In a little town named Sunnyville, there was a boy called Jasper who loved to learn about different places and animals. He found a book about the Amazon rainforest and wanted to see it for himself. So he packed some food, a map, and his magnifying glass and pretended to explore the rainforest right where he lived.

As he played in the wild part of his backyard, he pretended he saw amazing birds and cheeky monkeys. Then, he made believe he heard a jaguar and saw its eyes through his magnifying glass. The eyes glowed, and the jaguar’s coat sparkled in the sunlight. Jasper knew it’s not safe to go near wild animals, so he pretended to carefully step away.

Next, Jasper imagined finding a secret waterfall. He jumped into the pool of water and acted as if he was swimming with a family of otters. They splashed him, and he couldn’t stop laughing. He learned that fun surprises can make you really happy.

Soon, Jasper acted like the weather turned bad with dark clouds and loud thunder. He hid under a big tree and saw a toy sloth that looked scared. He decided he would save the sloth by moving it to a safer spot. He felt good for helping, even when it seemed like a storm was coming.

Just when he thought his adventure was at its best, he heard a noise. He followed the sound and found his neighbors playing loud music. They asked him to dance, and he did. Jasper discovered that you can make friends with people from different places by sharing music and that it makes life richer.

Feeling a bit sad, it was time for Jasper to stop playing and go back inside his house. He said bye to all the animals he had imagined and was thankful for the pretend trip he took. He learned that being curious, kind, and open to new things can make for great adventures. The pretend journey in his own backyard was something he would never forget.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

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📖 Vocabulary:

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who is the main character in the story?
2. What did Jasper pack before he went on his pretend adventure?
3. What did Jasper pretend to see through his magnifying glass?
4. Why did Jasper decide to step away from the jaguar?
5. What did Jasper imagine doing with the family of otters?
6. Why did Jasper feel good for helping the toy sloth?
7. What did Jasper learn about making friends with people from different places?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a little town named Sunnyville, there was a boy called Jasper who loved to learn about (1)______ places and animals. He found a book about the Amazon rainforest and (2)______ to see it for himself. So he packed some food, a map, and his magnifying glass and (3)______ to explore the rainforest right where he lived.

As he played in the wild part of his backyard, he pretended he saw amazing (4)______ and cheeky monkeys. Then, he made believe he heard a jaguar and saw its eyes through his (5)______ glass. The eyes glowed, and the jaguar’s coat (6)______ in the sunlight. Jasper knew it’s not safe to go near wild animals, so he pretended to carefully step away.

Next, Jasper imagined (7)______ a secret waterfall. He jumped into the pool of water and acted as if he was swimming with a family of otters. They splashed him, and he couldn’t stop (8)______. He learned that fun surprises can make you really happy.

Soon, Jasper acted like the (9)______ turned bad with dark clouds and loud thunder. He hid under a big tree and saw a toy (10)______ that looked scared. He decided he would save the sloth by moving it to a safer spot. He felt good for helping, even when it seemed like a storm was coming.

Just when he (11)______ his (12)______ was at its best, he heard a noise. He followed the sound and found his neighbors playing loud music. They asked him to dance, and he did. Jasper discovered that you can make friends with people from different places by (13)______ music and that it makes life richer.

(14)______ a bit sad, it was time for Jasper to stop (15)______ and go back inside his house. He said bye to all the animals he had imagined and was thankful for the pretend trip he took. He learned that being curious, kind, and open to new things can make for (16)______ adventures. The pretend journey in his own backyard was something he would never forget.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is your favorite place to explore and why?
2. How would you feel if you could see amazing birds and cheeky monkeys in your backyard?
3. Do you like swimming? Why or why not?
4. What do you think it feels like to help someone or something in need?
5. How would you feel if you heard loud thunder and saw dark clouds while outside?
6. What is your favorite type of music to dance to and why?
7. Do you think it’s important to make friends with people from different places? Why or why not?
8. How would you feel if you had to say goodbye to all the animals you imagined in your backyard?
9. What is something new that you have tried recently? How did it make you feel?
10. Do you think being curious, kind, and open to new things is important? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Sunnyville
2. magnifying
3. explore
4. cheeky
5. jaguar
6. pretended
7. waterfall
8. otters
9. thunder
10. sloth
11. neighbors
12. adventure
13. curious
14. thankful
15. journey

Meanings:
(A) Acted as if something was true when it wasn’t
(B) Eager to know about things
(C) People who live in the houses near yours
(D) The name of a small, cheerful town
(E) Feeling grateful or happy about something
(F) An exciting experience or trip
(G) A large wild cat with a spotted coat
(H) A place where water flows over a cliff into a pool below
(I) To travel through an area to learn about it
(J) A slow-moving animal that hangs from tree branches
(K) A trip or experience from one place to another
(L) Making something look bigger than it is
(M) Playful water animals with fur and webbed feet
(N) The loud noise that comes from the sky during a storm
(O) Playfully rude or mischievous
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the boy in the story?
(a) Jasper
(b) Sunnyville
(c) Amazon
(d) Otter

2. What did Jasper pretend to see in his backyard?
(a) Amazing birds and cheeky monkeys
(b) Sparkling jaguar eyes
(c) A secret waterfall
(d) All of the above

