A Portrait of his Son (a short story for intermediate)

A short story for intermediate «A Portrait of his son» is a short story that tells us about parents’ love. It is touching and a bit sad. The story is adapted for the intermediate level and attached with the translation into Russian. It has a surprising end and you are sure to enjoy reading it on a Christmas evening and not only.

Here are 20 words to know before reading the story: to share, passion, to serve, fellow, miserable, depressed, package, genius, features, expression, striking, posession, to value, auction, gift, to gather, list, to care, stuff, to reply.

Edgar Poe. The Black Cat (in English, adapted for upper-intermediate)

The Black Cat intermediateКороткий рассказ «The Black Cat» (Черный кот) известного американского писателя Эдгара По, рассказы которого относится к жанру horror stories. Это страшная история про кота, рассказанная от имени ожидающего смерти убийцы своей жены. История о том, как добрый человек, любивший животных, под влиянием алкоголя постепенно превращается в садиста, а затем убийцу. Этот рассказ  имеет сходство с другим рассказом Эдгара По «The Tell-Tale Heart» (Сердце-обличитель), в котором человек, совершивший преступление, сам не позволяет себе остаться безнаказанным и в порыве безрассудства выдает себя. Рассказ «Черный кот»  предлагается для чтения на английском языке также и в более упрощенном варианте —Edgar Poe. The Black Cat (for beginners).

Edgar Poe. The Black Cat (a horror story in English for beginners, 1843)

"The Black Cat" by Edgar Poe for intermediateEnjoy reading the most well-known short story by Edgar Poe «The Black Cat» from the collection of  stories by Edgar Poe. This is a horror story about a man who was becoming evil under the influence of drinking alchohol. Through life his character changed completely and in the end he became the murderer. At first he killed his favourite pet, the black cat, but the dead cat started to take revenge … In the end it helped to reveal the most cruel murder.

The story is adapted and is easy to read. While reading online, you can learn the words you don’t know.

There is a more difficult version of the story «The Black Cat (intermediate)». Enjoy learning English through the classics!

Jerome K. Jerome. Two Short Humorous Stories (in English, in the original)

Read online two short stories by Jerome K. Jerome to enjoy English humour. These are the shortest and the most humorous stories in the original.

You may know that the English writer Jerome K. Jerome is best known for his two sequels: «Three men in a boat» and «Three men on the bummel».

You will find other stories by Jerome K. Jerome  and the best stories by other English writers on the website englishstory.ru. Enjoy reading!

O. Henry. The Last Leaf (in English, for beginners)

the last leaf for beginnersРассказ О. Генри «Последний лист» на англйском языке уже публиковался на нашем сайте. — O. Henry The Last Leaf (in English, for intermediate).  Однако он оказался немного сложным для начинающих. С классикой всегда так… Трудно поместить ее в «прокрустово ложе» адаптации. Как же быть? Неужели книги на английском языке, а именно классика будет доступна для начинающих только на более продвинутых уровнях знания языка? На этот раз я постаралась упростить этот рассказ настолько, насколько можно упростить художественное произведение, не потеряв красоту его повествования. Я надеюсь, что теперь начинающие смогут прочитать этот замечательный, хотя и немного грустный рассказ «The Last Leaf» на уровне «beginner».

O. Henry. The Christmas story «The Gift of the Magi» (for beginners)

If you have not read the Christmas story «The Gift of the Magi» by O.Henry, it is high time to read it now. This touching story is about young lovers. They wanted to give each other gifts, but no gift could be better than their love. Read the story and get in the Christmas spirit of love and sacrifice. Merry Christmas to you!

I hope you will enjoy reading the story and learning English at the same time. The story has two parts. The lists of English words to understand is before the text.

Beowulf (in English, for beginners)

Beowulf (in English, for beginners)Адаптированная для уровня beginner / для начинающих англосаксонская эпическая поэма Beowulf (Беовульф) – первое произведение английской литературы, дошедшее до нас в письменном виде. Поэмы была создана в конце VII — начале VIII века и написана на древнеанглийском языке. Действие поэмы происходит в Скандинавии. Это сказание о подвигах Беовульфа, одержавшего победу над чудовищами. Данный текст адаптирован Ю. Голицынским и взят из книги «Readings in English Classics» (данная книга более не издается и является букинистической).

