The Lost Wallet

Two friends, John and Eric, find their teacher's wallet full of money. John wants to give the money back, but Eric wants to spend it. What will they decide?

Eric spent the teacher's money to buy a new guitar in spite of John's advise. stealing is one of the things you shouldn't do most of all, no matter how much you may hate the teacher. Bad things always come to light.

Vocabulary
・scratch: a thin mark or cut on the surface of something
・to say nothing of: は言うまでもなく

Reference
Waring, R.(2006).The Lost Wallet,USA:Thomson ELT.

The Big Test

The big test is tomorrow!
Everyone is  studying hard, but not Steve and Ryan. They have a plan to steal the test. How do they plan to steal it? Will the teacher catch them?

Steve and Ryan steal the data of the test from the teacher's computer. But a surveillance camera caught their behavior. As a result, they fail the test. They got what they deserved.

Vocabulary
・transmitter: equipment that sends out radio or televisions singals
・steal: to take something that belongs to someone else

Reference
Waring, R.(2006).The Big Test,USA:Thomson ELT.

Think Daniela!

Daniela always tries to help her friends, but she doesn't always think carefully and often makes things worse. When she sees a bear near her friend Faye, she must think quickly. What will she do?

I totally understand how she feel. Kindness is very important in friendship. Like the end of the story, you keep kind to people, you will have a very good friend.

Vocabulary
・sneaker: a type of light soft shoe with rubber sole, used for sports
・blanket: a cover for a bed, usually made of wool
・smell: 修飾語がない場合はしばしば「悪臭」の意
　order: 強いにおい scent: かすかなにおい fragrance: よいにおい perfume: 香水などの快いにおい aroma: 芳しいにおい stench: 強烈でいやなにおい

Reference
Waring, R.(2006).Think Daniela!,USA:Thomson ELT.

Stone Soup

Once upon a time, there was a village. It was a nice place to live except for one thing. People did not like to share.

In the village, people don't like to let others use anything. One day, a visitor came to the village. He started to cook stone soup, and told them to bring ingredients to cook the soup. Finally, it was ready. Everyone ate a big bowl. The soup made them happy. from then on, the people in the village shared.

Vocabulary
・sniff:to breathe air into your nose noisily, for example when you are crying or have a cold
・broth: soup with meat, rice, or vegetables

Reference
Findley, V.(2006).Stone Soup. New York, NY:Scholastic.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

"What a nice home!"

Once upon a time, a family of three bears decided to go for a walk. They shut the door of their tide house and off they want. Sooner a girl named Goldilocks entered the house without permission. I can't understand why she enter the bear's home. Now she will be called trespasser.

Vocabulary
・porridge: oats that are cooked with milk or water and served hot for breakfast
・yikes: said when something frightens or shocks you
・(as) quick as a wink: 瞬く間に、たちまち、すばやく
・slurp: to make a loud noise while you are drinking sth

Reference
Findley, V.(2006).Goldielocks and three bears. New York, NY:Scholastic.

Goodbye, Hello!

Alex meets a beautiful girl in a store. He falls in love, but she goes away. He wants to meet her again, but doesn't even know her name. How can be meet her again?

He meet her again in school. I know it is impossible, but I hope my life will go well like him.

Vocabulary
・store: a place where good are sold to the public. In British English, a store is large and sells many different of things, but in American English, a store can be large or small, and sell many things or only one type of things.
・gear: a set of equipment or tools you need for a particular activity

Reference
Waring, R.(2006).Goodbye Hello!,USA:Thomson ELT.

No, You Can't!

Anthony's mother stops him from going to the motorbike races. But when his mother finds out he has secretly gone to the races with his grandfather, he gets into a lot of trouble with more than just his family. What's going to happen to Anthony now?

Anthony got injured because of his mother's interference. Parents shouldn't interfere with their children. Let them do a lot of things. Children grow up with many failure.

Vocabulary
・garage: a building for keeping a car in, usually next to or attached to a house
・motorbike: especially a small fast two-wheeled vehicle with an engine

Reference
Waring, R.(2006).No, You Can't!,USA:Thomson ELT.

Singer Wanted

This school band Hot Rock is looking for a new singer. Daniela and Gemma both want to sing with the band. Who will be the new singer?

I belong a rock band in my university, so I'm very interested in this story. I know singer is the most important for a band, so this story was very interesting for me.

Vocabulary
・rock: a type of popular modern music with a strong loud beat, played using guitar and drums
・pop music: modern music that is popular, especially with young people, and usually consists of simple tunes with a strong beat

Reference
Waring, R.(2006).Singer Wanred,USA:Thomson ELT.

Do I Tell?

