Easy Reading For ESL Students, Volume 1

Twelve Short Stories for Learners of English
EASY READING
for ESL Students
BOOK 1
by Johnny Bread
CANADIAN LANGUAGE SCHOOL

INTRODUCTION
Easy Reading for ESL Students – Book 1 is a

comprehensive reader designed especially for beginning
and intermediate students of English as a Second
Language. The book was developed and tested by full-time
teachers of English.
There are twelve short stories. Each story is designed to

engage students in a well-rounded language learning
experience. There are comprehension, vocabulary,
speaking, and writing exercises following each story.
The stories are entertaining and have plot twists and

surprise endings. Teachers of English as a Second
Language will enjoy using them to engage students on a
wide range of topics and interests.
The stories are short (260 – 460 words). Each story and its
exercises can be completed in 60 minutes.
2
CONTENTS
The Shaman 4
Yanek and Maria 10
1,500 Miles to Disney World 16
The Million Dollar Cap 22
The Toy 28
The Cleaning Lady 34
Old Witch 40
The Divine Voice 46
The Fight of the Bulldog 52
A Tip 58
The Monster 64
Sarah Fish 70
3
THE SHAMAN
“Laura, I’m very frustrated,” Mary says to her friend. “I’m

thirty-five years old, and I’m still single. I want to find a
husband, but I can’t. I have to do something, but I don’t
know what.”
“Go to the Indian reservation,” Laura says. “There is a
shaman there. He can help you.”
“A shaman? Are you joking?” Mary shouts. “I can’t go to
the Indian reservation. I don’t want to go to the Indian
reservation.”
Six months later Mary drives to the Indian reservation.
She wants to see the shaman.
“Looking for a husband?” the shaman asks.
“How do you know that?” Mary is surprised.
“I’m a shaman. I know a lot of things.”
“Can you help me?” Mary asks.
“Yes, I can.”
“What do I have to do?” Mary asks. She is happy.
The shaman gives her a small statue of a young man
and says, “Touch his head and say three times, ‘Give me
the power to find you.’”
4
Mary touches the head of the statue and says, “Give me
the power to find you. Give me the power to find you. Give
me the power to find you.”
“Take the statue with you,” the shaman says. “You have
to do this every morning.”
“Thank you very much,” Mary says. “Good bye.”
“Wait!” the shaman calls. “It costs $1,000.”
Mary gives the shaman the money and drives away.
Mary gets up every morning, touches the head of the
statue and says, “Give me the power to find you. Give me
the power to find you. Give me the power to find you.”
A year later Mary gets up. She still doesn’t have a
husband. She is angry. This time she says, “The shaman is
a big liar.” Then she takes the statue and throws it out of
the window.
She hears a scream. She goes to the window and looks
down. There is a man lying on the ground. He is not
moving. His head is bleeding.
Mary takes the man to the hospital. He has to stay there
for a week. She visits him every day. “I am sorry,” she
says.” They talk and talk. Mary likes the man, and he likes
her. Six months later they get married.
“The shaman is very good,” Mary says to her friend
Laura. “Thank you.”
Notes
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5
I. Choose the right answer.
1. Mary is frustrated because she ____________.

a. doesn’t have a job
b. doesn’t have a friend
c. doesn’t have a husband
2. Laura tells her to ____________.

a. go to see a psychologist
b. go to see a shaman
c. go on vacation
3. The shaman gives Mary ____________.

a. a small statue
b. medicine
c. $1,000
4. Mary has to touch the statue and say, “____________.”

a. I don’t want to be alone
b. Give me the power to find you
c. I want to find a husband
5. A year later, Mary throws the statue ____________.

a. in the fireplace
b. in the wastebasket
c. out of the window
6. Mary takes the man ____________.

a. to the hospital
b. to a restaurant
c. on vacation
6
II. Complete the sentences with the words from the
box below.
bleeding throws statue frustrated

liar scream joking single
1. Mary doesn’t feel good. She has a problem. She is

frustrated .
2. Mary doesn’t have a husband. She lives alone. She is

____________.
3. When people try to make others laugh, we can say that

they are ____________.
4. A three-dimensional art work is sometimes called a

____________.
5. Someone who doesn’t tell the truth is a ____________.
6. Mary is very angry. She ____________ the statue out of

the window.
7. Mary hears a ____________. She looks out the

window. Someone is hurt.
8. The man is hurt. He is lying on the ground and he is

____________.
7
III. Choose two words from the box on the previous
page and write a short paragraph using them.
_______________________________________________
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IV. Complete the sentences with the expressions from

the box below.
looking for get married

drives away Indian reservation
1. Some Native Americans live on an

____________________.
2. Mary is ____________________ a husband.
3. Mary pays the shaman and ____________________.
4. Mary and the man want to live together and have a

family. They ____________________.
V. Choose two expressions from the box above and

write a short paragraph using them.
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8
VI. Answer the question in full sentences.
1. Why is Mary frustrated?

2. What does Laura advise her to do?
3. Does Mary want to go to the Indian reservation?
4. How long does it take her before she goes there?
5. What does the shaman give her?
6. What does she have to do?
7. Does it work?
8. What does Mary do a year later?
9. What happens?
VII. Oral Summary
Retell the story in a few sentences.
VIII. Written Summary
Write a few sentences to summarize the story.
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9
YANEK AND MARIA
Yanek and Maria are happy. They are getting married,

and they are going to Egypt on their honeymoon. The
problem is that they don’t speak English. Yanek has an
idea. He finds a one-month English course. They are lucky.
They have a good teacher.
“I have some good advice for you,” the teacher says to
his students. “If you don’t know an English word, refer to
something everybody knows. For example, if you want to
speak about love, and you don’t know the word, say
Romeo and Juliet.”
Six weeks later Yanek and Maria arrive in Egypt. They
are very happy. The hotel is very nice. They swim in the
sea and relax on the beach. Their first day is fantastic.
In the middle of the night Maria wakes up. She hears a
noise in the bathroom. She gets up and goes to see what it
is. She turns on the light and starts yelling, “Wake up,
Yanek! Wake up and call the front desk. There is a mouse
in the bathroom.”
10
Yanek wakes up. He goes to the phone and calls the
front desk. “Hello, this is room 23,” he says to the clerk.
“We have a problem.”
“What is your problem, sir?” the clerk asks.
“We have a …, we have a …” Yanek doesn’t know the
English word for mouse.
“I don’t know how to say mouse in English,” Yanek says
to Maria. “Do you?”
Maria takes the phone from him and says to the clerk,
“Do you know Tom and Jerry?”
“Yes, I do,” the clerk says. My children watch that
cartoon.”
“Jerry is here.”
Notes
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1. Yanek and Maria are going on ____________.

