Maria was new at the big school. It was her very first day, and she did not know anyone. She sat alone at lunch and looked at her food. She did not eat much. She felt very small in the big, noisy room.
A girl named Sofia saw her from across the room. Sofia was popular. But Sofia looked at Maria's face and saw something sad. She stood up and walked to Maria's table.
"Can I sit here?" Sofia asked.
Maria looked up, surprised. "Yes, of course," she said.
Sofia sat down. "I'm Sofia. Are you new?"
"Yes," Maria said quietly. "I moved here last week. I don't know anyone."
"I remember my first day here," Sofia said. "I was scared too. I didn't know where the classrooms were. I got lost twice!"
Maria smiled a little. "Really?"
"Really," Sofia said. "It gets easier. I promise."
They talked for the rest of lunch. Sofia asked Maria about her old school. Maria began to relax. For the first time that day, she laughed.
After lunch, Sofia walked with Maria to her next class. "This is your class," Sofia said. "I have art class next, but I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay," Maria said. "Thank you."
The next weeks were not easy. Maria still missed her old friends. But every day, Sofia found her at lunch. Soon, Maria had a small group of friends.
One afternoon, Maria saw a new girl sitting alone in the cafeteria. The girl had short black hair and looked down at her tray. Nobody was talking to her.
Maria remembered her first day. She remembered how scared and alone she had felt. She remembered how Sofia had walked over and changed everything with just a few words.
Maria stood up. Her friends looked at her.
"Where are you going?" one of them asked.
"I'll be right back," Maria said.
She walked across the cafeteria to the new girl's table. Her heart was beating fast, but she smiled.
"Hi," Maria said. "Can I sit here?"
The girl looked up, surprised, just like Maria had been surprised weeks before. "Yes," she said softly.
"I'm Maria. What's your name?"
"Anna," the girl said.
"Are you new?"
"Yes. I don't know anyone here."
Maria sat down. "I was new too, not long ago. It's hard at first, but it gets better."
Anna smiled, just a little.
They talked until the bell rang. When it was time to go, Maria showed Anna the way to her next class, just like Sofia had once shown her.
Sofia watched from across the room. She saw Maria helping Anna, and she understood. What she had given Maria, Maria was now giving to someone else.
Kindness, Sofia thought, always finds a way to grow. One small act had shown Maria how to be a friend. Now Maria was showing that same kindness to a girl she had just met, and someday, Anna would probably show it to someone too.
Sofia smiled and turned back to her friends. She did not need any thanks. Watching Maria help someone else was thanks enough. That small moment would stay with both girls for a long time.
She Showed Her
Story Audio
Story Reading
Vocabulary Exercises
Match
Match the Words with Their Meanings 1. popular a. feeling afraid 2. surprised b. liked or admired by many people 3. scared c. feeling shocked by something unexpected 4. relax d. to become calmer 5. alone e. without other people 6. kindness f. the quality of being friendly and helpful 7. cafeteria g. a place in a school where students eat
1. b | 2. c | 3. a | 4. d | 5. e | 6. f | 7. g
Fill in the blanks
Fill in the blanks with the words below: popular - relax - alone - kindness - cafeteria - surprised - scared 1. Sofia was very ______ at the school. 2. Maria looked ______ when Sofia came to her table. 3. Maria felt ______ on her first day. 4. Talking with Sofia helped Maria ______. 5. Maria sat ______ at lunch. 6. Sofia showed Maria great ______. 7. The students ate lunch in the ______.
1. popular | 2. surprised | 3. scared | 4. relax | 5. alone | 6. kindness | 7. cafeteria
Odd One Out
Odd One Out 1. popular - famous - admired - unknown 2. surprised - shocked - amazed - calm 3. scared - afraid - frightened - confident 4. relax - rest - calm - worry 5. alone - lonely - isolated - surrounded 6. kindness - friendship - helpfulness - cruelty 7. popular - liked - admired - ignored
1. unknown | 2. calm | 3. confident | 4. worry | 5. surrounded | 6. cruelty | 7. ignored
Comprehension Exercises
True/False
Answer with True or False 1. Maria was new at the big school. 2. Maria already knew many students at school. 3. Sofia noticed that Maria looked sad. 4. Sofia sat with Maria during lunch. 5. Maria felt better after talking with Sofia. 6. Maria later helped a new girl named Anna. 7. Sofia was angry when Maria helped Anna.