Ji-Sung sees some classmates spraying paint at a but stop. He feels he should tell the police, but the boys are bigger than him. He is afraid they will hurt him if he tells. His problem gets worse as the boys order him to throw stones at some birds. Does he do it? Or does he tells the police?

If I were Ji-Sung, I would tell the police. I don't care what the boys say to me. I don't want to get along with those who have a bad influence on me.

Vocabulary
・ticket: a printed piece of paper which shows that you have paid to enter a cinema, travel on a bus, plane etc
・garbage can: a countainer with a lid for holding waste until it can be taken away

Reference
Waring, R.(2006).Do I tell?,USA:Thomson ELT.

Who's Best?

Kate has to choose between the very popular and handsome Scott, and Adib who she meets in art class. He is much quieter, more intelligent, and more interesting, but he's not as popular or handsome as Scott. Both Adib and Scott ask her out on Saturday. Who will she choose?

People tend to judge from appearance. But I believe personality is much more important than appearance. We should not judge by how people look.

Vocabulary
・concert: a performance given by musicians or singers
・gallery: a large building where people can see famous pieces of art
・remember: to not forget something that you must do, get, or bring

Reference
Waring, R.(2006).Who's Best?,USA:Thomson ELT.

Boys vs. Girls

At the summer camp, some boys and girls start to make trouble for each other. The girls spray the boys with milk, so the boys let some tars out in the girls' cabin. How will this end?

I don't like boys who look down on girls. We have to cooperate with each other.

Vocabulary
・camp: a place where people stay in tents, shelters etc for a short time, usually in the mountains, a forest etc
・cabin: a small house, especially one built of wood in an area of forest or mountains
・cage: a structure made of wires or bars in witch birds or animals can be kept

Reference
Waring, R.(2006).Boys vs. Girls,USA:Thomson ELT

New Guitar

Ray sees a guitar in the music store. He wants it for his birthday, but his father will not buy it for him. Ray buys the guitar. That is only the start of his problem.

I have my guitar and love it. So, I can tell how sad when the guitar is broken. I have to take care of my things.

Vocabulary

・guitar: a musical instrument that usually has six strings, that you play with your fingers or with a plectrum

・keyboard: an electric musical instrument that has keys like a piano and can be made to play in different styles or to sound like different insruments

・band: a small group of musicians who play popular music together, often with a singer or singers

Reference

Waring, R.(2006).The New Guitar,USA:Thomson ELT.

Bad Dog? Good Dog!

Yoon-Hee, and her brother Ji-Sung, go shopping. Yoon-Hee takes her friend's dog, Dingo, for a walk, but Dingo doesn't want to go for a walk. What does he really want?

Like Ji-Sung, I don't like big dogs. the yelping of big dogs is too loud.

Vocabulary
・street: a public road in a city or town that has houses, shops etc on one or both sides
・meat: the flesh of animals and birds eaten as food

Reference
Waring, R.(2006).Bad Dog? Good Dog!,USA:Thomson ELT.

Rain, Rain, Rain!

Faye is late for school. She gets on her bike and races to school in the rain. She has many troubles getting to school. Is she late for school.

I have experienced exactly the same situation. So, I sympathized with Feye.　It is better to give yourself extra time when going to school.

Vocabulary
・dress: to put clothes on yourself or someone else
・station: 署、場所


Reference
Waring, R.(2006).Rain, Rain, Rain!,USA:Thomson ELT.

Sarah's Surprise

It is Sarah's first day in the cafe. A man comes into the cafe, takes some food, but does not give any money to Sarah. What does she do? 

It is natural that Sarah mistook the boss's husband for a thief because he put some sandwiches in his bag in silence. It was a realistic story.

Vocabulary
・sandwich: two slices of bread, often spread with butter, with a layer of meat, cheese, etc. between them

Reference
Wegener, C.(2006).Sarah's Surprise.USA:Thomason ELT

The Spider and the Beehive

"Will you take me to the best plums?"

In a small African village, lived a little boy and a tricky spider. The spider thought that he was smarter than everyone else. The boy had a special talent. He was able to find the biggest, sweetest fruit in all the jungle. The spider used the boy and ate all the fruits. As a result, The spider couldn't move at all. Then, the spider realize that he can't live by himself. After read this book, I felt that friends are very important in my life. By the way, the picture of spider was creepy.

Vocabulary
・greedy: 貪欲である
・belly: 腹

Reference
Findley, V.(2006).The Spider and the Beehives. New York, NY:Scholastic.

The Tortoise and the Hare

"Let's have a race,"
"OK, but you know I will win."
"We will see."

Once upon a time, there lived a tortoise and a hare. The hare always teased the slow tortoise. On the day of a big race, they raced with each other. It is obvious that the hare win. However the tortoise won the race. As you know, this story is a famous tale. I learned from the tortoise that slow and steady wins the race.