a. a business trip
b. their honeymoon
c. a cruise
2. They are worried because they ____________.

a. don’t have money
b. don’t have much time
c. don’t speak English
3. Yanek has an idea. He finds ____________.

a. some money
b. a good dictionary
c. an English course
4. Maria wakes up at night because ____________.

a. there is a noise in the bathroom
b. the people next door are having a party
c. Yanek is snoring
5. Maria goes to the bathroom. There is a ____________.

a. man
b. mouse
c. mess
6. Yanek calls ____________.

a. the front desk clerk
b. the hotel manger
c. the police
12
box below.
cartoon yelling honeymoon clerk

idea refer advice lucky
1. Yanek and Maria are going to Egypt on their

honeymoon .
2. They have a problem, but Yanek knows what to do. He

has an ____________.
3. They study English. They are ____________. They

have a good teacher.
4. The teacher is smart. He gives them some good

____________.
5. He advises them to ____________ to something

everybody knows if they don’t know an English word.
6. Maria goes to the bathroom. She sees a mouse. She

starts ____________.
7. Yanek gets up. He picks up the phone and calls the

front desk. He wants to speak to the ____________.
8. The clerk knows Tom and Jerry. The clerk’s children

watch that ____________.
13
_______________________________________________
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_______________________________________________
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the box below.
wake up in the middle

gets up turns on
1. Maria wakes up ____________________ of the night.
2. She hears a noise. She __________________ and

goes into the bathroom.
3. She __________________ the light.
4. She starts yelling, “__________________, Yanek!”

write a short paragraph using these expressions.
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14
VI. Answer the questions in full sentences.
1. Why are Yanek and Maria happy?

2. What problem do they have before their trip?
3. Yanek has an idea. What is his idea?
4. What does their English teacher advise them to do?
5. How is their first day in Egypt?
6. What happens in the middle of the night?
7. What does Maria want Yanek to do?
8. What is Yanek’s problem?
9. What does Maria do?
VII. Oral Summary
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15
1,500 MILES TO DISNEY WORLD
Richard is six years old. He lives in Montreal, Canada

with his mother. One day he says, “Mom, take me to
Disney World, please. I want to see the real Mickey
Mouse.”
“We don’t have money for that, Richie,” his mother
answers. “Maybe next year.”
They have the same conversation the next year and the
next year and the next.
“Mom is not going to take me there,” Richard says to his
friends when he is twelve years old. “I’m going to Disney
World alone.”
Disney World in Orlando, Florida is 1,500 miles away.
Richard starts saving money. He wants to buy a motorcycle
to go to Disney world.
The years go by. Richard is twenty-one years old today,
and he is in a club with his friends. And what about his
dream? His dream is still alive. He still wants to go to
Disney World. He has $3,520 in his bank account.
Richard meets a girl in the club. Her name is Nancy. He
likes her, and she likes him. They talk, laugh and dance
together. They have a good time.
16
“Do you have a dream?” Richard asks Nancy while they
are dancing.
“Yes, I do,” Nancy answers. “But I’m not going to tell
you.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s silly.”
“Tell me, please. I’m not going to laugh,” Richard says.
“I want to go to Disney World,” Nancy says. “And I’m not
joking.”
Richard can’t believe what he hears. Nancy has the
same dream as he does. “I don’t think it’s silly,” he says.
“What about you?” Nancy asks. “Do you have a dream?”
“Yes, I do,” Richard answers. “I want to buy a
motorcycle and go on a long trip.”
“Where do you want to go?”
“I want to go to the States.”
“Do you want to go to Florida too?”
“Maybe,” Richard answers smiling.
One beautiful morning, two months later, Richard starts
his motorcycle. Nancy is with him. They are going to
Disney World.
Three days later, Richard and Nancy arrive at Disney
World. They are happy. Their dream finally comes true.
Notes
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17
1. Richards wants to go to ____________.

a. Montreal
b. Los Angeles
c. Orlando
2. He wants to ____________.
a. travel by train
b. ride a motorcycle
c. take a plane
3. Richard lives in ____________.

a. the USA
b. Canada
c. France
4. Richard meets Nancy ____________.

a. in a club
b. at school
c. during his vacation
5. Richard goes to Disney World ____________.

a. with his friends
b. alone
c. with Nancy
6. The trip to Orlando takes them ___________.

a. five days
b. one day
c. three days
18
box below.
still alive real during

maybe saving same silly
1. Richard wants to go to Disney World. He wants to see

the real Mickey Mouse.
2. Richard’s mother is not sure she can take Richard to

Disney World. She says, “____________ next year.”
3. They have the ____________ conversation every year.
4. Richard wants to buy a motorcycle. He is

____________ money.
5. The years go by. Richard is twenty-one years old today,

but he ____________ wants to go to Disney World.
6. Richard dreams about going to Disney World for years.

His dream is still ____________.
7. Richard and Nancy talk ____________ their dance.
8. Nancy doesn’t want to talk about her dream. She

thinks that her dream is ____________.
19
_______________________________________________
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the box below.
dream comes true having a good time

are joking what about
1. Richard is twenty-one years old today. And

____________________ his dream?
2. Richard and Nancy talk, laugh and dance. They are

____________________.
3. Richard and Nancy say funny things and they laugh.

They __________________.
4. Nancy and Richard arrive at Disney World. Their

____________________.

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20
1. How old is Richard at the beginning of the story?

