Short Story: The Phone on the Bus (Reading Comprehension)
Students read a short story about Elisa, who finds a phone on a bus and has to decide what to do, with a vocabulary x-ray and a glossary. Then they answer questions, complete a summary of the story, use adjectives for feelings (tempted, ashamed, relieved…), match sentences with linking words, read three opinions about rewards and answer open questions.
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What's in this activity
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Level-adapted text Short story: The Phone on the Bus
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Multiple-choice questions Check your understanding
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Fill in the gaps Retell the story: complete the summary
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Fill in the gaps How did they feel? Complete with the adjectives
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Match the halves Story language: match the halves
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Viewpoints for discussion Should People Get a Reward for Returning Found Items?
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Open-ended questions Think and write
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Short story: The Phone on the Bus
Elisa saw the phone when the bus was almost empty. It was on the seat next to her. It was an old model with a scratched case, and it was still on. She looked around, but nobody was looking for it. She put it in her backpack and planned to give it to the driver. But when her stop arrived, she got off without talking to him.
At home, she looked at the phone again. It had no password. The photo gallery had hundreds of pictures of the same old woman: laughing in a garden, blowing out candles, and feeding a white cat. Elisa's own phone had a broken screen, and for a moment she wanted to keep the lost phone. Nobody would ever know.
The next morning, the phone vibrated. A message came on the screen: "To whoever found this phone: please return it. These photos are all I have left of my wife." Elisa read it three times. Then she wrote a message back and offered to meet at the bakery near the bus station at noon.
The owner was a quiet man in his seventies named Mr. Duarte. When she gave him the phone, his eyes filled with tears. He wanted to give her a reward, but she said no because she felt ashamed. Then he saw her broken phone screen and smiled. "I fixed watches and phones for forty years," he said. "Come to my shop on Saturday. Please let me fix it for you."
Elisa walked home feeling much happier.
Vocabulary X-Ray
| Source | Adapted | Note |
|---|---|---|
| glanced around | looked around | Simplified a less common verb to a more frequent phrasal verb. |
| slipped it into | put it in | Replaced an idiomatic verb with a simpler verb + preposition. |
| examined it more closely | looked at the phone again | Simplified advanced vocabulary and structure for lower reading level. |
| tempted to keep | wanted to keep | Replaced a complex participle adjective with a simpler verb. |
| suggested meeting | offered to meet | Changed structure to a simpler verb pattern suitable for lower levels. |
| insisted on giving | wanted to give | Simplified high-level verb to a common everyday verb. |
| repaired | fixed | Replaced a formal verb with a common short equivalent. |
| feeling lighter than she had in days | feeling much happier | Replaced a figurative expression with clear, simple vocabulary. |
Mini Glossary Show
- scratched - having small marks or lines on the surface made by something sharp
- vibrated - shook quickly back and forth with a small sound
- ashamed - feeling guilty or bad about something you did
- reward - something given to someone because they helped or did a good thing
- shop - a place where things are sold or fixed
Check your understanding
Where did Elisa find the lost phone?
Why did Elisa briefly think about keeping the phone?
Why was the phone so valuable to Mr. Duarte?
Why did Elisa refuse the reward from Mr. Duarte?
How did Mr. Duarte decide to thank Elisa in the end?
Retell the story: complete the summary
How did they feel? Complete with the adjectives
Story language: match the halves
Match the beginning of each sentence about the story with its ending.
Left halves
Right halves
Should People Get a Reward for Returning Found Items?
Last year, I lost my wallet with all my cards and some cash inside. A student found it and brought it back to me, so I gave her twenty dollars to show my gratitude. I think a small reward is a nice way to thank someone for their time and effort. Finding the owner is not always easy, and it often takes time out of your day. Of course, people should return lost things anyway, but a small present makes everyone feel good about the situation.
I really think it depends on the situation and what was actually lost. If you find a phone or a bag with important documents, returning it saves the owner a lot of trouble, so a reward seems fair. However, if it is just a cheap umbrella or a few dollars, expecting a prize feels a bit strange to me. I also wonder if offering money makes people do the right thing for the wrong reasons. It is a complicated question because good actions should come from the heart.
In my opinion, doing the right thing should be its own reward. When I find something that belongs to another person, I always try to return it because it is simply correct behavior. If we start giving money every time someone is honest, people might stop helping others for free. Returning a lost object is just about being a good neighbor and living in a kind society. We do not need to turn every good action into a business deal.
Key Vocabulary
Discussion Questions
- 1 How does the idea of 'doing the right thing for the wrong reasons' connect to offering a reward?
- 2 Have you ever found something valuable in a public place, and what did you do with it?
- 3 Do you think society would be different if rewards for honesty were required by law?
Think and write
Why was Elisa tempted to keep the phone, and what finally made her decide to return it?
Why did Elisa refuse Mr. Duarte's reward, and how did he find another way to thank her?
How did Elisa's feelings change from the moment she took the phone on the bus to the end of the story?
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