When learning English, we must practice such abilities as: understanding, reading, writing, grammar, speaking and listening. Each skill has its own ways of practicing. However, there are many methods that allow you to combine work on several skills at once. For example, when reading stories in English for beginners, we not only practice reading, but also work with pronunciation, learn new vocabulary, get acquainted with the use of grammar in speech. In today's material, we will tell you how to read short stories to learn English and give examples of literature for beginners.
Reading in English will only be effective if certain conditions are met.
If you ask students what are the benefits of studying a text in English for beginners, the majority will answer - acquaintance with new vocabulary. It certainly is. When we read short stories in English, we come across new words and expressions and learn how to use them in different contexts.
All new phrases and words always need not only to be translated, but also to clarify their correct pronunciation. Only such scrupulous work will give effective results: quick memorization of vocabulary and the ability to use it when building your speech.
In addition to mastering vocabulary, you can simultaneously improve your pronunciation and understanding of English speech by ear. To do this, you need to use audiobooks for beginners.
To make it easier for you to parse the record, you must definitely have its printed text with you. To develop the skill of listening comprehension, beginners need to select easy and simple texts in English. Take a look at the text and evaluate it, focusing on the fact that you should know about 90% of the vocabulary presented in it. If this indicator is reached, feel free to turn on the recording and work with the perception of the text by ear.
After listening, read the text aloud on your own, trying to correctly highlight intonations and pronounce all the words correctly.
Varieties of English Literature for Beginners
A typical way to work on reading is to study topics.
These are small English texts that cover one topic. The most common topics are:
- Family,
- Favorite hobby/movie/book
- My city,
- My schedule,
- In the airoport,
- At the restaurant etc.
In fact, this is a special training material, designed for a certain level of training of students.
Sometimes there are topics in the dialogue format, but most often it is just a short story. After the text, vocabulary is usually located, i.e. a small dictionary with transcription and translation of words. Also, such texts are equipped with additional tasks for knowledge of the studied material.
Topics are a convenient format for learning English, but many people are repelled by their somewhat “artificial” and formal content. If you need interesting stories in English for beginners to work with, then it is better to use fiction. Moreover, for beginners who want to learn English, they produce adapted texts for reading. Two types of such literature are widespread.
1) Books in English
These texts for beginners have undergone a thorough revision with the simplification of all grammatical structures and the removal of complex and outdated vocabulary. At the same time, they are given entirely in English, only sometimes accompanied by a small dictionary with difficult expressions.
Such books are divided into 6 levels of difficulty. The simplest stories are intended for children and beginners, more difficult texts will be of interest to people who have been studying English for more than a year, and the most complex stories can only be read by advanced speakers, i.e. practically fluent in the language. Accordingly, at the initial levels, little vocabulary is used (300-500 words), and at advanced levels, more than 1000.
2) Books adapted according to the method of Ilya Frank.
They are texts in English with a parallel translation into Russian. The first reader is offered a paragraph of the English text, followed by a paragraph with a Russian translation. Compound words are given in a separate list, and in addition to translation, they are accompanied by transcription.
This approach allows you not to be distracted by working with a dictionary or an online translator, but immediately write out unfamiliar words and expressions into your exercise book. In addition, you will be sure of the correct understanding of the content of the text, because you can always rely on a literary translation.
Now let's try to move a little away from theory and move on to practice. In the next section, we will give some examples of texts that will be of interest to study for both adult and children's audiences.
Stories in English for beginners
Let's start with an example of a typical topic about a family. Here is a text with a translation, a small dictionary and questions that students must answer.
Topic My family
I want to tell you about my family. There are five of us - my parents, my two younger sisters and me.
My father's name is Andrew. He is 45 years old. My dad is very tall and strong. In his childhood he played basketball very well. When he studied at the University, he won many competitions with his team. And now he goes to the gym three times a week. I am very proud of my father.
My mother's name is Svetlana. She is a famous actress. She really enjoys working at the theatre. All our family often goes to the theater to watch her performances. My mother is 42, but she looks very young. My mum is slim and rather tall. She has long dark hair and big blue eyes. My mother is very kind and understanding. We are real friends.
I've got two younger sisters. Nina is 5 years old and Vera is 14 years old. They go to school. Nina enjoy painting. I think she will be a great artist, when she grows up. Vera likes reading books and learning foreign languages. Perhaps she will be an excellent interpreter.
