I study Chinese and French, but recently, I have been busy, so I haven’t studied very much. However, I have been practicing extensive reading with an easy French book.
I am studying Part 1 of the book. The story is about two friends called Marc and Julie. Marc is French, and Julie is American. They talk about language and cultural differences. I have read Part 1 many times. Sometimes I forget that I am reading in French.
I tried reading Part 2, which is about French history. It was too difficult for me, so I went back to Part 1.
Extensive reading (reading a lot of easy books or graded readers) is a good study method. I think I will buy more French graded readers. For me, reading is more fun than studying!
This is a short story for learners of English from I Talk You Talk Press. You can read and listen at the same time, or you can try shadowing. We hope you enjoy the story!
Andy wears glasses. He doesn’t wear them all the time. He wears them when he drives his car. He wears them to read, and when he works on his computer.
Andy gets an email from the eye doctor’s office. The email says— We have not checked your eyes for one year. You should make an appointment. We will check your eyes.—-
Andy goes to the eye doctor’s office. He does an eye test.
The eye doctor says, “Your eyes are OK, but maybe you need new glasses. You need glasses that are a little stronger.”
Andy says, “OK.”
The eye doctor says she will order new glasses for Andy. She says, “Maybe your new glasses will feel a little bit strange. Maybe you will get a headache for a few days. Maybe you will feel ill for a little while.”
After one week, the eye doctor’s office calls Andy. The receptionist says, “Your new glasses are ready. Please come and get your new glasses.”
Andy goes to get his new glasses. His eye doctor is not there. She is on vacation.
Andy pays for his new glasses and takes them away. He is very pleased. His new glasses do not feel strange. He does not have a headache. He does not feel ill.
A few weeks later, Andy gets a call from his eye doctor. “Please come and see me,” she says.
Andy goes to see his eye doctor. She is very unhappy. She says, “I ordered your new glasses, but I made a big mistake. I asked the company to make your new glasses but the order was the same as your old glasses. So , there was no change. I am very sorry. I have ordered new glasses for you and of course, you will not pay anything.”
Andy is a very calm person. He says, “It’s OK. Don’t worry.”
The eye doctor says, “Didn’t you think it was strange when your ‘new’ glasses were the same as the old ones?”
Andy laughs. “I didn’t feel sick! I didn’t feel strange! I didn’t have a headache!. I thought ‘my eye doctor did a very good job!’”
It is the rainy season in Japan. Many places have had heavy rainfall. Some places have had flooding and landslides. The water has destroyed roads, houses and towns. Luckily, my city has not had any disasters. It has just been raining a lot.
Around 14 years ago, my city was flooded. There is a wide river and a large lake in the centre of my city. It rained so much that the river and lake overflowed, and the water flooded into the city centre around the station. Many shops and other places were damaged. I hope it doesn’t happen again.
I hope the rainy season ends soon. I also hope the people in the disaster areas can recover quickly. It seems that every year, the rain causes more and more disasters. The weather is changing. We have more rain, and summers are hotter than before. I am looking forward to the end of the rainy season, but I am not looking forward to the hot summer!
This is a short story for learners of English from I Talk You Talk Press. You can read and listen at the same time, or you can try shadowing. We hope you enjoy the story!
Hilda’s house is very old. She does not have much money. When it rains, water comes into her house.
I must stop the water coming into my house, thinks Hilda.
She calls a local man who repairs houses. His name is Rory.
“Rory,” says Hilda. “The roof of my house is very bad. When it rains, water comes into my house. Can you help me?”
“OK, Hilda,” says Rory. “I will come and look at your house. I will come tomorrow. My daughter is home because it is university holidays. Maybe she will come and help me.”
Rory comes the next day. His daughter Wanda, comes with him.
Rory looks inside the house. Then he goes outside. Wanda holds the ladder for her father. Rory climbs onto the roof.
After a while, Rory comes into the house.
“Hilda,” he says. “You need a new roof.”
“Oh, no!” says Hilda. “I do not have enough money for a new roof!”
“I understand,” says Rory. “Maybe I can fix the holes in your roof. I will do my best, but more holes will come.”
Hilda is worried and unhappy. “Please do the best you can,” she says. “Maybe I will win a lottery or something. Maybe I can find enough money for a new roof before next winter.”
“OK,” says Rory. “I will go onto the roof and try to fix the holes.”
Hilda goes into her kitchen. Rory is a very kind man, she thinks. When Rory and Wanda take a break, I will give them a snack. I will make some cookies.
Hilda is taking her cookies out of the oven when she hears a loud noise. There is a crash and a bang. Then she hears loud voices.
Oh no! That’s Rory’s voice, thinks Hilda.
Hilda runs through the house. She gets a big shock. Rory is sitting on her living room floor. Hilda looks up. There is a big hole in the roof – Hilda can see the sky.
Wanda runs into the house. “Dad! Dad! Are you OK?”
“I’m fine,” says Rory. “Hilda I am so sorry about your roof. It was so old and weak. I fell through it.”
“Don’t worry about my roof,” says Hilda. “I am happy you are not hurt. Sit down in that armchair and I will bring you a cup of tea.”
Hilda brings tea and cookies for Rory and Wanda. She sits down with Rory and Wanda. They drink tea and eat cookies. They look at the sky.
Suddenly they hear strange noises. “Get out!” shouts Rory. “The roof is falling!”
They run to the kitchen. There is a lot of noise and dust.
After a while, the noise stops. “Stay here,” says Rory. “I will go and look.”
Hilda and Wanda wait for a long time. Finally, Rory comes back to the kitchen. He is hiding something behind his back.
“Hilda,” says Rory. “Who lived in this house before you?”
“My parents,” says Hilda. “And before them, my grandparents lived here.”
Rory smiles. “Well someone who lived here didn’t like banks! Look what I found in all the rubbish on the floor.” He takes a box from behind his back and gives it to Hilda.
Hilda opens the box. It is filled with old gold coins.
“Someone hid this box in the roof of your house.”
“I can pay for a new roof!” shouts Hilda. “It is wonderful!”
Can you complete this English expression? It means that when something good or bad happens, many other good or bad things happen in a short space of time.
I Talk You Talk Press EXTRA 
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