When learning English, it is important to pay attention to various aspects of the activity: reading, translating, learning vocabulary, listening, speaking. Despite the fact that you should constantly alternate classes, it is extremely important to pay attention to English texts of various levels of difficulty.
So, we propose to figure out what texts are in English:
If you have just started learning a foreign language, read the texts that you have previously read in Russian. Pay attention to short stories or fairy tales. You can also listen to adapted books in English: in this case, you can train your hearing aid and hone your listening comprehension. Where can I find texts for beginners? Check out the British Council website where you can read the same text written for different levels of language proficiency. You can find out your level.
Finding somewhere affordable to live in Britain is hard. Some parts of the country are cheaper than others, of course, but the cost of renting a home is horrendous, especially in London and the South. Normally, the only answer is to share a house or a flat: you get a room of your own, but you have to share the kitchen and bathroom. In cities like Oxford and Cambridge, where rooms are scarce, prices will make your eyes water: more than £500 a month. In London, they’re even higher – not far off £700.
Oxford already seemed expensive when I lived there, and that was almost 40 years ago. When I started work after university, my room cost £40 a month – almost 15 per cent of my salary. With today’s rents in Oxford, you’d need to earn £40,000 a year if you didn’t want to spend more than 15 per cent on your room. But when you finish university, starting salaries are usually between £20,000 and £30,000.
Apart from the cost, shared flats and houses are often in poor condition. Landlords are slow to spend their profits on repairs. I was fairly lucky with mine. The house I lived in was scruffy, but the landlord took action when needed - like the time the bathroom ceiling fell in. I'd just run a bath and had returned to my room to get something, when I heard a loud crash. I went back to find the bathtub full of wet plaster. I had the ceiling repaired and took the bill to my landlord.
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Finding affordable housing in the UK is a tricky business. Of course, some parts of the country are cheaper than others, but the cost of renting a house is horrendous, especially in London and the south. Usually the only solution is to share a house or apartment: you get your own room, but you need to share the same kitchen or bathroom. In cities like Oxford or Cambridge, where there aren't enough rooms, the prices will make your eyes water: over £500 a month. In London, prices are even higher - around £700.
Oxford seemed more expensive when I lived there, which was almost 40 years ago. When I started working at the university, my room cost £40 a month - almost 15% of my salary. With today's rental prices, you need to be earning 40,000 a year if you don't want to spend more than 15% of your income on your room. But when you graduate from university, starting salaries usually range from £20,000 to £30,000.
In addition to housing costs, shared rooms or houses are often in poor condition. Owners are reluctant to spend their income on repairs. I am lucky with my owner. The house I lived in was in a state of disrepair, but the owner stepped in when needed, like when the ceiling collapsed. I was about to take a bath and went to my room to get something when I heard a loud crash. I returned to find the bathroom full of plaster. The roof was repaired, and I took the bill to my master.
For continuing (Pre-intermediate - Intermediate)
Reading English texts is not only an opportunity to enrich yourself with new knowledge, but also to get an idea of the structure of an English sentence, slang expressions and, in general, modern speech. After all, it often happens that when studying a language at school, we have no idea that some words are already used in completely different meanings, while others are completely born before our eyes and replenish the English dictionary with new lexical units that did not exist before. Scientists note that in 5-7 years there will be such professions that we know nothing about today. Below you can find the literary text. Pay attention to sentence structure and vocabulary.
Are you ready for this, Amy?” David asked his daughter. The girl finished tying the laces of her old walking boots, looked up and nodded slowly. “I think so.” They walked along a lane out of the village until they reached a gently winding path that led to the river. After crossing a wooden bridge, they followed the line of the riverbank, where tall trees kept the hot sun off their heads. David listened to the chatter of the fast-flowing river. The last time they had come this way, he had listened to a chattering stream of words from his daughter, who had told him about endless adventures and the scandals of friends and classmates. Today, as they had crossed the bridge, a little gray and yellow bird had caught her eye. Amy's face had brightened, and the start of a story almost reached her lips, but then she remained silent. The path became steeper, leaving the river and splitting into two parts as they came closer to Kinder Reservoir. Looking at his map, David pointed to the route that climbed above the reservoir. They followed it to the start of a narrow valley, where another steep path ran beside a fast-moving stream. As they climbed higher, Amy began to notice the changing landscape. The stream was a series of little waterfalls that fell through green ferns and purple heather.
