In a small town, three best friends named Max, Ben, and Mia decided to see who could make the best hot chocolate at Max’s house on a cold afternoon. Max’s mom, Mrs. Smith, who was really good at making hot chocolate, was going to decide who won. Everyone was excited as they stood around the kitchen, getting ready to make their drinks.

Ben wanted to try something different, so he put a little chili powder in his hot chocolate to make it spicy. Mia thought it would be a good idea to add some peppermint flavor to hers. Max, always looking to make people laugh, decided to mix in some hot sauce with the special hot chocolate mix his mom made. They all laughed, thinking about how funny their creations were turning out.

When Mrs. Smith took a sip of the hot chocolate, she suddenly looked shocked and her face turned red. This wasn’t the happy reaction they were used to seeing. Max got worried and wondered out loud if he had accidentally used chili powder instead of something less spicy. Ben and Mia didn’t know what to do and felt worried about how things were turning out.

But then, Mrs. Smith started laughing. It turns out she had switched her cup with Max’s as a joke. She was okay, and Max had actually tasted his own spicy creation. After finding out it was just a prank, everyone started laughing. They realized that having fun and being surprised made the day even better.

In the end, they all agreed that having fun and being together was the best part of their hot chocolate competition. They learned that even if things don’t go according to plan, something good can still come out of it. They kept having hot chocolate competitions, always trying to surprise each other with new ideas. They found out that the best things in life are laughing with friends and enjoying the little surprises along the way.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

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📖 Vocabulary:

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who were the three best friends in the story?
2. What did Ben put in his hot chocolate to make it spicy?
3. What did Mia add to her hot chocolate to give it a different flavor?
4. What did Max mix in with his hot chocolate to make it funny?
5. How did Mrs. Smith react when she tasted Max’s hot chocolate?
6. Why did Max get worried when Mrs. Smith had a shocked reaction?
7. What did the friends learn from their hot chocolate competition?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a small town, three best friends (1)______ Max, Ben, and Mia decided to see who could make the best hot chocolate at Max’s (2)______ on a cold afternoon. Max’s mom, Mrs. Smith, who was really good at making hot chocolate, was going to decide who won. Everyone was excited as they (3)______ around the kitchen, getting ready to make their drinks.

Ben wanted to try something different, so he put a little chili (4)______ in his hot chocolate to make it spicy. Mia thought it would be a good idea to add some peppermint flavor to hers. Max, always looking to make people (5)______, decided to mix in some hot (6)______ with the special hot chocolate mix his mom made. They all laughed, thinking about how funny their creations were turning out.

When Mrs. (7)______ took a sip of the hot chocolate, she suddenly looked (8)______ and her face turned red. This wasn’t the happy reaction they were used to seeing. Max got worried and wondered out loud if he had accidentally used (9)______ powder instead of something less spicy. Ben and Mia didn’t know what to do and felt worried about how things were (10)______ out.

But then, Mrs. Smith started laughing. It turns out she had switched her cup with Max’s as a joke. She was okay, and Max had actually tasted his own spicy creation. After (11)______ out it was just a (12)______, everyone started laughing. They realized that having fun and being surprised made the day even better.

In the end, they all agreed that (13)______ fun and being together was the best part of their hot (14)______ competition. They learned that even if things don’t go according to plan, something good can still come out of it. They kept having hot chocolate competitions, always (15)______ to (16)______ each other with new ideas. They found out that the best things in life are laughing with friends and enjoying the little surprises along the way.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is your favorite thing to add to hot chocolate to make it taste better?
2. How would you feel if someone played a prank on you like Mrs. Smith did to Max?
3. Do you like trying new and different flavors in your food and drinks? Why or why not?
4. What is a prank that you have played on someone before? Did they find it funny?
5. How would you feel if your hot chocolate turned out to be really spicy instead of sweet?
6. Do you think it’s important to have fun and be silly with your friends? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever had a cooking mishap or made a mistake while making something? What happened?
8. What is something unexpected or surprising that has happened to you recently? How did you react?
9. How do you think Max, Ben, and Mia felt when Mrs. Smith started laughing after her initial shock?
10. Do you agree with the lesson they learned about enjoying little surprises in life? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. competition
2. spicy
3. prank
4. creations
5. reaction
6. worried
7. accidentally
8. peppermint
9. laughed
10. according
11. surprise
12. together
13. competitions
14. enjoying
15. surprises

Meanings:
(A) Doing something by mistake, not on purpose
(B) The way someone acts or feels in response to something that happens
(C) Something unexpected that happens, often causing excitement or astonishment
(D) Getting pleasure from something
(E) A trick played on someone, usually to make others laugh
(F) A contest where people try to be the best at something
(G) Things that happen without warning, often causing excitement or astonishment
(H) Having a strong, hot flavor that can make your mouth feel like it’s burning
(I) Being in the same place with others, not alone
(J) Things that people make or invent
(K) Making sounds with your mouth open wide because something is funny
(L) Feeling anxious or uneasy about a possible or probable situation
(M) A flavor that comes from a green plant, often used in candies and toothpaste, that makes your mouth feel cool
(N) More than one contest where people try to outdo each other
(O) In a way that matches or agrees with something
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who decided to have a hot chocolate competition?
(a) Max and his mom
(b) Ben and Mia
(c) Max, Ben, and Mia
(d) Max and Ben

2. What did Ben add to his hot chocolate to make it different?
(a) Cinnamon
(b) Nutmeg
(c) Vanilla extract
(d) Chili powder

3. What did Mia add to her hot chocolate to give it a unique flavor?
(a) Caramel
(b) Peppermint
(c) Strawberry
(d) Orange

4. What did Max mix into his hot chocolate to make it funny?
(a) Mustard
(b) Ketchup
(c) Hot sauce
(d) Soy sauce

5. How did Mrs. Smith react when she tasted Max’s hot chocolate?
(a) Shocked and red-faced
(b) Happy and excited
(c) Disappointed and angry
(d) Surprised and confused

6. Why did Max get worried when Mrs. Smith had a shocked reaction?
(a) He thought he had accidentally used something too sweet.
(b) He thought he had accidentally used something too sour.
(c) He thought he had accidentally used something too bitter.
(d) He thought he had accidentally used something too spicy.

