The four pink candles were lit. Jenny's mom and dad sat down next to Jenny.
They sang Happy Birthday to her. "Happy birthday to you," they sang. Jenny sang with
her mom and dad. "Happy birthday to me," she sang. Her mom said, "Now make a wish
and blow out the candles." Jenny made a wish. Then she blew out all four pink candles.
2.2
Passage 45: Ten Is Much More Mature
45. Dorothy will be ten years old next month. She is excited. Ten years old is very old.
She will not be a little kid anymore. A nine‐year‐old kid is just a little kid. A ten‐year‐old

kid is almost an adult. Nine is only one number, but 10 is two numbers. Nine is a little
kid number, but 10 is an adult number. When she is ten, she will be an adult almost.
She will be a young woman. She will wear lipstick. She will wear nail polish. She will
have a boyfriend. He will be handsome and polite. He will open doors for her. He will
buy her birthday presents. Dorothy can't wait until next month. 2.4
Passage 46: Yellow #2 FOUND NEAR CRUMBS
46. David lost his yellow pencil. He could not find it. "Where is my yellow pencil?" he
asked his sister. His sister did not know. "I don't know where your pencil is," she said.
David thought about it. He thought and thought. He used his yellow pencil before lunch.
He used it to write a note to his teacher. The note said, "Dear Teacher, Thank you for
helping me. David." He put the note in an envelope. Where was the envelope? He
looked in the kitchen. He looked on the kitchen counter. He found the envelope. It was
next to the toaster. He found the pencil. It was under the toaster. 1.8


Passage 47: Pigeon
47. She liked to feed popcorn to the pigeons. The pigeons liked to eat her popcorn. She
put popcorn in her hand. A pigeon ate the popcorn in her hand. She put popcorn on her
shoulder. A pigeon ate the popcorn on her shoulder. She put popcorn in her hair. A
pigeon ate the popcorn in her hair. She sat down on a bench. It was a wooden bench in
the park. She put popcorn all over the bench. She put popcorn all over her clothes. She
put popcorn on her head. She put popcorn on her lap. Many pigeons landed on the
bench. Many pigeons landed on her. Nobody could see her. Nobody could see the
bench. 2.8
Passage 48: Baba Gaga Mama Dada
48. A baby has arms and legs. It has a mouth and eyes. It looks at everything. It eats
everything. It smiles a lot. It cries a lot. It eats a lot. It drools a lot. It pees a lot. It poops
a lot. It sleeps a lot. It tries to talk. It makes funny sounds. It says "Googoo" and "Gaga."
It waves its arms and legs. It doesn't do much else. It doesn't sit up. It doesn't stand up.
It doesn't talk. It lies on its back. It lies on its stomach. After a year, it will do many

things. It will crawl. It will stand up. It will walk. It will talk. But in the beginning, it just
grows. It grows bigger and bigger. 0.0
Passage 49: Walk Like a Bird
49. He looked at the bird. It was a blackbird. It was walking on the grass. It was looking
for food. Birds have a funny walk. Why do they walk so funny? Because they don't have
arms. Arms help people walk. People walk well. Birds don't have arms. They don't walk
well. They look funny when they walk. Birds have wings. Wings help birds fly. They use
their wings to fly. They fly very well. They are beautiful to watch when they fly. They
belong in the sky. They don't belong on the ground. The blackbird found something to
eat. It flew up into a tree. It ate the food in the tree. Then it flew away. 0.3
Passage 50: Clonecat I, II, III, IV, V
Lucy had a cat. His name was Pirate. Pirate was 14 years old. Fourteen is old for a cat.
"What can I do?" Lucy asked her dad. "Pirate is old. He will die soon. I will miss him so
much." Dad said, "Why don't you clone him? They will make a brand new Pirate for you.
It will look like Pirate. It will walk like Pirate. It will meow like Pirate. It will love you like
Pirate. But it will be a kitten. It won't be an old cat. It will be a new kitten. You can have a
new Pirate for 14 more years." "Dad," said Lucy, "that's a great idea. Then, when my
new Pirate is 14, I can get another new Pirate!" 0.9
Passage 51: Daddy’s Daughter Clown-Bound
51. She went to the circus with her parents. She was excited. She had never been to a
circus. There were many clowns at the circus. She liked the clowns. They had funny
faces. They had big, red noses. They wore funny hats. They wore big shoes. Their


shoes were much bigger than her dad's shoes. They were twice as big as her dad's
shoes. The clowns had loud horns. They honked their horns at each other. They didn't
talk. They used their horns to talk. Honk, honk! She laughed at the clowns. They were
so funny. They made her laugh. She told her dad, "Daddy, guess what? When I grow
up, I'm going to be a clown!" 0.1
Passage 52: Pistol Pete Ponders a Parrot

