Passage 1 — “The Lost Bicycle” (narrative, ~260 words) Emma loved exploring the neighborhood on her old blue bicycle. One spring afternoon she rode to the park, locked the bike to a lamp post, and went to feed the ducks. When she returned, the bicycle was gone. Heart pounding, Emma checked the bike rack, asked the ice-cream seller, and searched the nearby streets. No sign. She remembered her mother mentioning a new bike-sharing program downtown, and briefly wondered if someone had borrowed it. While sitting on a bench, Emma noticed a flyer on a lamppost about a “Community Bike Swap” later that day. At the swap, volunteers repair and lend bicycles to people who need them. Emma rushed over, and there—behind a tent—she recognized the blue frame. A volunteer explained that someone had found the bike abandoned near a school and brought it to the swap. Emma thanked the volunteer and promised to lock the bicycle with a sturdier chain.
Passage 1 — “The Lost Bicycle” (narrative, ~260 words) Emma loved exploring the neighborhood on her old blue bicycle. One spring afternoon she rode to the park, locked the bike to a lamp post, and went to feed the ducks. When she returned, the bicycle was gone. Heart pounding, Emma checked the bike rack, asked the ice-cream seller, and searched the nearby streets. No sign. She remembered her mother mentioning a new bike-sharing program downtown, and briefly wondered if someone had borrowed it. While sitting on a bench, Emma noticed a flyer on a lamppost about a “Community Bike Swap” later that day. At the swap, volunteers repair and lend bicycles to people who need them. Emma rushed over, and there—behind a tent—she recognized the blue frame. A volunteer explained that someone had found the bike abandoned near a school and brought it to the swap. Emma thanked the volunteer and promised to lock the bicycle with a sturdier chain.
