Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: organizing a group activity
Oscar's Big Boat Day
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Oscar lived near a marina. He loved the water and the boats. Every weekend, he walked along the docks. He liked to watch the sailboats go by. One morning, he had a great idea. He wanted to organize a group boat trip. He called his friends on the phone. He asked them all to come to the marina. His friend Mia was very excited. His friend Leo said he wanted to help. Oscar felt very happy. He wrote a list of things to do. There were many things to organize. He knew it would be a busy day.
Oscar went to the marina early in the morning. He talked to the man at the boat rental office. The man's name was Dan. Dan showed Oscar three boats. Two boats were big and one was small. Oscar chose the two big boats. He paid for the boats and got the keys. Then his friends arrived one by one. Mia brought sandwiches and cold drinks. Leo brought life jackets for everyone. Oscar gave each person a job to do. One person checked the boats. Another person counted the life jackets. Everyone worked well together.
Oscar felt proud of his group. At ten o'clock, the group was ready. Oscar stood at the front of the dock. He spoke to everyone in a loud, clear voice. He said, "Please stay with your boat partner at all times." He also said, "If you feel unsafe, raise your hand." Everyone listened carefully. They all nodded and smiled. Then they got onto the boats. Oscar steered the first boat slowly. The water was calm and blue. Mia laughed and took many photos. Leo helped a friend who was nervous. After two hours, they returned to the dock. Everyone said it was a wonderful day. Oscar was already planning the next trip.
Key vocabulary
| marina (noun) | a place where small boats are kept and looked after, usually with services nearby“Oscar walked along the marina and looked at all the boats.” |
| organize (verb) | to plan and arrange an event or activity“Oscar wanted to organize a group boat trip for his friends.” |
| rental (noun) | the act of paying to use something for a short time“He went to the boat rental office to choose a boat.” |
| life jacket (noun) | a piece of clothing that helps you float in water if you fall in“Leo brought life jackets so everyone would be safe on the water.” |
| dock (noun) | the area next to the water where boats stop and people get on or off“Oscar stood at the front of the dock and spoke to the group.” |
| calm (adjective) | quiet and still, not rough or stormy“The water was calm and blue, so the boat trip was very smooth.” |
| nervous (adjective) | feeling worried or a little scared about something“One friend felt nervous on the boat, so Leo stayed close to help.” |
| proud (adjective) | feeling happy because you or someone else did something well“Oscar felt proud because everyone worked well together.” |
Useful phrases
- had a great idea — thought of something good or clever“One morning, Oscar had a great idea to organize a boat trip.”
- one by one — arriving or happening individually, not all at the same time“His friends arrived at the marina one by one.”
- gave each person a job — assigned a specific task to every member of the group“Oscar gave each person a job so everything was organized.”
- worked well together — cooperated successfully as a team“Everyone worked well together to get the boats ready.”
- in a loud, clear voice — speaking so that everyone can hear and understand easily“Oscar spoke in a loud, clear voice so all his friends could hear him.”
- raise your hand — lift your hand up to get attention or signal something“Oscar said, "If you feel unsafe, raise your hand."”
- at all times — always, during every moment“Oscar told everyone to stay with their boat partner at all times.”
- returned to the dock — came back to the place where the boats are kept“After two hours, the group returned to the dock.”
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | O | B | R | I | Z | U | F | L | E | O | A | R |
| 2 | I | A | V | I | Q | R | B | I | J | U | L | V |
| 3 | W | M | N | T | X | N | I | F | B | I | A | G |
| 4 | Y | C | A | X | P | T | I | E | A | Y | T | L |
| 5 | B | E | L | R | S | P | K | J | Z | M | N | T |
| 6 | D | F | Z | W | I | S | M | A | I | F | E | Z |
| 7 | D | L | A | I | N | N | L | C | V | A | R | D |
| 8 | O | M | T | M | N | M | A | K | M | H | J | Y |
| 9 | C | W | S | M | I | A | D | E | W | L | C | V |
| 10 | K | Y | P | N | F | H | G | T | M | F | A | X |
| 11 | I | B | B | M | K | Q | P | R | O | U | D | C |
| 12 | C | T | Y | E | N | E | R | V | O | U | S | B |
Comprehension quiz
What did Oscar want to organize?
- A) A swimming race
- B) A fishing competition
- C) A beach party
- D) A group boat trip
Where did Oscar go early in the morning?
- A) To the park
- B) To the supermarket
- C) To Leo's house
- D) To the marina
What does the word 'calm' mean in the story?
- A) Loud and exciting
- B) Deep and dark
- C) Quiet and still
- D) Cold and rainy
Who brought the life jackets?
- A) Oscar
- B) Dan
- C) Leo
- D) Mia
What did Mia bring to the marina?
- A) Sandwiches and cold drinks
- B) Life jackets and a map
- C) A camera and a bag
- D) Rope and tools
What should a friend do if they feel unsafe on the boat?
- A) Move to another boat
- B) Call Oscar on the phone
- C) Raise their hand
- D) Jump into the water
Oscar chose two small boats from the rental office. True or False?
- A) Not mentioned
- B) False
- C) Not stated
- D) True
What does 'organize' mean?
- A) To swim in the sea
- B) To travel by boat
- C) To plan and arrange an event
- D) To buy something expensive
How long was the boat trip?
- A) Half an hour
- B) Two hours
- C) Three hours
- D) One hour
Oscar was already planning the next trip at the end of the story. True or False?
- A) True
- B) Not mentioned
- C) False
- D) Not stated
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. D 2. D 3. C 4. C 5. A 6. C 7. B 8. C 9. B 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.
calm: L11 ↖ · dock: A7 ↓ · life jacket: H1 ↓ · marina: B3 ↘ · nervous: E12 → · organize: I12 ↖ · proud: G11 → · rental: K7 ↑