52. Don had a pistol. It was a small pistol. He offered it to his brother Tony. Tony looked
at the pistol. It was a beautiful pistol. It was black. It had a silver trigger. Tony put his
finger on the silver trigger. He put the pistol in his pocket. He took it out of his pocket.
He walked outside. He saw a bird on a wire. He aimed the pistol at the bird. He pulled
the trigger. He said, "If the gun was loaded, I would have killed the bird." Don said, "I'm
glad it wasn't loaded. You shouldn't kill birds." Tony thanked Don for the pistol. "I like this
pistol. Thank you," Tony said. He took the pistol home with him. 1.4
Passage 53: Dog to Fox: Yes, I am lazy. So?
53. The fox was brown. The fox was quick. The dog was brown. The dog was lazy. "You
are a lazy dog," said the fox. "Yes, I am a lazy dog," said the dog. "Why are you a lazy
dog?" asked the fox. "Why not?" asked the dog. "My owner feeds me. My owner takes
me out for walks. My owner loves me. I eat. I go out for walks. I sleep. I'm a lazy, happy
dog." "But don′t you have any ambition?" asked the fox. "Ambition? Ambition to do
what? I'm just a dog," said the dog. "Lassie was a dog. She saved people's lives," said
the fox. "I'm too lazy to save people's lives," said the dog. "Let Lassie save people's
lives." 0.5
Passage 54: Carnegie Hall for Pedal Pusher?
54. He played the piano. He played it very well. He started playing the piano when he
was six years old. That was seven years ago. Now he was 13 years old. He was very
good. He won one piano contest after another. A famous piano teacher heard him play
the piano. The teacher said, "I want to bring you to New York. I will teach you how to be
even better. I will teach you how to be the best piano player in the whole world." He
didn't like that idea. He wanted to stay at home. He wanted to stay with his parents and
his friends. His parents wanted him to go. They said they would visit him in New York
every weekend. 3.1
Passage 55: The Man in the Moon
55. She looked at the moon. It was big. It was round. It was white. It was big and round
and white. It was much bigger than all the stars. The stars were little lights. The moon
was a big, bright light. She looked around. She could see other houses. She could see
the sidewalk. She could see the street. The moon was bright. It was not as bright as the

sun. But it was much brighter than the stars. She looked at the moon. Her dad said
there is a man in the moon. She looked for the man in the moon. She looked for his


eyes. She looked for his nose. She looked for his mouth. She did not see the man in the
moon. 0.0
Passage 56: Babysitter Watches Tube, not Tots
56. She was a babysitter in her home. She took care of 10 little children. They were not
her little children. They were the sons and daughters of other people. She did not have
a son. She did not have a daughter. She was not a mother. She was a babysitter. The
children were 1 to 4 years old. She babysat them all. She kept them in her house all
day. They all stayed in her living room. She gave them toys to play with. She gave them
books to look at. She gave them pillows and blankets. Some kids played with the toys.
Some kids looked at the books. Some kids slept. She usually didn't watch the kids. She
usually watched the TV. 1.2
Passage 57: A Mail Order Bird
57. It was a new pet store. Brian walked into the new pet store. He said hello to Paul,
the owner. Paul said hello to Brian. Brian said, "This is a clean pet store. This is a quiet
pet store. This pet store doesn't smell." Brian looked around the store. Brian walked
around the store. He didn't see any pets. He didn't see one pet. "Where are the pets?"
he asked. "The pets are right here," said Paul. Paul opened a catalog. The catalog was
full of pictures. It was full of pictures of pets. "Just pick any pet you like," said Paul. "We
will mail it to you." "What if I don't like it?" asked Brian. "Just mail it back," said Paul. 0.8
Passage 58: Xmas Dolls from Many Lands
58. Betty was excited. It was December 1. Christmas Day was only 24 days away. She
was looking at a magazine. It was a magazine for little girls. There were many pictures
in the magazine. There were many pictures of dolls. The dolls were from many
countries. There were dolls from Mexico. There were dolls from China. There were dolls
from France. There were dolls from everywhere. There were so many dolls. She
showed the pictures to her mom. "Mommy, will Santa bring me all these dolls?" she

asked. "No, honey," her mom said, "Santa will bring you only one doll. So pick the one
you like best." "But, Mommy," she said, "I like them ALL the best!" 2.7
Passage 59: Comics, Crayons, Picasso
59. His dad was reading one section of the newspaper. His mom was reading another
section of the newspaper. His older sister was reading another section of the
newspaper. He had the comics section of the newspaper. That was the best part of the
newspaper. He didn't understand the words. He wasn't able to read. But he liked the
comics. He liked the drawings. They were all different. All the animals were different. All
the people were different. All the drawings were black and white. He colored the
drawings with his crayons. He showed the colored drawings to his mom. She liked
them. "Those are beautiful colors," his mom said. "Someday you will be a famous
painter." 4.0


Passage 60: Take Me Out to the Ball Game
60. Dad took his son Chris to the baseball game. The Los Angeles Dodgers were
playing the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers were the home team. The Giants were
the visiting team. Dad and Chris walked into Dodger Stadium. Many people were there.
Most of them wanted to see the Dodgers win. They wanted to see the Giants lose. Dad
and Chris found their seats. They sat down. The game had already started. Chris told
his dad he was hungry. His dad bought two bags of peanuts for Chris. He bought two
hot dogs for Chris. He bought a big soda for Chris. A foul ball came their way. People
dived for the foul ball. They knocked Chris's soda over. His dad bought him another
soda. 2.1
Passage 61: Park: Benches, Squirrels, Birds
61. Nancy took her daughter Donna to the park. The park had lots of trees. It had lots of
squirrels and birds. The squirrels ran up and down the trees. The squirrels chased one
another. The squirrels played with one another. The birds flew around. They flew down
to the ground. They flew up into the trees. The squirrels and birds were good neighbors.
Nancy sat down on a bench. She took a magazine out of her purse. She turned the

