Reader 09
The Broken Light
Omar noticed that the light above the kitchen table was flickering again. His sister Leila looked up at it and said, “You said you were going to fix that last week.”
“I know,” Omar replied. “I kept putting it off because I was busy.”
Their mother walked into the kitchen and saw the flickering light. “It’s getting worse,” she said. “I don’t want anyone standing on a chair to change it. Please use the step stool.”
Omar opened a drawer and took out a new light bulb. Then he went to the closet and brought back the step stool.
Leila watched him place it under the light. “So, now you’re finally getting around to it?”
Omar laughed. “Yes, before I hear about it again.”
“I’m not trying to nag you,” their mother said. “I just want the light fixed safely.”
Omar turned off the light switch and carefully changed the bulb. After stepping down, he moved the stool away and turned the light on again. This time, the light stayed steady.
“There,” Omar said. “It’s finally done.”
Their mother smiled. “Thank you. Now we can use the table without worrying about that light.”
VOCABULARY
Write the words or expressions from the story that are new to you or that you want to review.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Share your thoughts. Use details from the story to support your answers.
How do Leila’s comments and her mother’s instructions emphasize different concerns about the light? Use a detail from each character to explain.
Omar jokes that he is fixing the light “before I hear about it again.” What does this suggest about his motivation? How do his actions show that he also takes his mother’s concern seriously?
The light works at the end, but has Omar shown that he will handle responsibilities differently in the future? Explain what the story does—and does not—tell us.
LISTEN
Listen to the recording and respond in complete sentences.
What did the speaker say?
Do you agree or disagree with the speaker? Why?
