Chapter: 07. No More Car Wash Blues
Comprehension Exercises
A. Fill in the blanks with the correct words from the story.
Ethan and Sammy worked at Mr. Dilley’s car wash. Sammy’s biggest dream was to be a chef. The man in the big orange truck was selling ice-cream. B. True or False. Write T for True and F for False.
Ethan wanted to give up on their dream and live at the zoo. F Sammy’s dream dish to cook was peanut butter stew. T Ethan and Sammy opened their food truck right after getting the initial loan. F C. Choose the correct answer.
What did Ethan use to pretend it was a microphone?
b) A sponge What was the name of Ethan and Sammy’s food truck?
b) Stew and Tunes Who was the author of “No More Car Wash Blues”?
c) Artie Knapp D. Answer these questions in short.
What was Ethan’s dream job?
Ethan’s dream job was to be a singer. Why couldn’t Sammy get a loan from the bank at first?
Sammy couldn’t get a loan because Mr. Dilley had been paying them with peanuts instead of actual money. What was the only good thing about working at the car wash, according to Ethan and Sammy?
According to Ethan and Sammy, the only good thing about working at the car wash was that Mr. Dilley paid them with peanuts. E. Answer these questions with reference to the context.
“Relax. I haven’t lost sight of that dream either, Sammy.”
a. Who says these words?
Ethan says these words.
b. What “dream” is being referred to?
The dream of being independent elephants and pursuing their desired professions (Sammy as a chef, Ethan as a singer) is being referred to.
c. How does this line show the speaker’s personality?
This line shows Ethan’s optimistic and supportive personality. Even when Sammy is feeling down, Ethan quickly reassures him that he is still committed to their shared dream and is not giving up hope. “But until then, can you please get the suds off my car?”
a. Who said this line?
The man sitting in the little blue car said this line.
b. Why did the speaker say this?
The speaker said this because Ethan had stopped washing the car and started singing, using the sponge as a microphone, distracting from the task at hand. The man wanted his car to be cleaned.
c. What was Ethan doing before this comment?
Before this comment, Ethan was singing his “No More Carwash Blues” song, pretending the sponge was a microphone. F. Answer these questions in detail.
How did Ethan and Sammy’s initial dream of owning a restaurant change, and what led to this change? Explain the steps in their journey.
Ethan and Sammy initially dreamed of opening their own restaurant where Sammy would be the chef and Ethan the singer. This dream faced a major setback when they realized they couldn’t get a bank loan because they had only been paid in peanuts. This led to a period of discouragement. The turning point came when they observed an ice cream truck selling directly to customers. This sparked a new idea: instead of a costly stationary restaurant, they could start a mobile business, which would be much cheaper. This brilliant observation led them to adapt their dream to a food truck model, where they could go out and find their customers. Imagine you are a friend of Ethan and Sammy. What advice would you give them when they were feeling discouraged after the bank refused their loan?
As a friend, I would tell them not to give up on their dream, even if the first plan didn’t work out. I would advise them to think creatively about other ways to achieve their goal. Perhaps they could start smaller, like selling Sammy’s stew from a portable stand at a market, or even cooking for special events. I would also suggest they try to save every penny they earned and explore other options for funding, maybe even asking Mr. Dilley for a pay raise or a small advance, explaining their entrepreneurial spirit. Most importantly, I’d remind them that their talents and partnership are valuable, and they just need to find a different path. The story shows how a simple observation (the ice cream truck) can spark a big idea. Can you think of a time when observing something around you gave you a new idea or helped you solve a problem? Describe it.
(Student’s individual answer will vary here. Example below)
One time, I was trying to figure out how to organize all my art supplies. They were scattered everywhere. I was watching my mom fold laundry, and I noticed she had different baskets for different types of clothes. Suddenly, it gave me an idea! I realized I could use small, separate containers for my pencils, markers, crayons, and paintbrushes. I found some old shoeboxes and decorated them, and now my art supplies are neatly organized, just like my mom’s laundry! It was a simple observation but helped me solve my messy art supply problem. 
Answer key