Level 1:
Two friends talk about going to the movies and a VR experience. They meet a stranger who gives them extra tickets for the VR experience. They have a great time and then go eat burgers. Later, one friend feels guilty for not doing his taxes. His friend offers to help but he decides to face it on his own. He learns that putting things off can cause problems and decides to never do it again.
Level 2:
Two friends were planning to go to the movies for the weekend, but one of them needed to finish their taxes. They decided on a movie and VR experience, and as they were heading to the theater, they met a kind stranger who gave them extra tickets for the VR experience. They had a great time and went to eat burgers afterwards. Later that night, one friend felt guilty for procrastinating on his taxes. His friend offered to help, but he declined, realizing there could be serious consequences for putting it off. He learned the hard way that procrastination can have severe repercussions and vowed not to do it again.
Full Story:
Friend 1: Hey man, what are you up to this weekend?
Friend 2: Not much, just trying to get my taxes done. You?
Friend 1: Actually, I was thinking of going to the movies. Have you seen anything good lately?
Friend 2: No, I haven’t had time to keep up with any new releases. What were you thinking of seeing?
Friend 1: Well, I heard that new action movie is supposed to be pretty good. Do you like action movies?
Friend 2: Yeah, definitely. Who’s in it?
Friend 1: I think it’s that guy from that TV show we used to watch, you know, the one with the zombies.
Friend 2: Oh yeah, I remember him. What time were you thinking of going?
Friend 1: How about the 7:00 showing? That way we’ll still have time to grab dinner afterwards.
Friend 2: Sounds good to me. Where do you want to meet?
Friend 1: Let’s meet at the theater around 6:30 so we have plenty of time to get our tickets and snacks before the movie starts.
Friend 2: Perfect. Do you want me to buy my ticket ahead of time or just get it when we get there?
Friend 1: It might be a good idea to buy your ticket ahead of time, just in case it sells out. You can use that app that lets you reserve seats.
Friend 2: Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me. I’ll go ahead and do that now.
Friend 1: No problem. I’m really excited for this movie. I’ve been looking forward to it for weeks.
Friend 2: Me too. It’s always more fun to see movies with friends.
Friend 1: Definitely. And afterwards, we can go grab some burgers or something.
Friend 2: Sounds like a plan. Do you have any place in mind?
Friend 1: There’s that new burger joint that just opened up on Main Street. I’ve heard good things about it.
Friend 2: Oh yeah, I’ve been wanting to try that place. Let’s go there.
Friend 1: Great. It’s settled then. We’ll meet at the theater at 6:30 and then head over to the burger place after the movie.
Friend 2: Can’t wait. It’s going to be a great night. Thanks for inviting me out, man.
Friend 1: No problem. Anytime.
Friend 2: Hey, before I forget, did you hear about the new virtual reality experience that opened up in town?
Friend 1: No, I haven’t. What is it?
Friend 2: It’s supposed to be this really immersive gaming experience where you wear a VR headset and actually feel like you’re in the game.
Friend 1: That sounds pretty cool. Have you tried it out yet?
Friend 2: No, I haven’t had the chance yet, but I was thinking we could go try it out after the movie if you’re down.
Friend 1: Hmm, I don’t know. It sounds kind of expensive.
Friend 2: Actually, I found a deal online where we can get half off our tickets if we buy them together.
Friend 1: Oh, well in that case, I’m definitely down. Let’s do it.
Friend 2: Awesome. I’ll go ahead and book the tickets now then.
Friend 1: Sounds good. You always find the best deals, man.
Friend 2: Haha, yeah, I try my best. Speaking of deals, have you started your taxes yet?
Friend 1: Ugh, not yet. I’ve been putting it off for as long as possible.
Friend 2: Well, you better get on that soon. The deadline is coming up fast.
Friend 1: I know, I know. It’s just such a pain in the butt.
Friend 2: Yeah, but think about how relieved you’ll feel once it’s done. Plus, you don’t want to risk getting hit with any late fees or penalties.
Friend 1: I know, I know. I’ll get to it eventually.
Friend 2: Alright, well make sure you do. I don’t want the IRS coming after you or anything.
Friend 1: Thanks for the reminder, Mom.
Friend 2: Hey, I’m just looking out for you. Now let’s go enjoy this movie and VR experience. Taxes can wait another day.
Friend 1: Yeah, you’re right. Let’s not let taxes ruin our night.
Friend 2: Speaking of which, have you heard from our other friends? Are they coming with us to the VR experience?
Friend 1: Actually, I just got a call from them. They can’t make it tonight. One of them got called into work and the other one is feeling sick.
Friend 2: Aw, man. That sucks. I was really looking forward to hanging out with them too.
Friend 1: Yeah, me too. But hey, we can still have fun together.
Friend 2: Definitely. We always have a good time, no matter what.
Friend 1: Hey, I just got an idea. Why don’t we invite my cousin and her boyfriend? They’ve been wanting to try out VR for a while now.
Friend 2: That’s a great idea! The more the merrier, right?
Friend 1: Exactly. I’ll give them a call and see if they’re available.