7. What did Mrs. Smith do after she realized it was just a prank?
(a) She started laughing.
(b) She got angry at Max.
(c) She cried.
(d) She left the room.

8. What did Max, Ben, and Mia learn from their hot chocolate competition?
(a) Winning is the most important thing.
(b) Having fun and being together is the best part.
(c) Making mistakes is not fun.
(d) Hot chocolate is not a good drink.

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Mrs. Smith’s response to the hot chocolate was exactly what they expected.
2. Ben removed chili powder from his hot chocolate to make it spicy.
3. Mia added peppermint flavor to her hot chocolate.
4. Max’s mother, Mrs. Smith, wasn’t going to determine who made the best hot chocolate.
5. Max, Ben, and Mia decided to have a hot chocolate competition at Max’s house.
6. Max mixed hot sauce with his mom’s special hot chocolate mix for a funny twist.
7. They recognized that having fun and being together was not the best part of the competition.
8. Mrs. Smith had switched cups with Max as a prank.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this story in two sentences. Here are some hints:
Who are the main characters?
What happens in the story?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Who were the three best friends in the story?
The three best friends in the story were Max, Ben, and Mia.

2. What did Ben put in his hot chocolate to make it spicy?
Ben put a little chili powder in his hot chocolate to make it spicy.

3. What did Mia add to her hot chocolate to give it a different flavor?
Mia added some peppermint flavor to her hot chocolate.

4. What did Max mix in with his hot chocolate to make it funny?
Max mixed in some hot sauce with the special hot chocolate mix to make it funny.

5. How did Mrs. Smith react when she tasted Max’s hot chocolate?
Mrs. Smith looked shocked and her face turned red when she tasted Max’s hot chocolate.

6. Why did Max get worried when Mrs. Smith had a shocked reaction?
Max got worried because he thought he had accidentally used chili powder instead of something less spicy, causing Mrs. Smith’s shocked reaction.

7. What did the friends learn from their hot chocolate competition?
The friends learned that even if things don’t go according to plan, something good can still come out of it. They realized that having fun and being together was the best part of their hot chocolate competition.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) named
(2) house
(3) stood
(4) powder
(5) laugh
(6) sauce
(7) Smith
(8) shocked
(9) chili
(10) turning
(11) finding
(12) prank
(13) having
(14) chocolate
(15) trying
(16) surprise
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. competition
Answer: (F) A contest where people try to be the best at something

2. spicy
Answer: (H) Having a strong, hot flavor that can make your mouth feel like it’s burning

3. prank
Answer: (E) A trick played on someone, usually to make others laugh

4. creations
Answer: (J) Things that people make or invent

5. reaction
Answer: (B) The way someone acts or feels in response to something that happens

6. worried
Answer: (L) Feeling anxious or uneasy about a possible or probable situation

7. accidentally
Answer: (A) Doing something by mistake, not on purpose

8. peppermint
Answer: (M) A flavor that comes from a green plant, often used in candies and toothpaste, that makes your mouth feel cool

9. laughed
Answer: (K) Making sounds with your mouth open wide because something is funny

10. according
Answer: (O) In a way that matches or agrees with something

11. surprise
Answer: (C) Something unexpected that happens, often causing excitement or astonishment

12. together
Answer: (I) Being in the same place with others, not alone

13. competitions
Answer: (N) More than one contest where people try to outdo each other

14. enjoying
Answer: (D) Getting pleasure from something

15. surprises
Answer: (G) Things that happen without warning, often causing excitement or astonishment
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who decided to have a hot chocolate competition?
Answer: (c) Max, Ben, and Mia

2. What did Ben add to his hot chocolate to make it different?
Answer: (d) Chili powder

3. What did Mia add to her hot chocolate to give it a unique flavor?
Answer: (b) Peppermint

4. What did Max mix into his hot chocolate to make it funny?
Answer: (c) Hot sauce

5. How did Mrs. Smith react when she tasted Max’s hot chocolate?
Answer: (a) Shocked and red-faced

6. Why did Max get worried when Mrs. Smith had a shocked reaction?
Answer: (d) He thought he had accidentally used something too spicy.

7. What did Mrs. Smith do after she realized it was just a prank?
Answer: (a) She started laughing.

8. What did Max, Ben, and Mia learn from their hot chocolate competition?
Answer: (b) Having fun and being together is the best part.
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Mrs. Smith’s response to the hot chocolate was exactly what they expected. (Answer: False)
2. Ben removed chili powder from his hot chocolate to make it spicy. (Answer: False)
3. Mia added peppermint flavor to her hot chocolate. (Answer: True)
4. Max’s mother, Mrs. Smith, wasn’t going to determine who made the best hot chocolate. (Answer: False)
5. Max, Ben, and Mia decided to have a hot chocolate competition at Max’s house. (Answer: True)
6. Max mixed hot sauce with his mom’s special hot chocolate mix for a funny twist. (Answer: True)
7. They recognized that having fun and being together was not the best part of the competition. (Answer: False)
8. Mrs. Smith had switched cups with Max as a prank. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