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    A Kind Word for Nour

    being praised unexpectedlya quiet reading cornerCEFR A2
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    Nour liked to read. She went to the library every day after school. There was a small reading in the back of the library. It had two soft chairs and a little lamp. Nour always sat in the same chair. She felt safe and happy there. She put her bag on the floor and took out her book. The book was about the ocean and strange sea animals. She loved learning new things. The was quiet. No one talked loudly there. Nour could read for a long time without stopping. She turned the pages slowly. She wanted to remember every word. She felt very in that . One afternoon, an older student came into the reading . His name was Tariq. Nour did not know him very well.

    He sat in the chair next to her. He looked at the book in her hands. "That book looks interesting," he said. Nour looked up. She was a little . "It is about the ocean," she said quietly. Tariq smiled. "I saw you here last week too," he said. "You always read very ." Nour did not know what to say. She felt her face get warm. She looked back at her book. Then Tariq said something that she did not . "You know, you are the best reader I have ever seen in this library." Nour . She opened her mouth but no words came out. She was very . After Tariq left, Nour sat quietly for a moment. She thought about his words. No one had ever said something like that to her before.

    She always thought she was just a normal student. She looked at her book again. She started to read, but she could not stop smiling. A walked past the reading . She saw Nour smiling. "Are you okay?" the asked. "Yes," said Nour. "Someone said something very nice to me today." The smiled too. "That is always good," she said. Nour nodded. She picked up her book again. She felt different now. She felt and happy. She read until the library closed. When she walked home, she still had a big smile on her face. She decided to read even more books after that day.

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    Key Vocabulary

    How to use these cards
    1. Read each word and its meaning.
    2. Tap “Cover the meanings”, then tap a card to check yourself.
    3. Tap “Quick quiz” for a short test. Tap “I know this” on cards you have learned.
    corner
    /ˈkɔː.nər/
    noun

    a place where two walls or sides meet; a quiet, private spot

    "Nour sat in her favorite corner of the library every day."

    peaceful
    /ˈpiːs.fəl/
    adjective

    calm and quiet; without noise or worry

    "She felt peaceful sitting in the soft chair with her book."

    surprised
    /səˈpraɪzd/
    adjective

    feeling something you did not expect

    "Nour was surprised when Tariq spoke to her."

    carefully
    /ˈkeə.fə.li/
    adverb

    giving a lot of attention to what you are doing

    "She read each page carefully so she could remember the story."

    expect
    /ɪkˈspekt/
    verb

    to think that something will happen

    "Nour did not expect anyone to praise her that day."

    blink
    /blɪŋk/
    verb

    to shut and open your eyes very quickly

    "She blinked when she heard his kind words."

    proud
    /praʊd/
    adjective

    feeling very good and happy about something you or someone else has done

    "After Tariq's kind words, Nour felt proud of herself."

    librarian
    /laɪˈbreə.ri.ən/
    noun

    a person who works in a library and helps people find books

    "The librarian smiled when she saw Nour looking so happy."

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    Useful Phrases

    How to use these cards
    1. Read each phrase and its meaning.
    2. Tap “Cover the meanings”, then tap a card to check yourself.
    3. Tap “Quick quiz” for a short test. Tap “I know this” on cards you have learned.

    take out

    to remove something from a bag or container

    "She took out her book and started to read."

    look up

    to raise your eyes to look at someone or something

    "Nour looked up when Tariq spoke to her."

    get warm

    to feel heat, often in the face when you are shy or embarrassed

    "She felt her face get warm after the kind compliment."

    no words came out

    to be unable to speak, usually because of shock or surprise

    "She opened her mouth, but no words came out."

    for a moment

    for a short time

    "Nour sat quietly for a moment and thought about what he said."

    something nice

    a kind or pleasant thing, often something said to make someone feel good

    "She told the librarian that someone had said something nice to her."

    stop smiling

    to not be able to remove a smile from your face

    "She could not stop smiling after hearing the unexpected praise."

    even more

    a greater amount than before

    "After that day, Nour decided to read even more books."

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