2. Where does he live?
3. Who does he live with?
4. Where does he want to go?
5. Why can’t his mother take him there?
6. What does Richard decide to do?
7. Who does he meet in the club?
8. What dream does Nancy have?
9. How does Richard and Nancy’s dream come true?
VII. Summary
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21
THE MILLION DOLLAR CAP
Johnny Ross lived with his parents in a noisy old

apartment building in Chicago. Johnny’s parents dreamed
about buying a house, but they didn’t have enough money
to buy one. Johnny loved his parents very much. He
wanted to do something for them, but he was only ten
years old.
One day Johnny saw an interesting commercial on TV.
“Buy a bottle of California Orange Juice and win
$1,000,000,” a woman on TV said. “It’s easy. Find the cap
with a picture of an orange on it, and you are the winner.”
“Cool,” Johnny thought. He went to see his mom. She
was cooking in the kitchen.
“Mom, can you give me three dollars, please,” Johnny
asked. “I have to buy something for my school project.”
His mother gave him three dollars, and he ran to the
store. “Good morning, Mr. Lee,” he said to the clerk. “Do
you have California Orange Juice?”
“Yes, I do,” Mr. Lee answered. “They brought it
yesterday. Do you want to win the big prize?”
22
“Give me three bottles, please,” Johnny said. He opened
the first bottle and looked at the cap – nothing. He opened
the second bottle – nothing. He opened the third bottle –
nothing.
Johnny went back the next day, the next day and the
next – nothing. He went there every day for a month to buy
bottles of California Orange Juice. Sometimes he spent all
his lunch money at the store, but he didn’t find the right
cap.
One day Johnny saw a man at the store. The man also
bought a bottle of California Orange Juice. He drank the
juice at the store and threw the bottle and the cap in the
garbage can. Johnny automatically looked at the cap. He
was in shock. There was a picture of an orange on the cap.
“Wait a minute, sir,” Johnny called after the man
showing him the cap. “You won $1,000,000!”
“Oh really?” said the man and laughed. “You can keep
it.” The man got into his truck and drove away. He evidently
didn’t believe Johnny.
Johnny was an honest boy. He looked for the man at the
store every day for three months. The man never came
back.
Now Johnny lives in a beautiful house with his mother
and father. He is not looking for the man anymore.
Notes
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23
1. Johnny lived in ____________.

a. a house in Chicago
b. Los Angeles
c. an apartment in Chicago
2. His parents wanted to buy ____________.

a. a big appartment
b. a house
c. a big car
3. Johnny wanted ____________.

a. to win the big prize
b. to wash the dishes
c. to buy groceries
4. Johnny had to find ____________.

a. a Californian beach
b. an orange
c. the cap with a picture of an orange
5. Johnny ____________.
a. found the cap in the garbage can
b. got the cap from Mr. Lee
c. bought a bottle of juice with the cap
6. Johnny ____________.
a. gave the cap to Mr. Lee
b. gave the cap back to the man
c. kept the cap and won the big prize
24
box below.
only enough interesting winner

shock commercial evidently anymore
1. Johnny’s parents wanted to buy a house, but they

didn’t have enough money.
2. Johnny wanted to help his parents, but he was

____________ ten years old.
3. One day Johnny saw a ____________ on TV.
4. The commercial was very ____________.
5. The person who finds the cap with a picture of an

orange on it is the ____________.
6. Johnny saw the cap with a picture of an orange on it. He

was in ____________.
7. The man ____________ didn’t believe Johnny.
8. Johnny looked for the man for a long time. Today he is

not looking for him ____________.
25
page and write a short paragraph using these them.
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IV. Complete the sentences with the verbs from the box
below. Use the past tense.
keep – kept win – won

throw – threw think – thought
1. “I can win the big prize,” Johnny ____________.
2. The man ____________ the bottle into the garbage can.
3. The man didn’t want the cap. Johnny ____________ the

cap.
4. Johnny ____________ the big prize. He was happy.
V. Choose two verbs from the box above and write

a short paragraph using these verbs in the past
tense.
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26
1. Where did Johnny Ross live?

2. What did his parents dream about?
3. What did Johnny see on TV?
4. What did the woman in the commercial say?
5. What did Johnny do after he saw the commercial?
6. Did he find the winning cap on a bottle he bought?
7. Where did he find the winning cap?
8. Why didn’t the man want the winning cap?
9. What did Johnny do with the money?
VII. Oral Summary
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27
THE TOY
It was December 25, 1978. Frank Kerry, a ten-year-old

boy from Buffalo, was happy. It was Christmas, and for
Frank it was the best time of the year.
Frank looked under the Christmas tree and saw a big
box. His name was on it. He was excited. The present was
from Uncle Miles, and Uncle Miles always brought good
presents. He worked in Hollywood, and he was very
generous.
“Can I open it, Uncle Miles?” Frank asked.
“Sure you can,” Uncle Miles answered smiling.
Frank opened the big box. There was another box in it.
Uncle Miles was a joker. Frank opened the second box.
There was another box in it. Frank opened the third box. In
the third box he found a small toy, no bigger than his hand.
“Superman!” Frank shouted. “Thank you so much, Uncle
Miles.”
That was thirty-five years ago.
Frank grew up. He didn’t play with toys anymore. He got
married, and he had his own family. His son Jimmy studied
at the university. Frank wanted to buy him a new computer
for Christmas, but he didn’t have enough money for that.
28
So he decided to have a garage sale. The sale didn’t go
well. He made only $70 – not enough for a computer.
Frank was going to close the garage door when a black
Mercedes stopped in front of his garage. An old man in a
black suit got out and entered the garage. He looked
around, pointed at a shelf in the corner and said, “I want to
buy that.”
“The shelf?” Frank was surprised.
“Not the shelf. The Superman toy on it.”
“It’s not for sale,” Frank replied.
“$100.”
“It’s a family treasure. I told you it wasn’t for sale.”
“$500.” The man didn’t want to give up.
“Do you think you can buy everything?” Frank asked
angrily.
“Everything is for sale, sir, if the price is right. $5,000
dollars is my last offer.”
“OK,” Frank said. “Take it.” Then he whispered, “Thank
you Uncle Miles, thank you again.”
“What did you say?” the man asked. But he didn’t wait
for Frank’s answer. He gave him the money and left.
The next day the man sold the toy for $9,000.
Notes
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29
1. Frank lived in __________.

a. Hollywood
b. Buffalo
c. Los Angeles
2. Frank’s favorite time was __________.

a. Halloween
b. Thanksgiving
c. Christmas
3. Uncle Miles worked in __________.

a. Hollywood
b. New York
c. Buffalo
4. Uncle Miles gave Frank a __________ toy.

a. Spiderman
b. Batman
c. Superman
5. Frank organized a __________.

a. garage sale
b. birthday party
c. trip to Hollywood
6. Frank sold the toy for _________.

a. $100
b. $500
c. $5,000
30
box below.
toy another bigger pointed

joker a lot of best generous
1. Frank liked Halloween, but Christmas was the

best time of the year for him.
2. Uncle Miles always brought nice presents. He was

____________.
3. Frank opened the big box and found ____________ box

inside.
4. Uncle Miles liked to make jokes. He was a

____________.
5. New York is ____________ than Buffalo.
6. Superman was Frank’s favorite ___________.
7. Frank’s son studied at the university. He needed

___________ money.
8. The old man showed Frank what he wanted. He

____________ at the Superman toy.
31
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
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_______________________________________________

the box below. Use the past tense.
give up garage sale

price is right family treasure
1. When people sell old things from their house, they call it
a ____________________.
2. When we have something valuable from our parents, it

is a ____________________.
3. The man wanted the toy very much. He didn’t want to

____________________.
4. Some people think that everything is for sale if the

____________________.

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32
1. Where did Frank Kerry live?

