Ben's Robot
A story about Ben, who built a robot for the science fair, and what happened when it did not work at the key moment.
Tap any word to hear it · dotted words have a definition in the glossary
🎧 Listen
1Ben loved to take things . When his family's old radio stopped working, he opened it to see what was inside. So when his teacher a science fair, Ben knew exactly what to do: he wanted to build a robot.
2For a month, Ben worked every afternoon in his grandfather's garage. He used wheels from an old toy car, a small motor and a plastic box for the body. His grandfather, Yosef, helped him with the . The robot could move forward and turn left when it saw a wall.
3On the day of the fair, Ben put the robot on the table and the button. Nothing happened. Ben's face turned red. Then he remembered: the battery! He had used it all the night before. , a girl at the next table had an extra one.
4The robot moved, turned and stopped in front of the . Ben didn't win first prize, but he won something better — a new friend, Sarah, the girl with the battery.
📘 Glossary
- apart - in pieces (take apart = separate into parts)
- announced - told everyone something officially
- wires - thin metal threads that carry electricity
- pressed - pushed down on something
- luckily - by good luck
- judges - people who decide who wins a contest
Questions
Finding details
1. What did Ben do when the family radio stopped working?Finding details
2. Where did Ben build the robot?Finding details
3. What did Ben use for the robot's body?Reference words
4. In paragraph 2, the word "it" in "when it saw a wall" refers to…Making inferences
5. Why did Ben's face turn red?Finding details
6. What was the problem with the robot, and how was it solved?Main idea
7. What does the writer mean by "he won something better"?Word meaning
8. Copy the word from paragraph 3 that means "fortunately".
Answer every question to get a score (0/8)