3. What did Jasper learn about wild animals?
(a) They can be friendly
(b) It’s not safe to go near them
(c) They love to play in water
(d) They are scared of storms

4. What made Jasper really happy?
(a) Hearing the sound of thunder
(b) Finding a toy sloth
(c) Swimming with a family of otters
(d) Playing loud music

5. What did Jasper learn about helping others?
(a) It’s important to stay away from storms
(b) It feels good to help, even in difficult situations
(c) Music can make people happy
(d) All of the above

6. What did Jasper discover about making friends?
(a) Dancing is a great way to make friends
(b) People from different places can become friends
(c) All of the above
(d) Sharing music can bring people together

7. How did Jasper feel when he had to stop playing?
(a) Really happy
(b) Scared of the storm
(c) Thankful for the pretend trip
(d) A bit sad

8. What did Jasper learn from his pretend journey?
(a) The Amazon rainforest is a dangerous place
(b) It’s important to have a magnifying glass when exploring
(c) Being curious, kind, and open to new things can lead to great adventures
(d) Pretending to be in different places is better than actually going there

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Jasper hates learning about different places and animals.
2. He learns that being apathetic, mean, and close-minded can lead to great adventures.
3. He imagines seeing amazing birds, cheeky monkeys, and a jaguar with glowing eyes.
4. Jasper makes friends with his neighbors by dancing and sharing music.
5. Jasper pretends to explore the Sahara desert in his own backyard.
6. Jasper pretends to swim with a family of otters in a secret waterfall.
7. He destroys a toy sloth during a storm and feels good for causing trouble.
8. The story takes place in a town called Sunnyville.
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 is the main character in the story?
The main character in the story is Jasper.

2. What did Jasper pack before he went on his pretend adventure?
Jasper packed some food, a map, and his magnifying glass before he went on his pretend adventure.

3. What did Jasper pretend to see through his magnifying glass?
Jasper pretended to see the eyes of a jaguar through his magnifying glass.

4. Why did Jasper decide to step away from the jaguar?
Jasper decided to step away from the jaguar because he knew it’s not safe to go near wild animals.

5. What did Jasper imagine doing with the family of otters?
Jasper imagined swimming with the family of otters and they splashed him, making him laugh.

6. Why did Jasper feel good for helping the toy sloth?
Jasper felt good for helping the toy sloth because he wanted to save it and move it to a safer spot.

7. What did Jasper learn about making friends with people from different places?
Jasper learned that you can make friends with people from different places by sharing music and that it makes life richer.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) different
(2) wanted
(3) pretended
(4) birds
(5) magnifying
(6) sparkled
(7) finding
(8) laughing
(9) weather
(10) sloth
(11) thought
(12) adventure
(13) sharing
(14) Feeling
(15) playing
(16) great
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Sunnyville
Answer: (D) The name of a small, cheerful town

2. magnifying
Answer: (L) Making something look bigger than it is

3. explore
Answer: (I) To travel through an area to learn about it

4. cheeky
Answer: (O) Playfully rude or mischievous

5. jaguar
Answer: (G) A large wild cat with a spotted coat

6. pretended
Answer: (A) Acted as if something was true when it wasn’t

7. waterfall
Answer: (H) A place where water flows over a cliff into a pool below

8. otters
Answer: (M) Playful water animals with fur and webbed feet

9. thunder
Answer: (N) The loud noise that comes from the sky during a storm

10. sloth
Answer: (J) A slow-moving animal that hangs from tree branches

11. neighbors
Answer: (C) People who live in the houses near yours

12. adventure
Answer: (F) An exciting experience or trip

13. curious
Answer: (B) Eager to know about things

14. thankful
Answer: (E) Feeling grateful or happy about something

15. journey
Answer: (K) A trip or experience from one place to another
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the boy in the story?
Answer: (a) Jasper

2. What did Jasper pretend to see in his backyard?
Answer: (a) Amazing birds and cheeky monkeys

3. What did Jasper learn about wild animals?
Answer: (b) It’s not safe to go near them

4. What made Jasper really happy?
Answer: (c) Swimming with a family of otters

5. What did Jasper learn about helping others?
Answer: (b) It feels good to help, even in difficult situations

6. What did Jasper discover about making friends?
Answer: (d) Sharing music can bring people together

7. How did Jasper feel when he had to stop playing?
Answer: (d) A bit sad

8. What did Jasper learn from his pretend journey?
Answer: (c) Being curious, kind, and open to new things can lead to great adventures
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Jasper hates learning about different places and animals. (Answer: False)
2. He learns that being apathetic, mean, and close-minded can lead to great adventures. (Answer: False)
3. He imagines seeing amazing birds, cheeky monkeys, and a jaguar with glowing eyes. (Answer: True)
4. Jasper makes friends with his neighbors by dancing and sharing music. (Answer: True)
5. Jasper pretends to explore the Sahara desert in his own backyard. (Answer: False)
6. Jasper pretends to swim with a family of otters in a secret waterfall. (Answer: True)
7. He destroys a toy sloth during a storm and feels good for causing trouble. (Answer: False)
8. The story takes place in a town called Sunnyville. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