And my name is Boris. I'm 20. Now I study at Moscow State University. It was founded by a famous Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov. I went to the Faculty of Fundamental Medicine two years ago. In four years I will be a professional surgeon. I like my future profession and want to get a job as soon as possible.
My family supports me in my choice. Generally, our family is very united. We love each other and always try to spend more time together.
| Vocabulary | ||
| family | [ˈfæməli] | family |
| tall | tall | |
| famous | [ˈfeɪməs] | famous, famous |
| strong | strong | |
| performance | performance, performance | |
| slim | slim | |
| rather | [ˈrɑːðə(r)] | quite, quite |
| childhood | [ɪnˈtʃaɪld.hʊd] | in childhood, childhood |
| competition | [ˌkɒmpəˈtɪʃn] | competition |
| think (thought/thought) | [θɪŋk] | think (irregular verb) |
| painting | [ˈpeɪntɪŋ] | Painting |
| foreign | [ˈfɒrən] | foreign, foreign |
| perhaps | maybe, probably | |
| excellent | [ˈeksələnt] | a great |
| interpreter | [ˈeksələnt] | translator, interpreter |
| was founded | was founded | |
| scientist | [ˈsaɪəntɪst] | scientist |
| surgeon | [ˈsaɪəntɪst] | surgeon |
| future | [ˈfjuːtʃə(r)] | future |
| job | Job | |
| as soon as possible | [əz suːn əz ˈpɒsəbl] | As soon as possible |
| support | support, support | |
| generally | [ˈdʒenrəli] | in general, in general |
| spend (spent/spent) | spend, spend (time, money) | |
| each other | each other | |
Questions :
- How many people are there in Boris's family?
- Does Boris have grandparents?
- What does his father do?
- What does his mother do?
- What are the names of his sisters?
- Are they younger or elder than Boris?
- What are they fond of?
- Where does Boris study?
- Does he like his profession?
- Is this family friendly?
Translation
I want to tell you about my family. There are five of us: my parents, my two younger sisters and myself.
My father's name is Andrew. He is 45 years old. My dad is very tall and strong. As a child, he played basketball very well. When he was at university, he won many competitions with his team, and now he goes to the gym three times a week. I am very proud of my father.
My mom's name is Svetlana. She is a famous actress. She really enjoys working in the theatre. Our whole family often goes to the theater to watch her performances. My mother is 42 years old, but she looks much younger. She is slim and quite tall. She has long dark hair and big blue eyes. My mother is very kind and understanding. We are real friends with her.
I have two younger sisters. Nina is 5 years old and Vera is 14. They go to school. Nina is fond of drawing. I think she will become a great artist when she grows up. Vera loves to read books and learn foreign languages. Perhaps she will be an excellent translator.
And my name is Boris. I am 20 years old. I study at Moscow State University. It was founded by the famous Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov. I came to the Faculty of Fundamental Medicine 2 years ago. In 4 years I will become a professional surgeon. I like my future profession and I want to get a job as soon as possible.
My family supports my choice. In general, our family is very close-knit. We love each other and always try to spend as much time together as possible.
Fiction
As we have already noted, not everyone likes to work with topics. They are uninformative, stingy with new vocabulary and, frankly, boring. In contrast, fiction attracts students with interesting characters and exciting plot twists. And loves exciting adventures and child, and an adult.
Here are some tips for short fiction stories.
- Mark Twain : A dog and three dollars, Mistake identity;
- O'Henry : A walk in amnesia, Tildy's moment; The Christmas presents, The Memento;
- Alvin Schwartz : Room for one more;
- Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm : Rumpelstiltskin;
- Jan Carew : Journeys end, The Charm, Lost love; The doll
- Jennifer Bassett : South for the winter; The girl with green eyes.
This is just a small list of noteworthy stories.
When you're ready for more volumes, we recommend that you check out another of our material, in which you will find a selection of audiobooks for beginners. So you will not only train reading and improve your vocabulary, but also listen to real English speech, adjusting to its perception and understanding.
I have been teaching English for a long time, and my methodology includes independent reading, which looks something like this: after each lesson, I send a story in English to the student by e-mail, which he reads at home (sometimes he also listens if there is audio for the text), and retells it to me for the next lesson.
