Early intermediate reading practice
Goody two-shoes
Leo and Felix were at the supermarket getting groceries. Felix was feeling very hungry and didn’t want to wait until they got back home. He grabbed a bag of chips off the shelf and threw caution to the wind as he began to eat right there in the chip aisle. The noisy crunch made everyone look at him. Nervous that they would get in trouble Leo said, “you should stop eating the chips, we haven’t paid for them yet.” In response, Felix said, “oh, don’t be a goody two-shoes nothing is going to happen!"
Can you guess what “goody two-shoes” means?
a.) Someone who doesn't like to spend money and doesn’t want to share
b.) Someone who is easily embarrassed
c.) Someone who doesn’t like to have fun
d.) Someone who always follows the rules
?????
Answer: A goody two-shoes can often be described as someone who follows the rules all the time and is disliked for it because it’s considered annoying.
Interestingly, this phrase comes from a very old children’s story!
Published in 1766, the story tells of a poor girls named Margery Meanwell who wanders the streets of London, England wearing only one shoe. Then a kind soul gives her a matching shoe. She proudly shows everybody, exclaiming: “Two shoes! Two shoes!” People are so impressed by her gratitude and goodness that they give her other gifts. Eventually, she becomes a wealthy lady. In the 1700’s and 1800’s, parents presented Goody Two-shoes as a role model. They asked their children, “Why can’t you be more like Goody Two-shoes?” Naturally, children came to dislike her! That’s why, these days, people who won’t break* even the slightest little rule* might get labeled a Goody Two-shoes” (At the Eleventh Hour, 2013, p.7).
Vocabulary Focus
Match the vocabulary with its definition.
a.) groceries | 1) the area where people walk between/along the grocery store shelves |
b.) threw caution to the wind | 2) to walk around without a fixed destination |
c.) aisle | 3) a good, sympathetic person |
d.) wanders | 4) affected by, pleased by someone or something |
e.) a kind soul | 5) to disobey |
f.) exclaiming | 6) a person that serves as a good example/a person people like to emulate |
g.) impressed by | 7) food that you buy at the store |
h.) role model | 8) Another word for saying something with surprise or emotion |
i.) break a rule | 9) to do something despite the risk |
Answers: a7, b9, c1, d2, e3, f8, g4, h6, i5
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