World Famous Stories (ESL/EFL Version with Audio)

By Qiliang Feng and James Baldwin

This is Book 5, Collection II, of the Million-Word Reading Project (MWRP) readers. It is suitable for learners with a basic vocabulary of 1,500 words.
Million-Word Reading Project (MWRP) is a reading project for ESL/EFL learners at the elementary level (with a basic vocabulary of 1,500 words). In two years, for about fifteen minutes each day, an ESL/EFL learner can read one million words, and reach the upper-intermediate level, gaining a vocabulary of about 3,500 words and a large number of expressions.

[Text Information]
Readability | 84.02
Total word count | 32308
Words beyond 1500 | 1511
Unknown word percentage (%) | 4.68
Unknown headword occurrence | 3.21
Unknown words that occur 5 times or more | 91
Unknown words that occur 2 times or more | 260

[Synopsis]
The stories are rewritten from “Fifty Famous Stories Retold” and “Thirty more Famous Stories Retold” by James Baldwin (1841-1925), famous American educator and author. These include short stories about famous heroes and their romantic tales, as well as many other interesting tales. These stories have been enjoyed by people and many of them have been used in TEFL (teaching of English as a foreign language) in many countries.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Qiliang Feng
• Release date: Dec 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311787125

Qiliang Feng

Qiliang Feng has been a teacher of English in senior high schools since 1983. He is a keen supporter of reading in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and is expert at rewriting graded/simplified ESL(English as a Second Language) and EFL (English as a Foreign Language) readers. He has published several series of English reading course books and is promoting a reading project called Million-Word Reading Project (MWRP), in which ESL/EFL learners at the elementary level (with a basic vocabulary of 1,500 words) are expected to read one million words within two or three years, and reach the upper-intermediate level easily.

Book preview

About This Book

This is Book 5, Collection II, of the Million-Word Reading Project (MWRP) readers. It is suitable for learners with a basic vocabulary of 1,500 words.

Million-Word Reading Project (MWRP) is a reading project for ESL/EFL learners at the elementary level (with a basic vocabulary of 1,500 words). In two years, for about fifteen minutes each day, an ESL/EFL learner can read one million words, and reach the upper-intermediate level, gaining a vocabulary of about 3,500 words and a large number of expressions.

Text Information

Readability | 84

Total word count | 32308

Words beyond 1500 | 1511

Unknown word percentage (%) | 4.68

Unknown headword occurrence | 3.21

Unknown words that occur 5 times or more | 91

Unknown words that occur 2 times or more | 260

Notes:

1. About readability: This is Flesch Reading Ease Readability calculated with MS WORD. The higher the score, the easier the text is to read.

Score | Level

0-29 | Very difficult

30-49 | Difficult

50-59 | Fairly difficult

60-69 | Standard

70-79 | Fairly easy

80-89 | Easy

90-100 | Very easy

2. This e-version does not give the meanings of unknown words. You can look them up with the dictionary on your e-reader. For words with different meanings and some expressions, we give their meanings at the end of the passages. We also provide some necessary background information.

3. To get the audio or video of this book, GO>>>

Synopsis

The stories are rewritten from "Fifty Famous Stories Retold and Thirty more Famous Stories Retold" by James Baldwin (1841-1925), famous American educator and author. These include short stories about famous heroes and their romantic tales, as well as many other interesting tales. These stories have been enjoyed by people and many of them have been used in TEFL (teaching of English as a foreign language) in many countries.

1. The Inchcape Rock

In the North Sea there is a great rock called the Inchcape Rock. It is twelve miles from any land, and is covered most of the time with water.

Many boats and ships have been wrecked on that rock, for it is so near the top of the water that no ship can sail over it without striking it.

Many years ago, there lived not far away a kind-hearted man who was called the Abbot of Aberbrothock.

It is a pity, he said, that so many brave sailors should lose their lives on that hidden rock.

So the abbot had a buoy tied to the rock. The buoy floated in the shallow water. A strong rope kept it from floating away.

On the top of the buoy, the abbot placed a bell. When the waves rushed against it, the bell would ring out loud and clear.

Sailors, now, were no longer afraid to cross the sea at that place. When they heard the bell ringing, they knew just where the rock was, and they turned their ships around it.

One calm summer day, a ship with a black flag happened to sail not far from the Inchcape Rock. The ship belonged to a sea robber called Ralph, and all honest people both on sea and shore were afraid of her.

There was very little wind that day, and the sea was as smooth as glass. The ship stood almost still; there was hardly a breath of air to fill her sails.

