In a bright town by the sea, there was a secret harbor that only some people knew about. A sneaky pirate named Captain Squawk was said to watch over it. Even though many tried to find it, no one ever did.

One day, a girl named Lily heard about the secret harbor and wanted to find it. She took her little boat, called “The Seagull’s Feather,” and started her adventure with a map and excitement.

Lily battled big storms and huge waves on her journey, which made her boat almost flip over. But she thought of her grandpa’s saying, “Hard work makes success sweeter,” and kept going. She sailed through caves and secret paths.

When she finally found the secret harbor, she saw that Captain Squawk was actually a little parrot, not a scary pirate. The parrot said, “Hello! You’re the first to find this place!” Captain Squawk told her the best treasure was the fun of exploring, not gold or gems.

Lily learned that the true treasures are happiness and time with friends and family. The town people visited the secret harbor to relax and have fun. And everyone now knew that the best things in life aren’t things, but special moments together.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

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📖 Vocabulary:

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who was the sneaky pirate that watched over the secret harbor?
2. What did Lily take with her on her adventure?
3. What did Lily think about when she faced big storms and huge waves?
4. Who did Lily find in the secret harbor?
5. What did Captain Squawk tell Lily was the best treasure?
6. What did Lily learn were the true treasures in life?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a (1)______ town by the sea, there was a secret harbor that only some (2)______ knew about. A sneaky pirate named Captain Squawk was said to watch over it. Even though many tried to (3)______ it, no one ever did.

One day, a girl named Lily heard about the secret harbor and wanted to find it. She took her little boat, (4)______ “The Seagull’s Feather,” and started her adventure with a map and (5)______.

Lily battled big storms and huge waves on her journey, which made her boat almost flip over. But she thought of her grandpa’s saying, “Hard (6)______ makes success sweeter,” and kept going. She sailed through caves and secret paths.

When she finally found the secret harbor, she saw that Captain Squawk was actually a little parrot, not a scary pirate. The parrot said, “Hello! You’re the (7)______ to find this (8)______!” Captain Squawk told her the best (9)______ was the fun of (10)______, not gold or gems.

Lily learned that the true treasures are happiness and time with friends and family. The town people visited the secret harbor to relax and have fun. And everyone now knew that the best (11)______ in life aren’t things, but special (12)______ together.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a secret harbor?
2. How would you feel if you were going on an adventure to find a secret harbor?
3. Do you like exploring new places? Why or why not?
4. What do you think is the best treasure in life? Why?
5. Have you ever had to work hard for something? How did it feel when you finally achieved it?
6. How do you think Lily felt when she finally found the secret harbor?
7. Do you think it’s important to spend time with friends and family? Why or why not?
8. What special moments do you like to share with your friends and family?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. harbor
2. sneaky
3. adventure
4. battled
5. storms
6. caves
7. parrot
8. exploring
9. treasure
10. happiness
11. relax
12. moments

Meanings:
(A) Short times that you remember because they are important or special
(B) Feeling very good and cheerful
(C) Very bad weather with a lot of rain, wind, and thunder
(D) Looking around to find new places or things
(E) Fought against something with a lot of effort
(F) A colorful bird that can copy sounds and words it hears
(G) A place where boats and ships can stay safe from the sea
(H) Something valuable like money, jewels, or gold
(I) Doing things quietly and secretly, often to trick people
(J) Big holes in the side of a hill or under the ground
(K) To spend time in a way that is calm and not stressful
(L) An exciting experience or journey
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who is said to watch over the secret harbor?
(a) Captain Squawk
(b) Captain Hook
(c) Captain Blackbeard
(d) Captain Jack Sparrow

2. What is the name of Lily’s boat?
(a) The Pirate’s Revenge
(b) The Treasure Hunter
(c) The Ocean Explorer
(d) The Seagull’s Feather

3. What did Lily battle on her journey to find the secret harbor?
(a) Sharks and dolphins
(b) Big storms and huge waves
(c) Pirates and mermaids
(d) Rainbows and sunshine

4. What did Lily think of when she faced challenges on her journey?
(a) Her grandpa’s saying, “Hard work makes success sweeter”
(b) Her mom’s saying, “Never give up”
(c) Her friend’s saying, “Adventure awaits”
(d) Her teacher’s saying, “Believe in yourself”

5. What did Lily find out about Captain Squawk?
(a) He was a giant octopus guarding the harbor
(b) He was a friendly dolphin playing in the water
(c) He was actually a little parrot, not a scary pirate
(d) He was a magical mermaid guiding the way

