A Daughter’s Birthday: Reading

Dan leaves work early and gets into his car. He is in a hurry. Today is his daughter’s birthday, and he must stop at the bakery to pick up the birthday cake. But first, he must stop for gas. The gas tank is almost empty! Dan drives to the gas station and fills up the gas tank. Then he drives to the bakery. He pays for the cake and puts it in his car. Then he quickly drives the rest of the way home. When he gets to his house, he sees a lot of cars in the driveway and many children playing in the yard. He sees his daughter. She is wearing a red dress. Dan parks his car and goes inside. His wife is in the kitchen. She looks worried, but when she sees Dan, she smiles. “You’re here,” she says.

They go outside. Dan calls his daughter. It is time to sing. Dan lights five candles on the cake. Everyone claps their hands. Then they sing “Happy Birthday to You.” Dan’s daughter makes a wish and blows the candles out: one, two, three, four, five! Dan holds his daughter in his arms. He hugs her. He whispers in her ear, “Happy birthday. I love you.”

Put an X beside your stopping time on the progress chart, then answer the questions on the back of this page.