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A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2
LENGTH
25 Words (15 sec) 50 Words (30 sec) 75 Words (45 sec) 100 Words (1 min) 125 Words (1 min 15 sec) 150 Words (1 min 30 sec) 175 Words (1 min 45 sec) 200 Words (2 min) 250 Words (2 min 30 sec) 300 Words (3 min) 350 Words (3 min 30 sec) 400 Words (4 min) 500 Words (5 min) 600 Words (6 min) 1000 Words (10 min) 1500 Words (15 min) 2000 Words (20 min)
CATEGORY
Adventure Ambition Art Breakups Career Childhood Coming of Age Confidence Courage Crime Customer Service Determination Drama Emotional Empathy Everyday Life Family Fantasy Fate Fear Feel-Good First Job Food Freedom Friendship Gratitude Grief Healing Hope Horror Identity Independence Inspirational Job Hunting Justice Kindness Life Lessons Loss Love Marriage Mindfulness Miscommunication Mystery Nature New Beginnings Ocean life Parenthood Patience Personal Growth Relationships Responsibility Romance School Secrets Self-Discovery Siblings Social Issues Suspense Technology Tragedy Transformation Travel Wisdom Work comedy horror
LEVEL
A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2
ABOUT
WRITE
House key lying on the ground near a park bench

The Lost Key

Loss Fear Hope Social Issues Everyday Life School Childhood Life Lessons
A2
300 Words - 3 min

Story Audio

Story Reading

Liam came home after school. He looked in his backpack for his house key. It was not there. He checked every pocket. He looked in his lunch bag. He looked on the ground near his front door. The key was not there. Liam felt worried.

He tried to remember where he went that day. He remembered one thing. He stopped at the playground. He watched his friends play soccer. Maybe the key fell out of his pocket there. He decided to go back and look.

Liam walked to the park. He looked near the benches. He looked near the swings. He looked on the path. He looked very carefully. He did not want to lose his key forever. His heart was beating fast.

After a few minutes, he saw something small. It was shining under a bench. Liam walked closer. He looked again. It was his key! He felt very happy and excited.

A woman was sitting near the bench. She smiled at Liam. She said, "I saw the key earlier. I hoped the owner would come back for it." Liam said thank you. He was glad she watched the key for him.

This time, Liam did not put the key in his backpack. He put it in a small pocket with a zipper. He closed the zipper carefully and checked it twice. Now the key could not fall out again.

Liam walked home slowly and thought about the lucky day. He took out his key. He opened his front door. He felt happy and relieved. His key was safe, and he was home.

From that day, Liam always checked his pocket before he left the house. He touched the zipper to make sure the key was there. He never wanted to lose his key again. He learned an important lesson that day: always keep important things in a safe place.

Vocabulary Exercises

Match 

Match the Words with Their Meanings

1. worried              a. feeling happy because a problem is over
2. playground           b. a place where children can play
3. shining              c. feeling nervous or concerned
4. owner                d. a person who owns something
5. zipper               e. giving light or reflecting light
6. relieved             f. a device used to open and close clothing or bags
7. important            g. having great value or meaning
1. c | 2. b | 3. e | 4. d | 5. f | 6. a | 7. g

Fill in the blanks 

Fill in the blanks with the words below:

worried - owner - zipper - relieved - important - playground - shining

1. Liam felt ______ when he could not find his key.
2. He remembered stopping at the ______.
3. He saw something ______ under a bench.
4. The woman hoped the ______ would come back.
5. Liam put the key in a pocket with a ______.
6. He felt happy and ______ when he found his key.
7. The lesson was to keep ______ things in a safe place.
1. worried | 2. playground | 3. shining | 4. owner | 5. zipper | 6. relieved | 7. important

Odd One Out 

Odd One Out

1. worried - nervous - concerned - happy

2. playground - park - garden - backpack

3. shining - bright - glowing - dark

4. owner - holder - person - key

5. zipper - pocket - backpack - soccer

6. relieved - happy - calm - worried

7. important - valuable - necessary - useless
1. happy | 2. backpack | 3. dark | 4. key | 5. soccer | 6. worried | 7. useless