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"Are you ready for this, Amy?" David asked his daughter. The girl finished tying her old shoe laces, looked up and nodded slowly. "I think yes". They walked along the narrow path out of the village until they reached a calm winding path leading to the river. After crossing the wooden bridge, they walked along the riverbank, where tall trees kept the hot sun over their heads. David heard the murmur of a fast-flowing river. The last time they came here, he heard an incessant stream of words from his daughter, who told him about the endless adventures and scandals of friends and classmates. Today, when they crossed the bridge, she noticed a small gray-yellow bird. Amy's face filled with joy, and she almost began her story, but said nothing. The path became steeper, leaving the river behind and splitting in two as they approached the Kinder reservoir. Looking at his map, David pointed to a route that skirted the reservoir. They followed him to the beginning of a narrow valley, where another steep path ran beside a swift stream. As they climbed higher, Amy began to notice the changing landscape. The stream was part of small waterfalls that tumbled through green ferns and purple heather.
Intermediate-Upper-intermediate
When people ask me how I learned to speak German, I tell them it was simple: I met a German man at the Oktoberfest, married him, and stayed in Munich for 20 years. But there's a bit of a backstory, too. In 1973, my friend Sally and I decided to quit our jobs and travel through Europe. We boarded a plane in early September, determined to stay abroad as long as possible - stretching our money by hitchhiking and staying in youth hostels. Over the next eight months, we covered a lot of ground, from Greece and Turkey to Finland, managing to limit our costs to an average of $5 a day. It all started in Luxembourg, when we walked to the edge of town and stuck out our thumbs. It wasn't long before a group of US soldiers on motorcycles stopped. They were on their way to a wine festival on the Moselle River and were thrilled to have female companionship.
As 24-year-old American girls with backpacks, Sally and I rarely had to wait long for a ride. And although we often couldn't understand the drivers, it didn't matter. Wherever they were going was fine with us. Other than our plans to visit the Oktoberfest in Munich, we had absolutely no itinerary. The advantage of this easygoing lifestyle was that we visited many villages that were far off the beaten path.
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When people ask me how I learned to speak German, I tell them that it was simple: I met a German at Oktoberfest, married him and stayed in Munich for 20 years. But there is also a backstory. In 1973, my friend Sally and I decided to quit our jobs and travel around Europe. In early September, we boarded a plane, determined to stay abroad as long as possible, saving our money by hitchhiking and staying in youth hostels. Over the next eight months, we traveled from Greece and Turkey to Finland, intending to cut our costs down to an average of $5 a day. It all started in Luxembourg when we were out of town and gave a thumbs up. It wasn't long before a group of American soldiers on motorcycles stopped. They were on their way to a wine festival on the Moselle River and were delighted with the sorority. As 24-year-old American girls with backpacks, Sally and I rarely had to wait for a ride. And although we often couldn't understand the drivers, it didn't matter. Wherever they went, we were fine. Apart from our plans to visit the Oktoberfest in Munich, we had absolutely no itinerary. The advantage of this quiet lifestyle was that we visited many villages that were far off the beaten track.
For advanced (Advanced)
Recently, I've been flying quite a lot - for the usual reasons, like holidays, weddings, milestone birthdays and, sadly, the odd funeral. Since I live in Perth, Western Australia - a very isolated state capital – a flight to the east coast means at least four hours in the air for me. To put that into a European perspective, a flight to Sydney is about the same as flying from Dublin to Istanbul. Then there's the time difference of two to three hours, so that a whole day is lost crossing the country. When I'm sky-high, I'm captive to what I call "cardboard-box cuisine". Recent experiences with our major carriers Qantas and Virgin suggest that there may be more flavor in the box itself than its contents.
Sure, Australian airlines have a long tradition of offering free food and drinks, including beer and wine, especially on longer flights. And flying is relatively inexpensive in economy class. Even on the good airlines, I can usually get to and from Sydney for less than A$700. Budget carriers will cost you half of that. Back to airline food, though. On a flight to Perth some weeks ago, I was given a “Chinese chicken salad” for my evening meal. In the box, I found a mound of dry purple cabbage and a dozen small pieces of equally dry chicken. There was no dressing, so the only parts of this meal I could eat were two cracker biscuits and a piece of cheese that came on the side. I washed them down with a tiny bottle of red wine and thought, “This meal isn’t free: it’s worthless.” Some time later, I wandered down to the flight attendants’ quarters at the back of the plane to see if I could get some more cheese and crackers and another small bottle of wine. The staff were helpful, but what surprised me were the meals they were eating, including a steaming plate of grilled pork medallions in cream sauce with rice and fresh vegetables.