Now I decided to post these stories so that everyone can use them - both those who study English on their own and are looking for something interesting to read, and teachers like me who are constantly looking for material for their students.
Stories in English are divided into three categories: simpler, medium and more difficult. Most texts are accompanied by audio, in which case the story can be listened to directly on the reading page or downloaded in mp3 format. Unfortunately, there are no materials for children here - all texts are designed for adults. Some of them are adapted, others are not. The authors are very diverse: some of the stories are written by O'Henry, some by Mark Twain, others are written by lesser known and more modern English and American writers. But absolutely everything is tested on my students and approved by them.
The list of texts is constantly updated. Read, listen, learn and teach others!
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The child and his mother
A curious child asked his mother: “Mommy, why are some of your hairs turning grey?”
The mother tried to use this occasion to teach her child: “It is because of you, dear. Every bad action of yours will turn one of my hairs grey!”
The child replied innocently: “Now I know why grandmother has only gray hairs on her head.”
Translation:
Child and his mother
A curious child asks his mother, "Mommy, why are some of the hairs on your head turning gray?"
The mother tried to take advantage of the situation and give a lesson to her child: “It's all because of you, dear. Every bad deed of yours makes one of my hairs gray!”
The child innocently replied, "Now I know why my grandmother has only gray hair on her head."
Wrong email address
A couple going on vacation but his wife was on a business trip so he went to the destination first and his wife would meet him the next day.
When he reached his hotel, he decided to send his wife a quick email.
Unfortunately, when typing her address, he mistyped a letter and his note was directed instead to an elderly preacher’s wife whose husband had passed away only the day before.
When the grieving widow checked her email, she took one look at the monitor, let out a piercing scream, and fell to the floor in a dead faint.
At the sound, her family rushed into the room and saw this note on the screen:
dearest wife,
Just got checked in. Everything prepared for your arrival tomorrow.
P.S. Sure is hot down here.
Translation:
Wrong e-mail
The couple goes on vacation, but the wife is on a business trip, so the husband arrives first and the wife picks him up the next day.
When he got to the hotel, he decided to send his wife a quick email.
Unfortunately, when he typed her address, he missed a letter, and his letter went instead of his wife to the elderly priest's wife, whose husband had passed away just a day before.
As the grieving widow checked her email, she glanced at the monitor once, let out a scream of horror, and fell to the floor in a deep faint.
Hearing this sound, the relatives rushed into her room and saw a note on the screen:
Dear wife,
Just posted. Everything is ready for your arrival tomorrow.PS: It's hot in here.
Will's experience at the airport
After his return from Rome, Will couldn't find his luggage in the airport baggage area. He went to the lost luggage office and told the woman there that his bags hadn't shown up on the carousel.
She smiled and told him not to worry because they were trained professionals and he was in good hands.
Then she asked Will, “Has your plane arrived yet?”
Translation:
Will's case at the airport
After returning from Rome, Will couldn't find his luggage in the luggage compartment of the airport. He went to the lost and found office and told the woman who worked there that his bags never showed up on the carousel.
She smiled and told him not to worry because they have professionals and he is in safe hands.
Then she asked: “Has your plane already arrived?”
Clever kids
A police officer found a perfect hiding place for watching for speeding motorists.
One day, the officer was amazed when everyone was under the speed limit, so he investigated and found the problem.
A 10 years old boy was standing on the side of the road with a huge hand painted sign which said “Radar Trap Ahead.”
A little more investigative work led the officer to the boy’s accomplice: another boy about 100 yards beyond the radar trap with a sign reading “TIPS” and a bucket at his feet full of change.
Translation:
smart kids
A police officer found the perfect hidden spot to watch for speeding motorists.
Once the officer was struck by the fact that all motorists were driving at a speed below the established limit. He investigated and identified the problem.
A ten-year-old boy was standing on the side of the road with a large sign in his hands that read: "Reckless Trap Ahead."
Further investigative work led the officer to the boy's accomplice: he saw another boy standing 100 yards behind the policeman with the radar, next to him was a sign that read "Tipping" and a bucket at his feet filled with change.
Mouthology
A Professor was traveling by boat. On his way he asked the sailor:
“Do you know Biology, Ecology, Zoology, Geography, physiology?
