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The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein

This is a corrected compilation and EFL recording, by Steve Hoover in support of Claire Wu’s May 6, 2009 Reading Competition. Current Youtube and Internet blog postings contain errors or are of limited suitability for EFL students. No monetary benefits accrue to the compiler: satisfaction in enabling learners does.

Look for adverbs of manners

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And because it was missing a piece

 it could not roll very fast so it would stop to talk to a worm

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but it didn't hold it tightly enough    and lost it.

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 Another time

 it held too tightly

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It fit!    It fit perfectly!    At last! At last! 

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And away it rolled    and because it was now complete,   it rolled faster and faster.    Faster than it had ever rolled before!

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 So it stopped rolling...    and it set the piece down gently, 

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and slowly rolled away 

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 and as it rolled it softly sang-