Ralph looked out on the calm sea. He saw the buoy floating above the Inchcape Rock. It looked like a big black spot on the water. But the bell was not ringing that day. There were no waves to move it.

Boys! cried Ralph, put out the boat, and row me to the Inchcape Rock. We will play a trick on the old abbot.

The boat was put out. The strong men soon rowed it to the Inchcape Rock. Then the robber broke the rope that held the buoy. He cut the ropes of the bell. It fell into the water.

The next ship that comes this way will hit the rock, said Ralph.

Soon a gentle wind blew up, and the black ship sailed away. The sea robber laughed as he looked back.

For many days, Ralph searched the seas, and he robbed many ships. At last he happened to sail back toward the place where he had started.

The wind had blown hard all day. The waves were high. The ship was moving quickly. But in the evening the wind died away, and a thick fog came on.

Ralph could not see where the ship was going. I wish the fog would clear away! he said.

I thought I heard the noise of waves, said the pilot. We must be near the shore.

I cannot tell, said Ralph, but I think we are not far from the Inchcape Rock. I wish we could hear the bell.

The next moment there was a great crash. It is the Inchcape Rock! the sailors cried, as the ship turned over to one side, and began to sink.

Oh, how unfortunate I am! cried Ralph. This is the result of the joke that I played on the good abbot!

2. The Indian Girl

There was once a very brave man whose name was John Smith. He came to North America many years ago, when there were great woods everywhere, and many wild beasts and Indians. Many stories are told of his adventures, some of them true and some of them not. Here is one of them:

One day when Smith was in the woods, some Indians caught him. They led him to their king, and in a short time they were ready to kill him.

A large stone was brought in, and Smith was made to lie down with his head on it. Then two tall Indians with big sticks in their hands came forward. The king and all his great men stood around to see. The Indians raised their sticks. In another moment they would fall on Smith’s head.

But just then a little Indian girl rushed in. She was the daughter of the king, and her name was Pocahontas. She ran and threw herself between Smith and the raised sticks. She held Smith’s head with her arms. She put her own head upon his.

Oh, father! she cried, don’t kill this man. I am sure he has done you no harm, and we ought to be his friends.

The men with the sticks could not strike, for they did not want to hurt the child. At first, the king did not know what to do. Then he spoke to some of his soldiers, and they lifted Smith from the ground. They untied the ropes from his wrists and feet, and set him free.

The next day the king sent Smith home, and several Indians went with him to protect him from harm.

After that, as long as she lived, Pocahontas was the friend of the white men, and she did a great many things to help them.

3. The White Ship

King Henry had one son named William, whom he dearly loved. The young man was noble and brave, and everybody hoped that he would be the King of England some day.

One summer, Prince William went with his father across the sea to look after their lands in France. They were welcomed with joy by all their people there. And the young prince was so brave and kind that he won the love of all who saw him.

But at last, the time came for them to go back to England. The king, with his wise men and brave knights, set sail early in the day, but Prince William with his younger friends waited a little while. They had had such a happy time in France that they were in no great hurry to leave.

Then they went on board of the ship waiting to carry them home. It was a beautiful ship with white sails and white masts.

The sea was smooth, the winds were fair and no one thought of danger. On the ship, everything had been arranged to make the trip a pleasant one. There was music and dancing, and everybody was merry and glad.

The sun had gone down before the white ship was out. The moon was at its full, and they would cross the narrow sea before the dawn of the next day. And so the prince and the young people with him enjoyed themselves.

The earlier hours of the night passed by, and then there was a cry of surprise on deck. A moment afterward there was a great crash. The ship had struck upon a rock. The water rushed in. She was sinking.

Every heart was full of fear. No one knew what to do. A small boat was quickly put out, and the prince with a few of his bravest friends jumped into it. They pushed off just as the ship was beginning to sink into the water. Would they be saved?

They had rowed hardly ten yards from the ship, when there was a cry from among those who were left behind.

Row back! cried the prince. It is my little sister. She must be saved!

The men had to obey. The boat was again brought close to the sinking ship. The prince stood up, and held out his arms for his sister. At that moment, the ship rolled forward into the waves. One scream of terror was heard, and then all was still except the sound of the waters.

Ship and boat, prince and princess, and all the people that had set sail from France, went down to the bottom together. One man held to a floating board and was saved the next day. He was the only person left alive to tell the sad story.

When King Henry heard of the death of his son, his heart was broken. He had no more joy in life, and it was said that no one ever saw him smile again.

4. Julius Cesar

About two thousand years ago, there lived in Rome a man whose name was Julius Cesar. He was the greatest of all the Romans.

Why was he so great?

He was a brave fighter, and had conquered many countries for Rome.