2. How old was he at the beginning of the story?
3. Why was he happy?
4. What did he see under the Christmas tree?
5. Who brought him the present?
6. Why did Frank organize a garage sale?
7. Why didn’t Frank want to sell the Superman toy?
8. Why did he sell it at the end?
9. How much money did the man make on the toy?
VII. Oral Summary
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33
THE CLEANING LADY
Barbara Burns grew up on a ranch in Montana. Her

dream was to study at the university, but her parents
needed her on the ranch. So she stayed on the ranch and
worked hard every day. She took care of the horses.
When her parents finally sold the ranch and retired,
Barbara was thirty years old.
“I can’t go study at the university,” she thought. “It’s too
late for me. I have to find a job.”
She didn’t have a good education, so it was hard for her
to find a good job. After cleaning a horse barn every day for
twenty-five years she was good at cleaning. So she
became a cleaning lady.
When the University of Montana needed a cleaning lady,
she applied for the job. She was hired. “I can’t study there,
but I am going to work there,” she thought with a smile.
Every day she cleaned a big library with thousands and
thousands of books. When she finished cleaning, she sat
down and started to read. She read everything. She read
five books a week. She was amazed by the knowledge in
the books. Reading became her passion.
34
In ten years Barbara read over 2,500 books. The
students at the university knew the smart cleaning lady.
Sometimes she helped them with their studies.
In 2003 Barbara Burns got appeared on the famous TV
show, Who Wants To Be a Millionaire.
“Tell us Miss Burns, what is your profession?” the host
asked her.
“I’m a cleaning lady,” Barbara answered.
“Miss Burns, you are the first cleaning lady on the
show,” the host said smiling.
Barbara smiled too. “I clean a big library,” she said. “I
read sometimes.”
Barbara was very good. She knew all the answers.
When the host got to the last question, he paused for ten
seconds, and said, “The million-dollar question, Miss
Burns. Do you know anything about horses?”
“Try me,” Barbara answered with a smile.
“Horses have A. 90, B. 180, C. 270 or D. 360 degree
vision?”
“It’s D,” Barbara said without thinking.
The host looked at her in surprise. “Are you sure?” he
asked.
“Absolutely. I worked with horses for twenty-five years,
sir. It’s D – 360.”
She was right, of course. She won one million dollars.
Today, she is studying at the University of Montana.
Notes
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35
1. Barbara grew up __________.

a. on a farm in Utah
b. on a ranch in Montana
c. in a house in Colorado
2. Barbara’s dream was __________.

a. to finish high school
b. to live in a big city
c. to study at the university
3. Barbara became a __________.

a. cleaning lady
b. horse trainer
c. host
4. The name of the show was __________.

a. Big Brother
b. Who Wants To Marry a Millionaire
c. Who Wants To Be a Millionaire
5. Horses have __________.

a. 360 degree vision
b. 270 degree vision
c. 180 degree vision
6. Today Barbara _________.

a. is teaching at the University
b. is studying at the University
c. is working at the library
36
box below.
sure hard paused smart

passion vision absolutely knowledge
1. Barbara worked every day from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. She

worked very hard .
2. Barbara liked to read books. Reading books became

her ____________.
3. Barbara read a lot of books. She knew a lot of things.

She had a lot of ____________.
4. Barbara had a lot of knowledge. She was

____________.
5. The host didn’t speak for ten seconds. He

____________ before he started to speak again.
6. Horses can see very well. They have good

____________.
7. Barbara knew the answer. She was ____________ that

the answer was correct.
8. Barbara was 100% sure of her answer. She was

____________ sure.
37
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

the box below.
they retired have a good education

was amazed took care
1. Barbara’s parents were sixty-five years old. They

stopped working. __________________.
2. Barbara didn’t study much when she was young. She

didn’t __________________.
3. Barbara fed the horses, she washed them and brushed

them. She ____________ of them.
4. There were thousands of books. Barbara ___________

____________ at what she could find in books.

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
38
1. Where did Barbara grow up?

2. What was her dream?
3. Why couldn’t she study at the university?
4. How old was she when her parents sold the ranch?
5. What kind of profession did she choose?
6. Why was she so smart?
7. What show was she on?
8. What was the million dollar question?
9. Did she win the big prize?
VII. Oral Summary
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
39
OLD WITCH
John Hackman used to be a US diplomat. He had lived

in many foreign countries. His daughter Karen was born in
Japan. She was a beautiful happy girl with blond hair and
blue eyes, and everybody liked her. Her classmates were
always nice to her and called her Kawaii, which means
cute.
Karen’s mother Jane was a piano teacher and taught
Karen how to play the piano. John was a different kind of
person. He used to be a soldier. He fought in the Korean
War.
“My daughter has to be strong,” he said one day. “We
are living in Japan. She is going to learn karate.”
John found a karate school for Karen, and she started
going there. At first she didn’t like it. She didn’t want to
fight. She thought that fighting was not for girls. But there
were other girls, and she had a very interesting teacher.
She slowly started to like her karate lessons. Her teacher,
Mr. Masaru, explained to her that karate was not just
fighting. He explained to her that karate was a way of life.
“It’s not about physical strength. It’s all about your mind,”
Mr. Masaru said to her.
40
The years went by. Karen grew up. Her parents went
back to the USA, but she stayed in Japan, and became a
well respected pianist. She stopped going to Mr. Masaru’s
karate school, but she never forgot his teaching.
After 55 years of living in Japan, Karen decided to live in
the USA. She wanted to take care of her parents. It was not
an easy decision. She liked Japan. Everybody was always
so nice to her.
After she arrived in the USA, everything was strange for
her. She was an American citizen, but she wasn’t used to
living in the USA. It took her some time to get used to it.
One day she went to a bank. She was at the counter
when a man wearing a hood and sunglasses came in. He
went directly to the counter and shouted at the teller, “Give
me all the money! Do it fast!”
“Excuse me,” Karen said. “You arrived after me. Get
back in line!”
The man drew a gun and pointed it at Karen. “Get out of
my way, old witch,” he said.
Karen turned around, and suddenly she was in the air.
She kicked the man in the head. The man fell and dropped
the gun. Karen picked up the gun and pointed it at him.
“Nobody calls me an old witch,” she said. “Do you
understand, young man?”
Somebody called the police. They arrived five minutes
later and arrested the man.
Notes
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
41
1. John Hackman used to be __________.
a. an American businessman
b. a US diplomat
c. an American actor
2. The word kawaii means __________.

