A Doll’s House (ESL/EFL Version with Audio)

By Qiliang Feng and Henrik Ibsen

This is Book 5, Collection III, 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 | 83.58
Total word count | 25661
Words beyond 1500 | 839
Unknown word percentage (%) | 3.27
Unknown headword occurrence | 2.24
Unknown words that occur 5 times or more | 37
Unknown words that occur 2 times or more | 164

[Synopsis]
Nora borrows some money from a man named Krogstad when her husband Torvald is ill, in order to pay for a trip to warmer climate to improve his health. Nora borrows the money without his knowledge to save his pride. Nora forges her father’s signature after he is dead to get the money. In order to pay off the debt, Nora saves money from an allowance Torvald gives her and she secretly works odd jobs.
Nora’s husband thinks she is childish and spends money carelessly, and he takes her for a doll. When Torvald is made manager of the Bank, the first thing he does is to fire a man who does dishonest things like forgery. That man is Krogstad. Krogstad says that if he loses his job he will expose Nora, so that Torvald will lose his reputation....
This book is rewritten from the three-act play “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906), which has been made into many films and TV series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Qiliang Feng
• Release date: Dec 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310273605

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

A Doll’s House

(ESL/EFL Version with Audio)

Original by: Henrik Ibsen

Rewritten by: Qiliang Feng

Million-Word Reading Project Workshop

Copyright 2022 Qiliang Feng

License Notes

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About This Book

This is Book 5, Collection III, 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 | 83.6

Total word count | 25661

Words beyond 1500 | 839

Unknown word percentage (%) | 3.27

Unknown headword occurrence | 2.24

Unknown words that occur 5 times or more | 37

Unknown words that occur 2 times or more | 164

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

Nora borrows some money from a man named Krogstad when her husband Torvald is ill, in order to pay for a trip to warmer climate to improve his health. Nora borrows the money without his knowledge to save his pride. Nora forges her father’s signature after he is dead to get the money. In order to pay off the debt, Nora saves money from an allowance Torvald gives her and she secretly works odd jobs.

Nora’s husband thinks she is childish and spends money carelessly, and he takes her for a doll. When Torvald is made manager of the Bank, the first thing he does is to fire a man who does dishonest things like forgery. That man is Krogstad. Krogstad says that if he loses his job he will expose Nora, so that Torvald will lose his reputation….

This book is rewritten from the three-act play "A Doll’s House" by Henrik Ibsen (1828－1906), which has been made into many films and TV series.

Characters

Torvald Helmer.

Nora, his wife.

Doctor Rank.

Mrs Linde.

Nils Krogstad.

Helmer’s three young children.

Anne, their nurse.

A Housemaid.

A Porter.

[The action takes place in Helmer’s house.]

ACT I

[SCENE. - A room, comfortable and tasteful, but not extravagant. At the back, a door to the right leads to the entrance-hall, another to the left leads to Helmer’s study. Between the doors stands a piano. In the middle of the left wall is a door, and beyond it a window. Near the window are a round table, arm-chairs and a small sofa. In the right wall, at the farther end, another door; and on the same side, nearer to the front, a stove, two easy chairs and a rocking-chair; between the stove and the door, a small table. Paintings on the walls; a cabinet with china and other small objects; a small book-case with books. The floors are carpeted, and a fire burns in the stove.

It is winter. A bell rings in the hall; shortly afterwards the door is heard to open. Enter NORA, humming a tune and in high spirits. She is in outdoor dress and carries a number of parcels; these she lays on the table to the right. She leaves the outer door open after her, and through it is seen a PORTER who is carrying a Christmas tree and a basket, which he gives to the MAID who has opened the door.]

Nora: Hide the Christmas tree carefully, Helen. Be sure the children do not see it until this evening, when it is dressed. [To the PORTER, taking out her purse.] How much?

Porter: Sixpence.

Nora: There is a shilling. No, keep the change. [The PORTER thanks her, and goes out. NORA shuts the door. She is laughing to herself, as she takes off her hat and coat. She takes a packet of cookies from her pocket and eats one or two; then goes cautiously to her husband’s door and listens.] Yes, he is in. [Still humming, she goes to the table on the right.]

Helmer [calls out from his room]: Is that my little lark singing out there?

Nora [busy opening some of the parcels]: Yes, it is!

Helmer: Is it my little squirrel hurrying about?

Nora: Yes!

Helmer: When did my squirrel come home?

Nora: Just now. [Puts the bag of cookies into her pocket and wipes her mouth.] Come in here, Torvald, and see what I have bought.

Helmer: Don’t disturb me. [A little later, he opens the door and looks into the room, pen in hand.] Bought, did you say? All these things? Has my little spendthrift been wasting money again?

Nora: Yes, but, Torvald, this year we really can let ourselves go a little. This is the first Christmas that we have not needed to economise.

Helmer: Still, you know, we can’t spend money carelessly.

Nora: Yes, Torvald, we may be a bit more careless now, mayn’t we? Just a tiny bit! You are going to have a big salary and earn lots and lots of money.

Helmer: Yes, after the New Year; but then it will be a whole quarter before the salary is due.

Nora: That doesn’t matter! We can borrow until then.

Helmer: Nora! [Goes up to her and takes her playfully by the ear.] The same little fool! Suppose, now, that I borrowed fifty pounds today, and you spent it all in the Christmas week, and then on New Year’s Eve a stone fell on my head and killed me, and -

Nora [putting her hands over his mouth]: Oh! don’t say such unkind things.

Helmer: Still, suppose that happened, - what then?

Nora: If that were to happen, I don’t suppose I should care whether I owed money or not.

Helmer: Yes, but what about the people who had lent it?

Nora: They? Who would bother about them? I should not know who they were.

Helmer: That is like a woman! But seriously, Nora, you know what I think about that. No debt, no borrowing. There can be no freedom or beauty about a home life that depends on borrowing and debt. We two have kept bravely on the straight road so far, and we will go on the same way for the short time longer.

Nora [moving towards the stove]: As you please, Torvald.

Helmer [following her]: Come, come, my little lark must not droop her wings. What is this! Is my little squirrel angry? [Taking out his purse.] Nora, what do you think I have got here?

Nora [turning round quickly]: Money!

Helmer: There you are. [Gives her some money.] Do you think I don’t know what a lot of money is wanted for housekeeping at Christmas-time?

Nora [counting]: Ten shillings - a pound - two pounds! Thank you, thank you, Torvald; that will keep me going for a long time.

Helmer: Indeed it must.

Nora: Yes, yes, it will. But come here and let me show you what I have bought. And all so cheap! Look,