There was a small town in a valley where the sun shone every morning, making everything bright and warm. But one day, the sun did not come up. The people of the town woke up to darkness. They panicked as they tried to do their normal things without any light. No one knew why this was happening.

A brave girl named Lily wanted to solve this problem. She took her flashlight and went into the woods to look for answers. Deep in the forest, she saw some squirrels taking sunflowers. “Why are you doing this?” she asked them. The squirrels said they were trying to replace the sun. Lily explained that only the real sun could light up their town, so she got the squirrels to put the sunflowers back.

Lily and the people from the town planted the sunflowers everywhere, hoping the sun would come back. They took care of the flowers and sang happily to make the sun remember its job. When they were about to lose hope, things started to get warm, and light began to appear. The sun was coming up! Everyone was so happy, and they cheered loudly.

After that, the sun always remembered to come up in the morning. The people in the town learned to be thankful for something they always had but never thought about: the sunlight. They discovered that even when things look bad, staying hopeful and positive can make everything better. They loved each new sunrise and knew it was something special.

And Lily became a hero in the town. She showed everyone that one small person can make a big difference. She taught them that even a little bit of light can change the world.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What happened to the town one day when the people woke up?
2. Why did the people panic when there was no sunlight?
3. Why did Lily go into the woods with her flashlight?
4. What did Lily find the squirrels doing in the forest?
5. Why did Lily tell the squirrels to put the sunflowers back?
6. What did the people from the town do to try and bring back the sun?
7. What did the people learn from this experience about the sunlight?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

There was a small town in a valley where the sun shone every morning, making everything bright and warm. But one day, the sun did not come up. The people of the town woke up to darkness. They panicked as they (1)______ to do their (2)______ things without any (3)______. No one knew why this was happening.

A brave girl named Lily wanted to solve this (4)______. She took her flashlight and went into the woods to look for answers. Deep in the forest, she saw some squirrels (5)______ sunflowers. “Why are you doing this?” she asked them. The squirrels said they were trying to (6)______ the sun. Lily explained that only the real sun could light up their town, so she got the squirrels to put the sunflowers back.

Lily and the (7)______ from the town (8)______ the sunflowers everywhere, hoping the sun would come back. They took care of the (9)______ and sang happily to make the sun (10)______ its job. When they were about to lose hope, (11)______ started to get warm, and light began to appear. The sun was coming up! Everyone was so happy, and they cheered loudly.

After that, the sun always remembered to come up in the morning. The people in the town (12)______ to be thankful for something they always had but never (13)______ about: the (14)______. They discovered that even when things look bad, staying hopeful and positive can make everything better. They loved each new sunrise and knew it was something special.

And Lily became a hero in the town. She showed everyone that one small person can make a big difference. She (15)______ them that even a little bit of light can (16)______ the world.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is the problem in the story and why is it a big deal for the people in the town?
2. How would you feel if you woke up one day and it was completely dark outside? Why?
3. Do you think it was brave of Lily to go into the woods to find answers? Why or why not?
4. What do you think the squirrels were trying to accomplish by taking the sunflowers? Why do you think they listened to Lily?
5. How do you think the people in the town felt when they saw the sun coming up again? Why?
6. Do you think it’s important to be thankful for things we have but don’t always think about? Why or why not?
7. What are some things in your life that you are thankful for but don’t always think about?
8. How do you think Lily felt when she became a hero in the town? Why?
9. Have you ever felt like you made a big difference in someone’s life? How did it make you feel?
10. Do you agree with the message of the story that even a little bit of light can change the world? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. valley
2. panicked
3. flashlight
4. squirrels
5. replace
6. planted
7. sang
8. cheered
9. thankful
10. sunlight
11. hopeful
12. positive
13. sunrise
14. hero
15. difference

Meanings:
(A) Someone who is admired for doing something very brave or great
(B) Feeling optimistic about the future
(C) The daily event of the sun appearing in the morning
(D) A low area of land between hills or mountains, often with a river running through it
(E) Feeling grateful for something
(F) Felt very scared and worried
(G) A way in which one thing is not like another thing
(H) Shouted with happiness or in approval
(I) The natural light from the star at the center of our solar system
(J) Put seeds or plants in the ground so they will grow
(K) Small animals with bushy tails and large eyes that climb trees
(L) To put something new in the place of something else
(M) Made musical sounds with your voice
(N) Having a good and cheerful attitude
(O) A small, portable electric lamp powered by batteries
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What happened to the sun in the small town?
(a) It did not come up
(b) It exploded
(c) It turned into a moon
(d) It moved to a different planet

2. What did Lily do to try to solve the problem?
(a) She asked the squirrels for help
(b) She sang to the sunflowers
(c) She went into the woods with her flashlight
(d) She moved to a different town

3. Why were the squirrels taking sunflowers?
(a) They wanted to eat them
(b) They were trying to replace the sun
(c) They thought the sunflowers were pretty
(d) They were trying to hide them from Lily

4. What did Lily tell the squirrels about the sunflowers?
(a) The sunflowers were more powerful than the sun
(b) The sunflowers could make the sun come back
(c) Only the real sun could light up their town
(d) The squirrels should eat the sunflowers