The sailor said no to all his questions.
Professor: What the hell do you know on earth. You will die of illiteracy.
After a while the boat started sinking. The Sailor asked the Professor, do you know swiminology & escapology from sharkology?
The professor said no.
Sailor: “Well, sharkology & crocodilogy will eat your assology, headology & you will dieology because of your mouthology.
Translation:
Boltology
The professor traveled by boat. During the journey, he asked the sailor:
"Do you know biology, ecology, zoology, geography, psychology?"
The sailor answered "No" to all his questions.
Professor: What do you even know then? You will die of illiteracy.
After some time, the boat began to sink. The sailor asked the professor if he knew swimology, rescueology and aculology.
The professor said no.
Sailor: "Well, then sharkology and crocodilology will eat your zadology, cephalology, and you'll die of boltology."
Captain
A navy captain is alerted by his First Mate that there is a pirate ship coming towards his position. He asks a sailor to get him his red shirt.
The captain was asked, “Why do you need a red shirt?”
The Captain replies, “So that when I bleed, you guys don’t notice and aren’s discouraged.” They fight off the pirates eventually.
The very next day, the Captain is alerted that 50 pirate ships are coming towards their boat. He yells, “Get me my brown pants!”
Translation:
Captain
A navy captain warned his first officer that a pirate ship was heading towards them. He asked the sailor to get him a red T-shirt.
The captain was asked: "Why do you need a red T-shirt?"
The captain replied, "When I bleed, you guys won't notice it and won't be afraid."
They eventually defeated the pirates.
The next day, the captain announced the alarm that 50 pirate ships were approaching their boat. He yelled, "Bring me my brown pants!"
elephant
The class teacher asks students to name an animal that begins with an “E”. One boy says, “Elephant.”
Then the teacher asks for an animal that begins with a “T”. The same boy says, “Two elephants.”
The teacher sends the boy out of the class for bad behavior. After that she asks for an animal beginning with “M”.
The boy shouts from the other side of the wall: “Maybe an elephant!”
Translation:
Elephant
The teacher asks the students to name an animal that starts with "E". One boy said "Elephant" (elephant).
The teacher then asked them to name an animal that starts with the letter "T". The same boy said: "Two elephants" (two elephants).
The teacher kicked the boy out of class for bad behavior. After that, she asked to name an animal that starts with "M".
The boy shouted on the other side of the wall: “Maybe an elephant!” (Maybe an elephant).
In the modern world, English, along with Chinese and Spanish, is the most widely spoken language in the world. Therefore, the need to learn English is quite obvious, which can be useful in various areas of human activity - work, travel, or even moving to another country.
Learning English is necessary and important, and starting from the school bench. But if for some reason this was not possible at school age, then do not despair, you can start at any time.
Each language consists of several aspects:
- grammar,
- vocabulary
- pronunciation.
Without having at least one part in stock, one cannot speak of a good command of the language. The most effective method of studying is the translation of texts both from English into Russian and vice versa.
In the course of translation, a person memorizes grammatical structures characteristic of a given language, replenishes vocabulary with vocabulary and individual phrases, which can then be used in conversation, and also trains to read words and learns pronunciation rules. Individual texts are selected for each age group., according to the specifics of thinking.
Texts for children
IMPORTANT: texts for children should be small in size, so you can not force a child to read several pages a day. It is better to do everything gradually and qualitatively.
Example 1
My name is Lena. I'm 6 years old. Every day I wake up at 6 o'clock and wash up. I brush my teeth, my hair and have a breakfast. My mother works every day too, so she cooks my meal. My father is a policeman. He usually listens to the radio and drinks coffee. We have a dog. Its name is Holy. We are a small and happy family.
My name is Lena. I'm 6. Every day I get up at six o'clock and wash my face. I brush my teeth, wash my hair and have breakfast. My mother also works every day, so she cooks food for me. My dad is a police officer. He usually listens to the radio and drinks coffee. We have a dog. Her name is Holi. We are a small and happy family.
Text exercises:
- Insert the correct form of the verb to be:
| 1) My name ... Lisa. | 4) We … a happy family. |
| 2) I … 7 years old. | 5) Martin ... a pupil. |
| 3) My mother … a teacher. | 6) I ... Olya. |
- Write down all nouns with translation. For example: name - name, etc.
