Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: a pet causing chaos in a public place
Nina and the Naughty Cat
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Nina needed to send a parcel to her friend. She put on her coat and picked up the box. Her cat, Biscuit, was sitting near the door. Nina opened the door and walked outside. Biscuit followed her, but Nina did not notice. Nina walked down the street to the post office. Biscuit ran behind her quietly. The post office was busy that morning. Many people waited in a long queue. Nina opened the door and went inside. Biscuit ran in too, very fast. He hid under a shelf near the entrance. Nina walked to the queue and waited. She held her parcel carefully.
She did not know Biscuit was inside the building. After a few minutes, Biscuit came out from under the shelf. He jumped onto the counter. A woman screamed and dropped her letters on the floor. Biscuit knocked over a pen holder. Pens rolled everywhere on the counter. People looked around in surprise. A man said, "There is a cat in here!" Nina turned around and saw Biscuit. She said, "Oh no, that is my cat!" Biscuit jumped off the counter and ran across the floor. He ran between people's legs. One man almost fell down. Papers flew off a table. A child laughed and pointed at Biscuit. The post office was very noisy now.
Nina put her parcel down on a chair. She ran after Biscuit. She called, "Biscuit, come here!" Biscuit did not listen. He climbed onto a high shelf. A worker said, "Please catch your cat quickly." Nina stood on her toes and reached up. She grabbed Biscuit gently. She held him close to her chest. Everyone in the post office watched her. Nina said, "I am very sorry about this." The worker smiled and said, "It is okay, but please leave the cat outside next time." Nina felt very embarrassed. She picked up her parcel and sent it. Then she carried Biscuit home. She never forgot to check the door again.
Key vocabulary
| parcel (noun) | a package wrapped in paper so it can be sent by post“Nina carried the parcel to the post office.” |
| queue (noun) | a line of people waiting for something“There was a long queue at the post office.” |
| counter (noun) | a long flat surface where customers are served“Biscuit jumped onto the counter.” |
| scream (verb) | to make a loud, high sound because you are afraid or surprised“The woman screamed when she saw the cat.” |
| knock over (phrasal verb) | to push something so it falls down“The cat knocked over the pen holder.” |
| embarrassed (adjective) | feeling shy or ashamed in front of other people“Nina felt very embarrassed about her cat.” |
| grab (verb) | to take something quickly with your hand“Nina grabbed Biscuit gently from the shelf.” |
| entrance (noun) | the door or opening where you go into a place“Biscuit hid under a shelf near the entrance.” |
Useful phrases
- come here — used to tell someone or an animal to move closer to you“Nina called, "Biscuit, come here!"”
- oh no — used to show surprise or worry about something bad“Nina said, "Oh no, that is my cat!"”
- I am very sorry — a polite way to apologize for something“Nina said, "I am very sorry about this."”
- next time — when this happens again in the future“Please leave the cat outside next time.”
- run after — to chase someone or something“Nina ran after Biscuit across the room.”
- pick up — to lift something from a surface using your hands“She picked up her parcel and sent it.”
- stand on your toes — to raise your heels off the ground to reach something higher“Nina stood on her toes and reached up to the shelf.”
- hold close — to keep something or someone near your body“She held Biscuit close to her chest.”
Word search
Find all 8 key words from the story. They can read forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L | Y | O | F | X | N | T | A | E | O | H | H | W |
| 2 | E | I | F | S | B | E | V | U | H | W | Q | X | G |
| 3 | T | M | V | R | S | S | C | Y | T | F | F | E | R |
| 4 | C | H | B | K | P | S | X | N | Q | R | H | U | A |
| 5 | O | D | O | A | N | N | P | O | A | L | G | E | B |
| 6 | U | G | M | P | R | O | T | C | G | R | W | U | K |
| 7 | N | U | Q | Y | E | R | C | E | P | C | T | Q | S |
| 8 | T | V | W | L | U | Z | A | K | H | T | V | N | G |
| 9 | E | S | C | R | E | A | M | S | O | H | F | A | E |
| 10 | R | C | T | T | N | V | F | J | S | V | I | L | J |
| 11 | H | N | U | J | Q | O | E | B | J | E | E | Q | N |
| 12 | L | K | R | W | B | Y | Z | C | J | Z | D | R | W |
| 13 | U | K | L | E | C | R | A | P | D | O | K | S | U |
Comprehension quiz
What did Nina need to send at the post office?
- A) A book
- B) A postcard
- C) A parcel
- D) A letter
What is the name of Nina's cat?
- A) Whiskers
- B) Ginger
- C) Fluffy
- D) Biscuit
What does the word 'queue' mean in the story?
- A) A shop counter
- B) A type of box
- C) A line of people waiting
- D) A post office worker
Where did Biscuit hide when he first entered the post office?
- A) Behind Nina
- B) On the counter
- C) Under a shelf
- D) On a chair
True or False: Nina saw Biscuit follow her to the post office.
- A) Not stated
- B) False
- C) True
- D) Not mentioned
What does 'embarrassed' mean?
- A) Feeling angry
- B) Feeling hungry
- C) Feeling tired
- D) Feeling shy or ashamed in front of others
What did Biscuit knock over on the counter?
- A) A cup of water
- B) A computer
- C) A stamp book
- D) A pen holder
True or False: The post office worker was very angry with Nina.
- A) Not mentioned
- B) False
- C) Not stated
- D) True
What does 'grab' mean in the story?
- A) To drop something
- B) To push something away
- C) To take something quickly with your hand
- D) To throw something
What did Nina do after she sent her parcel?
- A) She carried Biscuit home
- B) She went to a shop
- C) She bought food for Biscuit
- D) She stayed and talked to the worker
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. C 2. D 3. C 4. C 5. B 6. D 7. D 8. B 9. C 10. A
Word search answer key (A2 (Elementary))
Columns are lettered from the left, rows numbered from the top. The arrow shows the reading direction from the word's first letter.
counter: A4 ↓ · embarrassed: A2 ↘ · entrance: M9 ↖ · grab: M2 ↓ · knock over: D4 ↘ · parcel: H13 ← · queue: L7 ↑ · scream: B9 →