Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

Short Stories for Kids

Complete lesson plans, including stories, listening, classroom activities, quiz questions and more!

The Hot Chocolate Mystery

Three best friends discover the joy of unexpected surprises while competing in a hot chocolate tasting.

Try this story at a different level?

 

Once upon a time, three friends named Max, Ben, and Mia lived in a small town. They decided to drink hot chocolate at Max’s house. Max’s mom, Mrs. Smith, said she would choose the best hot chocolate.

Ben added something spicy to his hot chocolate, Mia added peppermint, and Max added hot sauce to be funny. They were all very excited to see who would win.

When Mrs. Smith tried the hot chocolate, she acted surprised and turned red. Max got worried he made a mistake with his hot chocolate. But then, Mrs. Smith laughed because she played a joke. She had secretly swapped her cup with Max’s.

In the end, the friends found out that being together and laughing was the best part of their day. They learned that even when things don’t go as planned, good things can still happen. They kept making hot chocolate together, always trying new things and having fun.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1decidedTo make up your mind or choose
2friendsPeople who like to spend time together
3townA place where people live, smaller than a city
4hot chocolateA warm, sweet drink made with milk and cocoa
5spicyHaving a strong, hot taste
6peppermintA sweet, minty flavor often found in candy
7jokeSomething funny you say or do to make people laugh
8worriedFeeling scared something bad might happen
9swappedTrading or giving something to someone and getting something else in return
10plannedThought about or arranged beforehand

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who were the three friends in the story?
2. What did Ben put in his hot chocolate?
3. What did Mia put in her hot chocolate?
4. What did Max put in his hot chocolate to be funny?
5. What did Mrs. Smith do when she tasted Max’s hot chocolate?
6. What did the friends learn in the end of the story?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Once upon a (1)______, three friends named Max, Ben, and Mia lived in a small town. They decided to drink hot chocolate at Max’s house. Max’s mom, Mrs. Smith, said she would (2)______ the best hot chocolate.

Ben added something (3)______ to his hot (4)______, Mia added peppermint, and Max added hot sauce to be funny. They were all very excited to see who would win.

When Mrs. Smith tried the hot chocolate, she acted surprised and turned red. Max got worried he made a mistake with his hot chocolate. But then, Mrs. Smith (5)______ because she played a joke. She had secretly swapped her cup with Max’s.

In the end, the friends (6)______ out that being together and laughing was the best part of their day. They learned that even when things don’t go as planned, good things can still happen. They kept making hot chocolate together, always (7)______ new things and (8)______ fun.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is hot chocolate?
2. How would you feel if someone played a joke on you like Mrs. Smith did?
3. Do you like trying new things like adding spicy or peppermint to your hot chocolate?
4. What do you think is the best part of a day with your friends?
5. How would you feel if something you made didn’t go as planned?
6. Do you think it’s important to laugh and have fun with your friends?
7. Why or why not?
8. Have you ever played a joke on someone? If so, what did you do?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. decided
2. friends
3. town
4. hot chocolate
5. spicy
6. peppermint
7. joke
8. worried
9. swapped
10. planned

Meanings:
(A) Feeling scared something bad might happen
(B) Having a strong, hot taste
(C) To make up your mind or choose
(D) People who like to spend time together
(E) A warm, sweet drink made with milk and cocoa
(F) Thought about or arranged beforehand
(G) Something funny you say or do to make people laugh
(H) Trading or giving something to someone and getting something else in return
(I) A place where people live, smaller than a city
(J) A sweet, minty flavor often found in candy
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who are the three friends in the story?
(a) John, Mary, and Alex
(b) Tom, Sarah, and Emily
(c) Max, Ben, and Mia
(d) Jack, Lucy, and Sam

2. What did Ben add to his hot chocolate?
(a) Marshmallows
(b) Cinnamon
(c) Whipped cream
(d) Something spicy

3. What did Mia add to her hot chocolate?
(a) Peppermint
(b) Chocolate chips
(c) Vanilla
(d) Honey

4. What did Max add to his hot chocolate?
(a) Hot sauce
(b) Sprinkles
(c) Nutmeg
(d) Caramel

5. Who played a joke on Max?
(a) Ben
(b) Mrs. Smith
(c) Mia
(d) None of them

6. How did Mrs. Smith react when she tasted Max’s hot chocolate?
(a) Happy and started dancing
(b) Surprised and turned red
(c) Sad and started crying
(d) Angry and shouted