pages of the magazine. Donna ran over to a squirrel. She tried to catch the squirrel.
Then she tried to catch a bird. Donna chased the squirrels and birds. She never caught
one squirrel. She never caught one bird. But she had a lot of fun. 1.6
Passage 62: Sleep In or Get Up?
62. They drove to the park. They got in line. Many cars were in front of them. They
should have gotten up earlier. "We should have gotten up earlier," said Mom. "I know,"
said Dad. "We should not have slept in." "I know," said Mom. "But sometimes it's nice to
sleep in, especially on the weekend. Weekends are for sleeping in." The line moved
slowly. Finally they were at the front of the line. "I'm sorry," said the park ranger. "We're
closed." "What?" said Dad. "It's not even noon. How can you be closed?" The ranger
said the parking lot was full. There was no place to park. He said to come back
tomorrow. "Don't sleep in," said the ranger. "The early bird gets the worm." 1.0
Passage 63: Where Did She Go?
63. Debby was in the first grade. Her brother Tommy was in the second grade. They
lived in Florida. They lived in a small town in Florida. They walked to school in the
morning. They walked home from school in the afternoon. On Monday Debby and
Tommy were walking home. They were walking with a couple of Tommy's friends.
Tommy told his friends that Debby still sucked her thumb. "She still sucks her thumb,"
he said. His friends laughed. Debby started to cry. She ran away from Tommy and his
friends. When Tommy got home, his mom asked, "Where's Debby?" Tommy said he
didn't know. He thought she was already home. "No, she's not home," his mom said.
She called the neighbors. Then she called the police. 1.9


Passage 64: A Baby and A Sock
64. The mother gave her baby a red apple. The baby tried to eat the apple. His mouth
was too small. And he didn't have any teeth. His brother took the apple. His brother ate
the apple. The baby cried. His brother gave the baby a blue ball to play with. The baby
smiled. His brother took the ball from the baby. He rolled the ball on the floor. The brown
and white dog picked up the ball. The dog chewed on the ball. The baby cried again. His

brother picked up the cat. He put the cat on the bed with the baby. The baby pulled the
cat's tail. The cat jumped off the bed. The dog chased the cat. The baby cried again. His
brother let the baby hold a sock. The baby played with the sock. The baby was happy.
1.1
Passage 65: Jr. Makes a PB&J Sandwich
65. The boy opened a jar of peanut butter. He spread the peanut butter onto a slice of
bread. Then he opened the refrigerator and took out a jar of grape jelly. He spread the
jelly on top of the peanut butter. He put the jar back into the refrigerator. He put another
slice of bread on top of the peanut butter and grape jelly. Now he had a sandwich. He
opened the refrigerator again. He poured himself a big glass of milk, and put the milk
back into the refrigerator. He put the sandwich on a plate. He carried the plate and the
glass of milk over to the dining room table. He sat down. He turned on the TV and took
a big bite out of his sandwich. 4.2
Passage 66: Thank You for Everything, Mom
66. I love my mom. She took care of me when I was very young. She took care of me
when I was sick. She taught me how to read. She taught me how to get dressed. She
taught me how to button my shirt. She taught me how to tie my shoes. She taught me
how to brush my teeth. She taught me to be kind to others. She taught me to tell the
truth. She taught me to be polite. She took me to school on my first day of school. She
held my hand. She helped me with my homework. She was nice to all my friends. She
always cheered me up. Next year I will graduate from high school. I will go to college. I
will do well in college. I will do well after college. My mom has taught me well. 0.0
Passage 67: Dig Holes in Beach Sand
67. Dad took Beth to the ocean. This was her first visit to the ocean. This was her first
visit to the beach. This was the first time she saw the sandy beach. She loved the sand.
She dug holes in the sand. She filled up the holes. She held the sand in her hands. She
dropped the sand out of her hands. She picked up the sand. She threw the sand. Her
dad picked her up. She held onto him. He carried her to the edge of the water. He held
both her hands. He let her stand in the water. Her feet got wet. She stood in the water.
She watched the water cover her feet. She bent down. She picked up some wet sand.

She threw the wet sand. She sat down in the water. She dug holes in the wet sand. Dad
sat down next to her. 0.0


Passage 68: Does the Hook Hurt the Worm?
68. Jenny went to the lake. She went to the lake with her dad. It was a big lake. It was a
big, blue lake. It had a lot of water in it. It had a lot of fish in it. Big fish were in the lake.
Little fish were in the lake. Jenny didn't see any fish. "I don't see any fish. Where are the
fish, Daddy?" she asked. "They're swimming around. They're looking for food," her dad
said. Dad put a worm on a hook. "Does the hook hurt the worm?" Jenny asked. "No, the
hook doesn't hurt the worm," her dad said. "How do you know?" she asked. "How do I
know?" her dad asked. "Well, the worm doesn't say anything. So I guess the hook
doesn't hurt it." Jenny said, "But how can the worm say anything, Daddy? The worm
can't talk!" 0.3
Passage 69: A Quiet Pet, Like a Turtle
69. Lisa liked to visit her friends. All her friends had pets. Her friends had dogs. Her
friends had cats. Her friends had birds. Lisa didn't have any pets. She didn't have a dog.
She didn't have a cat. She didn't have a bird. "Can I have a dog, Daddy?" Lisa asked.
Daddy said no. He said a dog barked too much. "Can I have a cat, Daddy?" Lisa asked.
Daddy said no. He said a cat meowed too much. "Can I have a bird, Daddy?" Lisa
asked. Daddy said no. He said a bird sang too much. "All my friends have pets. Can't I
have just one pet?" she asked. "Okay," Daddy said. "But it must be a quiet pet. I'll buy
you a quiet pet." He went to the pet store. He bought a pet. He gave Lisa her new pet.
"Daddy, it's a goldfish!" Lisa said. 0.0
Passage 70: PS 195 Friendship Begins with Hi
70. It was the first day of school. Pete was in the first grade. He got on the school bus. It
was a big, yellow school bus. He did not know the kids on the bus. The kids on the bus
did not know him. Many kids were talking. They were talking with one another. Pete sat
in a seat by himself. He sat alone. He looked out the window. His mom was standing
outside the window. He waved goodbye to his mom. She waved goodbye to him. The

