95. A Big Secret

Wayne has a secret, a secret he has not told anyone. He recently found out that he had one week to live. Nobody, not even his parents, knows. He did not want to see people cry or feel that they have to do something for him.

Wayne decided that he would just try to live life to the fullest. He would do things that he always wanted to do. He made a list. The first thing on his list was to go to Japan. Even though buying a flight ticket this last minute was expensive, it didn't matter anymore. 

He was in Japan for two days. He got to see cherry blossom trees, eat great sushi, and hike Mt. Fuji. He went back to the U.S. He went to Laguna Beach with his friends. They played volleyball, tanned, biked, and more. They also had s'mores and watched the sunset. On the fourth day, he had brunch at a very expensive restaurant with his mom and dad. He was glad he didn't tell them about his secret. 

If he did, they would be crying instead of enjoying brunch. On the last day, he made sure every hour was amazing. He saw the sun rise at Santa Monica pier. He had lunch with his best friends. He went hiking with his dog. He ate ice cream for the last time. Finally, he watched the sunset at home. 

A couple of hours later, the doctor called Wayne's parents about his death. They were totally shocked. Wayne had left a note for them thanking them and explaining why he did not tell them about his secret.

Vocabulary Words

                                                           

No.	Word	Definition	Example Sentence
1	secret	something kept hidden or unexplained	Wayne has a secret, a secret he has not told anyone.
2	recently	not long ago; in the near past	He recently found out that he had one week to live.
3	live to the fullest	to enjoy one's life as much as possible	Wayne decided that he would just try to live life to the fullest.
4	expensive	costing a lot of money	Buying a flight ticket last minute was expensive.
5	cherry blossom trees	flowering trees, often associated with Japan, known for their beautiful pink or white flowers	He got to see cherry blossom trees in Japan.
6	sushi	a Japanese dish consisting of small balls or rolls of vinegar-flavored cold rice served with fish or vegetables	He got to eat great sushi.
7	hike	to walk for a long distance, especially over trails or in the countryside	He got to hike Mt. Fuji.
8	Laguna Beach	a coastal city in California known for its beaches and art community	He went to Laguna Beach with his friends.
9	volleyball	a team sport in which two teams hit a ball back and forth over a high net	They played volleyball at the beach.
10	tanned	developed a darker skin color from exposure to the sun	His friends and he tanned at the beach.
11	bikepacked	combined cycling with backpacking	They biked along the coast.
12	s'mores	a snack consisting of a roasted marshmallow and a layer of chocolate sandwiched between two graham crackers	They also had s'mores.
13	sunset	the daily disappearance of the sun below the horizon	They watched the sunset at the beach.
14	brunch	a late morning meal eaten instead of breakfast and lunch	He had brunch at a very expensive restaurant.
15	enjoying	taking pleasure in something	They would be crying instead of enjoying brunch.
16	sun rise	the appearance of the sun above the horizon in the morning	He saw the sun rise at Santa Monica pier.
17	Santa Monica pier	a famous landmark in Santa Monica, California, featuring an amusement park and restaurants	He saw the sun rise at Santa Monica pier.
18	best friends	a person's closest and most cherished friends	He had lunch with his best friends.
19	shocked	feeling surprised or distressed by something unexpected	They were totally shocked by Wayne's death.
20	explaining	making something clear by describing it in more detail or revealing relevant facts or ideas	Wayne had left a note for them explaining why he did not tell them.

Comprehension Questions

                                                   

Question	Answer
1. What was Wayne's secret?	He had one week to live.
2. Why did Wayne keep his secret from his parents?	He did not want to see people cry or feel that they had to do something for him.
3. What did Wayne decide to do with his last week of life?	He decided to live life to the fullest and do things he always wanted to do.
4. What was the first thing on Wayne's list?	To go to Japan.
5. How long was Wayne in Japan?	He was in Japan for two days.
6. What three things did Wayne do in Japan?	He saw cherry blossom trees, ate great sushi, and hiked Mt. Fuji.
7. Where did Wayne go after returning to the U.S.?	He went to Laguna Beach with his friends.
8. What activities did Wayne and his friends do at Laguna Beach?	They played volleyball, tanned, biked, had s'mores, and watched the sunset.
9. What did Wayne do on the fourth day?	He had brunch at a very expensive restaurant with his mom and dad.
10. Why was Wayne glad he didn't tell his parents his secret during brunch?	If he did, they would be crying instead of enjoying brunch.
11. What was Wayne's goal for his last day?	He made sure every hour was amazing.
12. Where did Wayne see the sun rise on his last day?	At Santa Monica pier.
13. Who did Wayne have lunch with on his last day?	He had lunch with his best friends.
14. What did Wayne do with his dog on the last day?	He went hiking with his dog.
15. What treat did Wayne eat for the last time?	He ate ice cream.
16. Where did Wayne watch the sunset for the last time?	At home.
17. Who informed Wayne's parents about his death?	The doctor called them.
18. How did Wayne's parents react to the news?	They were totally shocked.
19. What did Wayne leave for his parents?	He left a note for them.
20. What did the note contain?	It thanked them and explained why he did not tell them about his secret.