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    Yara Speaks Up at the Playground

    making a polite complainta playground benchCEFR A2
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    Yara is a girl who loves the playground. Every afternoon, she goes there with her little brother. They like to sit on the bench and eat a snack. One day, Yara sits down on the bench. She opens her bag and takes out some fruit. Two older boys are sitting nearby. They are playing loud music on a speaker. The music is very loud. Yara cannot hear her brother speak. She feels a little upset. She does not want to be rude. But the is too much. She takes a deep breath. She decides to say something .

    She thinks carefully about her words. Yara walks over to the boys. She smiles at them. She says, "Excuse me, I am sorry to you." One boy looks up at her. He does not say anything at first. Yara speaks again. She says, "Could you please turn the music down a little?" She adds, "My brother and I are trying to eat our snack." The boy looks at his friend. His friend shrugs his shoulders. Then the first boy says, "Oh, sorry about that." He turns the music down. Yara says, "Thank you so much. That is very kind of you." She smiles and goes back to the bench. Her brother smiles too. He is happy the is gone. Yara sits back down on the bench.

    She feels good inside. She was , and it worked. Her brother says, "You were so , Yara!" Yara laughs a little. She says, "It was not so hard. I just asked nicely." They finish their snack together. The afternoon is now quiet and . The boys keep the music low. Everyone at the playground feels comfortable. Yara learns something important that day. She learns that a can solve a problem. You do not need to be angry. You just need to be and kind. Yara feels of herself. It is a good afternoon at the playground.

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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.
    complaint
    /kəmˈpleɪnt/
    noun

    a statement that something is wrong or not satisfactory

    "Yara makes a polite complaint about the loud music."

    polite
    /pəˈlaɪt/
    adjective

    having good manners and being respectful to others

    "Yara is polite when she talks to the boys."

    bother
    /ˈbɒð.ə/
    verb

    to disturb or cause trouble for someone

    "She says, "I am sorry to bother you.""

    noise
    /nɔɪz/
    noun

    an unpleasant or very loud sound

    "The noise from the speaker is too loud for Yara."

    brave
    /breɪv/
    adjective

    not afraid to do something difficult or scary

    "Yara's brother says she is brave for speaking up."

    calm
    /kɑːm/
    adjective

    not excited, angry, or upset; peaceful

    "Yara stays calm when she talks to the boys."

    pleasant
    /ˈplez.ənt/
    adjective

    nice and enjoyable

    "The afternoon is quiet and pleasant after the music is turned down."

    proud
    /praʊd/
    adjective

    feeling happy because you did something well

    "Yara feels proud of herself at the end of the day."

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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.

    Excuse me

    a polite way to get someone's attention

    "Yara says, "Excuse me," before she makes her complaint."

    I am sorry to bother you

    a polite phrase used when you may be disturbing someone

    "She says, "I am sorry to bother you," to show she is respectful."

    Could you please

    a polite way to make a request

    "She asks, "Could you please turn the music down?""

    turn something down

    to reduce the volume or level of something

    "The boy turns the music down after Yara asks."

    Thank you so much

    a warm and grateful way to say thank you

    "Yara says, "Thank you so much" when the boy helps her."

    speak up

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

    "Yara decides to speak up about the loud music."

    take a deep breath

    to breathe in slowly to help yourself feel calm

    "Yara takes a deep breath before she talks to the boys."

    ask nicely

    to make a request in a polite and friendly way

    "Yara says, "I just asked nicely," and it worked."

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