bus took off. The bus was going to school. Another boy sat down next to Pete. He said
hello to Pete. Pete said hello to him. The boy's name was Eddie. He was in the first
grade. He said he was a new student. He didn't know anyone. Pete said he was a new
student, too. He didn't know anyone, either. 0.5
Passage 71: Go to the Park
71. Chuck wanted to go to the park after dinner. His mom wanted him to stay home after
dinner. She didn't want him to go to the park. She said it was dark at the park. But
Chuck said it wasn't dark at the park. "There are lights at the park, Mom," he said. But
she said there were only a few lights at the park. She said there were many dark places
in the park. "Bad people go to the park at night," she said. "Bad people do bad things.
They do bad things to good people. You are a good person. I don't want something bad
to happen to you." Chuck said, "Nothing bad will happen to me. I will go with my two


friends. We will be together. All three of us will be together. We will stay away from the
dark places. We will stay under the lights." 1.2
Passage 72: A Good Meal
72. The children were hungry. They looked out the window. Where was their mother?
She walked into the house. The children ran over to her. "Mama, we're so hungry," they
both said. She said lunch was coming. She walked into the kitchen. She opened a can
of chicken soup. She poured the soup into a pot. She added water. She put the pot on
the stove. She made two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She sliced an apple. The
soup was hot. She poured it into two bowls. She put the sandwiches on two plates. She
put apple slices on each plate. She put the bowls and plates on the table. The children
ran to the table. "Thank you, Mommy!" they said. Then they started eating. The cat and
the dog watched them eat. 1.6
Passage 73: Birds and A Baby
73. The baby was lying on her back. A blue bird flew in through the window. The blue
bird had blue eyes. It sat on the baby's crib. The bird had a bell around its neck. The bell
rang. The baby smiled. The baby reached for the bell. The bird shook its head. The bell

fell off the bird's neck. It fell next to the baby. The baby picked up the bell. The baby
rang the bell. Another blue bird flew in through the window. This blue bird also had blue
eyes. The baby had brown eyes. The birds looked at the baby. The baby looked at the
birds. The baby rang the bell again. Both birds flew away. The baby started to cry. His
mama came into the room. The baby smiled. Mama saw the bell. She asked the baby
where the bell came from. The baby pointed at the window. 1.1
Passage 74: Her 10th Birthday
74. It was Emily's 10th birthday. She was 10 years old. She was so happy. "I'm so
happy," she said. "I'm finally 10. Ten is two numbers. Ten is an adult number. Ten is a
grown‐up number. I'm an adult now. I'm a grown‐up. I used to be nine. Nine is a kid
number. Nine is for kids. I'm not a kid anymore." Her sister Irene said, "Of course you're
still a kid. Teenagers are kids. You're not even a teenager yet. You're in fifth grade. Fifth
grade is for kids. Twelfth grade is for kids, too. When you are 18, you will be in twelfth
grade. You will still be a kid. You will be a kid for eight more years." Emily said, "No,
you're a kid. You're only seven. Seven is a kid." Irene said she wasn't seven. She said
she was seven and a half. 1.6
Passage 75: Dinner Chores
75. "Annie, set the table, please," said Mom. "It's time for dinner." Annie said it wasn't
her week to set the table. It was her week to clear the table. She said it was Lisa's week
to set the table. Lisa was in the living room. Lisa was playing with the dog in the living
room. Lisa was having fun with the dog. "Lisa," Mom said, "come here and set the table.
It's dinner time." Lisa said it wasn't her week to set the table. It was Mark's week to set


the table. It was Lisa′s week to feed the dog. ″Where is Mark?″ Mom asked. Lisa said,
"He's riding his bike." Mark was outside riding his bike. Mom asked Annie, "Do you want
extra dessert tonight?" Annie said yes. "What do I have to do?" she asked. Her mom
said all she had to do was set the table. 1.7
Passage 76: Who Sits in the Front?
76. The boys were going to the beach. Dad was going to drive them to the beach. The