a. quick
b. strong
c. cute
3. John found _________ for his daughter.

a. a piano school
b. a bank
c. a karate school
4. Karen was a well respected __________.

a. pianist
b. fighter
c. model
5. Karen was used to living in __________.

a. the USA
b. Japan
c. South Korea
6. Karen got angry and kicked __________.

a. the robber
b. the teller
c. the policeman
42
box below.
foreign mind strong cute

directly decided slowly strange
1. John lived in China, South Korea, India and Japan. He

lived in many foreign countries.
2. Karen was a beautiful little girl. Everybody liked her. She

was ____________.
3. John used to be a soldier. He was a big man. He was

____________.
4. It took Karen many years to learn karate. She learned it

___________.
5. Karate is not just about your physical strength. It is also

about your ____________.
6. Karen wanted to take care of her parents. She

____________ to live in the USA.
7. To live in the USA was new for Karen. She wasn’t used
to it. It was ____________ for her.
8. The man came in and went ____________ to the teller.
43
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

the box below.
well respected way of life

physical strength get out of my way
1. The policemen who work on the street need

___________________.
2. Karate is not just a sport. It is a

____________________.
3. Steve Jobs was a ____________________ inventor.
4. I want to pass and you are in my way.

____________________!

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
44
1. What did John Hackman use to be?

2. Where was his daughter Karen born?
3. How did her classmates treat her?
4. What did John want Karen to learn?
5. What did Mr. Masaru tell Karen about karate?
6. What kind of job did Karen have in Japan?
7. Why did she go to live in the USA?
8. Why did Karen get angry with the robber?
9. What did she do to him?
VII. Oral Summary

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
45
THE DIVINE VOICE
Anita Harris is a famous opera singer from New York.

They call her The Divine Voice. She is beautiful, talented
and rich. But Anita was not always like that.
Her real name is Anita Da Giovanni, and she is originally
from Italy. When she was a child, her parents couldn’t take
care of her. She grew up in a children’s home in Italy.
When she was eighteen years old she had a daughter. She
named her Vanessa. But history repeated itself. Anita
couldn’t take care of her daughter, so the government took
her and gave her to another family. Anita didn’t know the
name of her daughter’s new family because the adoption
was closed.
Two years after her daughter was adopted, Anita began
making her living as a singer. She was so talented that she
received an offer from the Metropolitan Opera Company
and moved to New York. She thought that she could forget
about her daughter, but she couldn’t.
Anita became rich and famous, but she wasn’t happy.
She thought about her daughter every day. She wanted her
daughter back. She hired several private detectives to look
for her daughter, but they couldn’t find her.
46
Twenty years later, Anita gave up and stopped looking
for her daughter. She got married and wanted to start a
new life. She chose Italy for her honeymoon.
Anita was lying on the beach on the Italian Riviera and
was looking out at the sea. She was finally happy. She was
enjoying her new life. Suddenly, she saw a newspaper
flying in the air. The newspaper landed right on her towel.
She picked it up. She wanted to throw it away when she
noticed a picture in the newspaper. A young woman was
smiling in the picture. She was a young Italian singer
named Sophia Sorrento. La Divina Voce, the headline said.
“Wait a minute,” Anita said to herself. “It’s not Sophia
Sorrento. It’s me! They can’t use my picture!” Then she
realized. “It’s Vanessa. Oh my God!”
Anita arranged a meeting with Sophia Sorento. Sophia
was very happy to speak with a famous American opera
singer, and she was very happy to accept her invitation to
New York.
Sophia came to New York for six weeks. Anita’s plan
was to sing with Sophia, but she also wanted to tell her that
she was her mother. That was more important to her. But
she couldn’t find the courage.
One evening Sophia surprised her. “Thank you for a
wonderful day, Mom,” she said.
Anita was in shock. “How do you know about it?” she
asked and started to cry.
“My parents told me when I was eighteen,” Sophia
answered. “I didn’t contact you because I didn’t want to hurt
them. Then fate brought us together, and I am very grateful
for that.”
Notes
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
47
1. Anita Harris is __________.

a. a politician
b. an opera singer
c. a government worker
2. Anita is originally from __________.

a. the USA
b. Canada
c. Italy
3. Anita’s daughter _________.

a. was adopted by a family
b. kidnapped
c. got lost
4. Anita moved to __________.

a. Washington
b. New York
c. the Italian Riviera
5. She found her daughter __________.

a. with the help of two detectives
b. by chance on the Internet
c. by chance in a newspaper
6. Sophia knew who Anita was __________.

a. because her parents told her
b. because Anita told her
c. from a newspaper
48
box below.
noticed talented grateful hired

fate realized originally famous
1. Everybody who likes opera knows who Anita Harris is.

She is famous . .
2. Anita was born with the ability to sing well. She was
____________.
3. Anita was born in Italy and grew up there. She was

____________ from Italy.
4. Anita paid two detectives to work for her. She

____________ them.
5. Anita wanted to throw away the newspaper, but then

she ____________ a picture.
6. Anita didn’t know it at first, but then she ____________

that the woman was her daughter.
7. Anita and Sophia met by chance. Sophia called it

____________.
8. Sophia was very happy that she met her mother. She
was ____________ for that.
49
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

the box below.
find the courage divine voice

make her living adoption was closed
1. When a singer has an excellent voice, we can say that

he or she has a ____________________.
2. If the name of the adoptive family was a secret, we say

that the ____________________.
3. She started to sing and was paid for that. She started to
____________________ as a singer.
4. Anita wanted to tell Sophia everything, but she couldn’t

____________________ for that.

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
50
1. Who is Anita Harris?