6. What did Captain Squawk tell Lily about the best treasure?
(a) The biggest diamond hidden in the harbor
(b) The secret map to other hidden treasures
(c) The fun of exploring, not gold or gems
(d) The chest full of gold and jewels

7. Why did the town people visit the secret harbor?
(a) To find more hidden treasures
(b) To relax and have fun
(c) To meet Captain Squawk
(d) To catch fish for dinner

8. What did Lily learn about the best things in life?
(a) They are gold and gems hidden in secret places
(b) They are adventures and treasures waiting to be found
(c) They are the biggest house and the fanciest car
(d) They are special moments together, not things

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Lily sets off on her adventure in her little boat called “The Seagull’s Feather” with a map and a lot of excitement.
2. Captain Squawk tells Lily that the best treasure is the joy of exploring, not material possessions like gold or gems.
3. Lily faces calm weather and gentle waves on her journey, but she forgets her grandpa’s saying and gives up.
4. Lily, a boy, hears about the public harbor and decides to avoid it.
5. Captain Squawk is an honest pirate who is rumored to stay away from the secret harbor.
6. When Lily finds the secret harbor, she discovers that Captain Squawk is actually a small parrot, not a scary pirate.
7. There is a secret harbor in a bright town by the sea that only a few people know about.
8. Lily gets lost in caves and dead ends while trying to reach the secret harbor.
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 was the sneaky pirate that watched over the secret harbor?
Captain Squawk.

2. What did Lily take with her on her adventure?
Lily took her little boat called “The Seagull’s Feather” and a map.

3. What did Lily think about when she faced big storms and huge waves?
Lily thought about her grandpa’s saying, “Hard work makes success sweeter.”

4. Who did Lily find in the secret harbor?
Lily found Captain Squawk, who was actually a little parrot.

5. What did Captain Squawk tell Lily was the best treasure?
Captain Squawk told Lily that the best treasure was the fun of exploring, not gold or gems.

6. What did Lily learn were the true treasures in life?
Lily learned that the true treasures in life are happiness and time with friends and family.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) bright
(2) people
(3) find
(4) called
(5) excitement
(6) work
(7) first
(8) place
(9) treasure
(10) exploring
(11) things
(12) moments
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. harbor
Answer: (G) A place where boats and ships can stay safe from the sea

2. sneaky
Answer: (I) Doing things quietly and secretly, often to trick people

3. adventure
Answer: (L) An exciting experience or journey

4. battled
Answer: (E) Fought against something with a lot of effort

5. storms
Answer: (C) Very bad weather with a lot of rain, wind, and thunder

6. caves
Answer: (J) Big holes in the side of a hill or under the ground

7. parrot
Answer: (F) A colorful bird that can copy sounds and words it hears

8. exploring
Answer: (D) Looking around to find new places or things

9. treasure
Answer: (H) Something valuable like money, jewels, or gold

10. happiness
Answer: (B) Feeling very good and cheerful

11. relax
Answer: (K) To spend time in a way that is calm and not stressful

12. moments
Answer: (A) Short times that you remember because they are important or special
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who is said to watch over the secret harbor?
Answer: (a) Captain Squawk

2. What is the name of Lily’s boat?
Answer: (d) The Seagull’s Feather

3. What did Lily battle on her journey to find the secret harbor?
Answer: (b) Big storms and huge waves

4. What did Lily think of when she faced challenges on her journey?
Answer: (a) Her grandpa’s saying, “Hard work makes success sweeter”

5. What did Lily find out about Captain Squawk?
Answer: (c) He was actually a little parrot, not a scary pirate

6. What did Captain Squawk tell Lily about the best treasure?
Answer: (c) The fun of exploring, not gold or gems

7. Why did the town people visit the secret harbor?
Answer: (b) To relax and have fun

8. What did Lily learn about the best things in life?
Answer: (d) They are special moments together, not things
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Lily sets off on her adventure in her little boat called “The Seagull’s Feather” with a map and a lot of excitement. (Answer: True)
2. Captain Squawk tells Lily that the best treasure is the joy of exploring, not material possessions like gold or gems. (Answer: True)
3. Lily faces calm weather and gentle waves on her journey, but she forgets her grandpa’s saying and gives up. (Answer: False)
4. Lily, a boy, hears about the public harbor and decides to avoid it. (Answer: False)
5. Captain Squawk is an honest pirate who is rumored to stay away from the secret harbor. (Answer: False)
6. When Lily finds the secret harbor, she discovers that Captain Squawk is actually a small parrot, not a scary pirate. (Answer: True)
7. There is a secret harbor in a bright town by the sea that only a few people know about. (Answer: True)
8. Lily gets lost in caves and dead ends while trying to reach the secret harbor. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