Fiction · Level 2 · 105 words

The Spare Key

Original passage © Studio AM, written for Fluency.

Dev kept the spare key under the third flowerpot, the cracked one, because no one would think to look there. His neighbor, old Mr. Okafor, knew about it. So when Dev's phone buzzed at work with a photo of his front door standing open, he did not panic.

The message under the photo read: Your cat got out. I put her back. Locked up. Key returned. Dev set down his sandwich and smiled at the screen.

He had never told Mr. Okafor he was grateful for these small rescues. He decided that tonight he would knock on the old man's door and finally say it.

Comprehension questions

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5 questions
1. Why does Dev NOT panic when he sees the photo of his open door?

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B. He trusts Mr. Okafor, who has the key
Mr. Okafor knows where the spare key is, and the message shows he handled the problem, so Dev stays calm.

2. What does Dev's plan to knock on the door suggest about him?

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B. He feels he has overlooked thanking someone kind
He realizes he 'never told' the old man he was grateful and decides to finally say it.

3. Here, 'rescues' refers to

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B. helpful acts that fix small problems
The 'small rescues' are Mr. Okafor's quiet acts of help, like returning the cat and locking up.

4. What is this story mostly about?

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C. A kind neighbor's quiet help and Dev's plan to finally thank him
Mr. Okafor uses the spare key to rescue the cat and lock up, and Dev realizes he has never said thank you for these "small rescues." He decides that tonight he finally will.

5. Where did Dev keep the spare key?

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B. Under the third flowerpot, the cracked one
The first line says it: Dev kept the key "under the third flowerpot, the cracked one, because no one would think to look there."

Source: Written for Fluency. Original passage © Studio AM, written for Fluency.