Read the passage carefully before attempting Exercise 1 (Multiple Choice) and Exercise 2 (Fill in the blanks dropdown) below.
Priya was already running late when she arrived at school on Thursday morning. She forgot her geography homework at home, and her teacher, Mr. Osei, was not happy about it. “You have to bring it tomorrow, Priya,” he said in a serious voice. Priya felt her face go red. The whole class was looking at her.
At lunch, things got worse. Priya was carrying her food tray across the busy cafeteria when she slipped on a wet floor. Her soup went everywhere — on the table, on the floor, and on another student’s jacket. “I’m so sorry!” she said quickly, but the boy just looked at her without saying anything. Priya wanted to disappear. She sat down alone and couldn’t eat much. She was feeling more miserable than she had all morning.
After school, Priya called her older sister, Deepa. “Today was the worst day ever,” she said. Deepa laughed a little and said, “I had days like that too. They feel terrible, but tomorrow will be better. Just do your homework tonight!” Priya smiled at that. She went home, finished her geography homework, and decided that tomorrow was going to be a fresh start. Sometimes a bad day teaches you something useful.
Exercise 1
Read the passage about a difficult day at school carefully, then choose the correct answer for each question based on the text.
Example: Why was Tom late for school?
Answer: Tom was late for school because he missed the bus.
A Difficult Day at School
Have you ever had a day at school when everything seemed to go wrong? Before you read, think about these two questions: What kinds of problems can happen at school? And how do you feel when something embarrassing happens in front of your classmates? Keep these questions in mind as you read about Priya's very difficult Thursday.
Reading Passage: The Worst Thursday
Priya was already running late when she arrived at school on Thursday morning. She forgot her geography homework at home, and her teacher, Mr. Osei, was not happy about it. "You have to bring it tomorrow, Priya," he said in a serious voice. Priya felt her face go red. The whole class was looking at her.
At lunch, things got worse. Priya was carrying her food tray across the busy cafeteria when she slipped on a wet floor. Her soup went everywhere — on the table, on the floor, and on another student's jacket. "I'm so sorry!" she said quickly, but the boy just looked at her without saying anything. Priya wanted to disappear. She sat down alone and couldn't eat much. She was feeling more miserable than she had all morning.
After school, Priya called her older sister, Deepa. "Today was the worst day ever," she said. Deepa laughed a little and said, "I had days like that too. They feel terrible, but tomorrow will be better. Just do your homework tonight!" Priya smiled at that. She went home, finished her geography homework, and decided that tomorrow was going to be a fresh start. Sometimes a bad day teaches you something useful.
Key Vocabulary in Context
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| running late | phrase | arriving or doing something after the expected time | She was running late because the bus didn't come on time. |
| serious | adjective | not joking; showing that something is important or a problem | The teacher used a serious voice when the students were too noisy. |
| tray | noun | a flat object used to carry food and drinks | He put his lunch on a tray and walked to the table. |
| slipped | verb (past simple) | accidentally slid and lost your balance on a slippery surface | She slipped on the wet floor and dropped her bag. |
| miserable | adjective | very unhappy or uncomfortable | He felt miserable after arguing with his best friend. |
| disappear | verb | to go away so that nobody can see you | After the embarrassing moment, she wanted to disappear. |
| fresh start | phrase | a new beginning, when you try again after a problem | Moving to a new school gave him a chance for a fresh start. |
| embarrassing | adjective | making you feel uncomfortable or ashamed in front of others | Forgetting someone's name is very embarrassing. |
Reading Strategies & Comprehension Tips
Skimming the Passage
Before reading every word, skim the passage quickly. Look at the title, the first sentence of each paragraph, and any important words. This helps you understand the general topic. For example, from the title "The Worst Thursday" and a quick skim, you can already guess the text is about a bad day and the problems Priya had.
Scanning for Specific Information
When a question asks for a specific detail — for example, what happened in the cafeteria or who Priya called after school — scan the passage quickly. Do not re-read everything. Look for key words like cafeteria, lunch, or called, and go directly to that part of the text.
Understanding the Order of Events
This story follows a time order: morning, lunchtime, and after school. Pay attention to time words like at lunch, after school, and tomorrow. These words help you follow the sequence of events and answer questions about what happened first, next, or last.
Understanding Feelings
The text describes how Priya feels using words like miserable and phrases like wanted to disappear. When you see emotional language, ask yourself: Why does she feel this way? The answer is usually in the same sentence or the one just before it.
Common Reading Pitfalls & Traps
Pitfall 1: Confusing who said what
The passage includes dialogue from Mr. Osei, the boy in the cafeteria, Deepa, and Priya herself. Be careful to notice who is speaking. For example, it is Deepa who says "tomorrow will be better" — not Priya's teacher or a classmate. Questions may try to confuse you about which character said which words.
Pitfall 2: Misreading "the boy just looked at her without saying anything"
Some students think the boy was angry because he said nothing. However, the text does not say he was angry. It only says he looked at her without speaking. Do not add information that is not in the text. Stick to what the passage actually tells you.
Pitfall 3: Thinking Priya's day ended badly
The title says "The Worst Thursday", but the ending is actually more positive. Priya speaks to Deepa, smiles, finishes her homework, and decides to have a fresh start. Be careful not to choose answers that say Priya was still very unhappy at the end of the story.
Pitfall 4: The meaning of "fresh start"
A fresh start does not mean Priya forgot her problems. It means she decided to try again and do better the next day. Do not confuse this phrase with simply "starting a new school" or "forgetting what happened."
Quick Summary
In this passage, we follow Priya through a very difficult Thursday at school. She forgot her homework, embarrassed herself in the cafeteria, and felt very unhappy. However, after speaking with her sister Deepa, she felt more positive and decided to make the next day better. The story shows that even bad days can teach us something, and that talking to someone you trust can really help.
Now read the passage carefully and complete Exercise 1 (Multiple Choice) and Exercise 2 (Fill-in-the-gap dropdown) below.
📄 Download the A Difficult Day at School PDF
Download this A Difficult Day at School grammar lesson as a free printable PDF.
It includes grammar rules, examples, and explanations so you can study offline anytime.