A humorous, cinematic image of a clumsy spy dramatically sliding and falling on a slick floor beneath a crashing chandelier, while a fluffy house cat sits nearby, looking highly amused and laughing at the chaos.

My friend Frank is a spy. He needs to be very stealthy. He moves with no sound. He wears special soft shoes. He practices every day. His missions are usually routine. Today, he has a new assignment. He enters a very quiet house. The floors are shiny and clean. They look like a big mirror. Frank moves cautiously. He suddenly lost his footing. His bag of gadgets flies high. It hits a huge chandelier. The light falls to the floor. A very loud crash happens. The family cat watches him. The cat starts to laugh. Frank is not a spy any more. He now cleans windows for a job.

Story Vocabulary and Phrase

  • Stealthy (adj.)： Moving or acting in a quiet and careful way so that nobody notices you.
  • Routine (n.)：A fixed and regular way of doing things.
  • Assignment (n.)：A specific task or piece of work that someone is officially given to do.
  • Lost his footing (Phrase)： Suddenly slipped or fell because he became unstable while walking or standing. 
  • Chandelier (n.)： A large, decorative light fixture that hangs from the ceiling and often holds many light bulbs.

Exercise: True or False

Read the story carefully and decide if the following statements are True or False.

  1. Frank’s past missions were typically very exciting.
  2. Frank wore soft shoes to help him move with no sound.
  3. Frank moved cautiously because the floors were slippery.
  4. The spy’s bag of gadgets hit a huge chandelier.
  5. The noise scared the family pet away from the room.

Answers

  1. False. The story says, “His missions are usually routine.”
  2. True. The text states, “He wears special soft shoes. He moves with no sound.”
  3. True. Frank “moves cautiously” because the floors are described as “shiny and clean,” implying they are slippery.
  4. True. The text clearly mentions, “His bag of gadgets flies high. It hits a huge chandelier.”
  5. False. The text says, “The family cat watches him. The cat starts to laugh.”

Let’s talk about it

Let’s discuss the story’s themes. Use the ” Answer Tip” to help you start your sentences.

  1. What part of the story made you laugh? Why?
    • Simple Answer Tip: “I laughed because the cat…”
  2. What special tool would you take for a spy job?
    • Simple Answer Tip: “I would take a…”
  3. Did you ever try to be quiet but failed? What happened?
    • Simple Answer Tip: “Yes, I did. I tried to… but I broke…”