At a small grocery store, four employees were getting ready for a busy afternoon. Nina was checking the front shelves, Carlos was bringing boxes from the back, and Priya was helping a new worker named Sam. Nina noticed that the sugar-free drinks had been placed on the regular drink shelf. She looked at Sam and said, “We need to keep these separate so customers don’t get mixed up.” Sam frowned and said, “I thought they were close enough.”

Carlos set a box down and said, “Close enough can cause problems here.” Priya added, “Let’s get on the same page before we restock the rest.” Sam nodded and moved the drinks to the correct shelf. A few minutes later, a customer picked up one of the sugar-free drinks and said, “Thanks for separating these. I almost grabbed the wrong one.” Sam looked at the shelf again because he understood the message behind her words.

SPEAK

Think about the phrases. Answer in complete sentences.

1. Nina said customers might “get mixed up.” What could customers confuse?

2. Sam said, “I thought they were close enough.” What did he think about the drinks?

3. Carlos said, “Close enough can cause problems here.” What problem was he pointing out?

4. Priya said, “Let’s get on the same page.” What did she want the workers to do?

5. The customer said, “I almost grabbed the wrong one.” What showed that the shelf change mattered?

6. Which phrase shows confusion?

7. Which phrase shows that the workers needed to agree?

8. Did Sam learn something from the situation? Use the reading to support your answer.

LISTEN

Listen to your teacher’s statement and question. Then answer in complete sentences.

Teacher recording:

“In this story, Sam did not mean to make a serious mistake, but his idea of ‘close enough’ was not careful enough for the situation. The customer’s words helped him see why details mattered.”

1. What did the speaker say?

2. How do you respond to the speaker’s opinion?

3. Use the reading to support your response.

WRITE

Write 5–7 sentences.

Choose two phrases from the reading. Explain what happened and why those phrases fit the grocery store situation.

NOTES

get mixed up

• What it means:
  To become confused or to confuse one thing with another.

• How we use it:
  We use this phrase when things, people, times, names, or items are not clear.

• Why we use it:
  It is a simple everyday way to talk about confusion.

• Example:
  Customers could get mixed up if the drinks were on the wrong shelf.

close enough

• What it means:
  Almost correct or almost right.

• How we use it:
  We use this phrase when something is not perfect, but someone thinks it is acceptable.

• Why we use it:
  It can sound casual, but it can also sound careless in serious situations.

• Example:
  Sam thought the shelf was close enough.

cause problems

• What it means:
  To create trouble, confusion, delay, or difficulty.

• How we use it:
  We use this phrase when an action may lead to a negative result.

• Why we use it:
  It helps explain why something matters.

• Example:
  Putting the drinks together could cause problems for customers.

get on the same page

• What it means:
  To agree or understand the same plan.

• How we use it:
  We use this phrase at work, school, home, and in group situations.

• Why we use it:
  It helps people work together clearly.

• Example:
  Priya wanted everyone to get on the same page before restocking.