Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: making a polite complaint
Yara Speaks Up at the Playground
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
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 noise is too much. She takes a deep breath. She decides to say something polite.
She thinks carefully about her words. Yara walks over to the boys. She smiles at them. She says, "Excuse me, I am sorry to bother 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 noise is gone. Yara sits back down on the bench.
She feels good inside. She was polite, and it worked. Her brother says, "You were so brave, 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 pleasant. The boys keep the music low. Everyone at the playground feels comfortable. Yara learns something important that day. She learns that a polite complaint can solve a problem. You do not need to be angry. You just need to be calm and kind. Yara feels proud of herself. It is a good afternoon at the playground.
Key vocabulary
| complaint (noun) | a statement that something is wrong or not satisfactory“Yara makes a polite complaint about the loud music.” |
| polite (adjective) | having good manners and being respectful to others“Yara is polite when she talks to the boys.” |
| bother (verb) | to disturb or cause trouble for someone“She says, "I am sorry to bother you."” |
| noise (noun) | an unpleasant or very loud sound“The noise from the speaker is too loud for Yara.” |
| brave (adjective) | not afraid to do something difficult or scary“Yara's brother says she is brave for speaking up.” |
| calm (adjective) | not excited, angry, or upset; peaceful“Yara stays calm when she talks to the boys.” |
| pleasant (adjective) | nice and enjoyable“The afternoon is quiet and pleasant after the music is turned down.” |
| proud (adjective) | feeling happy because you did something well“Yara feels proud of herself at the end of the day.” |
Useful phrases
- 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.”
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | S | P | A | B | E | L | L | M | T | B | N |
| 2 | C | G | R | V | T | Q | L | N | S | N | Z |
| 3 | C | O | A | O | C | M | A | H | O | L | Y |
| 4 | K | R | M | T | U | S | J | I | C | O | A |
| 5 | B | R | T | P | A | D | S | Z | A | V | S |
| 6 | E | E | E | E | L | E | J | B | L | D | M |
| 7 | W | K | L | H | K | A | J | E | M | Z | W |
| 8 | N | P | H | W | T | S | I | G | W | T | G |
| 9 | T | M | Y | F | O | O | D | N | Z | K | A |
| 10 | A | S | Y | M | O | L | B | R | T | B | U |
| 11 | P | O | L | I | T | E | P | M | J | S | O |
Comprehension quiz
Where does Yara go every afternoon?
- A) To the playground
- B) To school
- C) To the library
- D) To the shops
Why is Yara upset at the beginning of the story?
- A) The bench is broken
- B) The music is too loud
- C) She cannot find her snack
- D) Her brother is crying
What does Yara say first to the boys?
- A) "Excuse me, I am sorry to bother you."
- B) "Thank you so much."
- C) "Turn that music off!"
- D) "Could you please be quiet?"
What does the word "polite" mean?
- A) Feeling sad and upset
- B) Angry and loud
- C) Talking very quickly
- D) Having good manners and being respectful
What does the boy do after Yara makes her request?
- A) He turns the music up louder
- B) He calls his friends
- C) He turns the music down
- D) He walks away
What does Yara's brother say to her after she speaks to the boys?
- A) "Let's go home, Yara."
- B) "That was not very nice, Yara."
- C) "You were so brave, Yara!"
- D) "I am hungry, Yara."
Which phrase means "to reduce the volume of something"?
- A) Ask nicely
- B) Take a deep breath
- C) Speak up
- D) Turn something down
Yara shouts at the boys to stop the music. True or False?
- A) Not stated
- B) True
- C) False
- D) Not mentioned
What does Yara learn at the end of the story?
- A) That music is always bad
- B) That a polite complaint can solve a problem
- C) That boys are never kind
- D) That playgrounds are too noisy
How does Yara feel at the end of the story?
- A) Angry and tired
- B) Sad and lonely
- C) Proud and happy
- D) Scared and nervous
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. A 2. B 3. A 4. D 5. C 6. C 7. D 8. C 9. B 10. C
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.
bother: G10 ↖ · brave: A5 ↗ · calm: I4 ↓ · complaint: A2 ↘ · noise: J2 ↙ · pleasant: B8 ↗ · polite: A11 → · proud: B1 ↘