Example 2
good morning! My name is Katya, I'm 8 years old. I live in a big house. There are many toys and balls. I have a big family - my father, mother, sister and grandmother. My sister's name is Isabella, she is 3 years old. I like to play with her. My grandmother is old, so she is clever. We talk every evening. I don't go to school now, because I have holidays, so I play with my puppies.
Good morning! My name is Katya, I am 8 years old. I live in a big house. There are a lot of toys and balls here. I have a big family - my mother, father, sister and grandmother. My sister's name is Isabella, she is 3 years old. I like to play with her. My grandmother is old, so she is smart. We talk every evening. I don't go to school now because I have holidays so I play with my dolls.
Text exercises:
Adviсe:
- It is advisable to write each new word in a separate notebook with a translation, this is how mechanical memory is activated
- Words need to be taught every day, then they will move from a passive dictionary to an active one
- You should not force the child to read the text that he does not like, the material is remembered faster when it is interesting
Texts for schoolchildren
Schoolchildren speak English to a greater extent than preschool children, so the texts become more complex, and the vocabulary and overview of topics more diverse.
Example 1
Let me introduce myself. My name is Veronika and I'm 10. I am a pupil. I study at school number 122. I am at the forth form. I like my class, that's why I study with pleasure. I have many friends here; their names are Natasha, Olya and Alina. Our usual entertainments are playing with puppies, running and talking.
This year I come back home myself. I am not afraid to go by bus and cross the road. At home I do my homework and watch TV, sometimes I cook dinner. My parents come home at 6 o'clock and we go shopping. I love them so much.
Let me introduce myself. My name is Veronica and I am 10. I am a student. I study at school number 122. I am in the fourth grade. I love my class, so I study with pleasure. I have many friends here; their names are Natasha, Olya and Alina. Our usual pastimes are playing with dolls, running and talking.
This year I am returning home by myself. I'm not afraid to ride the bus and cross the road. At home I do my homework and watch TV, sometimes I cook dinner. My parents come home at 6 o'clock and we go shopping. I love them very much.
Text exercises:
- Translate the following words and phrases from English into Russian:
- Let me introduce myself
- A pupil
- The next form
- With pleasure
- Entertainment
- To be afraid
- cross the road
- Do homework
- cook dinner
- Go shopping
- Translate the following words and phrases from Russian into English:
- My name is …
- I study at school
- I have many friends
- Play with dolls
- This year
- I am returning home
- Watching TV
Example 2
My name is Vika. I'm 18 years old and I'm a student. I study at the university every day and my classes finish at 5 o'clock, so I don't have much spare time. But when I'm free, I like to spend some time with my friends. Usually we visit a café or go to the cinema.
On Saturday and Sunday we go to the gym and train hard. In the evening we like to ride a bike or walk in the park. When I'm at home, I watch interesting films and read books. My favorite film is “Green Mile”, and book – “Harry Potter”. I practice sport too. Every Tuesday I play volleyball on the beach, and also swim and take sunbath.
My name is Vika. I am 18 years old and I am a student. I study at university every day and my classes end at 5 o'clock, so I don't have much free time. But when I'm free, I like to spend time with my friends. Usually we visit a cafe or go to the cinema.
On Saturday and Sunday we go to the gym and work out hard. In the evening we ride a bike or walk in the park. When I am at home, I watch interesting films and read books. My favorite movie is The Green Mile and my favorite book is Harry Potter. I also play sports. Every Tuesday I play beach volleyball and swim and sunbathe.
Text exercises:
- Make up sentences with the following words and translate:
- student;
- university;
- spare time;
- spend time;
- to visit a café;
- to ride a bike;
- to practice sport;
- to take sunbath.
- Make up a story about yourself based on the text.
Adviсe:
- When reading the text, you should memorize grammatical constructions and standard turns, which will help you speak English.
- The language should be used everywhere, try to speak out loud in English what you do and what you see
- If you convince your relatives and friends to also start learning the language, then together it will be much easier for you to master it.
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Those who attend even 1 lesson will learn more than in a few years! Surprised?