drive to the beach would take an hour. Dave and Dick loved the beach. They also loved
the drive to the beach. They loved to look out the window. They loved to stick their
heads and arms out the window and feel the breeze. They also loved to be in the front
seat. They both preferred the front seat. They both hated the back seat. "Let's go, boys,"
Dad said. "Let's go to the beach." Both boys ran out of the house. They ran straight to
the front door of the car. Dave got there first. Dick got there second. Dave pulled the
door open. Dick fell to the ground. Dave got into the front seat and shut the door.
"Guess what? You can sit in the back seat," he said to Dick. 0.0
Passage 77: Walk the Dog
77. "Tommy, the dog is scratching at the door," his mom yelled. "Take him for a walk.
Make sure you take a plastic bag with you." Tommy said he didn't hear the dog
scratching. He said the dog did not need to go for a walk. He said there were no plastic
bags in the house. His mom said, "Take the dog for a walk right now, please." Tommy
got the dog leash, a plastic bag, and a little plastic shovel. "How can I finish my
homework when I have to walk the dog?" he asked his mom. "You can finish your
homework when you get back," his mom said. He put the leash around the dog's neck
and walked outside. It was cold outside. The dog walked to a tree. It pooped. Tommy
put the poop into the plastic bag. "Yuck!" he said. "This is worse than doing homework."
1.7
Passage 78: In the Garden
78. Mama was in the garden. "What are you doing?" Johnny asked. She said she was
planting roses. Roses are flowers. They are very pretty. They are usually red. Roses
have thorns. His mama said, "Thorns will stick you. Be careful around thorns." Johnny
went to the front yard. His dog Rex was waiting for him. Johnny picked up a stick and
threw it. Rex chased the stick. He brought the stick back. Johnny ran around the house.
Rex chased him. Johnny ran through the garden. Rex ran through the garden. Mom
yelled at Johnny and Rex. She told them to play somewhere else. She told them to stay
out of the garden. Johnny apologized to his mom. He went to the garage and got his
bike. He went for a bike ride. Rex ran next to the bike. 1.2
Passage 79: Her Meow Book

79. Lulu couldn't find her favorite book. Her favorite book was about a cat. The name of
the cat was Meow. The name of the book was "How Is Meow?" Lulu asked her mom,


"Mommy, where is my Meow book? Where is 'How Is Meow?'?" Her mom didn't know.
"Where did you leave it? Do you remember where you left it?" Lulu didn't remember. "I
don't remember," she said. They looked in the kitchen. They looked in the living room.
They looked in the bedroom. They couldn't find her favorite book. That night Lulu got
ready for bed. She brushed her teeth. She put on her pajamas. She got into bed. She
put her hand under her pillow. She felt something under her pillow. "Mommy," she
yelled. "I found my book. I found 'How Is Meow?'. It was under my pillow. Come read it
to me, please." 1.7
Passage 80: Cross the Street
80. Jimmy wanted to cross the street. He was on the south side of the street. He wanted
to get to the north side of the street. He was in the middle of the block. His father always
told him to cross at an intersection. His father always said never cross in the middle of
the block. Jimmy walked to the intersection. There was a traffic light at the intersection.
It had three colors—red, green, and yellow. Red was at the top. Green was at the
bottom. Yellow was in the middle. He looked at the crosswalk sign. It was red. It was a
red hand. The red hand meant Don't Walk. He waited for the red hand to change. It
changed to a white figure walking. The white figure walking meant Walk. Jimmy looked
both ways. Then he walked across the street. He walked in the crosswalk. 1.7
Passage 81: A Cat and A Dog
81. The black cat jumped up onto the chair. It looked down at the white dog. The dog
was chewing on a bone. The cat jumped onto the dog. The dog kept chewing the bone.
The cat played with the dog's tail. The dog kept chewing the bone. The cat jumped back
onto the chair. It started licking its paws. The dog stood up. It looked at the cat. It licked
the cat's fur. The cat licked the dog's nose. The dog went back to its bone. A boy ran
through the room. He was wearing a yellow shirt. He almost ran into the chair. The cat
jumped off the chair. The cat jumped onto the sofa. The chair fell onto the floor next to

the dog. The dog stopped chewing the bone. The dog chased the boy. The boy ran out
to the street. He threw a stick. The dog chased the stick. The dog lay down. It chewed
on the stick. 0.0
Passage 82: A Cat and A Squirrel
82. Evelyn had a cat. Her cat's name was Red. Red was a red cat. Red liked to chase
things. He chased balls. He chased butterflies. He chased squirrels. Evelyn had a yard.
A tree was in the middle of her yard. A squirrel lived in the tree. Red climbed the tree.
He saw the squirrel. The squirrel saw Red. The squirrel raised its tail. It chattered at
Red. It said, "Click, click, click." It told Red to go away. "This is my tree," the squirrel
said. "Get out of my tree." Red didn't understand the squirrel. Red didn't speak
"squirrel." Red was a cat. He spoke "cat." Red said, "Meow, meow, meow." He said,
"Let's play. I will chase you. Then you will chase me." The squirrel chattered some more.
"Leave me alone, you crazy cat. Go play with the other cats," it said. 0.5


Passage 83: The Baby Bear
83. The baby bear followed his mama. Mama bear walked through the woods. She was
looking for berries to eat. She found some black berries. She started eating them. The
baby started eating them, too. They ate all the berries. Baby bear was full. Mama bear
was still hungry. She started walking again. She wanted to find more berries to eat.
Baby bear lay down. He was full. He wanted to take a nap. But mama bear came back.
She growled at baby bear. He understood mama's growl. When mama growled, he
obeyed. He got up and followed his mama. Someday he would take a nap after a meal.
A squirrel ran up a tree with a nut. It dropped the nut and ran back down to the ground.
It picked up the nut and looked at baby bear. Then it ran back up the tree. Baby bear did
not like nuts. They were too hard to open. 1.6
Passage 84: Sugar for Sugar
84. Mom took Carol to the stable. Their horse was in the stable. They walked over to
Sugar. Sugar was their horse. "Say hello to Sugar," Mom said. Carol said, "Hello,
Sugar." Mom gave a carrot to Sugar. Sugar ate the carrot. He ate the carrot fast. Mom

