Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: organizing a group activity
Oscar's Day at the Marina
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Oscar walked to the marina early in the morning. The sun was bright and the water was very calm. He looked at the boats and smiled. Oscar wanted to organize a group activity for his friends. He wanted everyone to go on a boat trip together. He called his friend Mia on the phone. "Hello, Mia. Do you want to come to the marina today?" he asked. Mia said, "Yes, that sounds fun! What time?" Oscar replied, "Come at ten o'clock." Then he called his other friends, Leo and Sara. Leo was happy to come. Sara was also excited. "I love boats!" Sara said. Oscar was glad. He had four people for the trip now. He needed to find a good boat for the group. Oscar walked along the marina and looked at the different boats.
Some boats were very big and some were small. He found a medium boat that was perfect for four people. He talked to the boat owner. "How much is it to rent this boat for the day?" Oscar asked. The owner said, "It is not expensive. You can have it for the whole afternoon." Oscar was happy with the price. He waited near the boat for his friends. Mia arrived first. She carried a bag with drinks and snacks. "I brought food for everyone," she said. Leo came next. He had a camera with him. "I want to take photos of the water," Leo said. Sara arrived last. She wore a big hat and sunglasses. "Sorry I am late," she said with a smile. Everyone was ready.
Oscar helped everyone get on the boat. He showed them where to sit. "Please put on your life jackets," he said. Everyone put on their life jackets. The boat moved slowly away from the marina. The water was blue and beautiful. Mia opened the snacks and shared them with the group. Leo took many photos of the sea and the sky. Sara pointed at some fish in the water. "Look at those fish! They are so colorful!" she said. Oscar steered the boat carefully. They all laughed and talked together. It was a wonderful afternoon. "Thank you for organizing this, Oscar," Mia said. Oscar smiled and said, "We should do this again soon." Everyone agreed. It was the best day they had in a long time.
Key vocabulary
| marina (noun) | a place where boats are kept and can be tied up“We walked to the marina to see the boats.” |
| organize (verb) | to plan and arrange something“She helped organize the trip for the whole group.” |
| rent (verb) | to pay money to use something for a short time“They decided to rent a small boat for the day.” |
| life jacket (noun) | a special vest you wear to stay safe in water“Everyone must wear a life jacket on the boat.” |
| steer (verb) | to control the direction of a boat or vehicle“Oscar learned to steer the boat when he was young.” |
| snack (noun) | a small amount of food eaten between meals“Mia brought some snacks for the boat trip.” |
| excited (adjective) | feeling very happy and full of energy about something“The children were excited about the boat ride.” |
| calm (adjective) | quiet and peaceful, without strong movement“The water was calm and easy to sail on.” |
Useful phrases
- sounds fun — used to say that something seems enjoyable“"Do you want to go swimming?" "That sounds fun!"”
- How much is it? — a question to ask about the price of something“"How much is it to rent a bicycle?" she asked.”
- put on — to place something on your body, like clothes“Please put on your hat before we go outside.”
- get on — to move onto a vehicle, boat, or similar thing“We need to get on the bus quickly.”
- sorry I am late — a polite way to apologize for arriving after the planned time“"Sorry I am late. The traffic was bad," he said.”
- pointed at — used a finger to show where something is“She pointed at the bird in the tree.”
- do this again — to repeat the same activity in the future“That was a great meal. We should do this again.”
- the whole afternoon — the entire afternoon, from start to finish“They spent the whole afternoon at the beach.”
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 | D | P | N | V | Q | C | U | G | D | W | W | L |
| 2 | R | T | E | K | C | A | J | E | F | I | L | A |
| 3 | E | A | W | O | D | E | T | I | C | X | E | E |
| 4 | N | L | M | R | B | K | R | R | N | L | Q | Z |
| 5 | T | J | A | G | O | G | T | R | E | A | G | E |
| 6 | F | L | R | A | C | M | L | A | C | E | S | M |
| 7 | K | I | I | N | P | G | Y | L | Q | X | T | J |
| 8 | U | I | N | I | U | V | Q | N | L | N | V | S |
| 9 | Q | U | A | Z | O | L | F | N | F | D | A | W |
| 10 | G | T | P | E | M | L | H | H | D | J | M | K |
| 11 | Z | H | P | E | H | W | S | N | A | C | K | X |
| 12 | U | H | W | N | B | X | P | L | C | Z | Y | K |
Comprehension quiz
Why did Oscar go to the marina?
- A) To learn to swim
- B) To organize a group activity
- C) To meet the boat owner
- D) To buy a boat
How many friends did Oscar invite?
- A) Four
- B) Five
- C) Three
- D) Two
What does the word 'calm' mean in the story?
- A) Cold and windy
- B) Dark and cloudy
- C) Quiet and peaceful
- D) Very hot
Who brought food and drinks for the group?
- A) Oscar
- B) Mia
- C) Leo
- D) Sara
Oscar rented a very large boat for the trip.
- A) Not stated
- B) Not mentioned
- C) False
- D) True
What does 'steer' mean?
- A) To clean a boat
- B) To paint a boat
- C) To control the direction of a boat
- D) To stop a boat
What did Leo bring to the marina?
- A) A camera
- B) A hat
- C) A life jacket
- D) Food
Why did Sara arrive last?
- A) She was sleeping
- B) She missed the bus
- C) The story does not say why
- D) She forgot the time
Everyone wore life jackets on the boat.
- A) Not mentioned
- B) Not stated
- C) False
- D) True
What does 'rent' mean in the story?
- A) To pay to use something for a short time
- B) To break something
- C) To give something away
- D) To buy something forever
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. B 2. C 3. C 4. B 5. C 6. C 7. A 8. C 9. D 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: I6 ← · excited: K3 ← · life jacket: K2 ← · marina: C4 ↓ · organize: D3 ↓ · rent: A2 ↓ · snack: G11 → · steer: L8 ↖