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From the course "ENGLISH BEFORE AUTOMATIC" you:
- Learn how to write good sentences in English without learning grammar
- Learn the secret of a progressive approach, thanks to which you can reduce learning English from 3 years to 15 weeks
- Will check your answers instantly+ get a thorough analysis of each task
- Download the dictionary in PDF and MP3 formats, learning tables and audio recording of all phrases
Adapted books are a good way to learn a language for beginners. They are written in a lighter language, so the meaning is comprehended faster.
Example 1
Once upon a time there was a poor miller. He lived in a small house with his three sons. The miller worked at the mill, and his sons helped him. The miller had no horse. That's why he used his donkey to bring wheat from the fields. The years went by. The miller grew old and died. His sons decided to divine their father's things among themselves. That was easy: he had almost nothing to leave to his sons. Only his mill, his donkey and his cat.
“I'm going to take the mill” said the miller's oldest son.
“I'm going to take the donkey” said the second.
“And what about me?” asked the youngest son.
“You? You can take the cat,” laughed his brothers.
Once there was a poor miller. He lived in a small house with his three sons. The miller worked at the mill and his sons helped him. The miller had no horse. So he used a donkey to bring wheat from the fields. The years went by. The miller grew old and died. His sons decided to share their father's belongings among themselves.
It was easy: he had practically nothing to leave for his sons. Only his mill, his donkey and his cat.
"I'll take the mill," said the miller's eldest son.
"I'll take the donkey," said the second.
"What about me?" asked the younger son.
"You? You can take the cat,” laughed his brothers.
Text exercises:
Example 2
Hello, I'm a peacock. I'm from Africa. I live in the grasslands. Now I'm grown-up, but I want to start my story from my birth day. Here it is. I'm sitting in an egg. It is as big as me. I'm tired to sit here. I want to get out and see the world. Sometimes it is light and sometimes dark in the egg. When it is dark, I sleep. When it is light, I want to go out, because I have nothing to do here.
Now it is very light. I hit the egg with my beak. Suddenly, there is a small hole in the wall of the egg. Now I can see the outside world. Oh! It's great there! I see a lot of different animals. They are walking in the grass. Some animals are eating the grass; another - the leaves.
Hello, I'm a peacock. I am from Africa. I live in a pasture. Now I have grown up, but I want to start my story from the day I was born. Here she is. I am in an egg. It's as big as me. I'm tired of sitting here. I want to get out and see the world. Sometimes light and sometimes dark in the egg. When it's dark, I sleep. When it's light, I want to go out because I have nothing to do here.
It's very light now. I hit the egg with my beak. Suddenly, a small hole appeared in the wall of the egg. Now I can see the outside world. Oh! This is amazing! I see many different animals. They walk on the grass. Some animals eat grass, others eat leaves.
Text exercises:
Adviсe:
- Adapted texts are good for beginners, but do not get carried away with them. When you realize that you have already improved your level sufficiently, move on to more complex texts. You can choose the same stories, but already unadapted.
- An effective way to learn a language by translating texts is the method of Ilya Frank. You can go to it after the adapted material is well mastered.
Texts for beginning adults
Texts for adults affect more serious topics, according to the outlook of the person. But, despite their seriousness, the words are also easy to remember, as well as from children's texts.
Example 1
Moscow Kremlin is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the world. It is located in the capital of Russia - Moscow. Moscow Kremlin has a big history. It is more than 500 years old. It has 20 towers. The highest tower is Troizkaya tower. The president of Russia works in Kremlin. It is red now, but many years ago it was white. Many tourists come to Moscow to visit the Kremlin Square and the Kremlin itself.
The Moscow Kremlin is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the world. It is located in the capital of Russia - Moscow. The Moscow Kremlin has a long history. He is over five hundred years old. He has 20 towers. The highest is the Trinity Tower.
The President of Russia works in the Kremlin. It is red now, but many years ago it was white. Many tourists come to Moscow to visit the Kremlin Square and the Kremlin itself.
Text exercises:
- Write a similar text about the Kazan Kremlin. Auxiliary words:
- Kazan Kremlin;
- Tatar;
- Kazan;
- Ivan the Terrible;
- capital;
- UNESCO.
- Translate the following words and phrases:
Example 2
What do women wear? It's a very difficult question for men. The woman's cloth depends on the weather and the season of the year. They usually wear a skirt with a blouse or a dress. If it is cold, they take a coat. It is always necessary to have a hat and a pair of beautiful gloves. There are stockings and shoes on their feet.