gave a carrot to Carol. Mom said, "Now, you feed Sugar." Carol gave the carrot to
Sugar. Sugar ate the carrot. "He ate it so fast!" said Carol. Mom said, "Yes, Sugar eats
carrots very fast." Carol said, "We should give him a new name. We should call him
Carrot. Why is his name Sugar?" Mom said, "He likes sugar, too. Watch this." Mom took
some sugar cubes out of her pocket. She held them in her hand. She gave them to
Sugar. Sugar ate the sugar cubes. He ate them fast. "Let me give some sugar to
Sugar," Carol said. 1.7
Passage 85: A Birthday Dress
85. It was Ellen's 12th birthday. Ellen was 12 years old. Her mom took her shopping.
They went shopping at the mall. "You can pick out a dress. You can pick out a pretty
dress," Mom said. "I will pick out a pretty, blue dress," Ellen said. They went into JC
Penney. JC Penney sells lots of dresses. Ellen saw a blue dress that she liked. "I like
that dress, Mom," she said. She took the dress into the dressing room. She put on the
dress. It fit her well. She walked out of the dressing room. "The dress fits you well," said
Mom. "Can I have it?" Ellen asked. "Of course you can have it, dear. It's your birthday
present," said Mom. "But it's not on sale," said Ellen. "We always buy everything on
sale." "It's your birthday, dear. On your birthday, we can pay full price," said Mom. 1.0
Passage 86: Don’t Do This, Mommy Says
86. Don't wipe your nose on your sleeve. Don't pick your nose. Don't interrupt me. Don't
talk with food in your mouth. Don't go swimming right after eating. Don't forget to feed
the dog. Don't forget to take the dog for a walk. Don't hit your sister. Don't make your
brother cry. Don't chew with your mouth open. Don't make fun of other people. Don't
slam the door. Don't play in the street. Don't be late. Don't bother me now. Don't shout.
Don't yell. Don't scream. Don't litter. Don't be rude. Don't drop out of school. Don't talk


while you eat. Don't make a mess. Don't talk so loud. Don't fight with your brother. Don't
worry. Don't give up. Don't eat that. Don't talk to strangers. Don't play with matches.
Don't play with fire. 0.0
Passage 87: The Moon and The Sun

87. "How far away is the moon?" Chris asked his dad. His dad said that was a good
question. He said the moon was not as far away as the sun. "How far away is the sun?"
Chris asked. His dad said that was a good question. He said the sun was farther away
than the moon. "Did you have to learn this in school?" Chris asked. Dad said, "Yes, I
had to learn this in school." Chris asked, "But you forgot it?" Dad said, "Yes, I forgot it."
Chris asked, "Why did you forget it?" Dad said, "I forgot it because it isn't important."
Chris asked, "If it isn't important, why are we learning it?" His dad said that was a good
question. He said, "You're learning it because your teacher thinks it's important." Chris
asked, "Can't you call my teacher? Can't you tell her that this isn't important?" 1.4
Passage 88: He Hates Carrots
88. "Eat your vegetables, Mikey," Mom said. "I am eating my vegetables," Mikey said.
He was eating the sliced carrots. He was eating the sliced carrots one by one. He was
eating them one at a time. He picked up one sliced carrot with his fork. He looked at it.
He slowly put it in his mouth. He slowly chewed it. Finally, he swallowed it. Then he
drank some water. Then he picked up another sliced carrot with his fork. Mom watched
him. "Why do you hate vegetables, Mikey?" He said, "I don't hate vegetables. I hate
carrots." "Why do you hate carrots?" Mom asked. "Because they don't taste good,"
Mikey said. "But they are good for you," Mom said. "They are good for your eyes. They
help you to see well. Don't you want to see well?" "Not if I have to see carrots," Mikey
said. 1.8
Passage 89: Today’s Mail
89. The mailman put the mail in the mailbox. Dad went outside. He said hello to the
mailman. The mailman said hello. Dad opened the mailbox and took out a magazine
and two letters. One letter was from his sister. The other letter was from his brother. The
magazine was for his wife. It was a garden magazine. His wife liked to work in the
garden. She grew flowers and vegetables in the garden. Dad went back into the house.
He opened both letters. His sister invited him to a birthday party. His brother invited him
to a wedding. Dad enjoyed reading the letters. He enjoyed getting the invitations. He
picked up the phone. He left a message for his sister. He would come to the birthday
party. He also called his brother. He said he would come to the wedding. 3.4

Passage 90: He Will Go to Heaven
90. Adam was doing his homework. He stopped doing his homework. He was bored. He
didn't like homework. "Dad, what happens when we die?" Adam asked. "You will go to
heaven," Dad said. "Does everyone go to heaven?" Adam asked. "No, only good people