Sarah Jewett. A White Heron (short story in English for beginners)

A white heron. A story in English for beginnersНедавно, перечитывая сборник рассказов американских писателей «Quick Reads by Great Writers» (great short stories in English), натолкнулась на удивительно романтичный рассказ «Белая цапля» о девочке, живущей в лесу. Лирические нотки лесной музыки, трели птиц, шелест деревьев настолько органично вплетены в простой и до боли знакомый сюжет, что решила поделиться со своими читателями этой очень доброй и вдохновляющей историей. Между прочим, это лучшее произведение не очень известной американской писательницы Сары Джютт (1849-1909). Рассказ адаптирован до уровня beginners / pre-intermediate ( для начинающих). К нему прилагается  аудио для прослушивания. Также вы можете прослушать этот рассказ на моем любимом сайте http://www.manythings.org/listen/heron/

Sarah Jewett. A White Heron (an English story in the original)

An English story to read online in the original. A White HeronThis is a romantic story about a lonely country girl who didn’t betray her love for nature for the sake of her love for a young man. It is one of the best stories by the American writer Sarah Jewett, first published in 1886. This nature-themed story is recommended for the English learners who have an advanced level. The story is divided into 9 parts, each has some new words to learn.

Read online the full original text of the story or A White Heron (a story adapted for begnner/ pre-intermediate level)

Sherwood Anderson. The Egg (a story in English, for intermediate)

The Egg. A short story adapted for beginners / pre-intermediateПолный горькой иронии рассказ американского писателя Шервуда Андерсона о своем детстве, несомненно, понравится изучающим английский язык. Этот рассказ рекомендуется для чтения на английском языке студентам и взрослым на уровне intermediate. Рассказ разделен 10 частей и к каждой части дается 7 слов  для изучения. А значит ваш словарный запас увеличится на 70 слов (Английские слова для изучения к рассказу «The Egg»). Слова для понимания, а также употребительные грамматические конструкции для изучения выделены в тексте.

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Читайте также этот рассказ на английском языке в оригинале. —  Sherwood Anderson. The Egg (in the original, 1921)

Sherwood Anderson. The Egg (in English, in the original, 1921)

The Egg (a short story in English by Sherwood Anderson)

You can read the same story adapted for the pre-intermediate level — The Egg by Sherwood Anderson (a story in English for pre-intermediate)

Part One

A short story by Sherwood Anderson in the originalMY FATHER was, I am sure, intended by nature to be a cheerful, kindly man. Until he was thirty-four years old he worked as a farmhand for a man named Thomas Butterworth whose place lay near the town of Bidwell, Ohio. He had then a horse of his own and on Saturday evenings drove into town to spend a few hours in social intercourse with other farmhands. In town he drank several glasses of beer and stood about in Ben Head’s saloon—crowded on Saturday evenings with visiting farmhands. Songs were sung and glasses thumped on the bar. At ten o’clock father drove home along a lonely country road, made his horse comfortable for the night and himself went to bed, quite happy in his position in life. He had at that time no notion of trying to rise in the world.

Jack London. The Apostate (adapted for intermediate)

The Apostate by Jack London. English Stories for Intermediate. This is one more story by Jack London from the collection of «Stories in English for intermediate». The story «The Apostate» is about a boy whose childhood is very similar to Jack London’s. It tells us about the life of children in America at the end of the 19th century. Hunger, exhaustion and labor were their destiny at that time.

The text of the story is divided into 8 parts, each of them has 7 new words to learn.

Copyright  © Englishstory.ru, 2016. Adaptation by T. Nabeeva

Jack London. The Leopard Man’s Story (in English, adapted for intermediate)

This is one of the most unusual stories by Jack London. The text is adapted for the intermediate level.

Also you can read the original text of the story online  — The Leopard Man’s Story (in English, in the original). 

After you have read the story up to the end, please answer the question: «Why did the old tame Augustus crunch down?» If you can’t answer it, you had better read the story once more.

