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    Darius and the Garden Plan

    negotiating a small change to a plana botanical gardenCEFR A2
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    Darius loved the botanical garden. He went there every week. It was a big, green place with many flowers and trees. One day, his friend group made a . They wanted to meet at the garden at nine o'clock in the morning. Darius looked at the . He read it carefully. He thought about it for a long time. He wanted to one small thing. He did not want to meet at nine o'clock. Nine o'clock was too early for him. He wanted to meet at eleven o'clock instead. He felt a little . He did not want to his friends. But he decided to talk to them. Darius called his friend Sofia. "Sofia, I have a question about our ," he said.

    "Of course! What is it?" Sofia asked. "Can we meet at eleven o'clock instead of nine?" Darius asked. "Nine o'clock is a little early for me." Sofia was quiet for a moment. Then she said, "That is okay with me. But we need to ask the others." Darius felt happy. He sent a message to the group. "Hello everyone. Can we the meeting time? Can we meet at eleven o'clock?" he wrote. His friend Milo first. "I am fine with eleven," Milo said. His friend Priya next. "Eleven is better for me too!" she said. Darius smiled. Everyone with the . The next morning, Darius at the botanical garden at eleven o'clock.

    His friends were already there. Sofia was near the rose garden. Milo was looking at a tall tree. Priya was reading a sign about plants. "Good morning!" Darius said. "Good morning!" his friends . They all walked together through the garden. They saw many beautiful flowers. They sat near a small pond and had a drink. "I am glad we the time," Darius said. "This is perfect." Sofia laughed. "You were right," she said. "Eleven o'clock is much nicer." Darius felt very happy. It was a wonderful morning. He was glad he asked his friends about the . Next time, he would speak up sooner.

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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.
    plan
    /plæn/
    noun

    an arrangement or decision about what to do

    "The friends made a plan to meet at the garden."

    nervous
    /ˈnɜː.vəs/
    adjective

    feeling worried or a little afraid about something

    "Darius felt nervous before talking to his friends."

    change
    /tʃeɪndʒ/
    verb

    to make something different from before

    "He wanted to change the meeting time."

    agree
    /əˈɡriː/
    verb

    to say yes to something; to have the same opinion

    "Everyone agreed with the new time."

    reply
    /rɪˈplaɪ/
    verb

    to answer someone

    "Milo replied to Darius's message quickly."

    tropical
    /ˈtrɒp.ɪ.kəl/
    adjective

    relating to very warm and wet parts of the world

    "Priya read a sign about tropical plants."

    upset
    /ʌpˈset/
    verb

    to make someone feel sad or unhappy

    "Darius did not want to upset his friends."

    arrive
    /əˈraɪv/
    verb

    to reach a place

    "Darius arrived at the garden at eleven o'clock."

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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.

    instead of

    in place of something else

    "Can we meet at eleven instead of nine?"

    that is okay with me

    used to show you accept or agree with something

    ""That is okay with me," Sofia said."

    speak up

    to say what you think or feel, especially when it is hard

    "Next time, Darius would speak up sooner."

    I am fine with

    used to show you are happy to accept something

    ""I am fine with eleven," Milo said."

    I am glad

    used to say you are happy about something

    ""I am glad we changed the time," Darius said."

    for a moment

    for a short time

    "Sofia was quiet for a moment before she answered."

    you were right

    used to tell someone their idea or decision was correct

    ""You were right," Sofia said. "Eleven o'clock is nicer.""

    Can we change

    a polite way to ask to make something different

    ""Can we change the meeting time?" Darius asked."

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