go to heaven," Dad said. "What is heaven like?" Adam asked. "It is a happy place," Dad
said. "Everyone is happy. Everyone is your friend. Everyone likes you. You like
everyone." He told Adam to be polite. He told Adam to be honest. "If you are polite and
honest, you will go to heaven," Dad said. Adam said, "I want to go to heaven. I will be
polite and honest." Dad said there was one more thing. Adam had to do one more thing
to go to heaven. "What's that?" Adam asked. "If you want to go to heaven, you have to
do your homework," Dad said. 2.1
Passage 91: The World Map
91. Jerry was looking at a map. It was a map of the world. The map showed many
countries. It showed all the countries in the world. All the countries were different colors.
There were red countries, green countries, and blue countries. Jerry pointed at one
country. "Daddy, why is this country red? Is it on fire? Did someone paint the ground
red? Does it have a lot of tomatoes?" Jerry pointed at another country. It was a green
country. "Daddy, why is this country green? Does it have a lot of grass? Did someone
paint the ground green?" Jerry pointed at another country. It was a blue country. "Daddy,
why is this country blue? Is it full of blue water? Does it have a lot of bluebirds? Did
someone paint the ground blue?" His daddy said, "No, the colors make the map pretty.
They don't mean anything." 2.6
Passage 92: School Fight
92. One day at school Harry pushed Scott. Scott pushed Harry back. Harry punched
Scott in the face. Scott went home with a bruise on his face. He had a red bruise on his
face. His mom said, "Who did this to you? Who hit you?" His dad asked, "Did you hit
him back? I hope you hit him back. Don't be a chicken. You must not be a chicken."
Scott said he had pushed Harry back. His dad told him to punch Harry next time. Scott

went to school the next day. Harry pushed him to the floor. Scott got up and punched
Harry in the face. Harry fell down. His nose was bleeding. A teacher walked by. He
picked up Harry off the floor. The teacher called Scott's dad. "Scott punched Harry," he
said. "Harry's nose is bleeding." Scott's dad said, "That's my boy!" 0.1
Passage 93: Drive the Car
93. Charley wanted to drive the car. "Can I drive the car, Dad?" he asked. "You can
drive the car," his dad said. Charley followed his dad out to the car. His dad opened the
driver's door. "You are the driver," he said. Charley got into the car. His dad closed the
driver's door. His dad walked around the car. He opened the passenger door. He sat
next to Charley. He gave Charley the key. Charley put the key into the ignition. Charley
turned the key. The car started. Charley was so excited. He turned the steering wheel
left. He turned the steering wheel right. Left, right, left, right. He honked the horn. He
honked the horn again. Honk! Honk! He turned on the left blinker. He turned on the right
blinker. Blink! Blink! He asked, "Am I a good driver, Dad?" His dad said, "Son, you're a
very good driver." 1.0


Passage 94: Easter Eggs
94. It was Easter Sunday. Mom gave a little basket to Michelle. Mom told her to look for
Easter eggs. The Easter eggs were in the back yard. "What do Easter eggs look like?"
Michelle asked. Mom said, "They look just like regular eggs. But they are colored. They
are red. They are blue. They are yellow. They are many different colors." "Why are they
red? Do they come from red hens?" Michelle asked. "No," Mom said. "They are red
because Daddy and I colored them red. They are blue because we colored them blue.
They are yellow because we colored them yellow." Michelle asked, "Why did you color
the eggs?" Mom said, "It's an Easter tradition. A tradition is something people do every
year." Michelle went into the back yard. She found six Easter eggs. "Next year you can
help us color the eggs," Mom said. "Oh, yes!" said Michelle. 2.0
Passage 95: The Top Bunk
95. He and his brother slept in a bunk bed. He had the bottom bunk. His brother had the

top bunk. The top bunk had a guard rail. The rail kept the sleeper safe. His brother didn't
like the rail. He always left it down. One time his brother fell out of the top bunk. He hit
the carpet and woke up. He said, "Ouch!" Then he climbed back into the top bunk.
When he woke up the next day, his back was sore. Mom took him to see the doctor. The
doctor examined him. The doctor said he was okay. He said to keep the guard rail up.
His brother said he would do that. That night his brother climbed into the top bunk
again. He left the guard rail down. He said the guard rail was like jail. He didn't want to
feel like he was in jail. He fell asleep. Then he fell out of the top bunk again. 0.7
Passage 96: A Small Apartment
96. The big family lived in a one‐bedroom apartment. Their apartment had only one
bedroom. Mom and Dad slept in the bedroom. The two babies also slept in the
bedroom. Four people slept in the bedroom. Four children slept in the living room. Two
sisters slept in the living room. Two brothers slept in the living room. All four of them
slept in the living room. They slept on air mattresses. They leaned the air mattresses
against the wall in the daytime. They put the air mattresses on the floor in the nighttime.
They all liked to sleep on the air mattresses. But the girls didn't like to sleep next to the
boys. "Daddy, we don't like to sleep next to the boys. We want our own bedroom. When
will we get our own bedroom?" asked one girl. "You'll get your own bedroom when I get
a better job," Daddy said. 2.6
Passage 97: I Have a Question
97. How high is up? Why is the sky blue? Do fish sleep? Where do babies come from?
How do ships float? How do planes stay in the air? Why are you laughing? Why are you
crying? Are we there yet? What do I care? Who's there? Who's calling? Who's at the
door? Where are you from? Where do you live? Where is my pencil? Who won? Who
lost? Who's playing? Do I know you? Have we met? What was your name again? Do
you have the time? What time is it? What day is it? What is the date? How are you?


