4000 Essential English Words

caterpillar emerged 
from a hole in 
the w all w hile Katie was playing in the living room.
“ Hey!” Katie yelled. “ Do you want to play w ith me?”
Cory was 
reluctant. 
He said, “ I’ d rather not play with you. I have several 
handicaps.
My body is very 
delicate. 
Your claws are as sharp as 
hooks. 
You m ight cut me. Plus, I 
have no bones, not even a 
spine. 
You could easily hurt me.”
“ I 
swear 
that I w on’t hurt you,” Katie said.
“ No, I don’t want to ,” he said again. He 
hopped 
from the wall, but Katie 
pursued
him.
Cory ran into the kitchen and into the 
cupboard, 
but Katie chased closely behind. 
Katie knocked 
appliances 
to the floor. Plates fell into the sink and broke in the 
basin.
Then he ran into a bedroom. Some 
laundry 
was on the floor. Cory hid under a shirt, 
but Katie saw him. She jum ped on the shirt. Her paws left 
stains 
on the cloth, and her 
claws ripped the 
sleeves 
into 
strips.
However, Cory escaped. He 
utilized 
a small crack in the floor to hide. But Katie saw 
him.
“ Now you are trapped!” said Katie.
Cory tried to avoid Katie’ s claws. He moved his body as far into the hole as possible. 
He d id n ’t know how he’ d get out o fth e hole.
Just then, Katie’s owner came home. She saw tha t the house was a mess. She took a 
broom 
and 
swung 
it at Katie. She chased Katie out o fth e house.
Cory was safe, and Katie was left outside because she d id n ’t listen to the wishes of 
others.

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[jy^E‘0’ A Mark each statement T for true or F for false. Rewrite the false 
statements to make them true.
1.
Katie pursued Cory around the house.
2.
The caterpillar had only one bone, his spine.
3.
Katie swore not to hurt Cory.
4.
Cory hopped o ff the counter and ran into the cupboard.
5.
Katie’ s dirty paws stained the shirt.
6.
Katie’s owner chased Katie out o fth e house.
PZMF B Answer the questions.
1. Which is NOT a reason that Cory was reluctant about playing with Katie? 
a. Katie had dirty paws. 
b. Katie had sharp claws.
c. His body was delicate. 
d. He had several handicaps.
2. Where was Katie playing when Cory emerged from the wall? 
a. On the counter 
b. In some laundry
c. In the living room 
d. In the kitchen
3. Katie did all o fth e follow ing damage EXCEPT 
.
a. knock appliances on the floor 
b. break plates in the basin
c. crack the kitchen door 
d. rip the sleeves of a shirt into strips
4. What did Katie’ s owner swing at her?
a. A broom 
b. A shirt
c. Appliances 
d. Laundry

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