Enjoy reading best English stories in English!

The story is adapted by M. Gromova. Copyright © Englishstory.ru

William Shakespeare. King Lear (in English, for beginners)

The tragedy «King Lear» was written by William Shakespeare in 1605-1606.

The story is about the king’s  family and shows us the relationship between king Lear and his three daughters. The king wanted to know which of the three daughters loved him most. But the king was blind to see that two daughters lied to him. Only one  daughther told the truth but the king didn’t like her words.

To know what happened to the king in the end, you are to read the story «King Lear», which is retold for beginners.  It is a moral story about blind love, greed and wrong deeds.

How to write a book review (with a sample review)

В этой статье я расскажу, как писать рецензию на книгу на английском языке (how to write a book review), а именно каков план написания рецензии и какие полезные фразы и выражения рекомендуется использовать в ней. Данный вид письменной работы относится к повышенному уровню сложности в отличие от отзыва о прочитанном произведении — An opinion about a book in English.

В качестве примера рецензии предлагается рецензия на английскую книгу писательницы Донны Тартт «Тайная история» (Secret History by Donna Tartt).рецензию на книгу на английском языке

R. Stevenson. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (read and listen online in the original)

книги на английском языкеКнига на английском языке «The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde» не является адаптированной, однако читать такие книги очень полезно. На первый взгляд это может показаться сложным, но на самом деле надо просто научиться игнорировать незнакомые слова, которые, как правило, относятся к литературному стилю и придают произведению образность и своеобразие. Однако с точки зрения расширения вашего словарного запаса, а также понимания эти слова не являются существенными.

The Gift of the Magi — O. Henry’s most famous story (for intermediate level)

This most famous story by O. Henry «The Gift of the Magi» is something special. It is written by him to remind us about love and sacrifice and not only on Christmas day but ever.

The story has recorded and adapted for the intermediate level by VOA. You can read and listen to «The Gift of the Magi» online. If you study the Russian language, there is the translation of the story in its abriged version. You are welcome!

If you want to read «The Gift of the Magi» in Russian, you can enjoy the abriged version — О. Генри. Дары волхвов (на русском языке)

A. Conan Doyle. The Hound of the Baskervilles (audiobook in English, in the original)

Audiobook «The Hound of the Baskervilles» by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with text

(read and listen online in English in the original)

Audiobook The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthor Conan DoyleThis story happened on the desolate, treacherous moors of Devonshire. The curse haunting the family of the Baskervilles for many years became a reality.  Just as it was written in the legend, a frightful hound came out of the hell and caused the horrifying death of Sir Charles Baskervilles. It is one of the most horrible Sherlock Holmes’s  stories that has ever been writtten. Enjoy reading it online and practice your listening skills. Besides, each chapter is read by a different reader. Chapters №1,3,7,12,14 are read by Lady Maria, chapters №2,15 are read by ToddHM, chapters №3 is read by Jake Woldstad, chapter №5 is read by Kevin W. Davidson, chapters №6,10 are read by Maria Kasper, chapter № 8 is read by Zloot, chapter №9 is read by Dgulino, chapters №11,13 are read by Lynne Thompson.

O. Henry. A Retrieved Reformation (audiobook in English, in the original)

We continue reading and listening English stories and go on to the American writer O. Henry and one of his most interesting stories — «A Retrieved Reformation».

This is an audiobook and it has the original text of the story «A Retrieved Reformation».

We hope you will enjoy listening and reading it online free. We always choose the best English stories from the collection of the classics for you.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (in the original, download)

Agatha Christie The murder of Roger Ackroyd download

It is a masterpiece by Agatha Christie. This detective story made her famous in 1926. And it is still worth reading now. The plot is not very intricate. It starts with a murder and the famous detective Hercule Poirot is asked to investigate it. But the murder turns out to be rather mysterious… Yet Hercule Poirot did his best and found the murderer who was… But I won’t tell you because it is the surprise ending that makes this story special.
If you are an advanced English learner we suggest that you should read the story «The Murder of Roger Ackroyd» in the original. The first chapter of the story (with audio) is available on the website.