Two Thirsty Cities — True Stories

1. Read the Story Reading only – no score

Two Thirsty Cities: Camila and Reza

Camila lives in Mexico City, a huge city high in the mountains. Every morning she turns on the tap and waits, hoping the water will come. Some days it arrives quickly, but other days only a slow, weak trickle slides out. Her mother reminds her to fill the rooftop tank whenever they can, because no one knows when the next shut-off will happen. At school, Camila often hears teachers talk about drought, climate change, and the city’s old pipes that leak precious water into the ground.

Far across the world, Reza in Tehran is living a very similar routine. His family keeps large plastic bottles lined up along the kitchen wall, ready for the hours when the city sends water through the pipes. Many evenings the pressure is too low to wash clothes, so his mother fills buckets while she cooks dinner. Reza has heard adults talk about the dams in the mountains above the city, the ones that are shrinking each year as rain and snow become less dependable. When he looks toward the mountains, he imagines the dry lines around the reservoirs, like rings in an empty bathtub.

One afternoon, Camila and Reza start messaging each other about their day. Camila explains that the ground under Mexico City is sinking because people have pumped too much water from the aquifers. Streets crack, buildings tilt a little, and new pipes must be repaired again and again. Reza tells her that Tehran’s problem is in the mountains, where the reservoirs are so empty that the city fears running out of water if the next rainy season is too short. As they talk, they both realize something they had never thought about before: even in different countries, their futures depend on the same invisible network of water, pipes, and pumps.

By the end of their conversation, they both feel a little worried, but also more hopeful. They promise to take shorter showers, turn off the tap while brushing their teeth, and fix small leaks at home. They talk about telling friends at school what they learned about aquifers, reservoirs, and drought. That night, before they go to sleep, both of them listen to the sound of water in their homes—dripping, flowing, or completely silent—and quietly hope that their cities will find smarter, more careful ways to protect the water that millions of people depend on every single day.

2. Vocabulary – Matching A Answered: 0 / 5 · Correct: 0

Match the words with their meanings. Choose the best meaning from the dropdown.

3. Vocabulary – Matching B Answered: 0 / 5 · Correct: 0

Match the words with their meanings.

4. Vocabulary in Context Answered: 0 / 5 · Correct: 0

Choose the best word from the dropdown to complete each sentence from the story.

5. Pronunciation – Rhyming Word Families Practice – no score

Each top word comes from the story. The words below it have similar ending sounds. Practice saying them in columns.

Tip: Have students read down each column, then across the row, and listen for the vowel and final consonant sounds.

6. Comprehension – Multiple Choice Answered: 0 / 6 · Correct: 0

7. Cloze – Fill in the Blanks Filled: 0 / 12 · Correct: 0

Click a word from the bank, then click a blank to fill it. Use the hint button to see the first letter.

x Click “x” to clear the selected word if you change your mind.

8. True or False Answered: 0 / 6 · Correct: 0

9. Sequencing A & B Answered: 0 / 8 · Correct: 0

Write 1–4 in each box to show the correct order of events.

Part A – Camila

1. Camila turns on the tap and waits to see if water will come.
2. At school, she hears about drought, climate change, and leaking pipes.
3. Her mother reminds her to fill the rooftop tank when water arrives.
4. Later she messages her friend Reza to talk about their cities.

Part B – Reza

1. The water pressure is often too low in the evening to wash clothes.
2. Reza’s family keeps bottles along the kitchen wall to store water.
3. He messages Camila and explains the problem with the mountain reservoirs.
4. He looks toward the mountains and imagines dry rings around the dams.

10. “For Example” – Writing Short Answers Open answers – no score

Answer in complete sentences. Use ideas from the story and your own life.

1. Give one example of a small action that saves water at home.
2. Give one example of something a city could do to lose less water from pipes.
3. Give one example of how schools can teach students about water and climate change.

11. Discussion and Writing Open answers – no score

Choose one or two questions to discuss in pairs or write about individually.

1. Which city do you think has the more serious water problem today, Mexico City or Tehran? Why?
2. Do you think individual actions, like taking shorter showers, really make a difference? Explain.
3. What responsibilities do governments have to protect water for future generations?
4. In your city or town, do people think about water as something “precious”? Why or why not?

12. Role Play – Camila and Reza Speaking – no score

Work with a partner. One is Camila and one is Reza. Read the dialogue, then repeat it in your own words.

Camila: Hi Reza! Is your water working today?

Reza: Hey Camila. Yes, but only for a few hours this morning. We filled all the bottles again.

Camila: We filled the rooftop tank today too. Yesterday, nothing came out of the tap at all.

Reza: That sounds just like here. My mom watches the clock and listens for the sound of water in the pipes.

Camila: My mom does the same thing. She says we can’t waste even one minute when the water is flowing.

Reza: Sometimes I look at the mountains and imagine the empty reservoir, like a bathtub with dirty lines on the side.

Camila: That’s a strong picture. Under my city, the ground is sinking because the aquifers are getting empty.

Reza: So your problem is under the ground, and our problem is above the ground in the mountains.

Camila: Yes, but it feels like the same story. If the city is not careful, someday the tap could be completely dry.

Reza: That idea scares me. But talking about it makes me want to help, even if it’s just a little.

Camila: Me too. I started taking shorter showers last week. At first it was hard, but now it feels normal.

Reza: I fix the dripping faucet in the bathroom whenever it starts again. My dad showed me how.

Camila: Maybe we can ask our teachers to make a “water education day” at school, so more students learn about this.

Reza: Good idea. Our cities are far away, but our water problems are almost the same.

Camila: Then maybe our solutions can be connected too.

Reza: I like that. Two thirsty cities, and two friends who don’t want to give up.

13. Answer Key (Teacher Use)