A close-up of a coffee cup with steam swirling into a tranquil, sleepy face, set against a softly blurred background of relaxed people in a warm-lit coffee shop.

A new coffee shop, “The Daily Grind,” opened today. Everyone was excited. The owner, a sleepy man named Tom, was not on the ball. He used decaf beans for everyone’s espressos. His first customer, Sarah, took a big sip. She felt no caffeine jolt. Sarah’s friend, Mark, drank his latte slowly. He also felt nothing. The line grew very long. People waited for their coffee. Tom hummed a happy tune. He did not notice the problem. Everyone was calm. This was not a normal coffee shop. They all left feeling strangely relaxed.

Story Vocabulary and Phrases

not on the ball(phrase): be slow to understand or not be alert.

hummed(verb): make a low, steady sound with your mouth closed.

sip(noun): a small drink of something. The verb form, “to sip,” means to drink in a small amount.

jolt(noun): a sudden and strong feeling or movement.

decaf beans(noun): “Decaf” is short for “decaffeinated“, coffee with very little or no caffeine.

grind(noun): The coffee shop name “The Daily Grind” is a play on words. “Grind” here means to crush something into small pieces. But “the daily grind” also means your normal, hard work every day.

Excercise

True or False?

  1. The coffee shop’s name is “The Daily Grind.”
  2. The owner of the coffee shop, Tom, was very alert and aware of what was happening.
  3. Tom used regular caffeinated beans for everyone’s coffee.
  4. Sarah and Mark were the first two customers, and they both felt a jolt of caffeine from their drinks.
  5. The line of customers grew very long, and everyone became angry and impatient. Tr
  6. The customers left the coffee shop feeling strangely relaxed.

Answer

True or False?

  1. True. The first sentence of the story states, “A new coffee shop, ‘The Daily Grind,’ opened today.”
  2. False. The story says Tom “was not on the ball,” indicating he was not alert or paying attention.
  3. False. The story explicitly says, “He used decaf beans for everyone’s espressos.”
  4. False. Sarah “felt no caffeine jolt,” and Mark “also felt nothing,” as their drinks were made with decaf beans.
  5. False. The line did grow long, but the story says, “Everyone was calm,” which is an unexpected and humorous outcome.
  6. True. The last sentence of the story states, “They all left feeling strangely relaxed.”

Let’s Talk About It!

  • What would you do if you drank decaf coffee by mistake?
  • What’s your favorite kind of coffee or drink?