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I've been flying quite a lot lately - for the usual reasons like vacations, weddings, anniversaries and, unfortunately, funerals. Since I live in Perth, Western Australia, a very remote state capital, flying to the east coast means at least four hours in the air for me. If we draw parallels with Europe, a flight to Sydney takes about the same time as from Dublin to Istanbul. In addition, there is a time difference of two or three hours, so a whole day is lost when crossing the country. When I'm high in the sky, I become a prisoner of what I call "food from a cardboard box." Recent experiences with major food supplier Qantas and Virgin suggest that there may be more smell in the box than what's inside. Of course, Australian Airlines has a long tradition of serving free food and drink, including beer and wine, especially on long flights. Flying in economy class is relatively inexpensive. Even with good airlines, I can get there from Sydney for less than AU$700. Budget carriers will cost half the price. However, back to the food on board. On a flight to Perth a few weeks ago, I was served "Chinese Chicken Salad" for dinner. In the box I found a pile of dry cauliflower and a dozen small pieces of the same dry chicken. There was no sauce, so all I could eat was two crackers and a piece of cheese. I washed them down with a small bottle of red wine and thought, "This food isn't free, but it's disgusting." After a while, I walked to the back of the plane to see the flight attendants, to make sure I could ask for some more cheese, crackers, and a small bottle of wine. The staff were helpful, but what surprised me the most was the food they ate, including steaming plates of grilled pork medallions in a cream sauce with rice and fresh vegetables.
Download ready-made texts
Ready-made texts in English can be found on specialized sites or in magazines and. Please note that tasks often go to the text to consolidate the material, and new vocabulary is highlighted in a different color.
Articles above and other texts you can downloadWhich is useful to read for both adults and children. These stories are very instructive, at the end of each of them a moral is stated. For those who still find it difficult to translate even such simple texts, a translation is presented. Most likely, you have already heard similar fairy tales in Russian, so it will be easier for you to understand their meaning.
The Ant and the Grasshopper
In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great effort an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling away?" "I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same." "Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "We have got plenty of food at the present."
But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing, every day, corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer.
Then the Grasshopper knew..
MORAL: Work today and you can reap the benefits tomorrow.
Ant and Grasshopper
On a field on a sunny day, a grasshopper jumped, chirped and sang to his heart's content. An ant passed by, dragging a corncob with great effort to his home. 
“Why not come up to me and have a chat,” the grasshopper said, “instead of straining like that?” “I help to stock up for the winter,” said the ant, “I advise you to do the same.” “Why worry about winter? - said the grasshopper, - We have a lot of food at the moment.
But the ant did its job and continued its hard work. When winter came, the grasshopper literally starved to see how the ants distribute corn and grain every day from their stores, which they collected in the summer.
Then the grasshopper realized...
Morality: Work today and you can reap the rewards tomorrow.
The Lion and the Mouse
Once when a Lion was asleep, a little Mouse began running up and down upon him. This soon wakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon him and opened his big jaws to swallow him.
"Sorry, O King!" cried the little Mouse, “Forgive me this time. I shall never repeat it and I shall never forget your kindness. And who knows, but I may be able to do you a good turn one of these days?”
The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him, that he lifted up his paw and let him go.
Sometime later a few hunters captured the King and tied him to a tree while they went in search of a wagon to carry him on.
Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight in which the Lion was, ran up to him and soon gnawed away the ropes that bound the King of the Beasts. "Was I not right?" said the little Mouse, very happy to help the Lion.
MORAL: Little friends may prove great friends.
Lion and mouse
Once, when the lion fell asleep, a small mouse began to run over him. Soon he woke the lion, who caught him with his huge paw and opened his jaw to swallow him.
"Excuse me, O king! sobbed the little mouse, “Forgive me this time. This will never happen again and I will never forget your kindness. And who knows, maybe one day I can also do something good for you.” 
The lion was so amused at the idea that the mouse could somehow help him that he raised his paw and let him go.
A few days later, the hunters caught the king and tied him to a tree while they were looking for a wagon where they could put him.
Just then it happened that a mouse ran past, he saw the predicament in which the lion was, ran up to him and quickly gnawed through the ropes that tied the king of beasts. "Wasn't I right?" - said the mouse, joyful because he helped the lion.
Morality: Little friends can be great friends.
The Goose that laid the Golden Eggs
Once upon a time, a man and his wife had the good fortune to have a goose which laid a golden egg every day. Lucky though they were, they soon began to think they were not getting rich fast enough.
