Polly was a little girl who really wanted a puppy. She dreamed about playing and hugging a puppy. Her mom and dad were not sure. They thought a puppy could be messy. But Polly wanted to show she could take care of one.

Polly kept her room clean, helped with dishes, and fed other pets. She worked hard for many days. Her mom and dad saw this and had a surprise for her. They gave Polly a puppy. He was small and soft. Polly was very happy and named him Buttercup.

Polly and Buttercup played a lot. They went for walks and learned tricks. One day, Buttercup ran out the door fast. Polly was scared. She ran after him, calling his name.

Polly looked everywhere for Buttercup. Then, she heard barking. A nice old man found Buttercup! Polly was so happy and said thank you many times. She hugged Buttercup and promised to keep him safe.

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did Polly really want?
2. Why were Polly’s mom and dad unsure about getting a puppy?
3. What did Polly do to show she could take care of a puppy?
4. What did Polly’s mom and dad give her as a surprise?
5. What did Polly and Buttercup do together?
6. What happened when Buttercup ran out the door?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Polly was a little girl who really (1)______ a (2)______. She dreamed about playing and hugging a puppy. Her mom and dad were not sure. They thought a puppy could be messy. But Polly wanted to show she could take care of one.

Polly kept her room (3)______, helped with dishes, and fed (4)______ pets. She worked hard for many days. Her mom and dad saw this and had a surprise for her. They gave Polly a puppy. He was small and soft. (5)______ was very happy and named him (6)______.

Polly and Buttercup played a lot. They went for walks and learned tricks. One day, Buttercup ran out the door fast. Polly was scared. She ran after him, calling his name.

Polly looked everywhere for Buttercup. Then, she heard (7)______. A nice old man found Buttercup! Polly was so happy and said thank you many times. She hugged Buttercup and promised to (8)______ him safe.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a puppy?
2. How would you feel if you had a puppy?
3. Do you like playing with animals? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important to take care of pets? Why or why not?
5. What would you do if your pet ran away?
6. Have you ever lost something important? How did you feel?
7. How do you think Polly felt when she found Buttercup?
8. Would you like to have a pet like Buttercup? Why or why not?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. puppy
2. messy
3. surprised
4. named
5. played
6. walks
7. scared
8. found
9. hugged
10. promised

Meanings:
(A) Held someone or something tightly with your arms
(B) Feeling happy and shocked at the same time
(C) A baby dog
(D) Had fun and did activities together
(E) Gave a special name to
(F) Discovered something that was lost
(G) Going outside with a pet, taking steps together
(H) Feeling afraid or frightened
(I) Said you would do something and keep your word
(J) Not clean, with things all over the place
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did Polly really want?
(a) A kitten
(b) A goldfish
(c) A bird
(d) A puppy

2. What did Polly’s mom and dad think about getting a puppy?
(a) They were very excited
(b) They didn’t want one
(c) They were not sure
(d) They thought it was a great idea

3. What did Polly do to show she could take care of a puppy?
(a) Played outside with her friends
(b) Kept her room clean, helped with dishes, and fed other pets
(c) Watched TV all day
(d) Ate a lot of candy

4. What did Polly name her puppy?
(a) Daisy
(b) Buttercup
(c) Sunshine
(d) Sparkle

5. What happened one day when Buttercup ran out the door?
(a) Polly stayed inside and didn’t do anything
(b) Buttercup ran away and never came back
(c) Polly got scared and ran after him
(d) Buttercup found a new friend

6. Who found Buttercup when he ran out the door?
(a) A nice old man
(b) A mean old man
(c) A little girl
(d) A big dog

7. How did Polly feel when she found Buttercup?
(a) Very happy
(b) Very sad
(c) Very angry
(d) Very tired

8. What did Polly promise to do for Buttercup?
(a) Give him away
(b) Forget about him
(c) Never play with him again
(d) Keep him safe

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Polly named her puppy Marshmallow and they played together occasionally.
2. Polly searched everywhere for Buttercup and eventually heard him barking.
3. Polly really wanted a kitten and dreamed about cuddling with one.
4. Polly’s parents surprised her with a kitten because they saw how hard she had been studying.
5. Polly showed her mom and dad that she could not take care of a puppy by keeping her room messy and avoiding chores.
6. One day, Buttercup ran out of the house and Polly got scared.
7. A nice old man found Buttercup and Polly was very happy and promised to keep him safe.
8. Polly’s mom and dad were unsure about getting a puppy because they thought it could be messy.
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 did Polly really want?
Polly really wanted a puppy.

2. Why were Polly’s mom and dad unsure about getting a puppy?
Polly’s mom and dad were unsure about getting a puppy because they thought it could be messy.

3. What did Polly do to show she could take care of a puppy?
Polly kept her room clean, helped with dishes, and fed other pets to show she could take care of a puppy.

4. What did Polly’s mom and dad give her as a surprise?
Polly’s mom and dad gave her a puppy as a surprise.

5. What did Polly and Buttercup do together?
Polly and Buttercup played together, went for walks, and learned tricks together.

6. What happened when Buttercup ran out the door?
When Buttercup ran out the door, Polly got scared and ran after him. She found him with a nice old man who had found him.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) wanted
(2) puppy
(3) clean
(4) other
(5) Polly
(6) Buttercup
(7) barking
(8) keep
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. puppy
Answer: (C) A baby dog

2. messy
Answer: (J) Not clean, with things all over the place

3. surprised
Answer: (B) Feeling happy and shocked at the same time

4. named
Answer: (E) Gave a special name to

5. played
Answer: (D) Had fun and did activities together

6. walks
Answer: (G) Going outside with a pet, taking steps together

7. scared
Answer: (H) Feeling afraid or frightened

8. found
Answer: (F) Discovered something that was lost

9. hugged
Answer: (A) Held someone or something tightly with your arms

10. promised
Answer: (I) Said you would do something and keep your word
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did Polly really want?
Answer: (d) A puppy

2. What did Polly’s mom and dad think about getting a puppy?
Answer: (c) They were not sure

3. What did Polly do to show she could take care of a puppy?
Answer: (b) Kept her room clean, helped with dishes, and fed other pets

4. What did Polly name her puppy?
Answer: (b) Buttercup

5. What happened one day when Buttercup ran out the door?
Answer: (c) Polly got scared and ran after him

6. Who found Buttercup when he ran out the door?
Answer: (a) A nice old man

7. How did Polly feel when she found Buttercup?
Answer: (a) Very happy

8. What did Polly promise to do for Buttercup?
Answer: (d) Keep him safe
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Polly named her puppy Marshmallow and they played together occasionally. (Answer: False)
2. Polly searched everywhere for Buttercup and eventually heard him barking. (Answer: True)
3. Polly really wanted a kitten and dreamed about cuddling with one. (Answer: False)
4. Polly’s parents surprised her with a kitten because they saw how hard she had been studying. (Answer: False)
5. Polly showed her mom and dad that she could not take care of a puppy by keeping her room messy and avoiding chores. (Answer: False)
6. One day, Buttercup ran out of the house and Polly got scared. (Answer: True)
7. A nice old man found Buttercup and Polly was very happy and promised to keep him safe. (Answer: True)
8. Polly’s mom and dad were unsure about getting a puppy because they thought it could be messy. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