Can I Put Some Metal in Your Microwave?

This is one in a series of Randy the Raccoon stories, short readings and exercises designed for young beginners. Check out the Randy the Raccoon index page for all the stories, and keep an eye on it as I do write new ones from time to time.

Raccoons are very polite as we know. But they can also be mischievous and play tricks on people or get into trouble.

One day, Randy was watching TV. On TV they were showing a science program about microwave ovens . On the program, they said that you should never put metal in the microwave or it can make a fire and hurt the oven. You also shouldn’t cook eggs in the microwave. You mustn’t cook anything in the microwave for a long time either. You should be careful.

Now because Randy is so mischievous, when he found out he shouldn’t do something, he wanted to do it very much. But Randy didn’t have a microwave. So he found a ball of foil and went to his neighbor’s apartment. His neighbor answered the door and asked, “May I help you?”

“Can I put this piece of metal in the microwave?”, Randy asked.
The neighbor said, “Yes, I’m sure that you can.
“Thank you,” Randy said, and started to walk toward the kitchen.
“Wait,” the neighbor said, “I told you that you can put that ball of foil in the microwave oven, but I didn’t say that you may.”
Randy was confused, so he answered politely, “Oh, thank you,” and started to move toward the kitchen again.
His neighbor said, “Wait, Randy. You may not put that metal in my microwave oven. I won’t let you do it. In fact, you mustn’t put metal in the microwave. It will be very bad.”
“Excuse me,” Randy said, “But you said I can do it.”
“Yes, I did,” the neighbor answered, “You have a piece of metal foil and you know where the microwave is. So I know that you can. But I won’t allow you to do it. You may not do it.
“Thank you,” Randy said, because that’s what he usually said when he didn’t know what to say.
“Listen,” the neighbor said. “Can I take your piece of shiny metal foil from you?”
“No,” Randy said, “I like it.”
The neighbor said, “But I can. I know how to take it out of your hands.”
Randy didn’t understand and he was unhappy because he thought his neighbor was going to take the ball of foil out of his hands.
“Thank you,” Randy said because he was nervous.
The neighbor said, “Now, May I take your ball of foil?”
“No, you may not. I told you I like it. Sorry,” Randy said. Then he understood the difference between can and may. He saw that the trick the neighbor had played on him was more fun than putting metal in the microwave.

Randy said goodbye to his neighbor and went to Katie’s door. When she answered, he said, “Can I put this piece of metal in your microwave?”
“No, you can’t.” Katie said.
Randy laughed, “Yes, I can, but I shouldn’t. And I bet that I may not.”
“You are right. You may not,” Katie said.
“But I can!” Randy said, “I know where your microwave is.”
Katie said, “You are very, very strange.”

Vocabulary

Mischievous: If someone is mischievous, it means he or she like to play tricks on people and gets into trouble, but not very serious trouble.
A microwave oven or just a microwave, is a kind of oven that uses radio waves to cook food instead of heat. So food cooks very quickly.
To hurt something or someone means to do damage to it. If you cut your finger, you hurt yourself.
Foil is a sheet of thin metal that we use to wrap food in before we put it in the freezer or the refrigerator.
To bet means to gamble, to play a game with money or put money down that something will happen. We often say, “I bet” when we mean, I think something is true, I would risk money that something is true.

Grammar Spot: Modal Verbs

Can, may, should, must, and have to are all modal verbs . They tell us about what we are able to do and also what we are allowed or permitted to do.

Have to and must mean that it is important to do something, or that someone makes you do something.

Olympic sportsmen have to train a lot if they want to win.
You must follow the law or you will go to jail.

Should means it is a good idea to do something.
You should eat vegetables to be healthy.
I should finish my homework before I go out to play.

May means you are allowed to do something, it is ok to do it.
You may have cake only after you finish your dinner.
Randy may not put metal in the microwave oven.

Can means that you are able to do something, you have what you need to do it.
I can speak Russian, French and English.
My friend cannot cook well.

Notice that modal verbs come after the subject and that they always need a second verb in the simple form. They never change form. We say:
He can speak French, You can speak French.

In question form, notice that we don’t use the verb “do”.
May I come in? Should we go home?

Now try a few grammar questions and see if you understand how these words are used and what they mean.

Comprehension

See if you understood the story. Try this comprehension test. Then come back here to practice some speaking questions about the story.

Speaking

1. List 3 things that you may do in school
2. List 3 things that you may not do in school
3. List 3 things that you should do in school
4. List 3 things that you must do in school
5. Make a list of rules for your home.
6. Do you ever play tricks on people? What’s the funniest trick you ever played?
7. Why are some people mischievous?

This is one in a series of Randy the Raccoon stories, short readings and exercises designed for young beginners. Check out the Randy the Raccoon index page for all the stories, and keep an eye on it as I do write new ones from time to time.