7. What did the friends learn in the end?
(a) Drinking hot chocolate is not fun
(b) Mrs. Smith doesn’t like their hot chocolate
(c) They should never try new things
(d) Being together and laughing is the best part of the day

8. What did the friends keep doing together?
(a) Playing soccer
(b) Watching TV
(c) Making hot chocolate
(d) Reading books

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Mrs. Smith laughed because she spilled her drink and accidentally wet Max’s chair.
2. Mrs. Smith acted shocked and blushed when she tasted the hot chocolate.
3. Max’s mom, Mrs. Smith, said she would choose the best hot chocolate.
4. Max, Ben, and Mia were associates who lived in a small town.
5. They decided to drink hot chocolate at Max’s house.
6. Max got relieved that he didn’t mess up his hot chocolate.
7. Ben added something spicy to his hot chocolate, Mia added peppermint, and Max added hot sauce to be funny.
8. The friends learned that being together and laughing was the best part of their day, and they kept making hot chocolate together.
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 friends in the story?
The three friends in the story were Max, Ben, and Mia.

2. What did Ben put in his hot chocolate?
Ben put something spicy in his hot chocolate.

3. What did Mia put in her hot chocolate?
Mia put peppermint in her hot chocolate.

4. What did Max put in his hot chocolate to be funny?
Max put hot sauce in his hot chocolate to be funny.

5. What did Mrs. Smith do when she tasted Max’s hot chocolate?
When Mrs. Smith tasted Max’s hot chocolate, she acted surprised and turned red.

6. What did the friends learn in the end of the story?
In the end of the story, the friends learned that being together and laughing was the best part of their day. They learned that even when things don’t go as planned, good things can still happen.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) time
(2) choose
(3) spicy
(4) chocolate
(5) laughed
(6) found
(7) trying
(8) having
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. decided
Answer: (C) To make up your mind or choose

2. friends
Answer: (D) People who like to spend time together

3. town
Answer: (I) A place where people live, smaller than a city

4. hot chocolate
Answer: (E) A warm, sweet drink made with milk and cocoa

5. spicy
Answer: (B) Having a strong, hot taste

6. peppermint
Answer: (J) A sweet, minty flavor often found in candy

7. joke
Answer: (G) Something funny you say or do to make people laugh

8. worried
Answer: (A) Feeling scared something bad might happen

9. swapped
Answer: (H) Trading or giving something to someone and getting something else in return

10. planned
Answer: (F) Thought about or arranged beforehand
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who are the three friends in the story?
Answer: (c) Max, Ben, and Mia

2. What did Ben add to his hot chocolate?
Answer: (d) Something spicy

3. What did Mia add to her hot chocolate?
Answer: (a) Peppermint

4. What did Max add to his hot chocolate?
Answer: (a) Hot sauce

5. Who played a joke on Max?
Answer: (b) Mrs. Smith

6. How did Mrs. Smith react when she tasted Max’s hot chocolate?
Answer: (b) Surprised and turned red

7. What did the friends learn in the end?
Answer: (d) Being together and laughing is the best part of the day

8. What did the friends keep doing together?
Answer: (c) Making hot chocolate
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Mrs. Smith laughed because she spilled her drink and accidentally wet Max’s chair. (Answer: False)
2. Mrs. Smith acted shocked and blushed when she tasted the hot chocolate. (Answer: False)
3. Max’s mom, Mrs. Smith, said she would choose the best hot chocolate. (Answer: True)
4. Max, Ben, and Mia were associates who lived in a small town. (Answer: False)
5. They decided to drink hot chocolate at Max’s house. (Answer: True)
6. Max got relieved that he didn’t mess up his hot chocolate. (Answer: False)
7. Ben added something spicy to his hot chocolate, Mia added peppermint, and Max added hot sauce to be funny. (Answer: True)
8. The friends learned that being together and laughing was the best part of their day, and they kept making hot chocolate together. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧

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