Friend 2: Sounds good. While you do that, I’ll go ahead and get tickets for all of us so we don’t have to worry about it later.
Friend 1: Awesome. Thanks, man.
After a few minutes, Friend 1 returns with good news.
Friend 1: They said they can make it! And they’re excited to join us.
Friend 2: Sweet! This is going to be even better than I thought.
As they head towards the theatre, they notice a long line of people waiting outside.
Friend 1: Oh, man. This line is crazy long.
Friend 2: Yeah, looks like everyone had the same idea as us.
Just when they were starting to lose hope, someone taps on their shoulder.
Stranger: Hey guys, I overheard you talking about wanting to see the VR experience. I happen to have some extra tickets. Interested?
Friend 1: Are you serious?! That would be amazing.
Stranger: Yeah, no problem. I can’t use them anyway. I bought them for my friends who bailed on me last minute.
Friend 2: Wow, thanks so much. You’re a lifesaver.
As they enter the VR experience, they realize how lucky they are to have met that stranger. It’s one of the most thrilling experiences they’ve ever had.
Friend 1: That was insane! I can’t believe we got to do that.
Friend 2: I know, right? And to think we almost missed out because of the long line.
Friend 1: Yeah, it just goes to show that things always have a way of working out in the end.
Friend 2: Definitely. Now, let’s go grab those burgers and celebrate our stroke of luck.
Friend 1: Sounds like a plan. And tomorrow, I promise I’ll start on my taxes.
Friend 2: Haha, okay. We’ll hold you to that.
As they headed to the burger joint, Friend 1 couldn’t help but feel guilty for procrastinating on his taxes. He knew he had to face them eventually, but the thought of it made him anxious.
As they sat down to eat, Friend 2 noticed that something was bothering his friend.
Friend 2: Hey man, you seem a bit off. Is everything okay?
Friend 1: I don’t know. I just can’t shake this feeling of guilt. I should have stayed home and worked on my taxes instead of going out tonight.
Friend 2: Hey, don’t beat yourself up over it. We all need a break from time to time. And besides, it’s not like you’re behind on your taxes or anything, right?
Friend 1: Actually, I am. I haven’t even started them yet.
Friend 2: What?! Why didn’t you tell me earlier? We could have rescheduled for another night.
Friend 1: I don’t know. I guess I just didn’t want to disappoint you.
Friend 2: Disappoint me? Are you kidding? Your taxes are way more important than one night out. You should have told me earlier so we could have come up with a plan to tackle them together.
Friend 1: I know, I messed up. And now I’m going to have to pay the price.
Friend 2: What do you mean?
Friend 1: Well, if I don’t file my taxes by the deadline, I’ll be hit with some pretty serious penalties and interest fees.
Friend 2: Oh no, I had no idea it was that serious.
Friend 1: Yeah, it’s a big deal. I guess I should have taken care of this sooner.
Friend 2: Is there anything I can do to help?
Friend 1: I appreciate the offer, but I think I’m just going to have to face the music and deal with it on my own.
As they finished their burgers in silence, Friend 1 couldn’t help but regret his decision to put off his taxes for so long. He knew he was in for a rough few weeks as he scrambled to get everything done on time.
The night that started out so promising ended in disappointment and regret. Friend 1 learned the hard way that procrastination can have serious consequences, and vowed to never make the same mistake again.
Questions:
What did the two friends plan to do for the weekend?
How did they get extra tickets for the VR experience?
Why did one friend feel guilty later that night?
Do you think it’s important to not procrastinate? Why or why not?
In your opinion, what could the friend have done differently to avoid feeling guilty about their taxes?
Fill in the Blanks:
tackle, guilt, thrilling, Taxes, Disappoint, disappoint, immersive, procrastinating, line, deal, VR, taxes
Friend 2: Not much, just trying to get my ________ done.
Friend 2: It’s supposed to be this really ________ gaming experience where you wear a ________ headset and actually feel like you’re in the game.
Friend 2: Actually, I found a ________ online where we can get half off our tickets if we buy them together.
________ can wait another day.
As they head towards the theatre, they notice a long ________ of people waiting outside.
It’s one of the most ________ experiences they’ve ever had.
As they headed to the burger joint, Friend 1 couldn’t help but feel guilty for ________ on his taxes.
I just can’t shake this feeling of ________.
I guess I just didn’t want to ________ you.
Friend 2: ________ me?
You should have told me earlier so we could have come up with a plan to ________ them together.
Vocabulary:
Taxes: fees imposed on income, property, goods, or services by the government for public use
Immersive: providing a sense of deep involvement or absorption
VR: short for virtual reality, a computer-generated simulation or recreation of a real-life environment or situation
Deal: an agreement entered into by two or more parties for their mutual benefit
Line: a queue of people waiting for something
Thrilling: causing excitement or suspense
Procrastinating: delaying or postponing something intentionally or habitually
Anxiety: a feeling of worry or unease about something that may happen
Guilt: a feeling of responsibility or remorse for doing something wrong or failing to do something right
Disappoint: fail to meet someone’s expectations or hopes
Tackle: make a determined effort to deal with (a problem or difficult task)