And what do men wear? Their usual clothes are a shirt and trousers, a jacket or a coat, shoes and socks. If it gets cold, they take a hat and a pair of gloves.
What do women wear? This is a very difficult question for men. A woman's clothing depends on the weather and season. They usually wear a skirt with a blouse or a dress. If it's cold, they take their coats. It is always necessary to have a hat or a pair of nice gloves. On their feet are socks and shoes.
And what do men wear? Their usual attire is a T-shirt or pants, jacket or coat, shoes and socks. If it gets cold, they take a hat and a pair of gloves.
Text exercises:
- List all named items of clothing and translate.For example, skirt - a skirt, etc.
- Write a short story describing your wardrobe. For example: There are many clothes in my cupboard: skirts, trousers, etc.
Adviсe:
- Adults often fail to find time to devote to studying, then you need to combine learning English with current affairs. For example, listen to English texts on the way to work and repeat after the announcer.
- Change the language on your phone to English, then you will definitely learn some more new words to expand your vocabulary.
Learning languages has never been easy, but to make learning easier for yourself, you should use the right and interesting methods, and also try to speak English at every opportunity.
Building a Fire is one of Jack London's best short stories. His original stories still make a strong impression on people. But they not only strike the imagination of his readers. They inspire. Apparently due to the enormous vitality that the author possessed during his lifetime. Fortitude, love of life - this is what permeates all his works. An incredible writer and an incredible person. We in Russia love and read it, almost more than in America itself.
Jack London. To Build a Fire
Dear reader, let's start reading the most interesting stories of Jack London in English. One of them is the story To Build a Fire"(Make a bonfire). The story has been adapted to the INTERMEDIATE level. The story is accompanied by audio and words for study.
Words and expressions that you will remember if you read this story:
- trail- trail
- cover- to cover
- expected to reach- expected to reach
- to freeze- freeze
- frozen stream- frozen stream
- snow covered ice- snow-covered ice
- underground springs- underground springs
- to break through- fail
- sharp pain- sharp pain
- wet- wet
- dry- dry
- to dry- dry
- branches- branches
- matches- matches
- flame- flame
- heavy load- heavy load
- cold weather- terrible cold
- the fear of death- fear of death
Listen to the story "To Build a fire"
The man walked down the trail on a cold, gray day. Pure white snow and ice covered the Earth for as far as he could see. This was his first winter in Alaska. He was wearing heavy clothes and fur boots. But he still felt cold and uncomfortable.
- as far as he could see - as far as he could see
Map of Alaska and northern Canada
The man was on his way to a camp near Henderson Creek. His friends were already there. He expected to reach Henderson Creek by six o'clock that evening. It would be dark by then. His friends would have a fire and hot food ready for him.
- It would be dark by then. By then it will be dark.
- would have a fire - kindle a fire
A dog walked behind the man. It was a big gray animal, half dog and half wolf. The dog did not like the extreme cold. It knew the weather was too cold to travel.
The man continued to walk down the trail. He came to a frozen stream called Indian Creek. He began to walk on the snow covered ice. It was a trail that would lead him straight to Henderson Creek and his friends.
As he walked, he looked carefully at the ice in front of him. Once, he stopped suddenly, and then walked around a part of the frozen stream. He saw that an underground spring flowed under the ice at that spot. It made the ice thin. If he stepped there, he might break through the ice into a pool of water. To get his boots wet in such cold weather might kill him. His feet would turn to ice quickly. He could freeze to death.
- If he stepped there, he might ... - If he stepped there, he could ...
- would turn - turn into
- could freeze - could freeze
At about twelve o'clock, the man decided to stop to eat his lunch. He took off the glove on his right hand. He opened his jacket and shirt, and pulled out his bread and meat. This took less than twenty seconds. Yet, his fingers began to freeze.
He hit his hand against his leg several times until he felt a sharp pain. Then he quickly put his glove on his hand. He made a fire, beginning with small pieces of wood and adding larger ones. He sat on a snow covered log and ate his lunch. He enjoyed the warm fire for a few minutes. Then he stood up and started walking on the frozen stream again.