2. Where did she grow up?
3. How old was she when she had a daughter?
4. What happened to her daughter?
5. Why couldn’t Anita find her daughter?
6. Why did Anita move to New York?
7. What did she do to find her daughter?
8. How did she find her daughter?
9. Why didn’t Sophia contact her famous mother?
VII. Oral Summary

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
51
THE FIGHT OF THE BULLDOG
Arturo Perro and his family lived in Montreal, Canada,

but they were from Paraguay. They came to Canada
because they wanted to have a happy life, but Arturo was
not a happy boy. He was small from birth, and the children
at school often made fun of him. Arturo hated school. He
was suffering, but he was too proud to complain to his
teachers or parents.
When Arturo was in high school, there was a boy
named Andy McDowell. He called Arturo Shorty and bullied
him every day. He often beat him too. Arturo didn’t
complain.
One day Andy McDowell hit Arturo so hard that he broke
his nose.
“I fell down the stairs,” Arturo said to his father. That
night Arturo was crying in his bed. His father heard him
crying and came to his room. He sat down on his bed and
said, “Sometimes bad things happen to us for a good
reason. Sometimes they are good for us.”
Arturo didn’t understand. “I have no friends at school,
Andy beats me almost every day, and this is good for me?”
52
That night Arturo had a dream. In his dream he saw
Muhammad Ali fighting. He had a broken nose too.
“You can do it,” the famous boxer said.
“I can do what?” Arturo asked, but the boxer didn’t hear
him and continued fighting.
Arturo didn’t go to school the next morning. He stayed
home and watched Muhammad Ali’s fights on the Internet.
That morning he decided to become a boxer. He went to
see his father and told him about his decision.
Arturo’s father wasn’t a rich man, but he found a special
school for Arturo. There, Arturo could study and learn to
box.
Arturo won the junior championship when he was just
sixteen. At twenty-four he became the world champion.
They called him Bulldog because he was small and never
gave up.
One night Arturo entered his favorite bar, and he
couldn’t believe his eyes. Andy McDowell was there with
his friends, and he was having a good time. Arturo came to
Andy and put his hand on his shoulder.
“Hello Andy,” Arturo said. “I often think about you. Do
you know why?”
Andy’s smile froze. He stood up. He was a big guy, but
his voice was shaking as he said, “If you want to fight me,
Arturo, I am ready for you. I’m not afraid of you.” He didn’t
call him Shorty this time.
“Relax, Andy,” Arturo said. “I don’t want to fight you. I
want to buy you a beer. Thanks to you, I became the man I
am today.”
Notes
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
53
1. Arturo lived in __________.

a. Panama
b. Canada
c. Peru
2. Arturo was a __________ boy.

a. big
b. fat
c. small
3. Andy __________ Arturo at school.

a. bullied
b. protected
c. helped
4. Arturo dreamed about a __________.

a. famous karate fighter
b. famous boxer
c. famous kick boxer
5. Arturo left his school because __________.

a. he moved to Paraguay
b. he was afraid of his teacher
c. he wanted to become a boxer
6. In the end Arturo __________ Andy.

a. thanked
b. beat
c. ignored
54
box below.
bullied shaking suffering gave up

voice champion complain birth
1. Arturo was too small when he was born. He was small

from birth .
2. Arturo was very unhappy at school. He was

____________.
3. Arturo didn’t tell his parents about his problems. He

didn’t ____________.
4. Andy liked doing bad things to Arturo. He

____________ him.
5. Arturo won all his fights. He became the world

____________.
6. Arturo always fought to the end. He never

____________.
7. When Andy spoke, he was not comfortable. His

____________ was shaking.
8. Arturo was very comfortable when he spoke. His voice

was not ____________.
55
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

the box below.
too proud a good reason

afraid of you made fun of
1. The children laughed at Arturo. They

____________________ him.
2. Arturo never complained. He was

____________________.
3. Sometimes bad things happen to us for

____________________.
4. Andy said, “I’m ready to fight you. I’m not

____________________.”

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
56
1. Where did Arturo’s family come from?

2. Why did they go to Canada?
3. Why was Arturo unhappy?
4. Why didn’t Arturo complain to his teachers or parents?
5. What did Andy do to Arturo one day?
6. Who did Arturo see in his dream?
7. What did he decide to do the next day?
8. Why did they call Arturo Bulldog?
9. What did Arturo do to Andy in the end?
VII. Oral Summary

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
57
A TIP
Patrick Sanders is a waiter in a luxury restaurant in New

York. He is a real professional. He is always neatly dressed
and treats the customers well. That is why he gets good
tips.
One day a man came to Patrick’s restaurant. He was
wearing old clothes and looked lost. He didn’t fit in the
restaurant.
Patrick ran to him. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, you can,” the man said. “I am hungry and thirsty.”
“Excuse me, sir,” Patrick said. “You came to the wrong
place. This is not a charity. It’s an expensive restaurant.”
“I am not looking for charity,” the man said. “I have
money to pay for my meal.” He showed Patrick a ten-dollar
bill. “You see?”
“OK,” Patrick said. “Follow me.” He led the man to the
back of the restaurant and showed him a small table in the
corner. “Sit down here. Here is the menu. You can eat and
drink what you want, and you don’t have to pay for it. It’s on
me.”
The man smiled. “Thanks,” he said. “It’s very kind of
you.” He studied the menu, and then he chose the most
expensive meal. The meal cost $150.
58
“Don’t you want to try the chef’s special?” Patrick asked.
The chef’s special cost $69.
“No, thank you.” the man said.
When the man finished eating, he called Patrick and
said, “The meal was good, but I am still hungry. I want to
try the chef’s special.”
Patrick started to regret his decision to pay for the man.
But he said, “Yes, sir.”
When the man finished the second meal, Patrick came
to him and asked, “You’re not hungry anymore?”
“No, I’m not,” the man said. Now I want something to
drink.”
“Coffee, tea, beer, Coke, water?” Patrick asked forcing a
smile. He was worried about what the man was going to
order next.
“Wine. Bring me a bottle of champagne.”
Patrick’s smile froze. “It’s not funny,” he said. “A bottle of
champagne costs $199.”
“You said I could eat and drink what I wanted.” The man
was raising his voice so everybody could hear it.
“OK,” Patrick said. He turned around and went to get a
bottle of Champagne.
When the man finished the bottle, he called Patrick and
said, “You are a good sport, Patrick. I don’t want you to pay
for me. I’m going to pay for myself.” He handed Patrick a
roll of bills. “Keep the change,” he said and left the
restaurant.
Patrick counted the money. He couldn’t believe it. It was
$5,000.
Notes
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
59
1. Patrick is a __________.
a. chef
b. brother of charity
c. waiter
2. The man wanted __________.

