Saturday morning, I promised myself that I would finally join the neighborhood cleanup. Work emails had chased me all week, so I told myself to put the phone away and give the street a little love. When I reached the park, the volunteer captain waved at me and handed me a bright vest. “You’re with Team Maple,” she said. I introduced myself to the group and met Tasha and Arun.
We started near the bus stop. A man thanked us and said the bench had bothered him for months. Tasha passed me the grabber tool, and I told myself to watch for sharp cans. At one point, a gust of wind tried to steal our trash bags, and I found myself chasing plastic like a cartoon hero. “Catch me if you can!” I joked to myself as the bag jumped the curb.
By noon, the captain called us back for pizza. She asked me to say a few words because “you kept everyone smiling.” I reminded myself to be quick: “We helped the block and we helped ourselves. I feel proud of myself for showing up, and I’m grateful you welcomed me.” People clapped, and a kid high-fived me.
On my walk home, I noticed something shiny under a bush: a wallet. I told myself to check for an ID and found a library card with a phone number. The owner, Mr. Vega, answered and asked me to meet him at the corner café. When he arrived, he thanked me and tried to hand me cash. I laughed and said, “Treat yourself instead.” He insisted on buying me a coffee, so I let myself accept the kindness.
That night, I wrote a note to future me: “When the week crushes you, remind yourself to step outside. Help your neighbors. Let yourself breathe. You’ll surprise yourself every time.”
1) The captain handed ___ a vest and welcomed the team.
2) Before speaking, ___ reminded ___ to be brief.
3) The kid high-fived Luis and ___.
4) Which sentence uses myself correctly?
5) For emphasis, choose the best sentence:
1) Why did the narrator join the cleanup?
2) What tried to escape during cleanup?
3) What happened with the wallet?
4) Which sentence is correct?
1) ___ will speak to the group.
2) The captain thanked Luis and ___.
3) I reminded ___ to be brief.
4) Tasha and ___ carried the heavy bag together.
Tasha: I saw you chasing those bags. You almost lost yourself!
John: I told myself to laugh instead of panic.
Tasha: The captain asked me to introduce the teams.
John: Save me a joke for the microphone.
Tasha: You can write the joke yourself.
John: Deal. The kid high-fived me so hard it hurt.
Tasha: He was proud of himself, and of you.
John: On the way home, I found a wallet and called the owner.
Tasha: He tried to pay you?
John: Yes, but I refused and let myself accept coffee.
Tasha: Future you will thank present you.
John: I wrote myself a note already.
Tasha: Next week, invite me again.
John: I will. You, Arun, and I make a good team.
Tasha: Then prepare yourself for more gusts of wind.
John: I’ll bring tape. Remind me tomorrow.
Vocab in Context: 1 me; 2 I / myself; 3 me; 4 I let myself accept the kindness.; 5 I wrote this note myself.
MCQ: 1 To help the neighborhood and feel proud of himself; 2 Trash bags in a gust of wind; 3 He found it and returned it to Mr. Vega; 4 The captain handed me a vest.
True/False: 1 T, 2 T, 3 F, 4 T
Sequencing A: joined cleanup → got vest → gust pushed bags → ate pizza/clapped → found wallet
Sequencing B: called using ID → returned wallet → refused cash/accepted coffee → wrote note → promised himself to go out more
Cloze bank: I, me, myself, us, captain, team, bus, gust, bags, curb, vest, grabber, pizza, clapped, wallet, ID, coffee, refused, accept, proud, future, note, breathe, neighbors, outside