Short Stories in English for Intermediate Learners: Master English Reading, Vocabulary, and Grammar

By Jackie Bolen

Improve your reading comprehension skills, grammar, and vocabulary with these intermediate English stories. 

 

What would it mean for your studies or career to be able to read freely in English? How about understanding more vocabulary, including phrases, idioms, slang and expressions? These Short Stories in English for Intermediate Learners are designed to improve your English quickly and easily.

 

Jackie Bolen has more than 20 years of experience teaching ESL/EFL to students in South Korea and Canada. She has written short stories in American English. With her help, you'll ace that next TOEFL, IELTS, or TOEIC reading exam.

Each of the 25 stories has practice exercises to test your reading comprehension and vocabulary. Do the discussion questions with a friend, teacher or classmate. You'll improve your English vocabulary, grammar and reading skills in no time at all!

 

Pick up a copy of the book today if you want to...

• Learn some new English vocabulary, including common idioms and phrases
• Have a variety of authentic and interesting stories to read
• Improve your American English
• Read English fluently and confidently
• Improve your IELTS, TOEFL, or TOEIC scores
• Have some fun while learning English

Pick up your copy of the book today. Short Stories in English for Intermediate Learners by Jackie Bolen will help you stay motivated while consistently improving your English skills.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jackie Bolen
• Release date: Jul 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223229353

Book preview

Short Stories in English for Intermediate Learners:

Master English Reading, Vocabulary, and Grammar

Jackie Bolen

www.eslspeaking.org

Copyright © 2023 by Jackie Bolen

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical means without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher/author at the following address: Jackie Bolen: [e-mail].

Table of Contents

About the Author: Jackie Bolen.....................................................4

How to Use this Book.............................................................5

Online Dating...................................................................6

The Canucks Game...............................................................9

Who is That? ...................................................................12

A Hiking Misadventure...........................................................15

A Trip to Europe................................................................18

Max and Emily.................................................................21

The New Italian Restaurant .......................................................24

Ice Fishing in Manitoba...........................................................27

Getting Caught..................................................................30

Learning to Play Tennis...........................................................33

A Summer BBQ................................................................36

The First Day of University........................................................39

Making Homemade Pasta.........................................................42

The English Test................................................................45

Applying for University ..........................................................48

Beginner's Luck.................................................................51

Thanksgiving Dinner ............................................................54

Breaking Up....................................................................57

Christmas in May...............................................................60

Ghosted.......................................................................63

Halloween .....................................................................67

The Lost Wallet.................................................................70

Going Vegan ...................................................................73

The Hangover..................................................................76

Getting a Part-Time Job...........................................................79

Before You Go.................................................................82

About the Author: Jackie Bolen

I taught English in South Korea for 10 years to every level and type of student. I've taught every age from kindergarten kids to adults. Most of my time has centered around teaching at two universities: five years at a science and engineering school in Cheonan, and four years at a major university in Busan where I taught upper-level classes for students majoring in English. In my spare time, you can usually find me outside surfing, biking, hiking, or snowshoeing. I now live in Vancouver, Canada.

In case you were wondering what my academic qualifications are, I hold a Master of Arts in Psychology. During my time in Korea, I completed both the Cambridge CELTA and DELTA certification programs. With the combination of almost ten years teaching ESL/EFL learners of all ages and levels, and the more formal teaching qualifications I've obtained, I have a solid foundation on which to offer advice to English learners.

I truly hope that you find this book useful. I would love it if you sent me an email with any questions or feedback that you might have.

ESL Speaking (www.eslspeaking.org)

YouTube: (www.youtube.com/c/jackiebolen)

Email: [e-mail]

You might also be interested in this book: Intermediate English Dialogues: Speak American English Like a Native Speaker with these Phrases, Idioms, & Expressions. It has hundreds of helpful English idioms and expressions. You can find it wherever you like to buy books. Learn to speak more fluently in American English.

How to Use this Book

This book is ideal for people who want to improve their reading comprehension skills and vocabulary. Or for people who are preparing to move to Canada and want to learn a little bit about the culture before doing that.

To get the most bang for your buck, I recommend doing the following:

−  Read one story a day, instead of all the stories in a single day! The best readers are those who do it consistently each day.

−  Be sure to do the questions for each story.

−  Pay attention to the vocabulary words in bold (letters that are darker). Try to guess the meaning of the word, considering the other words in the sentence before looking it up in a dictionary. After that, write down any words that you don't know in a notebook to review later. Also consider making flashcards for these new words.

−  Read the stories with a friend if possible. Discuss the questions together.

−  If you're using this book to improve your TOEFL, TOEIC or IELTS reading scores, be sure to read the questions first so you can scan for the answers instead of reading every single word. After doing this, take more time to read the story in full.

Online Dating

Once upon a time, in a small town called Willowbrook, there lived a young woman named Emma. Emma was a kind-hearted and adventurous soul who had always dreamed of finding true love. However, living in a close-knit community made it challenging for her to meet new people.

Determined to change her fate, Emma decided to try her luck with online dating. Her friends have always encouraged her to sign up, but she was reluctant. Now was the time though!

With her laptop in hand, Emma signed up for a popular dating website called LoveConnect. She created an honest and captivating profile, highlighting her love for hiking, photography, and volunteering. Soon enough, she began receiving messages from various people who were intrigued by her interests.

Among the messages, there was one that stood out. It was from a man named Alex, who shared Emma's passion for the outdoors. His message was genuine and filled with enthusiasm. Intrigued, Emma decided to reply, sparking the beginning of their online journey.

Over the next few weeks, Emma and Alex exchanged messages daily. They discovered many similarities, such as their love for animals and their dreams of traveling the world. Their conversations gradually grew deeper, filled with shared dreams, fears, and aspirations. Emma felt a sense of comfort and trust in their connection, as if she had known Alex for a lifetime.

With their virtual relationship blossoming, Emma and Alex decided it was time to take the next step. They planned to meet face-to-face for the first time at a local café in Willowbrook. Emma couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and nervousness as the day approached.

The day of their long-awaited meeting finally arrived. Emma walked into the café, scanning the crowd in search of Alex. Suddenly, she spotted a tall, bearded man with a friendly smile waving at her. It was Alex. As they embraced, their connection felt genuine,