1. True | 2. False | 3. True | 4. True | 5. True | 6. True | 7. False
Multiple Choice
1. Why was Maria sitting alone at lunch? a. She was waiting for Sofia. b. She did not know anyone. c. She did not like the food. d. She was studying. 2. What did Sofia do when she saw Maria? a. She ignored her. b. She called a teacher. c. She walked to Maria's table. d. She left the cafeteria. 3. How did Sofia help Maria after lunch? a. She gave her some food. b. She walked with her to her next class. c. She introduced her to a teacher. d. She took her home. 4. What happened during the next weeks? a. Maria left the school. b. Sofia stopped talking to Maria. c. Maria made a small group of friends. d. Maria moved back to her old school. 5. Who did Maria see sitting alone one afternoon? a. Sofia b. Anna c. A teacher d. Her old friend 6. What did Maria remember when she saw Anna? a. Her old classroom b. Her first day and Sofia's kindness c. Her favorite teacher d. Her old neighborhood 7. What lesson does Sofia understand at the end? a. School is always difficult. b. Popular students should help everyone. c. Kindness can grow and be passed from one person to another. d. Students should always sit together.
1. b | 2. c | 3. b | 4. c | 5. b | 6. b | 7. c
Ordering
Put the Events in Order 1. ___ Sofia sits with Maria at lunch. 2. ___ Maria arrives at her new school. 3. ___ Maria sees Anna sitting alone. 4. ___ Sofia walks with Maria to her next class. 5. ___ Maria makes a small group of friends. 6. ___ Maria sits with Anna. 7. ___ Sofia watches Maria help Anna.
1. 2 | 2. 1 | 3. 5 | 4. 3 | 5. 4 | 6. 6 | 7. 7
Find the Evidence
Find a phrase from the story that supports each statement. 1. Maria is new at the school. 2. Maria feels lonely. 3. Sofia notices that Maria is sad. 4. Sofia remembers being scared on her first day. 5. Maria begins to feel better. 6. Maria remembers how Sofia helped her. 7. Maria helps Anna in the same way Sofia helped her.
1. "It was her very first day"
2. "She sat alone at lunch"
3. "Sofia looked at Maria's face and saw something sad"
4. "I was scared too"
5. "Maria began to relax"
6. "She remembered how Sofia had walked over and changed everything"
7. "When it was time to go, Maria showed Anna the way to her next class"
Grammar Exercises
Fill in the blanks
Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Verb Past Simple 1. Maria ______ alone at lunch. (sit) 2. Sofia ______ Maria from across the room. (see) 3. Sofia ______ to Maria's table. (walk) 4. They ______ for the rest of lunch. (talk) 5. Maria ______ to relax. (begin) 6. Maria ______ Anna sitting alone. (notice) 7. Maria ______ with Anna until the bell rang. (talk)
1. sat | 2. saw | 3. walked | 4. talked | 5. began | 6. noticed | 7. talked
Choose one
Choose the Correct Preposition 1. Maria sat (at / under / between) the table. 2. Sofia walked (to / from / under) Maria's table. 3. Maria moved (to / from / between) another town. 4. Sofia walked (with / under / between) Maria to her class. 5. Maria looked (at / under / from) Anna. 6. Anna sat (in / between / from) the cafeteria. 7. Maria showed Anna the way (to / under / between) her next class.
1. at | 2. to | 3. from | 4. with | 5. at | 6. in | 7. to
Choose A, AN, or THE 1. Maria was ___ new student. 2. She sat alone in ___ big cafeteria. 3. Sofia saw ___ sad girl. 4. Sofia was ___ popular student. 5. Maria saw ___ new girl sitting alone. 6. Anna had ___ short black hair. 7. ___ kindness can grow.