They imagined that if the bird must be able to lay golden eggs, its insides must be made of gold. And they thought that if they could get all that precious metal at once, they would get mighty rich very soon. So the man and his wife decided to kill the bird.
However, upon cutting the goose open, they were shocked to find that its innards were like that of any other goose!
MORAL: Think before you act.
The goose that laid golden eggs
One day, a man and his wife were lucky enough to have a goose that laid a golden egg every day. Despite such great luck, they soon began to think that they could not 
get rich pretty fast.
They imagined that if a bird could lay golden eggs, then its insides must also be made of gold. And they thought that if they could get all this precious metal at once, then very soon they would become extremely rich. So the man and his wife decided to kill the bird.
However, when they opened the goose, they discovered with great shock that its insides were the same as any other goose.
Morality: Think before you do.
If you liked these stories, then you can read another interesting one. Don't forget to offer similar stories to your children who are learning English. They will love this unobtrusive way of learning a new language.
And here is a 45-minute collection of fairy tales with subtitles.
To maintain interest in learning English, especially for beginners, stories for beginners are simply necessary - simple and short texts with simple grammar and vocabulary. But the simplicity of the texts does not make the stories boring - rather, on the contrary, too complex texts can scare away those who are starting to learn the language.
Stories in English with translation into Russian
The translation of the story sentences is in italics.
hungry wolf(Hungry wolf)
This is a short story about Hungry Wolf.
This short story is about a hungry wolf.
Once, a wolf was very hungry.
Once there lived a very hungry wolf.
It looked for food here and there. But it couldn't get any. At last it found a loaf of bread and a piece of meat in the hole of a tree.
He looked for food here and there. But he didn't find anything. In the end, he found a piece of bread and a piece of meat in the hollow of a tree.
The hungry wolf squeezed into the hole. It ate all the food. It was a woodcutter's lunch. He was on his way back to the tree to have lunch. But he saw there was no food in the hole, instead, a wolf. On seeing the woodcutter, the wolf tried to get out of the hole. But it couldn't. Its tummy was swollen.
The hungry wolf dived into the hollow. He ate all the food. But it was a lumberjack's dinner. He returned to the tree to have lunch. But he saw that there was no food in the hollow, except for a wolf. Before the eyes of the lumberjack, the wolf tried to get out of the hollow. But he couldn't. His stomach was distended.
The woodcutter caught the wolf and gave it nice beatings.
The lumberjack caught the wolf and gave him a good beating.
A Moral Story: The Dog and The Cows
The cows used to eat hay from the manger. One day a herd of cows came to the manger to eat hay. They saw a dog lying on the hay in the manger.
Cows are used to eating hay from a trough. One day a herd of cows came to the feeder to eat hay. They saw a dog lying in a manger in the hay.
One of the cows pleaded, "Please, will you get up!" We are hungry. We have to eat our hay. The dog did not take heed of it.
One of the cows pleaded, “Please, could you stand up! We are hungry. We must eat our hay." The dog didn't pay attention.
Once again another cow pleaded, "Please, let us have our hay." The dog snarled and the cow stepped back.
Another cow pleaded again, "Please let us eat our hay." The dog growled and the cow backed away.
A wise cow ran up to the bull and told him the matter.
The wise cow ran to the bull and told him everything.
The bull came and requested, “Get out, please! Let them have their food." There was no reply. The bull became angry. He bellowed loudly and stamped his legs. The dog got frightened and wounded for his life.
The bull came and demanded, “Go away, please! Let them eat their food." But there was no answer. The bull got angry. He moaned loudly and beat with his hooves. The dog was frightened and ran away aimlessly.
Children are Wisers than Elders
It was rainy season in Russia. In a certain village in Russia the rain water was flowing in streams in a street. It had rained and stopped a little while ago. Two little girls were playing in the street water. It was festival time. They were wearing new frocks. Malasha was the younger of the two little girls. Akulya was the older girl.
It was a rainy season in Russia. In a village in Russia, rainwater flowed in a stream through the streets. It has rained recently. Two little girls were playing in the street water. It was festival time. They were in new clothes. Malasha was younger than two little girls. Shark was an older girl.
Malasha stamped her foot in the water. It was a little muddy. The muddy water splashed. It fell on Akulya's new frock. Akulya was just rubbing out the mud. At that time Akulya's mother was walking that way. She looked at her daughter's dress. She scolded her daughter.
Malasha slammed her foot into the water. She was a little dirty. Dirty water splashed in all directions. She got on Shark's new dress. The shark was covered in mud. At the same time Shark's mother was walking by. She glanced at her daughter's dress. She started screaming at her daughter.