a. some money
b. to eat and drink
c. new clothes
3. The man showed Patrick __________.

a. his wallet
b. a ten-dollar bill
c. a gun
4. Patrick offered __________.

a. to pay for the man
b. the man some clothes
c. to pay for a taxi
5. The man ordered __________.

a. a beer
b. a whisky
c. a bottle of champagne
6. In the end the man __________.

a. didn’t want to leave
b. didn’t want to pay
c. didn’t want Patrick to pay for him
60
box below.
treats luxury wrong neatly

tip regret charity raising
1. The restaurant was excellent, but also very expensive. It

was a luxury restaurant.
2. Patrick’s uniform was clean and very nice. He was

____________ dressed.
3. Patrick is always very nice to his customers. He

____________ them well.
4. When we give extra money to a waiter for good service,

we call it a ____________.
5. When something is not right, we say it’s ____________.
6. When people give other people food or clothes for free,

It is ____________.
7. Patrick promised to pay for the meal and the drink, but
then he started to ____________ it.
8. The man was ____________ his voice so other people

could hear him.
61
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

the box below.
forcing a smile looked lost

keep the change it’s on me
1. The man looked like he didn’t know where he was. He

____________________.
2. Patrick said he wanted to pay for the food and drink. He

said, “____________________.”
3. Patrick didn’t feel like smiling, but he was smiling. He

was ____________________.
4. The man wanted Patrick to keep the extra money. He

said, ____________________.”

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
62
1. What does Patrick do for a living?

2. What is he like?
3. Can you describe the man who entered the restaurant?
4. What did he want?
5. What did Patrick offer him?
6. Why did Patrick regret his decision?
7. What did the man order to drink?
8. Who paid for the man’s meals and drink in the end?
9. How big was the tip that Patrick got from the man?
VII. Oral Summary

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
63
THE MONSTER
Rock Corson grew up in a poor neighborhood in Detroit.

When he was five years old, he started to have bad
dreams. He dreamed about a monster who lived under his
bed and who wanted to eat him at night. He spent many
nights crying and calling for his mother. His parents took
him to the doctor.
“What does the monster look like?” the doctor asked.
“It looks like a dog,” Rock answered.
“Are you afraid of dogs?” the doctor asked.
“No, but it’s not a dog. It’s as big as a horse. It has a
long tail and shining eyes.”
“Are you afraid of horses?” the doctor asked.
“No, but it’s not a horse.”
“You see,” the doctor explained, “it’s not a horse, and it’s
not a dog either. The monster doesn’t exist. It’s all in your
imagination. The long tail is a shadow, and the shining
eyes are lights coming from your bedroom window.”
Rock believed the doctor, and he stopped having bad
dreams.
The years went by. Rock grew up. He became a strong
and smart young man. When the time came to choose a
64
profession, Rock knew that he didn’t want to live like his
parents. He wanted to have a lot of money.
He became a burglar. He robbed houses. He was so
smart that no security system could stop him.
One night he broke into a house. As usual he
deactivated the security system and went to the bedroom.
He opened a dresser drawer and looked in it. Suddenly he
felt something behind him. He turned around.
“I am dreaming,” he said to himself. “It’s here again.”
There was the monster from his dreams looking at him with
shining eyes.
Rock was five years old again. He ran to the closet and
hid inside. The monster started growling and hitting the
closet very hard. Rock was so scared that he called 911.
The police arrived ten minutes later and arrested him.
“What did you do with the monster?” Rock asked the
policeman at the police station.
“The monster?” asked the policeman smiling. “It was an
Irish Wolfhound puppy. He isn’t a guard dog. He just
wanted to play with you. But if he can scare a wolf, he can
certainly scare some people.”
Rock stayed in prison for three years. Today he doesn’t
rob houses anymore. He works for a security company,
and he has his own house. He also has an Irish Wolfhound
in his house. He calls him Monster.
Notes
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
65
1. Rock Courtney grew up in __________.

a. the UK
b. Ireland
c. the USA
2. When he was a child, he had __________.

a. bad parents
b. bad friends
c. bad dreams
3. As a child, Rock was afraid of a __________.

a. dog
b. monster
c. horse
4. Rock became a __________.

a. burglar
b. dog trainer
c. policeman
5. When we call 911, we call __________.

a. animal protection
b. the police
c. the security company
6. Today Rock owns __________.

a. a German Shepherd
b. an Irish Wolfhound
c. a French Bulldog
66
box below.
growling owner monster puppy

burglar guard dog own imagination
1. When something is big and scary, we sometimes call it

a monster .
2. The monster with shining eyes didn’t exist. It was just in

Rock’s ____________.
3. A person who breaks in people’s houses and steals

things is a ____________.
4. When somebody buys a house, he becomes a home

____________.
5. When a dog is angry, he is usually barking and

____________.
6. A young dog is called a ____________.
7. A German Shepherd is a smart dog. It is a good

____________.
8. Rock used to be afraid of a monster. Today he has his

____________ Monster.
67
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

the box below.
afraid of bad dreams

looks like poor neighborhood
1. Rock’s neighbors had very little money. He lived in a

____________________.
2. He didn’t sleep well during the night. He had

____________________.
3. He was ____________________ a monster.
4. Rock said, “The monster ____________________ a

dog, but it’s bigger.”

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
68
1. Where did Rock grow up?

2. What problem did he have when he was a child?
3. What did his parents do?
4. What did the monster from Rock’s dreams look like?
5. What did the doctor say to Rock?
6. Why did Rock choose to become a robber?
7. What happened to Rock one day during a robbery?
8. What did Rock do?
9. How did Rock change after he got out of prison?
VII. Oral Summary

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
69
SARAH FISH
Marty Pike is a ranger. He works along Lake Superior.