Vocabulary
・tortoise: カメ
・hare: ウサギ
・grin: にやりと笑う

Reference
Findley, V.(2006).The Tortoise and the Hare. New York, NY:Scholastic.

The Ugly Duckling

"You are ugly. Go away!"

Once upon a time, five eggs hatched. Out popped five little duckling. Four were fluffy and cute. One was gray and ugly. The cute ducks were mean to their ugly brother. He was bullied all the kind of animals. However, he grew into a beautiful swan like others. And the once ugly duckling lived happily ever after. And he was always kind to all the living things. I thought that those who have undergone many hardships can understand others' feelings.

Vocabulary
・fluffy: ふわふわした、うぶ毛のような
・ever after: それ以降ずっと(過去時制で)

Reference
Findley, V.(2006).The Ugly Duckling. New York, NY:Scholastic.

The Little Red Hen

Who will help me plant this?

Once upon a time, a little red hen decided to plant some wheat, but no one is willing to help her whatever she asked. After all, she made bread all by herself. When she ate it, everybody who did not help her asked her to eat it. Of course, she didn't allow them to eat it. It represent "If any would not work, neither should he eat."

Vocabulary
・hen: 雌鳥
・before long: soon

Reference
Findley, V.(2006).The Little Red Hen. New York, NY:Scholastic.

The Nightingale

This bird lives in the forest behind my palace, but I have never heard him sing. I must!

Once upon a time, there was a king. He lived in a beautiful palace in the land of China. Behind the palace was a forest. In a forest lived a nightingale. The king want to hear a nightingale sing, so he sent his most trusted servant to bring back the nightingale. By and by the servant brought back a nightingale. However, the king loved a toy nightingale more than the real one, so it ran away from the palace. years passed and the king grew very sick, and... the end of the story was very touching.

Vocabulary
・servant: 使用人
・by and by: まもなく、あとで

Reference
Findley, V.(2006).The Nightingale. New York, NY:Scholastic.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

Once upon a time, there lived three billy goat brothers. One day, they decided to cross the bridge to eat the sweet grass on the other side. There was a problem. A troll lived under it. However the three goats got through in a very smart way.

Reference
Findley, V.(2006).The Three Billy Goats Gruff. New York, NY:Scholastic.

vocabulary
cranky: strange
sneaky: behaving in a secret and sometimes dishonest or unpleasant way
ram: to drive into or hit another vehicle, ship, etc. with force, sometimes deliberately.

Band Audition

The last Saturday, I attend a band audition in my university. If I pass the audition, I will be permitted to play in a venue. We played Metallica, which is one of the most famous heavy metal band in the world. Our play is too loud, so I felt sorry for audience. Finally, we passed the audition. I'm looking forward to playing in the venue.

Val's Diary

school's over at last! Summer holidays are here but who wants to spend them in the countryside? Not Val, of course! She hates the country, but eventually she'll change her mind. Guess why! Read her diary and find out.

She tells her diary all about herself, her moods, her emotions and her dreams. This country holiday is really boring and she can't stand it, but don't despair ... something very exciting will happen soon, thanks to Luke and the others!

Val is always angry or unhappy. She hates her brother, and she certainly doesn't want to go and live in a small village. But when she met Luke, she is changing her mind.

Vocabulary
・rosy: pink
・yippee: That's wonderful!
・lid: top of a box

Flagan, M. (2009). Val’s diary. Recanati, MC, Italy: Eli.

How's it going?

How are things? I feel happy because yesterday I bought a new guitar effects pedal called wahwah pedal. I had wanted for a long time. It is essential for Blues guitar playing. And I am going to play in the university, and it will be fun.

Food and Drink in Britain (Oxford Bookworms Factfiles)

For a small country Britain offers a wide choice of food and drink. People in Britain still enjoy roast beef and other traditional foods, but the way they eat has changed a lot in the last fifty years. This book looks at the traditions, and the changes, and even gives some recipes if you want to make British food for yourself. 

In Japan, British food is famous for its bad taste. However, written in this book is completely wrong. This book changed my view of British food.

Vocabulary
・herb: fresh or dry plant used to give food extra taste.
・cider: adult drink made from apples
・vinegar: a strong tasting liquid use to flavour food.

Heavy Metal Band

The other day, my friend asked me to join his band as a guitarist, and it confirmed that I become a member of the band. We are going to play heavy metal songs. It is hard for me to play, but so fun!
These days I see many people wear T-shirts printed logo of rock band such as Nirvana, Metallica, AC/DC, Van Halen, and so on. I don't know why it is getting popular.