A half hour later, it happened. At a place where the snow seemed very solid, the ice broke. The man's feet sank into the water. It was not deep, but his legs got wet to the knees. The man was angry. The accident would delay his arrival at the camp. He would have to build a fire now to dry his clothes and boots.
He walked over to some small trees. They were covered with snow. In their branches were pieces of dry grass and wood left by flood waters earlier in the year. He put several large pieces of wood on the snow, under one of the trees. On top of the wood, he put some grass and dry branches. He pulled off his gloves, took out his matches, and lighted the fire. He fed the young flame with more wood. As the fire grew, he gave it larger pieces of wood.
He worked slowly and carefully. At sixty degrees below zero, a man with wet feet must not fail in his first attempt to build a fire. While he was walking, his blood had kept all parts of his body warm. Now that he had stopped, cold was forcing his blood to withdraw deeper into his body. His wet feet had frozen. He could not feel his fingers. His nose was frozen, too. The skin all over his body felt cold.
Now, however, his fire was beginning to burn more strongly. He was safe. He sat under the tree and thought of the old men in Fairbanks.
The old men had told him that no man should travel alone in the Yukon when the temperature is sixty degrees below zero. “The old folks said you shouldn't travel around the Yukon at -60 degrees below zero.
Yet here he was. He had had an accident. He was alone. And he had saved himself. He had built a fire.
Those old men were weak, he thought. A real man could travel alone. The man's boots were covered with ice. The strings on his boots were as hard as steel. He would have to cut them with his knife.
- If a man stayed calm, he would be all right.“If you stay calm, everything will be all right.
He leaned back against the tree to take out his knife. Suddenly, without warning, a heavy mass of snow dropped down. His movement had shaken the young tree only a tiny bit. But it was enough to cause the branches of the tree to drop them heavy load. The man was shocked. He sat and looked at the place where the fire had been.
The old men had been right, he thought. The other man could build the fire. Well, it was up to him to build the fire again. This time, he must not fail.
- If he had another man with him, he would not be in any danger now.“If he had had someone else with him, he wouldn't be in danger right now.
The man collected more wood. He reached into his pocket for the matches. But his fingers were frozen. He could not hold them. He began to hit his hands with all his force against his legs.
After a while, feeling came back to his fingers. The man reached again into his pocket for the matches. But the cold weather quickly drove the life out of his fingers. All the matches fell onto the snow. He tried to pick one up, but failed.
The man pulled on his glove and again beat his hand against his leg. Then he took the gloves off both hands and picked up all the matches. He gathered them together. Holding them with both hands, he scratched the matches along his leg. They immediately caught fire.
He held the blazing matches to a piece of wood. After a while, he became aware that he could smell his hands burning. Then he began to feel the pain. He opened his hands, and the blazing matches fell on to the snow. The flame went out in a puff of gray smoke.
The man looked up. The dog was still watching him. The man got an idea. He would kill the dog and bury his hands inside his warm body. When the feeling came back to his fingers, he could build another fire. He called to the dog. The dog heard danger in the man's voice. It backed away.
- would kill the dog - will kill the dog
- could build - can ignite
The man called again. This time the dog came closer. The man reached for his knife. But he had forgotten that he could not bend his fingers. He could not kill the dog, because he could not hold his knife.
- could not kill - will not be able to kill
- could not hold - will not be able to hold a knife
The fear of death came over the man. He jumped up and began to run. The running began to make him feel better. Maybe running would make his feet warm. They would take care of him.
- If he ran far enough, he would reach his friends at Henderson Creek.“If he runs far, he can reach his comrades at Henderson Creek.
- would take care - take care of him
It felt strange to run and not feel his feet when they hit the ground. He fell several times. He decided to rest a while. As he lay in the snow, he noticed that he was not shaking. He could not feel his nose or fingers or feet. Yet, he was feeling quite warm and comfortable. He realized he was going to die.
Well, he decided he might as well take it like a man. There were worse ways to die.
- he might as well take it like a man. “Since it happened, you need to accept it as befits a man.
The man closed his eyes and floated into the most comfortable sleep he had ever known.
The dog sat facing him, waiting. Finally, the dog moved closer to the man and caught the smell of death. The animal threw back its head. It let out a long, soft cry to the cold stars in the black sky.
And then it tuned and ran towards Henderson Creek…where it knew there was food and a fire.