“How can you make your new dress so dirty?” she asked.
"How could you make your new dress so dirty?" she asked.
“Malasha splashed the water on me, mother,” said Akulya.
“Malasha splashed water on me, mother,” Shark said.
Akulya's mother caught Malasha. She gave two or three slaps on the back of Malasha. Malasha started weeping loudly. Malasha's house was close by. Malasha's mother heard her daughter Malasha's weeping. She came out in a hurry.
Shark's mom caught Malasha. She slapped Malasha on the back two or three times. Malasha wept loudly. Malasha's house was close. Malasha's mother heard her daughter cry. She quickly left.
“Why are you weeping?” asked her mother.
"Why are you crying?" her mother asked.
"Akulya's mother beat me on my back," said Malasha.
“Mama Shark hit me on the back,” Malasha said.
Malasha's mother turned to Akulya's mother in an angry mood. Malasha's mother abused Akulya's mother. Soon they started quarrelling loudly. They called each other names. Their shouting continued.
Malasha's mother turned to Shark's mother in an angry mood. Malasha's mother insulted Shark's mother. Soon they started arguing loudly. They called each other different names. Their altercation continued.
Other women joined them soon. Some supported Akulya's mother. Some supported Malasha's mother. The two fighting groups became bigger and bigger. The men also joined in the fighting. The quarrel became never ending.
Other women also joined. Some supported Shark's mother. Some supported Malasha's mother. The two opposing groups grew larger and larger. The man also joined the confrontation. The quarrel became endless.
At that time the grandmother of Akulya came out of the house. She told the men and the women not to fight. “It is festival time. People should not quarrel,” she told them.
At this time, grandmother Akulya left the house. She told the men and women to stop. “Now is festival time. People shouldn't quarrel,” she told them.
No one listened to her. No one cared for her words. In the meantime Malasha and Akulya forgot about their quarrel. They became friends again. They moved away from the fighting crowd. They started letting paper boats in the running water. Now the old woman said to the fighting groups.
Nobody listened to her. Nobody cared about her words. At the same time, Malasha and Shark forgot about the quarrel. They became friends again. They moved away from the opposing crowd. They started making paper boats and launched them on the water. Now the old woman told the opposing groups.
“Look at the children. They have forgotten their quarrel. They have started playing again. They have become friends again. But you men and women still keep quarrelling. Are you not ashamed of your tendency?
“Look at the children. They forgot about their sore. They started playing again. They became friends again. But you men and women are still quarreling. Aren't you ashamed of this?"
The men and the women looked at the little girls. They felt ashamed. They went back to their houses quietly.
The men and women looked at the little girls. They were ashamed. They quietly dispersed to their homes.
Children forget and forgive very easily. The elders learned this lesson from the little girls.
Children forgot and forgave very easily. Adults learned this lesson thanks to little girls.
The Perfect Palace(Ideal Palace)
Thousands of years ago, there lived a King. His people loved him since he looked after their needs well. At the end of every month, he would invite some noble men of his Kingdom to analyze his work and advised him.
Thousands of years ago, there lived a King. His people have loved him since he took care of their needs. At the end of the month, he would invite the male noble of his Kingdom to analyze his work and give him advice.
The King built many things. Every year he would rebuild his palace and every time it looked better that before. Marvelous! Unmatched!!" the courier would praise and the King would feel elated.
The king built many things. Every year he rebuilt his palace and each time it looked better than before. "Wonderful! Unsurpassed! - praised the courtiers and the King was in seventh heaven.
One day the King thought, “This year, I will build the perfect palace, with all comforts. It should be praised not only within my kingdom, but also by the people of the neighboring states.”
One day the King thought, “This year, I will build a perfect palace, with every comfort. He should have been praised not only by my kingdom, but also by the people of neighboring states.”
The next day, the King worked out a perfect design for his perfect palace. After finalizing it, he handed it over to the builders. In about a month, the perfect palace of the King's dream was ready. The King invited noblemen of his kingdom, as well as the neighboring states, to get their opinions about the palace.
The next day, the King made the perfect blueprint for his perfect palace. After he finished it, he handed it over to the builders. It took about a month, the ideal dream palace of the King was ready. The king invited noble people of the kingdom, also from neighboring states, to get an opinion on the palace.
“Unbelievable! Indeed, it is a perfect palace,” cheered the noblemen in unison. But a saint standing in the corner was silent.
