Vocabulary List: 13 words

1. Cacophony: A harsh, loud mixture of sounds.
2. Minuscule: Extremely small; tiny.
3. Liberated: To be set free.
4. Profound: Felt or experienced very strongly.
5. Frantically: In a wild, hurried, and worried way.
6. Instinctively: Acting on a natural feeling without thinking.
7. Desperation: A feeling of hopelessness that makes you willing to do anything.
8. Hesitation: The act of pausing before doing something, especially because you are nervous.
9. Daunting: Seeming difficult and likely to make you feel worried.
10. Summoned: To gather up something, like courage or strength.
11. Cavernous: Like a cave; very large and deep.
12. Labyrinth: A place with many confusing paths or passages; a maze.
13. Empathy: The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

📖 Vocabulary Practice 1: Unscramble the Letters

📖Vocabulary Practice 2: Fill in the blanks

Instructions: Complete each sentence by choosing the correct word from the word bank below. Each word will only be used once.

Maria’s Big Day

Maria was a second grader with bright, curious eyes that noticed everything. She loved adventures, and today felt like a big one. Her class was taking a trip to the city’s recycling center. The bus ride was a happy cacophony of songs and laughter. Maria bounced in her seat, imagining the huge machines and mountains of materials they were going to see. She couldn’t wait.
When they arrived, the recycling center was even bigger than she had imagined. It was a single, cavernous room that echoed with noise. Giant piles of paper stood like skyscrapers, and mountains of colorful plastic bottles shimmered under the warehouse lights. The air smelled of metal and damp paper.

A guide showed them how big machines sorted everything with loud clanks and whirs. The whole place was like a giant, noisy labyrinth of conveyor belts and bins. Maria watched, fascinated by the organized chaos. It was interesting how old, forgotten things were being prepared to become something new.
As the class walked past a tall bin overflowing with cardboard, Maria heard a minuscule sound. Chirp, chirp, chirp! It was a weak, scared sound, almost lost in the noise of the machinery. She paused, letting her friends walk ahead. She scanned the area, her eyes searching for the source of the tiny plea.

Her eyes landed on a huge cardboard box that had been flattened and folded over. Tucked deep inside a fold, so small she almost missed it, was a little brown bird. It was completely trapped. Its wings fluttered frantically, but it was stuck fast.

Maria’s heart gave a sad little thump inside her chest. The bird was in trouble, and the big machines were getting closer to this area. She knew, instinctively, that she had to do something, and she had to do it quickly. The little creature’s life might depend on it.

A feeling of desperation began to creep in as Maria looked around. Her teacher was listening to the guide, and her friends were laughing at a machine that crushed cans with a loud CRUNCH. No one else had heard the tiny chirps. “I have to help it,” she whispered to herself. She grabbed the edge of the flattened box and pulled with all her might. It was heavy and awkward, and it barely moved an inch.
The task felt daunting. She looked around for a tool, maybe a stick or a piece of metal she could use to pry the cardboard open. But the floor was clean and clear. There was nothing she could use. She tried to pull the thick layers of cardboard apart gently with her fingers, but they were too strong. Maria felt a wave of hopelessness wash over her.

Just then, Maria saw a man in a bright yellow vest sorting cans nearby. He had a kind face. Maria felt shy. Her stomach did a little flip. What if he was too busy? What if he thought she was being silly and getting in the way? The man seemed focused on his work, and she didn’t want to interrupt him.

She stood there for a long moment, her hesitation feeling like a heavy weight. But then she thought about the distressed bird, and a feeling of determination pushed her shyness away. She summoned all her courage. She had to try.

She took a deep breath and walked over to him. “Excuse me,” she said in a small but clear voice. The man stopped his work immediately and looked down at her, his expression showing warmth and empathy. “A bird, you say? Show me.” He approached the box with Maria to see the problem.

“You have very good eyes,” the worker said to Maria. “Let’s see if we can get your little friend out.” He carefully took hold of the heavy cardboard with his strong hands and lifted one side, creating a small opening. Whoosh! In a flash of brown feathers, the liberated bird flew out of the box.

It soared up, circled once in the big, open room as if to say thank you, and then zipped out through a high window into the blue sky. Maria watched it go, a huge smile on her face. She felt a profound sense of relief and accomplishment bubble up inside her chest. The worker patted her shoulder. “That was a very kind thing to do,” he said.

For the rest of the day, Maria couldn’t stop thinking about the bird. On the bus ride home, the loud noises of her friends faded away as she looked out the window. She had learned that even in a big, busy world, it was important to pay attention to the small things. She felt proud. She had noticed something no one else did, and because of her, a little creature was free.

📒 Reading Comprehension Questions: