Everyone knows that laughter is the best cure for stress. Combine business with pleasure: read these short funny stories and practice your English with pleasure.
If you need to write a mystical story on English language, I prepared separately
My meeting with a traffic cop
My meeting with a traffic cop - A funny story from life
It was seven years ago.
I was driving to work.
I drove up to the office and broke a traffic rule — I crossed a double solid line on the road.
At that time, a police officer was standing on the street.
I thought he saw me go over the double lines.
But he kept standing.
I drove further slowly because I was near my office.
At that time, a car backed up.
The driver didn’t see my car, and smashed into it.
That police officer ran up to us and said to me:
“I have seen everything: you violated traffic rules, you have a dead body in your trunk, and drugs in your car.
Can I see your driver’s license?”
I’m standing, I’m hearing, and I can’t say anything.
Then he laughed and said: “Miss, please smile, you looked so upset that I had to tell you something to cheer you up” and let me go.
TEXT TRANSLATION
This was 7 years ago.
I was on my way to work.
I had already arrived at the office, but I violated the traffic rules - I crossed the double solid line.
And there was just a traffic police officer standing there.
I thought he saw me cross the line.
But he continued to stand.
Then a traffic cop runs up and says:
“I saw everything - you broke the rules, you have a corpse and drugs in your trunk.
Can I have your driver's license?"
I stand there listening and can’t say anything.
Then he laughed and said: “Girl, smile, you’re standing there so upset, I had to somehow make you laugh/encourage you,” after which he let me go.
Fortune and the man
One day a man was walking along the street. He carried an old bag in his hands. He was wondering why people who had so much money were never satisfied and always wanted more. “As to me,” he said, “if I had enough to eat, I should not ask for anything else.”
Just at this moment Fortune came down the street. She heard the man and stopped.
“Listen,” she said, “I want to help you. Hold your bag, and I shall pour diamonds into it. But every diamond which falls on the ground will become dust. Do you understand?”
“Oh, yes, I understand,” said the man. He quickly opened his bag and stream of diamonds was poured into it. The bag began to grow heavy. “Is that enough?” asked Fortune. “Not yet.” The man's hand began to tremble.
“You are the richest man in the world now.” Said fortune.
“Just a few more, and a few more,” said the man. Another diamond was added and the bag slipped. All the diamonds fell on the ground and became dust.
Fortune disappeared, leaving the man in the street.
TEXT TRANSLATION
One day a poor man was walking down the street. In his hands was an old bag. He walked and thought: “Why are people who have a lot of money never happy and always want more money?”
“As for me,” he thought, if I only had enough for food, I wouldn’t need anything more.”
At that moment, Fate passed him by. She heard the poor man and stopped.
“Listen,” she said, “I want to help you. Give me your bag, I'll fill it with diamonds. But if even one diamond falls to the ground, the entire contents of the bag will turn to dust. Understand?
“Oh, of course, I understand,” replied the poor man. He quickly opened his bag and diamonds fell into his bag. The bag became heavy.
"Enough?" asked Fate.
“Not yet,” the man answered, his hands trembling.
“You are the richest man in the world,” said Fate.
"More! A bit more!" said the poor man.
At that moment, another diamond fell into the overflowing bag.
The bag slipped out of the poor man’s hands and fell to the ground, and the diamonds immediately became dust.
Fate disappeared, leaving the poor man on the street.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Everyone has heard of Sherlock Holmes. Everyone has read stories about Sherlock Holmes at one time or another. Sherlock Holmes was a famous detective. Actually, he was the most famous detective of all times.
The author of the Sherlock Holmes stories was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Once Sir Arthur arrived in Paris. He took a cab and asked the cabman to take him to the Ritz, the hotel where he was going to spend the night.
The cabman brought him to the hotel. When he received the fare he said:
“Thank you very much, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.”
“How do you know who I am?” asked Sir Arthur. He was very much surprised.
“Well, sir, I read in the newspaper yesterday that you were coming to Paris from the South of France. I also noticed that your hair was cut by a barber in the South of France. Your clothes and especialy your hat told me that you were English. I put all the information together and quessed that you were Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.”
“That is wonderful,” said Sir Arthur.
“You could recognize me though you knew very few facts.”
“Besides,” added the cabman. Your name is on both of your travelling bags. That also helped.”
So, the cabman played a good joke on Conan Doyle.
TEXT TRANSLATION
Everyone has heard of Sherlock Holmes. At one time or another, everyone has read stories about Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes was a famous detective. In fact, he was the most famous detective of all time.
The author of the Sherlock Holmes stories was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. One day Sir Arthur arrived in Paris. He took a taxi and asked the taxi driver to take him to the Ritz hotel where he was going to spend the night. The driver brought him to the hotel. When he received the fare, he said:
"Thank you very much, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle."
"How do you know who I am?" - asked Sir Arthur. He was very surprised.
“Well, sir, yesterday I read in the newspaper that you are traveling to Paris from the south of France. I also noticed that you had your hair cut by a barber in the south of France.
Your clothes and especially your hat say that you are English. I put all these facts together and realized that you are Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
“Wonderful,” said Sir Arthur. “You were able to recognize me knowing very few facts.”
“Besides,” added the cabman, “your name is on both of your travel bags. That helped too."
Thus, the cabman made a good joke on Conan Doyle.
Honesty is the best policy
A woodman was once working on the bank of a deep river. Suddenly his ax slipped from his hand and dropped into the water.
“Oh! I have lost my ax,” he cried. “What shall I do? Who can help me?”
Mercury heard the poor man’s cries and appeared before him.
‘What is the matter, poor woodman?’ he asked. “What has happened? Why are you so sad and unhappy?”
Mercury listened to the man’s story and then said, “Perhaps I can help you.” He dived into the river and brought up a golden ax. “Is this yours?” he asked. “No, that is not mine,” was the answer.
Mercury dived a second time and this time brought up a silver axe. “Is this yours?” he asked. Again the answer was “No.” So Mercury dived a third time and brought up the very ax that the woodman had lost. “That’s my ax,” cried the man. “Yes, that is my axe. Now I can work again.”
Mercury was so pleased with the follow’s honesty that at once he made him a present of the other two axes and disappeared before the man could say, “Thank you.”
The woodman went home very pleased with his good luck. He told his friends all about it and one of them decided to try his luck. So he went to the same place, dropped his ax into the river, and cried out: “Oh! I have lost my ax. What shall I do? Who can help me?”
Mercury appeared as before, and when he learned that man had lost his axe, he dived into the river. Again he brought up a golden ax. “Is this yours”? he asked.
“Yes, it is,” answered the woodman. “You are not telling me the truth,” said Mercury.
You will neither have this ax nor the one that you so foolishly dropped into the water.”
TEXT TRANSLATION
One day a woodcutter was working on the banks of a deep river. Suddenly the ax slipped out of his hands and fell into the water.
"Oh! “I lost my axe,” he exclaimed. "What should I do? Who can help me?"
Mercury heard the cries of the poor man and appeared before him.
“What happened, poor guy?” - he asked. “What happened? Why are you so sad and unhappy?
Mercury listened to the man's story and then said, “Perhaps I can help you.” He dived into the river and picked up the golden axe. "Is this your axe?" - he asked. “No, it’s not mine,” was the woodcutter’s answer. Mercury dove a second time, and this time he picked up the silver axe. "It's your?" - he asked. Again the answer was “No”. Mercury dived for the third time and picked up the ax that the woodcutter had lost. “This is my ax,” exclaimed the poor man. “Yes, this is my axe. Now I can work again."
Mercury was so pleased with his friend's honesty that he immediately made him a gift of two other axes and disappeared before the man could say, “Thank you.”
The woodcutter returned home very pleased with his luck. He told his friends about all this, and one of them decided to try his luck. He approached the same place, dropped the ax into the river and shouted: “Oh! I lost my axe. What should I do? Who can help me?"
Mercury appeared as before, and when he learned that the man had lost his axe, he dived into the river. He picked up the golden axe. "Is this your axe"? - he asked.
“Yes, it’s mine,” answered the woodcutter. “You are not telling the truth,” said Mercury.
You won’t get this ax and yours, which you foolishly threw into the water.”
A present from the son
Long ago there lived an old woman in England. She had a son who was a sailor. He went to different countries and always brought presents for his old mother.
Once he went to China and brought some tea from that country.
At that time tea was very expensive and only rich people could buy and drink it. So the old woman was very happy to have such a nice present. But she didn’t know what to do with it as she had never bought tea before. She thought it was a vegetable. She told her friends about her son’s present and invited them to taste it with her. At last the day of the tea-party came. The woman called her guests to the dining-room and put a big dish of tea leaves on the table. The guests began to eat the leaves with salt just as they ate vegetables. Nobody liked it but didn’t tell the woman about it and continued to eat the leaves.
Some tome later the sailor came into the room. When he saw that all the guests were eating leaves, he smiled.
“What are you doing? Why are eating these leaves? Where is the tea?”
“Here it is, my son,” the old woman said.
“And where is the water in which you have boiled the leaves?” asked the man laughing.
“I threw it away, of course,” answered the woman.
TEXT TRANSLATION
Once upon a time in England there lived an elderly woman. She had a son who was a sailor. He traveled to different countries and always brought gifts to his old mother.
One day he went to China and brought tea from this country. At that time, tea was very expensive, and only rich people could buy and drink such tea. Therefore, the old lady was very happy to have such a pleasant gift. But she didn't know what to do with such tea, since she had never bought it before. She thought it was a vegetable.
She told her friends about her son's gift and invited them to try this tea. Finally the day of the tea party arrived. The woman called her guests into the dining room and placed a large dish of tea leaves on the table. The guests began to eat the leaves with salt, as they did when they ate vegetables. Nobody liked it, but no one told the old woman about it, and continued to eat the leaves.
Some time later the son entered the room.
When he saw that all the guests were eating the leaves, he smiled.
"What are you doing?
Why are you eating these leaves?
Where's the tea?
“Here he is, my son,” said the old woman.
“Where is the water in which you boiled the leaves?” - the son asked, laughing.
“Of course, I poured it out,” the mother replied.
I’m four years old at home, and two and a half in buses and trains
A mother and her young son got into a bus and sat down. The bus conductor came up to them and asked them to pay the fare. The mother said, ‘I want one ticket to Oxford,’ and gave him a shilling.
The conductor was looking at the small boy for a few seconds and then said, ‘How old are you, young man?’
The mother began speaking, but the conductor stopped her, and the boy said, ‘I’m four years old at home, and two and a half in buses and trains.’
The mother took sixpence more out of her bag and gave it to the bus conductor.
He gave her one ticket and a half.
TEXT TRANSLATION
A young woman with a small child entered the bus and sat down on the seat. The bus conductor approached them and asked them to pay for the fare. Handing over one shilling, the woman says: “I need one ticket to Oxford.”
Looking at the child, the conductor asked the mother: “How old are you, young man?”
The woman started to speak, but the conductor stopped her and the boy said: “At home I’m four years old, but on buses and trains I’m 2.5.”
The woman took another sixpence from her bag and gave it to the conductor. And he gave her one adult and one child ticket.
I prefer to play the part of a great man on the stage
Once David Garrick, a famous actor, was told by a Member of Parliament that as he was so popular he could easily become an MP too. “No thank you,” the actor replied. “I prefer to play the part of a great man on the stage than the part of a fool in Parliament.”
TEXT TRANSLATION
Since David Garrick was a famous actor, one day, one of the members of parliament told him that the actor could easily join parliament.
“No, thank you,” the actor replied.
“I prefer to play the role of a great man on stage than a fool in parliament.”
Can my dog have a seat in the bus?
One wet day a woman with a dog got on a bus. It was a very big dog and its feet were dirty.
The woman said, “Oh, conductor, if I pay for my dog, can he have a seat like the other passengers?”
The conductor looked at the dog and then said, “Certainly, madam, he can have a seat, but like the other passengers, he mustn’t put his feet on it.”
TEXT TRANSLATION
One rainy day, a woman with a dog got on the bus. The dog was very big and had dirty paws. The woman asked, “Conductor, can my dog sit on the seat like other passengers if I pay for its fare?”
The conductor looked at the dog and replied: “Of course, madam, the dog can sit down, but she, like all passengers, should not sit with her feet on the seat.”
Why do men in this country wear black when they marry?
Mrs. Robinson was a teacher in a big school in an American city. She had boys and girls in her class, and she always enjoyed teaching them, because they were quick and because they thought about everything carefully.
One day she said to the children: “People in a lot of countries in Asia wear white clothes at funerals, but people in America and in Europe wear white clothes when they're happy, what color does a woman in this country wear when she marries, Mary?
Mary said, “White, Miss because she’s happy.”
“That's good, Mary,” Mrs. Robinson said. “You're quite right. She wears white because she’s happy.”
But then one of the boys in the class put his hand up.
“Yes, Dick,” Mrs. Robinson said. “Do you want to ask a question?”
“Yes, Miss,” Dick said. “Why do men in this country wear black when they marry?”
TEXT TRANSLATION
Mrs. Robinson was a teacher in a large school in an American city. She had boys and girls in her class, whom she loved to teach because... they grasped everything on the fly and carefully studied the material. She once told the children:
“People in many Asian countries wear white clothes for funerals, while in America and Europe we wear white clothes for holidays when we are happy. What color clothes will a girl wear in our country when she gets married?”
“White, Miss, because she’s happy,” Maria answered.
“Okay, Maria,” Mrs. Robinson said. "You're absolutely right. She wears white because she is happy."
But then one of the students in the class raised his hand.
“Yes, Dick,” said Mrs. Robinson. “Do you want to ask a question?”
“Yes, Miss,” Dick replied.
“Why do our men wear black clothes when they get married?”
One of the ways to learn English is by reading. Regular reading in English not only allows you to replenish your vocabulary in the most natural, enjoyable and in an accessible way, but also to observe the practical application of grammatical structures in finished texts.
If you regularly read works of fiction by English-speaking writers, you will learn “proper” English, which is different from spoken English.
In addition, you become familiar with the culture of the countries of the language you are learning, and have the opportunity to “observe” the natural behavior of book characters in various life situations.
Easy texts in English for beginners can be divided into two types:
- simple literary texts;
- topics - short stories on certain topics.
At first, both children and adults can recommend topics on the simplest topics - about yourself, about your family, about your daily routine, about the weather, about holidays. Children will most likely be interested in stories about toys and animals.
Topics
Here are examples of some such light topic texts in English:
My family
Meet my family. There are five of us - my parents, my elder brother, my baby sister and me. First, meet my mom and dad, Jane and Michael. My mum enjoys reading and my dad enjoys playing chess with my brother Ken. My mum is slim and rather tall. She has long red hair and big brown eyes. She has a very pleasant smile and a soft voice. My mother is very kind and understanding. We are real friends. She is a housewife. As she has three children, she is always busy around the house. She takes care of my baby sister Meg, who is only three months old. My sister is very small and funny. She sleeps, eats and sometimes cries. We all help our mother and let her have a rest in the evening. Then she usually reads a book or just watches TV. My father is a doctor. He is tall and handsome. He has short dark hair and gray eyes. He is a very hardworking man. He is rather strict with us, but always fair. My elder brother Ken is thirteen, and he is very clever. He is good at Maths and always helps me with it, because I can hardly understand all these sums and problems. Ken has red hair and brown eyes. My name is Jessica. I am eleven. I have long dark hair and brown eyes. I am not as clever as my brother, though I try to do my best at school too. I am fond of dancing. Our dancing studio won The Best Dancing Studio 2015 competition last month. I am very proud of it. I also like to help my mother with my little sister very much. Our family is very united. We love each other and always try to spend more time together.
My family
Meet my family. There are five of us - my parents, my older brother, my little sister and me. First, meet my mom and dad, Jane and Michael. My mom likes to read and my dad likes to play chess with my brother Ken. My mother is slim and quite tall. She has long red hair and big brown eyes. She has a very pleasant smile and a gentle voice. My mother is very kind and understanding. We are real friends. She is a housewife. Since she has three children, she is always busy around the house. She takes care of my baby sister Meg, who is only three months old. My sister is very small and funny. She sleeps, eats and sometimes cries. We all help our mother and let her rest in the evening. Then she usually reads a book or just watches TV. My dad is a doctor. He is tall and handsome. He has short dark hair and gray eyes. He is a very hardworking person. He is quite strict with us, but always fair. My older brother Ken is thirteen and very smart. He is good at math and always helps me with it because I barely understand all these examples and problems. Ken has red hair and brown eyes. My name is Jessica. I am eleven. I have long dark hair and brown eyes. I'm not as smart as my brother, although I try hard at school too. Dancing is my hobby. Our dance studio won the Best Dance Studio 2015 competition last month. I'm very proud of this. I also really love helping my mom with my little sister. Our family is very friendly. We love each other and are always trying to spend more time together.
Lunches for school
Every day in elementary school in America begins at 9.20 a.m. Children have classes till 3.15 p.m. At 12 o’clock children have lunch. Many boys and girls bring their lunch from home. But some of them go for lunch to a school cafeteria.
Mrs. Bradley prepares school lunches almost every weekday for her two children. Sometimes she gives the children money and they eat in the school cafeteria. But usually the children prefer to take a lunch from home.
This morning Mrs. Bradley is making peanut butter and cheese sandwiches, the children's favorite. She puts two bottles of apple juice for the children to drink. She is going to put the sandwiches, some cherry tomatoes and two bananas in their lunchboxes. The lunchbox is easy for the children to carry to school.
School lunches
Every day in elementary school in America starts at 9:30 am. Children's lessons last until 3.15 pm. At 12 o'clock the children have lunch. Many boys and girls bring their own lunch. But some go to the school canteen for lunch.
Mrs Bradley prepares school lunches for her two children almost every weekday. Sometimes she gives the children money and they eat in the school canteen. But usually children prefer to take lunch from home.
This morning Mrs. Bradley is making peanut butter and cheese sandwiches, the children's favorite (sandwiches). She puts out two bottles of apple juice for the children to drink. She is going to put sandwiches, some cherry tomatoes and two bananas in their lunchboxes. It's easy for kids to carry a lunchbox to school.
Giraffes
There are different kinds of animals on our planet, and all of them are very important for it. For example, everyone knows that the sharks are dangerous for people, but they are useful for cleaning seawater. There are two types of animals: domestic (or pets) and wild. People keep pets in their homes. And some wild animals are very dangerous. Domestic animals live next to people, whereas wild animals’ “homes” are forests, jungles, oceans and so on.
Giraffes are very beautiful and unusual animals. They are the tallest land animals in the world. Giraffes can reach a height of 5.5 m and a weight of 900 kg. They are famous for their long necks. But does anybody know, that giraffes have a very long tongue? They even can clean the ears with it! Giraffes are usually yellow or light brown with dark stains. Giraffes live in African savannas. They can live from 20 to 30 years. It is interesting to know, that giraffes sleep only for a few minutes at a time. They sit down on the ground and bend their long neck down.
Giraffes do not hunt. They eat leaves, grass, and fruit. Due to their long neck, they can reach the highest leaves on the trees that other animals cannot eat.
You can often meet giraffes in city Zoos. They are very friendly and all the children like them very much.
Giraffes
There are many different species of animals on the planet, and they are all very important to it. For example, everyone knows that sharks are dangerous to people, but they are useful for purifying sea water. There are two types of animals - domestic (or pets) and wild. People keep pets in their homes. And some wild animals are very dangerous. Domestic animals live near people, while wild animals' "homes" are forests, jungles, oceans, and so on.
Giraffes are very beautiful and unusual animals. They are the tallest land animals in the world. Giraffes can reach a height of 5.5 meters and a weight of 900 kg. They are famous for their long necks. But does anyone know that giraffes have a very long tongue? They can even clean their ears! Giraffes are usually yellow or light brown with dark spots. Giraffes live in African savannas. They can live 20 to 30 years. It is interesting to know that giraffes sleep no more than 20 minutes at a time. They sit on the ground and bend their long necks.
Giraffes don't hunt. They eat leaves, grass and fruits. Thanks to their long neck they can reach the most upper leaves on trees that other animals cannot eat.
You can often find giraffes in city zoos. They are very friendly and children love them very much.
Fiction for easy reading in English
As for literary texts, for beginners it is advisable to choose adapted books. Now you can select works of art for any level of language proficiency, with dictionaries, comments and translation. On initial stage Short and easy texts for reading in English are suitable, as well as specially adapted books of the first three difficulty levels (starter, beginner, elementary). You don't have to look up every word you don't know in the dictionary. While reading the story, try to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words. If the book you choose corresponds to your level, then there will not be too many such words, and you will be able to understand the meaning of what you read.
Here are some works by English and American writers that can be easily found in English adaptations. All these books have been translated into Russian and are well known to Russian readers, which, of course, will provide additional help when reading them in English.
How to Get the Best Out of Reading
So, you have decided to form a base of English by reading English books. But finding and reading texts in English for beginners is still half the battle. For good result you need not only to read, but also to work with the material you read. Here are some tips on how to do this. 
- Look for English texts with audio accompaniment. This way you can not only increase your vocabulary, but also control and improve your pronunciation.
- Look for English texts with tasks after them. These could be questions, various exercises for choosing words or correct options, etc. This will give you an additional opportunity to consolidate new words in your memory and practice grammatical structures.
- If there are no exercises after the texts, try the “Why” -questions method. It lies in the fact that based on what you read, you yourself can create several questions for yourself, starting with “Why?” Moreover, it is better if the text does not provide a direct answer to your questions and you will have to speculate or speculate something when answering them.
- Try, using the text, to compose a short retelling, no more than 7-8 sentences. It is advisable to use new words. Learn the retelling by heart. Say it out loud.
Online text comprehension exercise for beginners
Read the text and complete the tasks.
The trip to my Granny
Yesterday I visited my Granny in the countryside. We go there every weekend and I enjoy these trips. But not this time. It was raining cats and dogs, our car broke several times and we were all very tired. But when we saw the Granny, I forgot about the difficulties.
Answer the questions
Indicate whether the statements in the text are true (true - correct, false - incorrect)
Write a sentence that reflects the main idea of this text
In world the is Family the best thing ... in world the is Family the best thing ... in world the is Family the best thing ... in world the is Family the best thing ... in world the is Family the best thing ... in the world the is Family the best thing ... in world the is Family the best thing ... in world the is Family the best thing !
You will find even more simple texts and online exercises in the Lim English online training service. Register and start learning fun!
When learning English, we must practice abilities such as: comprehension, 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, by reading stories in English for beginners, we not only practice reading, but also work on pronunciation, learn new vocabulary, and become familiar with the use of grammar in speech. In today's material we will tell you how to read short stories correctly to learn English and give examples of literature for beginners.
Reading in English will be effective only if certain conditions are met.
If you ask students what advantages learning a text in English gives for beginners, the majority will answer - acquaintance with new vocabulary. This is certainly true. By reading short stories in English, we encounter new words and expressions and learn how to use them in different contexts.
All new phrases and words always need to be not only translated, but also their correct pronunciation clarified. Only such meticulous work will give effective results: quick memorization of vocabulary and the ability to use it when constructing your speech.
In addition to mastering vocabulary, you can simultaneously improve your pronunciation and listening comprehension of English. To do this, you need to use audiobooks for beginners.
To make it easier for you to parse the recording, you must have its printed text with you. To develop listening comprehension skills, beginners need to select easy and simple texts in English. Take a look at the text and evaluate it, based 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 on listening to the text.
After listening, read the text aloud on your own, trying to correctly highlight the 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 particular topic. The most common topics are:
- Family,
- Favorite hobby/movie/book,
- My city,
- My schedule,
- In an Aeroport,
- At the restaurant and so on.
In fact, this is a special educational material designed for a certain level of student preparation.
Sometimes there are topics in dialogue format, but most often it’s just short story. After the text there is usually a vocabulary, 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 are put off by its somewhat “artificial” and formal content. If you need interesting stories in English for beginners for work, then it is better to use fiction. Moreover, adapted reading texts are produced for beginners who want to learn English. Two types of such literature are widespread.
1) Books in English
These texts for beginners have been thoroughly revised, simplifying all grammatical structures and removing complex and outdated vocabulary. However, they are presented entirely in English, only sometimes accompanied by a small dictionary with confusing expressions.
Such books are divided into 6 levels of difficulty. The simplest stories are intended for children and beginners, more complex 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 level speakers, i.e. almost fluent in the language. Accordingly, at 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 parallel translation into Russian. The first paragraph presented to the reader is English text, and followed by a paragraph with a Russian translation. Complex words are given in a separate list and, in addition to translation, are accompanied by transcription.
This approach allows you not to be distracted by working with a dictionary or online translator, but to immediately write down unfamiliar words and expressions in a study notebook. In addition, you will be confident in 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 several examples of texts that will be interesting for study by both adult and children's audiences.
Stories in English for beginners
Let's start with an example of a typical topic about a family. We provide the text with 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 theater. All our family often goes to the theater to watch her performances. My mother is 42, but she looks very younger. 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 enjoys 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 | high | |
| famous | [ˈfeɪməs] | famous, famous |
| strong | strong | |
| performance | performance, performance | |
| slim | slim | |
| rather | [ˈrɑːðə(r)] | quite, quite |
| in childhood | [ɪn ˈtʃaɪld.hʊd] | in childhood, in childhood |
| competition | [ˌkɒmpəˈtɪʃn] | competition |
| think (thought/thought) | [θɪŋk] | think (irregular verb) |
| painting | [ˈpeɪntɪŋ] | drawing |
| foreign | [ˈfɒrən] | foreign, overseas |
| perhaps | perhaps, perhaps | |
| excellent | [ˈeksələnt] | 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?
- They are younger or older 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 in total: my parents, my two younger sisters and me.
My father's name is Andrey. 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'm very proud of my father.
My mom's name is Svetlana. She is a famous actress. She really enjoys working in the theater. 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. She and I are real friends.
I have two younger sisters. Nina is 5 years old, and Vera is 14. They go to school. Nina enjoys drawing. I think she will become a great artist when she grows up. Vera loves to read books and study foreign languages. Perhaps she will become 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 speaking, a bit boring. In contrast, fiction engages students with interesting characters and exciting plot twists. And he loves exciting adventures child, and an adult.
Here are some tips for short fiction stories.
- Mark Twain : A dog and three dollars, Mistaken identity;
- O'Henry : A walk in amnesia, Tildys 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 stories that deserve attention.
When you are ready for larger volumes, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with our other material, in which you will find a selection of audiobooks for beginners. This way you will not only practice reading and improve your vocabulary, but also listen to real English speech, adapting to its perception and understanding.
When learning a foreign language, it is important to read as much as possible, so short stories in English will be published here frequently so that the reader can practice again. These are short english stories attracted by its simplicity and unusual content...
Finny
There is a small city in the deep Pacific Ocean. This city is home for about 500 fish and other water creatures. It is a very homey town and is very quiet.
This town is also as colorful as a tropical forest and is very beautiful. You can get lost here in your thoughts as you explore the beauty. It is settled right under the sun in the afternoon. It is a very green city, full of plants and exotic fish. This town is located near the Hawaiian island of Maui.
This is the wonderful town of Olina, meaning “joyful” in Hawaiian.
In this little town is a small school. This school is the life of many teachers and children. The itty-bitty school, located in the center of the town, is more than 100 years old. The school building is painted green with bright pink spots all over. This school teaches swimming, safety, and first aid. It is called Beach Water Middle.
One student from the Beach Water Middle School is a little fish. This specific fish seems to be a troublemaker. He has a golden color with one spot on his fin. He comes to school every day, not willingly. This little fish is quite popular and very loud. He makes jokes and has many girlfriends. He's just cool. He lives on the west side of Olina. His name is Finny.
Finny
There is a small city in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. This city is home to about 500 fish and other aquatic creatures. This is a very homely, very quiet city.
This city is so colorful, like a rainforest and very beautiful. Here you can get lost in your thoughts while exploring its beauty. He positioned himself directly under the midday sun. It is a very green city, full of plants and exotic fish. This city is located next to the Hawaiian island of Maui. This is the wonderful city of Olina, which means “joyful” in Hawaiian.
There is a small school in this small town. This school is life for many teachers and
children. A tiny school located in the city center, it is over 100 years old. The school building is painted green with bright pink spots throughout. This school teaches swimming, safety, and first aid. It's called the Coastal Waters Center.
One of the students of this school is a small fish. This particular fish looks like he likes to cause trouble. It is colored gold with one spot on its fin. He goes to school every day, but without desire. This little fish is quite popular and very noisy. He jokes, he has a lot of girlfriends. He's just awesome. He lives on the west side of Olina. His name is Finny.
Great White Shark
Today at Beach Water Middle, Finny and his class are going on a trip. They want to see the Great White Shark. The Great White Shark is a famous speaker, representing the local recycling agency. He speaks all around the ocean with very passionate emotion towards his words. He has been near Alaska, California, Mexico, Japan, and Russia. All of the local children are very fascinated by the Great White Shark. All of the local children want to grow up and be a speaker for recycling agencies too. He is a great inspiration to everyone around him.
So, they go. The class passes the “Welcome” sign outside of town. Outside of Olina, it is very dangerous. There are jellyfish, sharks, whales, and many dangerous animals out here. The class must stay in a large group and be aware at all times.
About thirty minutes swimming, Finny becomes absolutely exhausted. About five minutes pass, Finny loses the class. He falls so far back that he can barely see his friends and cannot hear them anymore. His fins grow more and more tired. He drifts away with the current. Finally, Finny falls asleep on a nearby rock.
Great White Shark
Today the Coastal Waters Center, Finny and his friends are going on a field trip. They want to see the Great White Shark. The Great White Shark is a well-known spokesperson for the local waste management agency. He speaks across the ocean, and his words are filled with passionate emotions. He has been near Alaska, California, Mexico, Japan and Russia. All the local kids are very passionate about the Great White Shark. All the local children want to grow up to become waste agents. He is an inspiration to everyone around him.
So they set off. The class passes the "Welcome" sign outside the city. It's very dangerous outside of Olina. There are jellyfish, sharks, whales and many dangerous
animals. The class must remain a large group and be vigilant at all times.
After about thirty minutes of the long swim, Finny was completely exhausted. About five minutes passed and Finny lost class. He falls so far that he can barely see his friends and can no longer hear them. His fins are becoming increasingly tired. He is carried away by the current. Finally, Finny falls asleep on a nearby rock.
Hello friends. Many teachers include independent extracurricular reading in their curriculum. Some assign readings from classic works or adapted versions of books, but short stories that can be printed out and distributed to students are much better suited for this purpose.
The boy was soaking wet. He was standing in a puddle of water. His clothes hung heavy on his body. Suddenly, a sharp razor-like slither of white light blazed above his head and a gravelly rumbling echoed in his ears. Then came another downpour. He pulled his jacket tightly...
Long, long ago, in the winter-time, when the snowflakes were falling like little white feathers from the sky, a beautiful Queen sat beside her window, which was framed in black ebony, and stitched. As she worked, she looked sometimes at the falling snow, and so it happened that she pricked ...
In old days, it was believed that the seventh son, in a family of sons, was a conjurer by nature, and that he could work wonders like the fairies and cure diseases better than any doctor. If he were the seventh son of a seventh son, he was himself ...
Down below there was only a vast white sea of clouds. Above there was the sun, and the sun was white like the clouds, because it is never yellow when one looks at it from high in the air. He was still flying the Spitfire.* His right hand was on ...
JACK SELLS THE COW Once upon a time there was a poor widow who lived in a little cottage with her only son Jack. Jack was a giddy, thoughtless boy, but very kind-hearted and affectionate. There had been a hard winter, and after it the poor woman had suffered from ...