Comprehension Exercises

True/False 

Answer with True or False

1. Liam could not find his house key after school.
2. Liam immediately went to the playground.
3. Liam looked near the benches and swings.
4. Liam found the key under a bench.
5. A woman had seen the key earlier.
6. Liam put the key back in his backpack.
7. Liam learned to keep important things in a safe place.
1. True | 2. False | 3. True | 4. True | 5. True | 6. False | 7. True

Multiple Choice 

1. When did Liam look for his key?

a. Before school
b. After school
c. Before lunch
d. At night

2. Where did Liam think he might have lost the key?

a. At the playground
b. At school
c. At the store
d. On the bus

3. Where did Liam find the key?

a. Near the swings
b. On the path
c. Under a bench
d. In his backpack

4. Who was sitting near the bench?

a. Liam's friend
b. His teacher
c. A woman
d. His mother

5. Where did Liam put the key after finding it?

a. In his lunch bag
b. In a small pocket with a zipper
c. Under the bench
d. In his hand

6. How did Liam feel when he found the key?

a. Angry and tired
b. Sad and worried
c. Happy and excited
d. Nervous and afraid

7. What lesson did Liam learn?

a. Never go to the playground.
b. Always play soccer after school.
c. Always keep important things in a safe place.
d. Never talk to strangers.
1. b | 2. a | 3. c | 4. c | 5. b | 6. c | 7. c

Ordering 

Put the Events in Order

1. ___ Liam finds his key under a bench.
2. ___ Liam comes home after school.
3. ___ Liam remembers going to the playground.
4. ___ A woman tells Liam she saw the key.
5. ___ Liam puts the key in a zipped pocket.
6. ___ Liam looks near the benches and swings.
7. ___ Liam opens his front door.
1. 2 | 2. 1 | 3. 3 | 4. 4 | 5. 6 | 6. 5 | 7. 7

Find the Evidence 

Find a phrase from the story that supports each statement.

1. Liam cannot find his house key.
2. Liam thinks he may have lost the key at the playground.
3. Liam searches carefully for the key.
4. Liam finds the key under a bench.
5. A woman saw the key before Liam found it.
6. Liam keeps the key in a safer place.
7. Liam learns an important lesson.
1. "The key was not there." 2. "Maybe the key fell out of his pocket there." 3. "He looked very carefully." 4. "It was shining under a bench." 5. "I saw the key earlier." 6. "He put it in a small pocket with a zipper." 7. "always keep important things in a safe place."

Grammar Exercises

Fill in the blanks 

Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Verb

Past Simple

1. Liam ______ home after school. (come)
2. He ______ in his backpack for his key. (look)
3. He ______ every pocket. (check)
4. Liam ______ to the park. (walk)
5. He ______ the key under a bench. (find)
6. The woman ______ him about the key. (tell)
7. Liam ______ his front door. (open)
1. came | 2. looked | 3. checked | 4. walked | 5. found | 6. told | 7. opened

Choose one 

Choose the Correct Preposition

1. Liam came home (after / under / between) school.
2. He looked (in / on / between) his backpack.
3. He looked (near / under / from) his front door.
4. Liam walked (to / at / between) the park.
5. He found the key (under / through / beside) a bench.
6. A woman was sitting (near / into / from) the bench.
7. Liam walked (to / under / between) his home.
1. after | 2. in | 3. near | 4. to | 5. under | 6. near | 7. to 
Choose A, AN, or THE

1. Liam looked for ___ house key.
2. He went to ___ playground.
3. He saw ___ woman near the bench.
4. He found ___ key under the bench.
5. She had seen ___ key earlier.
6. Liam put it in ___ small pocket.
7. He learned ___ important lesson.
1. a | 2. the | 3. a | 4. the | 5. the | 6. a | 7. an

