Reading Passage: The Reward for Virtue
الجزاء على الفضيلة

Reading passages are an important part of learning English. They help students improve reading skills, learn new vocabulary, understand grammar in context, and develop thinking skills. This lesson is based on the textbook passage “The Reward for Virtue”, which is taught in Class Two in Islamic Schools in Iraq.

About the Passage

This passage tells a short and humorous story about a boy named Peter. Peter decides to go on a diet because he is overweight. Although he wants to stop eating unhealthy food, he finds it very difficult to control himself. The story teaches students an important moral lesson in a simple and funny way.

Arabic explanation:
تتحدث القطعة عن صديق اسمه بيتر قرر أن يتبع حمية غذائية لأنه سمين، لكن القصة توضح صعوبة الالتزام وضبط النفس بطريقة بسيطة ومضحكة.

The Reading Passage

My friend, Peter, has always been fat, but things got so bad recently that he decided to go on a diet. He began his diet a week ago. First of all, he wrote out a long list of all the foods which were forbidden. The list included most of the things Peter loved: butter, potatoes, rice, milk, chocolates, and sweets.

Yesterday I visited him. I rang the bell and was surprised to see that he was still as fat as ever. He led me into his room and hurriedly hid a large parcel under his desk. When I asked him what he was doing, he smiled and then put the parcel on the desk.

He explained that his diet was so strict that he had to reward himself occasionally. Then he showed me the contents of the parcel. It contained five large bars of chocolates and three bags of sweets.

New and Important Words

• diet – نظام غذائي
• forbidden – ممنوع
• parcel – طرد / حزمة
• strict – صارم
• reward – مكافأة
• occasionally – أحيانًا

📌 Teacher note: Ask students to use each word in a simple sentence. This helps vocabulary retention.

Understanding the Passage (Comprehension)

Answer the following questions:

• Why did Peter decide to go on a diet?
• Which foods were forbidden?
• Why was the writer surprised when he saw Peter?
• What did Peter hide under his desk?
• What was inside the parcel?

Arabic help:
أجب عن الأسئلة التالية بعد قراءة القطعة بعناية

The Moral Lesson of the Story

This story teaches an important moral lesson. Peter wanted to be healthy, but he rewarded himself in the wrong way. Instead of helping himself, he returned to eating sweets. The story shows that self-control is important and that rewards should support good behavior, not destroy it.

From an Islamic point of view, the lesson reminds students that moderation, patience, and discipline are good values. True reward comes from doing the right thing consistently.

Arabic explanation:
تعلمنا القصة أن ضبط النفس مهم، وأن المكافأة الحقيقية تكون في الالتزام بالهدف وعدم إفساده.

Grammar Focus: Simple Past Tense

The passage uses the Simple Past Tense because it talks about actions that happened and finished in the past. Students can learn grammar naturally through reading.

• decided
• began
• wrote
• visited
• asked
• showed

Arabic:
الأفعال جاءت في الزمن الماضي لأنها تحكي أحداثًا انتهت

Teacher’s Guide: How to Teach This Passage

• Start the lesson by asking students about healthy food and sweets.
• Introduce key vocabulary before reading.
• Read the passage aloud with clear pronunciation.
• Ask students to read one sentence each.
• Pause and explain difficult sentences using Arabic if needed.
• Ask comprehension questions orally.
• Discuss the moral lesson and relate it to daily life.

Student Practice

Fill in the blanks:

1. Peter decided to go on a ______.
2. The parcel contained chocolates and ______.
3. The diet was very ______.

Answers: diet – sweets – strict

✍️ Extra writing practice:
Write two sentences about a good habit you want to keep.

Conclusion

“The Reward for Virtue” is an enjoyable and meaningful reading passage. It helps Class Two students improve reading, vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension skills. With clear explanation and teacher guidance, students can understand both the English language and the important moral lesson behind the story.