“Incredible! Indeed, this is an ideal palace,” the nobles all said in greeting as one. But the saint stood in the corner in complete silence.
The King wondered why the saint was silent, when everyone was praising his palace. He walked up to the saint and said, “Please tell, O Saint, why you are silent. Is not my palace perfect?”
The king wondered why the saint was so quiet when everyone was praising his palace. He approached the saint and said, “Please tell me, O Saint, why are you so silent. Isn't my palace perfect?"
The Saint replied in a calm voice, “Dear King! Your palace is strong and will last forever. It is beautiful but not perfect, since the people living in it are mortals. They are not permanent. Your palace will live forever but not the people in it. That is why I am silent. Man is born with empty hands and so does he die.”
The saint replied in a calm voice, “Dear King! Your palace is powerful and always will be. It is beautiful, but not perfect, from the moment mortals live in it. You are not eternal. Your palace will live forever, but not the people who live in it. That's why I'm so quiet. A man is born empty-handed and that is how he dies.”
The King thanked the saint for his wise words and never tried to build a perfect palace again.
The king thanked the saint for his wise words and never again tried to build a perfect palace again.
At school
Summer is over and it is autumn again, beautiful as ever. Even if you are no artist at all you can see its beauty. It is a season when the trees are simply fantastic - yellow, red, green and brown, not just one brown, but browns of all possible shades: light brown, dark brown, yellowish brown and all of a richness that only an artist can see and describe.
Summer is over and autumn has come again, beautiful as always. Even if you are not an artist at all, you will be able to see its beauty. This is the season when the trees are fantastic - yellows, reds, greens and browns, not just browns, but browns in every possible hue: light brown, dark brown, tawny and other decorations that only an artist can see and describe.
Andrey is back in Klinovo. He has just come but his thoughts are still in Saint Petersburg where the autumn is so beautiful.
Andrei returned from Klinovo. He had just arrived, but his thoughts were still in St. Petersburg, where autumn is so beautiful.
This is not his first visit there. He has already been to Saint Petersburg and he has learned its streets, roads, parks, theaters, cinemas and old and new beautiful buildings. He easily recognizes the streets, buildings, buses, parks and the noise. Noise is everywhere.
This is not his first visit here. He has already been to St. Petersburg and he has learned its streets, roads, wig, theaters, cinemas and old and new beautiful buildings. It easily recognizes mustaches, buildings, buses, parks and noise. Noise everywhere.
Now he is with his classmates and the usual talk begins.
FROM now he is with his classmates and ordinary conversations begin.
Hello Andrey!
"Hi Andrew!"
Hello, Ivan.
"Hi Ivan"
“I am very glad to see you again. How is everything?”
“I am very glad to see you again. How are you?"
Thank you fine.
"Thank you, OK".
"Now tell me where have you been all the time? I haven't seen you for ages and you haven't written a word. Did you go anywhere?"
“Now tell me where have you been all this time? I haven't seen you for many years and you haven't written a word. Are you going somewhere?"
"Certainly, I did. I have just come back from Saint Petersburg.”
“Of course I will. I have just returned from Saint Petersburg.”
How did you like it? Is it a good place to go to?"
“How do you like him? Is this a good place to go there?”
"Splendid! You must go there some day, too.”
“Magnificent! You should go there one day too.”
“I certainly shall. And I shall write letters to you as I know you like to get letters.”
“Of course I will go. And I will write you letters, because I know that you love to receive letters.
Igor's working day
You know Igor lives with his family in Oktybrskiy. He is a pupil of the 8th form.
You know, Igor lives with his family in Oktyabrsky. He is an 8th grade student.
Igor is very busy on weekdays. Every morning he goes to school. The school is not so far from Oktyabrskiy. It is on the nearest farm. The boy goes there in a bus. The bus takes boys and girls and carries them to school.
Igor is very busy on weekdays. Every morning he goes to school. The school is not so far from Oktyabrsky. He is near the farm. The boy goes there by bus. The bus picks up boys and girls and transports them to school.
Here is Igor's working day. The alarm clock rings at 7 o'clock and Igor gets up. He does his morning exercises at the open window, washes and dresses. Igor's mother gets up an hour before Igor. She prepares breakfast for the family. After breakfast Igor leaves home. The bus is waiting for the children near the shop. Igor goes to school with his friends. He stays at school till 2 or 3 o'clock. Then he comes home. His mother waits for him. They have dinner. After dinner he rests a little or helps his mother or father.
