Kitobni o'qish: «Уютные истории на английском. А1. Читаем с удовольствием и повышаем уровень»
Серия «Читаем на английском: маленькие истории для большого прогресса»
© Попова Н.С., текст, 2025
© Оформление. ООО «Издательство «Эксмо», 2025
Story 1. The Cat in the Café
Lisa had a hard time with her small café. It was in Garden street. The café was nice and warm, but very quiet. Lisa made good coffee and cakes.
Every morning, Lisa opened her café at 7 o’clock. She liked her work, but not many people came to her café. Lisa often felt sad.
One cold morning, Lisa saw a cat. The cat was orange and white. It sat near the café door. The cat looked hungry.
“Poor cat,” said Lisa. “Are you hungry? Come in!”
The cat looked at Lisa. Its eyes were big and green. Lisa gave the cat some milk. The cat was happy.
“You can stay here,” said Lisa. She named the cat Tom. He slept on the blue chair. He walked around and looked at people. People liked Tom very much. They said:
“What a nice cat!”
Tom was friendly.
More and more people came to the café. They wanted to see Tom and drink coffee. Children came to play with Tom.
Lisa was happy. The café was always full now. People called it “The Cat Café.”
Lisa took care of Tom very well. Tom was her best friend.
Every evening, when Lisa closed the café, she said to Tom: “Thank you, Tom. You changed everything.”
And Tom? He drinks milk and feels happy too.
Полезные выражения
▶ to have a hard time – испытывать трудности
▶ to come in – входить
▶ to take care – заботиться
▶ to change everything – изменить все
Упражнения
1
Прочитайте утверждения и напишите верно или неверно:
1. Lisa’s café was full from the beginning. ___
2. Tom was a black and white cat. ___
3. The cat came to the café on a rainy day. ___
4. Lisa saw Tom near the door. ___
2
Заполните пропуски:
1. Lisa had a small _______ in Garden Street.
2. The cat looked very _______ when Lisa first saw it.
3. More people _______ to see Tom.
4. Tom and Lisa became good _______.
5. Tom _______ Lisa’s life.
3
Ответьте на вопросы:
1. What time did Lisa open her café every morning?
2. What did Lisa give to Tom when he first came?
3. Where did Tom like to sleep in the café?
4. Why did more people come to the café?
5. What did people call Lisa’s café later?
Story 2. The Childhood Bicycle
David walks in his old street. He comes to his small town after twenty years. The houses are different now.
He stops and looks. There is a red bicycle near house number 12. The bicycle is old but nice. David likes this bicycle!
A man stands near the house. “David? Is that you?”
David looks at the man. “Alex? My old friend?” They smile and say hello.
“This bicycle looks like my old bicycle,” says David.
Alex laughs. “This IS your bicycle! You gave it to me when you moved to a new city. I have had it for many years. Look at your name here.”
David looks at the bicycle. Yes! His name is there – ‘David’.
“My son likes this bicycle,” says Alex. “I tell him about you and me. We were friends. We went to school together. We played in the park.”
“Yes! And we liked ice cream,” says David. “We ate ice cream every Friday.”
“Why are you here?” asks Alex.
“I have a new job here. I work near our old school.”
Alex smiles. “Good! My son wants to ride this bicycle. Can you help us?”
“Yes, of course!” says David.
Now David has his old friend and his old bicycle. Some good things never change.
Полезные выражения
▶ to stop and look – останавливаться и смотреть
▶ to smile and say hello – улыбаться и здороваться
▶ to look like – выглядеть как / быть похожим на
▶ to give it to somebody – отдать это кому – то
▶ to look at – смотреть на
▶ can you help us? можешь нам помочь?
Упражнения
1
Прочитайте утверждения и напишите верно или неверно:
1. David returns to his town after ten years. ____
2. The houses in his old street look the same. ____
3. David’s bicycle is new and red. ____
4. Alex’s son likes the bicycle. ____
5. David and Alex went to school together. ____
2
Заполните пропуски:
1. David walks in his ______ street.
2. Alex says, “This bicycle ______ your old bicycle!”
3. ”You ______ me when you moved to a new city.”
