1. 1
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.

2. Look for adverbs of manners
2

3. 3
And because it was missing a piece
it could not roll very fast
so it would stop to talk to a worm

4. 4
but it didn't hold it tightly
enough
and lost it.

5. 5
Another time
it held too ti
ghtly

6. 6
It fit!
It fit perfectly
!
At last! At la
st!

7. 7
And away it rolled
and because it was now compl
ete,
it rolled faster and faster.
Faster than it had ever rolled
before!

8. 8
So it stopped rolling...
and it set the piece down
gently,

9. 9
and slowly rolled a
way

10. 10
and as it rolled it softly
sang-