How do you do? What do you do? How old are you? How tall are you? How much do
you weigh? Are you married? Do you have any children? Do you love me? Can you

hear me? Can you see me? What's that smell? What are you cooking? Can I borrow
your pencil? Can I borrow $5? What are you watching? What's on TV? 0.0
Passage 98: An Impolite Bird
98. A robin is a pretty bird. It has a red breast. It has black wings. It sings a pretty song.
A crow is pretty, too. It is completely black. It is shiny black. A crow is a big bird. It is a
smart bird. It is a lazy bird. It watches people. People have food. They throw food into a
garbage can. The crow flies down to the garbage can. It walks around the edge of the
can. It looks for something tasty. It hops into the can. It picks out a potato chip. It flies
into a tree. It eats the potato chip. Then it flies back to the garbage can. The robin sees
the crow. The robin is hungry. It flies down to the garbage can. The crow yells at the
robin. It says, "Get out of here. This can is my can." The robin flies back into the tree.
The crow is a greedy bird. It doesn't like to share with others. 0.9
Passage 99: Cookies for Students
99. Cindy's teacher was Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Jones was old. But she didn't walk slow. She
walked fast. She didn't have white hair. She had black hair. She wasn't bent over. Her
back was straight. All the students liked Mrs. Jones. They especially liked her on Friday.
On Friday she brought cookies to class. She gave cookies to all the students. The
cookies were delicious. All the students liked the cookies. All the students ate the
cookies. Today was Friday. Mrs. Jones gave cookies to all the students. All the students
said thank you. Then they ate the cookies. But Cindy didn't eat her cookie. Mrs. Jones
asked, "Why aren't you eating your cookie, Cindy?" She said, "I'm not eating my cookie
because I will take it home. I will share it at home with my sister." Mrs. Jones said,
"You're so sweet. Here's a cookie for your sister." 1.7
Passage 100: A Cat Scratch
100. Kenny was crying. "Why are you crying?" Mom asked Kenny. "The cat scratched
me," said Kenny. The cat had scratched Kenny on his hand. Kenny showed his hand to
his mom. The scratch didn't look too bad. It wasn't a deep scratch. Mom went to the
kitchen. Kenny went with her. She turned on the water. She put his hand under the
water. She washed the scratch with soap. She rinsed off the soap. She took a Band‐Aid
out of the kitchen cabinet. She put the Band‐Aid on the scratch. She said he would be

okay. "Why did the cat scratch you?" she asked. Kenny said he didn't know why the cat
scratched him. Just then, Kenny's little sister walked into the kitchen. She knew why the
cat scratched Kenny. "I know why Tiger scratched him, Mommy," she said. "He was
pulling Tiger's tail!" 0.9
Passage 101: Daddy Likes Beer


101. The little girl was thirsty. She wanted something to drink. She opened the
refrigerator. She looked inside. She saw milk. She saw soda. She saw orange juice.
She saw beer. She wondered what beer tasted like. Her daddy drank beer every day.
Beer must be good. If Daddy likes it, it must taste good. She grabbed a can of beer. She
opened the beer. She smelled it. She couldn't smell anything. She swallowed some.
"Yuck!" she said. The beer was horrible. How could Daddy drink that stuff? She put the
can back into the refrigerator. Daddy could finish it when he got home. She grabbed the
milk. She poured some into a glass. She added chocolate syrup to the milk. She stirred
the milk. Now she had chocolate milk. She loved chocolate milk. Poor Daddy, she
thought. He likes beer more than chocolate milk. 2.1
Passage 102: Ask Santa
102. It is December. That means it is Christmas time. Christmas time means Santa
Claus is coming. Sara and Billy love Christmas. They love Santa Claus. They love the
gifts from Santa. Last year they got nice gifts. Sara got a teddy bear and a rubber duck.
Billy got a green boat and a rubber duck. The rubber ducks float. When Sara takes a
bath, her pink duck floats in the water. When Billy takes a bath, his blue duck floats in
the water. One time Billy put a goldfish into the tub. It swam for a while. Then it died. He
buried it in the back yard. He was sad. This year Sara and Billy want bicycles. Sara
wants a red bike. Billy wants a blue bike. Mama said she would talk to daddy. Sara
asked mama, "Why don't you talk to Santa?" Mama said, "That's a good idea. When
daddy comes home, he and I will talk to Santa." 2.1
Passage 103: A Christmas Present
103. "What do you want for Christmas?" Daddy asked Anthony. Anthony wanted a little

brother. "Can I have a little brother for Christmas?" Anthony asked. "Well, I'll have to talk
to your mother," said Daddy. "Why do you have to talk to Mommy?" Anthony asked.
"Who's going to change the diapers?" Daddy asked. "You're right, Daddy. We need
Mommy to change the diapers." Mommy walked into the room. Anthony told Mommy
that he wanted a little brother for Christmas. Mommy said, "Well, I'll have to talk to your
father." "Why do you have to talk to Daddy?" Anthony asked. "Who's going to pay the
doctor?" asked Mommy. "You're right, Mommy. We need Daddy to pay the doctor."
Mommy and Daddy walked out of the room. A little later, they came back into the room.
Mommy said, "You can't have a little brother for Christmas. But if you can wait, you can
have a little brother in April." 3.4
Passage 104: An Old Dog
104. "Rex is very sick," Lucy's mom said. "Is he going to die?" Lucy asked. "Yes, I'm
afraid so," mom said. "I'm going to take him to the vet." Lucy wanted to go along. "Okay,
but try not to cry, okay?" mom asked. Lucy said she wouldn't cry. Mom carried Rex out
to the car. She put him in the back seat. He was a little dog. He was 12 years old. He
was the same age as Lucy. They drove to the vet. The vet looked at Rex. He said he
could not do anything for Rex. "Rex is on his last legs," the vet said. He told mom she