1. a | 2. the | 3. a | 4. a | 5. a | 6. - | 7. -
Transformation
Change to the Past Tense 1. Maria sits alone at lunch. 2. Sofia sees Maria. 3. Sofia walks to her table. 4. They talk during lunch. 5. Maria begins to relax. 6. Maria sees Anna sitting alone. 7. Maria helps Anna.
1. Maria sat alone at lunch.
2. Sofia saw Maria.
3. Sofia walked to her table.
4. They talked during lunch.
5. Maria began to relax.
6. Maria saw Anna sitting alone.
7. Maria helped Anna.
Make the Sentences Negative 1. Maria knows everyone at school. 2. Sofia ignores Maria. 3. Maria feels comfortable on her first day. 4. Sofia helps Maria. 5. Maria forgets Sofia's kindness. 6. Anna knows everyone at school. 7. Maria leaves Anna alone.
1. Maria does not know everyone at school.
2. Sofia does not ignore Maria.
3. Maria does not feel comfortable on her first day.
4. Sofia does not ignore Maria.
5. Maria does not forget Sofia's kindness.
6. Anna does not know everyone at school.
7. Maria does not leave Anna alone.
Turn the Sentences into Questions 1. Maria is new at the school. 2. Sofia sees Maria. 3. Sofia sits with Maria. 4. Maria feels better. 5. Maria remembers Sofia. 6. Anna is new. 7. Maria helps Anna.
1. Is Maria new at the school?
2. Does Sofia see Maria?
3. Does Sofia sit with Maria?
4. Does Maria feel better?
5. Does Maria remember Sofia?
6. Is Anna new?
7. Does Maria help Anna?
Find the Adjectives
Find the adjectives in each phrase. 1. big school 2. first day 3. noisy room 4. popular girl 5. sad face 6. old friends 7. small group
1. big | 2. first | 3. noisy | 4. popular | 5. sad | 6. old | 7. small
Find the Adverbs
Find the adverb in each sentence. 1. Maria looked quietly at her food. 2. Sofia walked quickly to Maria's table. 3. Maria smiled a little. 4. Sofia listened carefully to Maria. 5. Maria answered softly. 6. Anna looked up slowly. 7. Sofia smiled warmly.
1. quietly | 2. quickly | 3. a little | 4. carefully | 5. softly | 6. slowly | 7. warmly
Speaking Activities
What Would You Do?
1. Would you talk to a new student sitting alone? 2. What would you say to someone who felt lonely? 3. Would you invite a new student to sit with your friends? 4. How would you help someone who was lost at school?
1. Yes, I would talk to them and invite them to sit with me.
2. I would tell them that things will get easier.
3. Yes, I would introduce them to my friends.
4. I would show them where their classroom is.
Rate the Story
1. How kind is Sofia? 1 = Not kind 5 = Extremely kind 2. How lonely does Maria feel? 1 = Not lonely 5 = Extremely lonely 3. How helpful is Sofia? 1 = Not helpful 5 = Extremely helpful 4. How happy is Maria at the end? 1 = Not happy 5 = Extremely happy 5. How meaningful is the ending? 1 = Not meaningful 5 = Extremely meaningful
Writing Exercise
Change the Ending
Write a new ending for the story. Keep the story the same until Maria meets Anna, but change what happens next.
Maria sat down beside Anna and started talking to her. After a few minutes, Anna smiled and began to feel more comfortable. When the bell rang, Maria showed Anna where her classroom was. The next day, Anna joined Maria and her friends for lunch. Soon, Anna made new friends and felt much happier at school. Maria was glad that she had been able to help someone in the same way Sofia had helped her.
Dialogue
Write a dialogue between Maria and Anna when Maria first sits down at Anna's table.
Maria: Hi. Can I sit here?
Anna: Yes, of course.
Maria: I'm Maria. What's your name?
Anna: I'm Anna.
Maria: Are you new here?
Anna: Yes. I don't know anyone.
Maria: I was new too. I know how you feel.
Anna: Were you scared?
Maria: Yes, I was. But it gets better.
Anna: I hope so.
Maria: It will. Come and sit with me and my friends tomorrow.
Anna: Thank you, Maria. I'd like that.