Elara watches her husband now. He is always kind and gentle. But she knows his dark secret. He keeps a strange, second wife. The second wife is a doll. She stays inside a big drawer. She acts perfectly happy always. Today, Elara feels very tired. She makes a loud, small sigh. Her husband instantly turns around. He looks at the drawer quickly. He moves toward the kitchen wall. Elara must act first suddenly. She wants to destroy the backup. She opens the drawer slowly. The doll wears a sweet, fixed smile. Elara feels cold fear deeply. The doll is too beautiful. Elara just runs out the door. Her husband closes the drawer softly.
📚 Story Vocabulary and Phrase
In this section, you will review five key words and phrases from the story. Learn the meaning, the part of speech, and see a simple example sentence for each item.
| Word / Phrase | Description | Example |
| backup (n.) | A person or thing that is kept ready to be used if the main one fails. | We keep a backup key for the car. |
| gentle (adj.) | Kind and soft; not rough or hard. | She has a gentle voice when she speaks. |
| secret (n.) | Something that other people do not know or are not told. | I cannot tell you my secret now. |
| drawer (n.) | A box that slides in and out of a piece of furniture, like a table. | Please put the clean socks in the top drawer. |
| destroy (v.) | To break something completely; to ruin or damage it totally. | The wind can destroy the small house. |
📝 Story Exercise: True or False?
Read the story carefully and decide if the following statements are True or False.
- Elara’s husband is often rough and unkind.
- The backup wife is a doll and acts happy all the time.
- Elara makes a sigh because she sees the drawer open.
- Elara wants to break the doll before her husband gets it.
- Elara feels fear because the doll’s smile is too sweet and fixed.
Answers
- False. Her husband is always kind and gentle, not rough or unkind.
- True. The second wife is a doll and acts perfectly happy always.
- False. Elara makes a sigh because she feels very tired,
- True. She wants to destroy the backup (doll) suddenly.
- True. Elara feels cold fear deeply because the doll’s smile is too beautiful.
🗣️ Let’s talk about it
Let’s discuss the story’s themes. Use the ” Answer Tip” to help you start your sentences.
What is one situation where you always make a sigh?
Simple Answer Tip: “I always make a sigh when I see a big test.”
What is the most important secret your closest friend keeps?
Simple Answer Tip: “My friend keeps the secret about a big surprise party.”
If you could destroy one strange thing in your house, what would it be?
Simple Answer Tip: “I would destroy the old, noisy alarm clock.”
