There was once a snail named Sam who lived in a small garden. Unlike other snails, Sam didn’t have a shell. He really wanted one, but he couldn’t find one that fit just right. One day, he decided to go look for the perfect shell.

During his search in the garden, Sam met many animals and asked them if they had seen any spare shells. They just laughed and wondered why a snail would want a shell. According to them, Sam was fine the way he was.

Then, Sam met an old owl who gave him some advice. The owl told him he couldn’t find a shell by just looking for one; he needed to be patient and use his imagination. Sam didn’t quite get it at first, but he was curious about what the owl meant.

Motivated by the owl, Sam started collecting things like shiny stones, colorful flower petals, and smooth leaves. He used these to make his own shell. It took a few tries, but he finally made a shell that was perfect for him.

After making his own shell, Sam felt proud and showed it to everyone. The other animals in the garden were impressed by how clever Sam was. The rabbits even said sorry for laughing at him. Sam’s handmade shell made him very popular and inspired other snails to make their own shells. Sam learned that being happy and feeling fulfilled comes from doing things your own way.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

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📖 Vocabulary:

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Who is the main character of the story?
2. Why did Sam want a shell?
3. How did the other animals in the garden react when Sam asked them about spare shells?
4. What advice did the old owl give to Sam?
5. What did Sam collect to make his own shell?
6. How did Sam feel after making his own shell?
7. What did Sam’s handmade shell inspire other snails to do?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

There was once a (1)______ named Sam who (2)______ in a small garden. Unlike other (3)______, Sam didn’t have a (4)______. He really wanted one, but he couldn’t find one that fit just right. One day, he decided to go look for the perfect shell.

During his search in the garden, Sam met many animals and asked them if they had seen any spare shells. They just laughed and wondered why a snail would want a shell. (5)______ to them, Sam was fine the way he was.

Then, Sam met an old owl who gave him some (6)______. The owl told him he couldn’t find a shell by just looking for one; he needed to be (7)______ and use his (8)______. Sam didn’t quite get it at first, but he was curious about what the owl meant.

Motivated by the owl, Sam (9)______ collecting (10)______ like (11)______ stones, colorful flower petals, and (12)______ leaves. He used these to make his own shell. It took a few tries, but he finally made a shell that was perfect for him.

After making his own shell, Sam felt proud and showed it to everyone. The other animals in the garden were (13)______ by how clever Sam was. The (14)______ even said sorry for laughing at him. Sam’s handmade shell made him very (15)______ and inspired other snails to make their own shells. Sam (16)______ that being happy and feeling fulfilled comes from doing things your own way.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a shell? Why do snails have shells?
2. How would you feel if you were Sam and didn’t have a shell like the other snails?
3. Do you think it’s important for everyone to be the same? Why or why not?
4. What do you think the owl meant when he told Sam to use his imagination?
5. How do you think Sam felt when he finally made his own shell?
6. Do you think it’s important to be patient when trying to achieve something? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever had to use your imagination to solve a problem? Can you give an example?
8. Do you think it’s better to do things your own way or follow what everyone else is doing? Why or why not?
9. How do you think the other animals felt when they saw Sam’s handmade shell?
10. Can you think of a time when you felt proud of something you made or achieved? What was it and why were you proud?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. snail
2. garden
3. shell
4. search
5. animals
6. laughed
7. advice
8. imagination
9. Motivated
10. collecting
11. proud
12. impressed
13. clever
14. inspired
15. fulfilled

Meanings:
(A) Feeling very pleased with oneself or something one has done
(B) Creatures that are not human, including birds, fish, and insects
(C) The ability to think of new and creative ideas
(D) A small creature with a soft body, often found in damp places
(E) An area outside where plants and flowers grow
(F) Made sounds of amusement or ridicule
(G) Caused others to feel encouraged to do something similar
(H) The act of gathering items from different places
(I) The act of looking carefully for someone or something
(J) A hard, protective outer layer that some creatures have
(K) Suggestions or recommendations about what someone should do
(L) Feeling admiration for someone or something because of their abilities or qualities
(M) Being smart and able to solve problems in a new way
(N) Encouraged or driven to do something
(O) Having a deep sense of satisfaction and achievement
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What was the name of the snail in the story?
(a) Max
(b) Sam
(c) Charlie
(d) Oliver

2. Why did Sam want a shell?
(a) He wanted to be faster.
(b) He wanted to hide from predators.
(c) He wanted to collect things inside it.
(d) He wanted to fit in with other snails.

3. What did the other animals in the garden think of Sam’s desire for a shell?
(a) They thought it was a great idea.
(b) They didn’t understand why he wanted one.
(c) They laughed at him.
(d) They were jealous of him.