Transformation 

Change to the Past Tense

1. Liam comes home after school.
2. He checks every pocket.
3. He looks near the front door.
4. Liam walks to the park.
5. He finds the key under a bench.
6. The woman smiles at Liam.
7. He opens his front door.
1. Liam came home after school. 2. He checked every pocket. 3. He looked near the front door. 4. Liam walked to the park. 5. He found the key under a bench. 6. The woman smiled at Liam. 7. He opened his front door. 
Make the Sentences Negative

1. Liam finds his key in his backpack.
2. He knows where the key is.
3. Liam walks to the park.
4. The key is on the ground.
5. The woman ignores Liam.
6. Liam puts the key in his backpack.
7. He loses the key again.
1. Liam does not find his key in his backpack. 2. He does not know where the key is. 3. Liam does not walk to the park. 4. The key is not on the ground. 5. The woman does not ignore Liam. 6. Liam does not put the key in his backpack. 7. He does not lose the key again. 
Turn the Sentences into Questions

1. Liam comes home after school.
2. He checks his backpack.
3. Liam walks to the park.
4. He finds the key under a bench.
5. The woman sees the key.
6. Liam puts the key in a zipped pocket.
7. He opens his front door.
1. Does Liam come home after school? 2. Does he check his backpack? 3. Does Liam walk to the park? 4. Does he find the key under a bench? 5. Does the woman see the key? 6. Does Liam put the key in a zipped pocket? 7. Does he open his front door?

Find the Adjectives 

Find the adjectives in each phrase.

1. cold ground
2. small pocket
3. important things
4. happy day
5. new office
6. big hotel
7. cheap room
1. cold 2. small 3. important 4. happy 5. new 6. big 7. cheap

Find the Adverbs 

Find the adverb in each sentence.

1. Liam looked carefully near the bench.
2. He walked slowly to the park.
3. He looked around carefully.
4. Liam finally found his key.
5. He slowly opened the front door.
6. He always checked his pocket.
7. He carefully closed the zipper.
1. carefully 2. slowly 3. carefully 4. finally 5. slowly 6. always 7. carefully

Speaking Activities

Discussion 

Why do you think Liam lost his key?
He probably forgot to put it in a safe place while he was at school or the playground. 
Do you think Liam was worried when he could not find his key?
Yes, he was probably worried because he needed the key to get into his house. 
Was Liam right to return to the playground?
Yes. He remembered stopping there, so it was a good place to search. 
Do you think the woman did the right thing?
Yes. She kept an eye on the key and waited for its owner to return. 
What could Liam have done to avoid losing his key?
He could have kept it in a safe pocket or checked that he still had it before leaving the playground. 
Where would you keep your house key?
I would keep it in a secure, zippered pocket.

Rate the Story 

How realistic is the story?

1 = Not realistic
5 = Very realistic

2. How easy was the story to understand?

1 = Very difficult
5 = Very easy

3. How worried do you think Liam was?

1 = Not worried
5 = Extremely worried

4. How helpful was the woman?

1 = Not helpful
5 = Extremely helpful

5. How carefully did Liam search for his key?

1 = Not carefully
5 = Very carefully

6. How happy was Liam at the end?

1 = Not happy
5 = Extremely happy

7. How useful is the lesson of the story?

1 = Not useful
5 = Very useful

Writing Exercise

Change the Ending 

Write a new ending for the story. Keep the story the same until Liam finds the key, but change what happens next.
Liam picked up the key and thanked the woman. He decided to check the key carefully before going home. Then he noticed that it was not his key. He felt worried again. The woman helped him look around the park, and after a few minutes, Liam found his real key near the swings. He thanked her again and walked home happily. From that day, he always checked his pockets before leaving any place.

Dialogue 

Write a dialogue between Liam and the woman after Liam finds the key.
Liam: Is this my key? Woman: Yes, I think it is. Liam: Oh, yes! It is mine. Thank you! Woman: You're welcome. I saw it under the bench earlier. Liam: I was very worried about losing it. Woman: I'm glad you came back to look for it. Liam: I will be more careful with it next time. Woman: That's a good idea.