Here is Igor's working day. The alarm clock rings at 7 o'clock and Igor gets up. He does his morning exercises with the window open, washes and dresses. Igor's mother gets up an hour before Yegor. She is cooking the family tomorrow. After breakfast, Igor leaves the house. The bus is waiting for the children near the store. Igor is going to school with his friends. He is at school from 2 to 3. Then he comes home. His mother is waiting for him. They are having dinner. After dinner, he rests a bit or helps his mom or dad.
Then he does his homework in different subjects: in English, history, mathematics, physics and others.
Then he does his homework in different subjects: in English, history, mathematics, physics and others.
Sometimes Igor stays at school a little longer. There is a good library there. Igor likes to work in the library. He often does his homework there.
Sometimes Igor stays at school a little longer. There is a good library there. Igor likes to work in the library. He often does his homework there.
In the evening Igor likes to stay at home. He watches TV, listens to the radio or reads a book. He sometimes goes for a walk with his friends. On Saturday and Sunday Igor often goes to the club.
In the evening, Igor likes to stay at home. He watches TV, listens to the radio or reads books. Sometimes he walks with friends. On Saturday and Sunday, Igor often goes to the club.
These simple stories you can download and save to your computer or phone or tablet.
Thus, it is very interesting to read small, short stories in English for a change, especially for beginners to learn English, and at the same time combining this direction with listening to audio or video with Russian subtitles.
"Night. Dead silence. Only the breath of the night shakes the grass on the plain. A lonely fire burns in the night, ”this is how this story begins, which was written back in 1955 by the great visionary and almost madman Ray Bradbury. Read online story in English, which is called The Dragon. The story is adapted for the intermediate level(intermediate). Words are included for study.
The Dragon by Ray Bradbury (part 1, for intermediate)
Words to understand:
- on the moor- on a plain covered with heather
- in the wilderness in this wild place
- strewn hither and thither scattered here and there
- the birth of Jesus- the birth of Christ
The night fell, the silence was on the moor. It was years since a bird had flown in the dark sky. Two men were sitting by their lonely fire in the wilderness, darkness pumped quietly in their veins and ticked silently in their temples and their wrists .
Firelight gleamed on their wild faces. They listened to each other's faint breathing.
At last, one man poked the fire with his sword.
"Don't do that; you'll give us away! »
"No matter," said the second man. "The dragon can smell us miles off, anyway. How cold it is! I wish I was back at the castle.
"It's death, don't sleep, we're after..."
Why? Why? The dragon never sets foot in the town!"
Quiet, fool! He eats men traveling alone from our town to the next!”
"Let them be eaten and let us get home!"
"Wait now; listen!"
The two men sat in silence. They waited for a long time, nothing had happened, nothing was heard, there was only the shake of their horses’ buckles, softly, softly.
Ah. The second man sighed. "What a land of nightmares. Everything happens here. God, listen! This dragon, they say his eyes are fire. His breath is white gas; you can see him go across the dark lands. He runs with thunder and kindles the grass. Sheep panic and die insane. Women deliver forth monsters. The dragon's fury is such that tower walls shake back to dust . His victims, at sunrise, are strewn hither and thither on the hills. How many knights , I ask, have gone for this monster and failed , even as we shall fail? »
Enough of that!
More than enough! Out here I cannot tell what year this is!”
"Nine hundred years since the birth of Jesus«.
"No, no," whispered the second man, eyes shut. "On this moor is no Time, is only Forever. I feel if I ran back on the road the town would be gone, the people yet unborn, things changed; don't ask how I know, the moor knows, and tells me. And here we sit alone in the land of the fire dragon. God save us!"
"What's use? The dragon runs from nowhere; we cannot guess its home. It vanishes in fog, we know not where it goes. Aye, put on our armor, we'll die well-dressed."
The second man turned his head.
The Dragon by Ray Bradbury (part 2, for intermediate)
Words to understand:
- all the time confused- time is confused
- the midnight wilderness- midnight desert
- terrible wailing cry- terrifying piercing howl
- gave him plenty of whistle- whistling with might and main
Across the dim country the wind blew full of dus t from clocks that used dust for telling time. The burnt leaves were shaken from some autumn tree beyond the horizon. This wind blew, making the blood thicken. It was a thousand souls dying and all the time confused. It was a fog inside of a darkness , and this place was no man’s place and there was no year or hour at all, but only these men were standing in the emptiness of the moor. Sudden thunder was heard, then came the lightning. The rain drenched the moor, and the two men were waiting alone, listening to its sound .
"There," whispered the first man. "Oh, there..."
Miles off, rushing with a great roar appeared the dragon.