4. Who gave Sam advice about finding a shell?
(a) A wise turtle
(b) A clever squirrel
(c) An old owl
(d) A friendly rabbit

5. What did the owl tell Sam to do in order to find a shell?
(a) Be patient and use his imagination.
(b) Look in the river.
(c) Ask the other animals for help.
(d) Give up and accept being shell-less.

6. What did Sam use to make his own shell?
(a) Sticks, mud, and grass
(b) Shiny stones, colorful flower petals, and smooth leaves
(c) Seashells and twigs
(d) Feathers, acorns, and pinecones

7. How did Sam feel after making his own shell?
(a) Embarrassed
(b) Sad
(c) Angry
(d) Proud

8. What did Sam’s handmade shell inspire other snails to do?
(a) Make their own shells
(b) Laugh at Sam
(c) Steal his shell
(d) Ignore him

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Sam’s mass-produced shell made him popular and discouraged other snails from making their own shells.
2. The animals mocked Sam and questioned why a snail would need a shell.
3. An old owl gave Sam some advice about finding a shell.
4. Sam wanted to find the perfect shell for himself.
5. It took many attempts, but Sam eventually made a shell that was too small for him.
6. Sam began neglecting his collection of shiny stones, colorful flower petals, and smooth leaves to make his own shell.
7. Sam asked other animals in the garden if they had seen any spare shells.
8. Sam, the snail, didn’t have a shell like other snails.
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?
Check your writing now with the best free AI for English writing!

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Who is the main character of the story?
The main character of the story is a snail named Sam.

2. Why did Sam want a shell?
Sam wanted a shell because he didn’t have one like other snails and he wanted to feel complete.

3. How did the other animals in the garden react when Sam asked them about spare shells?
The other animals in the garden laughed at Sam and wondered why a snail would want a shell.

4. What advice did the old owl give to Sam?
The old owl advised Sam to be patient and use his imagination instead of just looking for a shell.

5. What did Sam collect to make his own shell?
Sam collected shiny stones, colorful flower petals, and smooth leaves to make his own shell.

6. How did Sam feel after making his own shell?
Sam felt proud after making his own shell.

7. What did Sam’s handmade shell inspire other snails to do?
Sam’s handmade shell inspired other snails to make their own shells.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) snail
(2) lived
(3) snails
(4) shell
(5) According
(6) advice
(7) patient
(8) imagination
(9) started
(10) things
(11) shiny
(12) smooth
(13) impressed
(14) rabbits
(15) popular
(16) learned
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. snail
Answer: (D) A small creature with a soft body, often found in damp places

2. garden
Answer: (E) An area outside where plants and flowers grow

3. shell
Answer: (J) A hard, protective outer layer that some creatures have

4. search
Answer: (I) The act of looking carefully for someone or something

5. animals
Answer: (B) Creatures that are not human, including birds, fish, and insects

6. laughed
Answer: (F) Made sounds of amusement or ridicule

7. advice
Answer: (K) Suggestions or recommendations about what someone should do

8. imagination
Answer: (C) The ability to think of new and creative ideas

9. Motivated
Answer: (N) Encouraged or driven to do something

10. collecting
Answer: (H) The act of gathering items from different places

11. proud
Answer: (A) Feeling very pleased with oneself or something one has done

12. impressed
Answer: (L) Feeling admiration for someone or something because of their abilities or qualities

13. clever
Answer: (M) Being smart and able to solve problems in a new way

14. inspired
Answer: (G) Caused others to feel encouraged to do something similar

15. fulfilled
Answer: (O) Having a deep sense of satisfaction and achievement
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What was the name of the snail in the story?
Answer: (b) Sam

2. Why did Sam want a shell?
Answer: (d) He wanted to fit in with other snails.

3. What did the other animals in the garden think of Sam’s desire for a shell?
Answer: (c) They laughed at him.

4. Who gave Sam advice about finding a shell?
Answer: (c) An old owl

5. What did the owl tell Sam to do in order to find a shell?
Answer: (a) Be patient and use his imagination.

6. What did Sam use to make his own shell?
Answer: (b) Shiny stones, colorful flower petals, and smooth leaves

7. How did Sam feel after making his own shell?
Answer: (d) Proud

8. What did Sam’s handmade shell inspire other snails to do?
Answer: (a) Make their own shells
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Sam’s mass-produced shell made him popular and discouraged other snails from making their own shells. (Answer: False)
2. The animals mocked Sam and questioned why a snail would need a shell. (Answer: False)
3. An old owl gave Sam some advice about finding a shell. (Answer: True)
4. Sam wanted to find the perfect shell for himself. (Answer: True)
5. It took many attempts, but Sam eventually made a shell that was too small for him. (Answer: False)
6. Sam began neglecting his collection of shiny stones, colorful flower petals, and smooth leaves to make his own shell. (Answer: False)
7. Sam asked other animals in the garden if they had seen any spare shells. (Answer: True)
8. Sam, the snail, didn’t have a shell like other snails. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