He checks on fishermen. His job is to check if the fish that
the fishermen catch are the right size. The fish can’t be too
small, and they can’t be too big. He also checks the
fishermen’s fishing licenses.
The fishermen know Marty very well, and they respect
him. He is very strict. If he catches a fisherman with a fish
too small or too big, he gets angry. Then he takes a picture
of the fish next to a ruler. It’s proof. And then he gives the
fisherman a fine – sometimes hundreds of dollars.
Some fishermen tried to outsmart Marty. It never
worked. A fisherman once said, “The fish was the right size
when I caught it, sir. It grew during the day, sir.” Another
fisherman said, “The fish shrank while I was carrying it, sir.”
Marty laughed and said, “Do you think I am stupid?” He
gave them both a fine.
Nobody could outsmart Marty until one day something
strange happened.
One early morning Marty was driving his jeep along the
lake when he saw a man walking by the water. The man
was carrying a bowl, and he was looking in all directions.
He looked nervous.
70
Marty stopped his jeep next to the man and got out.
“Good morning,” Marty said. “May I look at what you have
in your bowl?”
“Sure,” the man said. “No problem.”
Marty looked in the bowl. There was a fish. Marty knew
fish. This fish was too small.
“Show me your license,” Marty said.
“I don’t have a license,” the man said. “I don’t need one.
I don’t fish.”
“You were fishing illegally, without a license, and the fish
you kept is too small,” Marty said. “You committed two
infractions.”
“The fish in my bowl is not an ordinary fish,” the man
said. “It’s Sarah, my pet. I keep her in my house in the
bathtub. Every day I go to the lake and let her swim around
for a while. Then I call her, and she comes back.”
“Do you think I am stupid?” Marty said.
“No, sir. I will show you.” The man threw the fish into the
lake. Then he waved goodbye to Marty and walked away.
“Hey!” Marty called after him. “Where is Sarah?”
“Who?” the man asked. He looked surprised.
“Sarah, the fish.” Marty shouted.
“What fish, sir?” the man asked.
Notes
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
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71
1. Marty Pike is a __________.

a. policeman
b. fisherman
c. ranger
2. Marty checks on __________.

a. drivers
b. fishermen
c. robbers
3. Marty checks the __________ of the fish

a. weight
b. health
c. size
4. To fish legally, you need __________.

a. a fishing license
b. good skills
c. a fish bowl
5. Marty saw a man __________.

a. fishing
b. sailing
c. carrying a bowl
6. The man __________.
a. took the fish home
b. threw the fish into the lake
c. gave the fish to Marty
72
box below.
shrank fine respect illegally

proof pet ordinary strict
1. Marty has the authority to check on fishermen. The

fishermen respect him.
2. Marty does his job very well. He gets angry when the
rules are not respected. He is ____________.
3. Marty takes pictures of the fish next to a ruler. He

needs ____________.
4. Sometimes the fishermen pay money for keeping fish

that are too small. They pay a ____________.
5. The fish was big, but it became smaller during the day.
It ____________.
6. If you fish without a fishing license, you fish

____________.
7. If something is not common, it is special. It is not

____________.
8. A dog is a good ____________.
73
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

the box below.
gets angry checks on

committed infractions outsmart him
1. Marty watches fishermen. He ____________________

them.
2. When a fisherman keeps a fish too small or too big,

Marty ____________________.
3. Some fishermen tell Marty stories. They want to

____________________.
4. When the fishermen did illegal things, they

____________________.

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
74
1. Who is Marty Pike?

2. What does he do?
3. What is Marty like?
4. What did some fishermen try to do to Marty?
5. Did it work?
6. Who did Marty see by the lake one early morning?
7. What was the man doing?
8. What did the man say about the fish in his bowl?
9. What did the man do with the fish?
VII. Oral Summary

_______________________________________________
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75

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Easy Reading For ESL Students, Volume 1

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Twelve Short Stories for Learners of English

CANADIAN LANGUAGE SCHOOL

Easy Reading for ESL Students – Book 1 is a

There are twelve short stories. Each story is designed to

The stories are entertaining and have plot twists and

Yanek and Maria 10

1,500 Miles to Disney World 16

The Million Dollar Cap 22

The Cleaning Lady 34

The Divine Voice 46

The Fight of the Bulldog 52

“Laura, I’m very frustrated,” Mary says to her friend. “I’m

1. Mary is frustrated because she ____________.

2. Laura tells her to ____________.

3. The shaman gives Mary ____________.

4. Mary has to touch the statue and say, “____________.”

5. A year later, Mary throws the statue ____________.

6. Mary takes the man ____________.

bleeding throws statue frustrated

1. Mary doesn’t feel good. She has a problem. She is

2. Mary doesn’t have a husband. She lives alone. She is

3. When people try to make others laugh, we can say that

4. A three-dimensional art work is sometimes called a

5. Someone who doesn’t tell the truth is a ____________.

6. Mary is very angry. She ____________ the statue out of

7. Mary hears a ____________. She looks out the

8. The man is hurt. He is lying on the ground and he is

IV. Complete the sentences with the expressions from

looking for get married

1. Some Native Americans live on an

2. Mary is ____________________ a husband.

3. Mary pays the shaman and ____________________.

4. Mary and the man want to live together and have a

V. Choose two expressions from the box above and

1. Why is Mary frustrated?

VII. Oral Summary

Retell the story in a few sentences.

VIII. Written Summary

Write a few sentences to summarize the story.

Yanek and Maria are happy. They are getting married,

1. Yanek and Maria are going on ____________.

2. They are worried because they ____________.

3. Yanek has an idea. He finds ____________.

4. Maria wakes up at night because ____________.

5. Maria goes to the bathroom. There is a ____________.

6. Yanek calls ____________.

cartoon yelling honeymoon clerk

1. Yanek and Maria are going to Egypt on their

2. They have a problem, but Yanek knows what to do. He

3. They study English. They are ____________. They

4. The teacher is smart. He gives them some good

5. He advises them to ____________ to something

6. Maria goes to the bathroom. She sees a mouse. She

7. Yanek gets up. He picks up the phone and calls the

8. The clerk knows Tom and Jerry. The clerk’s children

IV. Complete the sentences with the expressions from

wake up in the middle

1. Maria wakes up ____________________ of the night.

2. She hears a noise. She __________________ and

3. She __________________ the light.

4. She starts yelling, “__________________, Yanek!”

V. Choose two expressions from the box above and