Reading _ The Sweetest Surprise

The Sweetest Surprise It was a crisp fall morning, and Sarah was already feeling stressed. She had a ton of work to do at the office, and her to-do list was growing by the minute. She stopped by her favorite coffee shop on the way to work, hoping that a large caffeinated beverage would help her tackle the day with a bit more energy. As she waited in line, Sarah noticed a sign on the counter that read, "Surprise! We're giving away free cookies with every drink purchase!" Her eyes widened with excitement - she was a total sucker for a good cookie. When it was her turn to order, Sarah requested her usual drink and asked the barista, "Hey, I saw the sign about the free cookies. Can I get one of those too?" The barista, a friendly girl with a bright smile, nodded and handed Sarah a warm chocolate chip cookie. "Enjoy!" she said. Sarah took a bite of the cookie and her eyes widened in surprise. It was the best cookie she had ever tasted - soft, chewy, and oozing with chocolate chips. She couldn't help but let out a satisfied "mmm" sound. The barista laughed and said, "I'm glad you like it! We baked them fresh this morning. Our secret ingredient is a dash of love." Sarah smiled and thanked the barista, feeling a little bit brighter than she had before. The cookie and coffee combination was just what she needed to start her day off right. As she walked to work, munching on her cookie, Sarah couldn't help but feel grateful for the little surprises that made her day a bit sweeter. She made a mental note to stop by the coffee shop more often - not just for the free cookies, but for the friendly service and warm atmosphere that came with them. And who knows, maybe she'd even start baking her own cookies at home, with a dash of love, of course.

Definitions and Examples: crisp - adj. cold, fresh, and firm (The autumn air was crisp and refreshing. The apple was crisp and juicy.) stressed - adj. worried, nervous, pressured (I feel stressed when I have too much work. Doing yoga helps me feel less stressed.) to-do list - n. a list of tasks that need to be done (I wrote a to-do list so I wouldn't forget everything I need to do today. There are 10 items on my to-do list for this week.) caffeinated - adj. containing caffeine, a substance that makes you alert (I need a caffeinated coffee to wake me up in the morning. Caffeinated drinks give me energy.) beverage - n. a drinkable liquid (Water and milk are healthy beverages. What kind of beverage would you like with your meal?) tackle - v. to do or try to do something that is difficult (I will tackle cleaning the basement today. We need to tackle this problem together.) sucker - n. someone who easily likes or wants something (I'm a sucker for chocolate chip cookies. She's a sucker for any movie with that actor in it.) barista - n. someone who prepares and serves drinks at a coffee shop (The friendly barista made my coffee drink perfectly. I want to be a barista so I can learn to make fancy coffees.) nod - v. move head up and down to say yes (When I asked if she wanted ice cream, she smiled and nodded. The child nodded happily when his mother agreed to buy him a toy.) oozing - adj. slowly coming out, often referring to liquids (The cake was oozing with chocolate sauce. Her wound was oozing blood.) satisfied - adj. pleased, happy, or content (I had a satisfied smile after eating a big meal. He was very satisfied with how his test went.) mental note - n. something you remember or make a note of in your mind (I made a mental note to buy milk at the store. She made a mental note of his phone number.) Difficult Expressions: by the minute - happening or increasing very quickly, second by second (The party was getting louder by the minute. Our profits are rising by the minute.) a total sucker for something - someone who really likes something or is easily persuaded by it (I'm a total sucker for kittens, I want to adopt them all! He's a total sucker for get-rich-quick schemes.) let out a satisfied "mmm" sound - made a happy, pleased "mmm" sound (I let out a satisfied "mmm" when I bit into the cake. He let out a satisfied "mmm" as he tasted the delicious food.) dash of love - a small amount of care, affection, or kindness (The chef made it with a dash of love. A dash of love makes everything better.) start her day off right - begin her day in a positive way (A healthy breakfast starts my day off right. Getting up early starts his day off right.) Idioms: had a ton of work to do - had a lot of work to do (I had a ton of homework after school yesterday. She had a ton of emails to respond to for her job.) her eyes widened with excitement - she became very excited (My eyes widened with excitement when I heard the news. His eyes widened with excitement upon seeing the surprise.) couldn't help but feel grateful - felt very thankful, could not avoid feeling appreciative (I couldn't help but feel grateful for my friends and family. He couldn't help but feel grateful for her generosity.) made a mental note - thought about something to remember for later (I made a mental note to call my mom tomorrow. Let's make a mental note of this idea.) with a dash of love, of course - with some care/affection/kindness added, obviously (Bake these cookies with a dash of love, of course! He does everything with a dash of love, of course.)