Black Gold (Great Stories: Intermediate): Wayzgoose Graded Readers

By Jeremy Taylor

Benny is the best dog in the world. Just ask his owner, 15-year old Danny Brooks. Danny is not the best boy in the world—he's had trouble with the police, and he never has enough money. Danny's life as an orphan in the children's home is difficult, but as long as Benny is with him, he can be happy. So when something terrible happens to Benny, what will happen to Danny?

 

An adventure story about loyalty, courage, friendship—and a very unexpected something in the ground.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wayzgoose Press
• Release date: Jul 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223369080

Book preview

Black Gold

BLACK GOLD

GREAT STORIES: INTERMEDIATE

JEREMY TAYLOR

Wayzgoose Press

Copyright © 2023 by Jeremy Taylor

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Edited by Robyn Brinks Lockwood

Published in the United States by Wayzgoose Press

Eugene, OR

CONTENTS

Before You Read

Slang expressions

Dog Breeds

Words Associated with Dogs

Foreign Words

Words about Crime and Punishment

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

After You Read

The Black, or Périgord, Truffle

Dogs

Foods

About the Author

About the Publisher

BEFORE YOU READ

Vocabulary Notes

This book is for intermediate-level readers. Much of the vocabulary is at the B1 and B2 levels.

You can learn these words before you read, or you can check this section again while you read. You can also use a dictionary while you read, or guess what words mean by thinking about the rest of the sentence. However, we recommend reading through the example sentences and notes below before beginning the book, no matter what vocabulary strategy you use.

Slang expressions

The main characters of this book are teenagers, and they use some slang when they speak. Learning to understand this slang will also help you understand songs, films, and TV shows.

old biddies: old ladies. My Mum’s friends are are just a lot of old biddies. Not a polite term.

bloody: used for emphasis, meaning very: We had a bloody good time. Also used to in front of a noun to criticize it: Whose bloody car is that? = I don’t like that car / I don’t think it should be here. This word is considered rude, however. You will see it in stories and hear it in films or on TV, but be very careful using it yourself! Do not, for instance, say or write it in your English class.

cheeky: an adjective that means someone is rude or impolite, but in a bold and often humorous way. My teacher got angry because I gave a cheeky answer to her question, and the rest of the class laughed.

clever clogs: This phrase is used as an insult for someone who is seen as very clever—usually used by someone who feels less intelligent. Go on then, clever clogs, tell us the answer!

to clip around the ear: hit someone on the ear. When my uncle was angry at me, he clipped me around the ear. He