5. What did the people from the town do with the sunflowers?
(a) They planted them everywhere
(b) They threw them away
(c) They gave them to the squirrels
(d) They sold them to other towns

6. How did the people try to make the sun come back?
(a) They turned on all the lights in the town
(b) They took care of the sunflowers and sang happily
(c) They asked the squirrels to bring the sun back
(d) They went to a different town with more sunlight

7. What happened when the sun started to come up?
(a) It started to rain
(b) The squirrels took the sunflowers again
(c) The people in the town got sad
(d) Things got warm and light appeared

8. What did Lily teach the people in the town?
(a) The sun is not important
(b) The squirrels are smarter than humans
(c) The town should move to a different valley
(d) One small person can make a big difference

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The story takes place in a small town where the sun never shines.
2. A brave girl named Lily decides to investigate the problem and ventures into the woods with her flashlight.
3. The people in the town learn to appreciate the sunlight and realize the power of hope and positivity.
4. Lily and the townspeople plant cacti everywhere, hoping to bring back the sun.
5. Despite gaining hope, the sun eventually disappears, taking away warmth and light from the town.
6. One day, the sun doesn’t go down, causing panic and confusion among the townspeople.
7. In the forest, Lily discovers squirrels taking sunflowers and learns they are trying to replace the sun.
8. Lily explains to the squirrels that only the real sun can light up their town, convincing them to put the sunflowers back.
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. What happened to the town one day when the people woke up?
The sun did not come up.

2. Why did the people panic when there was no sunlight?
They panicked because they couldn’t do their normal things without any light and they didn’t know why the sun wasn’t coming up.

3. Why did Lily go into the woods with her flashlight?
Lily went into the woods to look for answers and find out why the sun wasn’t coming up.

4. What did Lily find the squirrels doing in the forest?
Lily found the squirrels taking sunflowers.

5. Why did Lily tell the squirrels to put the sunflowers back?
Lily told the squirrels to put the sunflowers back because only the real sun could light up their town.

6. What did the people from the town do to try and bring back the sun?
The people from the town planted sunflowers everywhere and took care of them, hoping the sun would come back.

7. What did the people learn from this experience about the sunlight?
The people learned to be thankful for something they always had but never thought about: the sunlight. They discovered that even when things look bad, staying hopeful and positive can make everything better. They loved each new sunrise and knew it was something special.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) tried
(2) normal
(3) light
(4) problem
(5) taking
(6) replace
(7) people
(8) planted
(9) flowers
(10) remember
(11) things
(12) learned
(13) thought
(14) sunlight
(15) taught
(16) change
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. valley
Answer: (D) A low area of land between hills or mountains, often with a river running through it

2. panicked
Answer: (F) Felt very scared and worried

3. flashlight
Answer: (O) A small, portable electric lamp powered by batteries

4. squirrels
Answer: (K) Small animals with bushy tails and large eyes that climb trees

5. replace
Answer: (L) To put something new in the place of something else

6. planted
Answer: (J) Put seeds or plants in the ground so they will grow

7. sang
Answer: (M) Made musical sounds with your voice

8. cheered
Answer: (H) Shouted with happiness or in approval

9. thankful
Answer: (E) Feeling grateful for something

10. sunlight
Answer: (I) The natural light from the star at the center of our solar system

11. hopeful
Answer: (B) Feeling optimistic about the future

12. positive
Answer: (N) Having a good and cheerful attitude

13. sunrise
Answer: (C) The daily event of the sun appearing in the morning

14. hero
Answer: (A) Someone who is admired for doing something very brave or great

15. difference
Answer: (G) A way in which one thing is not like another thing
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What happened to the sun in the small town?
Answer: (a) It did not come up

2. What did Lily do to try to solve the problem?
Answer: (c) She went into the woods with her flashlight

3. Why were the squirrels taking sunflowers?
Answer: (b) They were trying to replace the sun

4. What did Lily tell the squirrels about the sunflowers?
Answer: (c) Only the real sun could light up their town

5. What did the people from the town do with the sunflowers?
Answer: (a) They planted them everywhere

6. How did the people try to make the sun come back?
Answer: (b) They took care of the sunflowers and sang happily

7. What happened when the sun started to come up?
Answer: (d) Things got warm and light appeared

8. What did Lily teach the people in the town?
Answer: (d) One small person can make a big difference
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The story takes place in a small town where the sun never shines. (Answer: False)
2. A brave girl named Lily decides to investigate the problem and ventures into the woods with her flashlight. (Answer: True)
3. The people in the town learn to appreciate the sunlight and realize the power of hope and positivity. (Answer: True)
4. Lily and the townspeople plant cacti everywhere, hoping to bring back the sun. (Answer: False)
5. Despite gaining hope, the sun eventually disappears, taking away warmth and light from the town. (Answer: False)
6. One day, the sun doesn’t go down, causing panic and confusion among the townspeople. (Answer: False)
7. In the forest, Lily discovers squirrels taking sunflowers and learns they are trying to replace the sun. (Answer: True)
8. Lily explains to the squirrels that only the real sun can light up their town, convincing them to put the sunflowers back. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