In silence the men mounted their horses. The midnight wilderness was split by as the dragon roared nearer, nearer. Its yellow glare appeared above a hill and then disappeared into a valley.
They spurred their horses forward to a small hollow.
"This is where it passes!"
They got their swords ready for the battle.
On the instant the dragon rounded a hill. Its monstrous yellow eye flashed on them. With a terrible wailing cry it was going forward.
'Mercy, God!'
The sword struck under the huge yellow eye. The dragon buckled him, threw the man through the air, knocked him down. Passing, the monster smashed the other horse and a rider. The two knights were dead. The roaring dragon, the fire and the smoke all around, disappeared .
Did you see it? cry a voice. "Just like I told you!"
“The Same! The same! A knight in armor , by the Lord, Harry! We hit him!”
Are you going to stop?
Did once; found nothing. Don't like to stop on this moor. I get the willies.
"But we've hit something."
"We gave him plenty of whistle; but he didn't move."
The steam cut the mist aside.
"We'll arrive at Stokely on time. More coal, eh, Fred?”
The night train vanished over cold earth, towards the north, leaving black smoke and steam to dissolve in the air minutes after it had passed and gone forever.
Read more online short stories in english for intermediate level writer Ray Bradbury / Read more short stories by Ray Bradbury in the category —
One way to learn English is to read. Regular reading in English not only allows you to expand your vocabulary in the most natural, enjoyable and accessible way, but also to observe practical use grammatical structures in finished texts.
If you regularly read the fiction of English-speaking writers, you will master "correct" English, which is different from spoken English.
In addition, you become familiar with the culture of the countries of the language being studied, have the opportunity to "observe" the natural behavior of the characters in the books in various life situations.
Easy texts in English for beginners can be divided into two types:
- simple literary texts;
- topics - short stories on specific 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 are likely to be interested in stories about toys, about animals.
Topics
Here are examples of some of these 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 mum 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 myself. First, meet my mom and dad, Jane and Michael. My mom loves to read and my dad loves 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 true 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 give her a 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 am 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 always try 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 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 in the morning. Lessons for children last until 3.15 days. At 12 o'clock the children have lunch. Many boys and girls bring their lunch with them. But some go to lunch in the school cafeteria.
Mrs. Bradley cooks school lunches for her two children almost every working day. Sometimes she gives the children money and they eat in the school cafeteria. But usually children prefer to take lunch from home.
This morning, Mrs. Bradley makes peanut butter and cheese sandwiches, the favorite (sandwiches) of the children. She puts down two bottles apple juice for the kids to drink. She is going to put sandwiches, some cherry tomatoes and two bananas in their lunch boxes. 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, everybody 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 can even 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 types of animals on the planet, and all of them are very important for her. For example, everyone knows that sharks are dangerous to humans, 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 close to people, while the "homes" of wild animals 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 the African savannas. They can live from 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 necks, they can reach the very top leaves on trees that other animals cannot eat.
You can often meet giraffes in city zoos. They are very friendly and the children love them very much.
Fiction for Easy Reading in English
As for literary texts, it is advisable for beginners to choose adapted books. Now you can pick up works of art for any level of language proficiency, with dictionaries, comments and translation. At the initial stage, short and easy texts for reading in English are suitable, as well as specially adapted books of the first three levels of complexity (starter, beginner, elementary). You don't have to look up every unfamiliar word in the dictionary. As you read the story, try to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words. If the book you have chosen 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 of the works of English and American writers that are easy to find in an adapted version in English. All these books have been translated into Russian and are well known to Russian readers, which, of course, will provide additional assistance when reading them in English.
How to get the best out of reading
So, you have decided to build your English base by reading English books. But finding and reading texts in English for beginners is only half the battle. For a good result, you need not only to read, but also to work with the material read. Here are some tips on how to do it. 
- Look for English texts with audio accompaniment. So you can not only increase your vocabulary, but also control and improve your pronunciation.
- Look for English texts with tasks after them. These can be questions, various exercises for choosing words or correct options, etc. This will give you an additional opportunity to fix new words in memory and work out grammatical constructions.
- 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 make up several questions for yourself, starting with “Why?”. Moreover, it is better if the text does not contain a direct answer to your questions and you have to reason or think something while answering them.
- Try using the text to make a brief retelling, no more than 7-8 sentences. It is advisable to use new words. Learn the retelling by heart. Speak it out loud.
Online text comprehension exercise for beginners
Read the text and do 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 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 learning service. Sign up and start learning!