4. David ______ the bicycle and saw his name on it.
5. David ______ near his old school now.
3
Ответьте на вопросы:
1. How many years was David away from his town?
2. What does David see near house number 12?
3. What does Alex show David on the bicycle?
4. Where does David work now?
5. What does Alex ask David to help with?
Story 3. Grandmother’s Diary
My name is Bill. My grandmother has a big house. The house has many old things. One day, I found a small blue book. It was my grandmother’s diary.
The diary had a love story. Grandmother wrote about a young man. His name was Peter. He was an artist. Every day, Peter drew in the park.
Grandmother walked there often.
One day, Peter drew grandmother’s portrait. The picture was very
beautiful. Grandmother and Peter started to date. They walked in the park a lot. Peter drew, and grandmother read books.
Then something strange happened. Peter got a letter. He needed to go to another city. He wanted grandmother to go with him. But grandmother could not go. She studied at university.
Peter went away. He wrote letters to grandmother every day. Grandmother wrote letters too. They missed each other very much.
After one year, Peter came back. He brought many pictures. The pictures showed grandmother in the park. Peter drew her every day when he was far away. He loved grandmother very much.
They got married in the same park where they had met. Peter drew this moment. This picture is in grandmother’s house now.
I never saw grandfather Peter. He passed away long ago. But his pictures live in grandmother’s house. And his love lives in her diary.
I showed the diary to grandmother. She looked at the old pages for a long time. Then she smiled and said: “Love is like a picture. It makes the world more beautiful.”
Полезные выражения
▶ every day – каждый день
▶ long ago – давно
▶ far away – далеко
▶ to get married – пожениться
▶ to look at – смотреть на
▶ to start to date – начать встречаться
Упражнения
1
Прочитайте утверждения и напишите верно или неверно:
1. Bill found a red book in his grandmother’s house. ___
2. Peter was a musician. ___
3. Grandmother and Peter met in the park. ___
4. Peter went to another country for two years. ___
5. Peter drew portraits of grandmother while he was away. ___
2
Заполните пропуски:
1. Peter _____ (to be) an artist.
2. Every day, Peter _____ (to draw) in the park.
3. Grandmother _____ (to walk) there often.
4. They _____ (to get) married in the park.
5. Bill _____ (to show) the diary to his grandmother.
3
Ответьте на вопросы:
1. Where did Bill find the diary?
2. What did Peter do every day in the park?
3. Why couldn’t grandmother go with Peter to another city?
4. How often did Peter write letters to grandmother?
5. What did grandmother say about love at the end of the story?
Story 4. A Kind Word
My name is Kim. I work in a small shop. Every day, I sell things to many people. They are always in a hurry. They often look sad or angry.
One cold day, an old woman came to the shop. She wanted to buy bread and milk. I was very tired that day. My head hurt. I gave her the bread and milk quickly. I dropped her money on the floor. I felt very bad.
“I’m sorry,” I said. I picked up the money.
The old woman looked at me. She had kind eyes. “You have a nice smile,” she said. “It makes me happy. But today you look sad.”
No one at the shop ever told me kind words. I almost started to cry. But I just smiled.
“Thank you,” I said. “I am just tired.”
The next day, the old woman came again. She remembered my name. She asked how I was. I told her I wanted to be a cook, but I did not have money for school.
“You can be a good cook,” she said. “You are nice and smart. Don’t be afraid to try new things.”
Her words helped me. That night, I made a nice dinner at home. My family loved it. I decided to save money for cooking school.
The old woman came to the shop every day. She always had a kind word for all people. The shop started to change. People smiled more. They talked with each other. Even my boss was kinder.
One day, the old woman came with a small box. “This is for you,” she said. There was money for cooking school in it. I was surprised.
“I can’t take this,” I said.
“It’s from many people,” she said. “People from the shop. They all want to help you. Your smile helped them. Now they want to help you.”
I went to cooking school. It was hard, but I worked hard. Now, I am a cook at a small cafe. I try to make good food. I say kind words to people every day. One kind word can change someone’s day.
The old woman still comes to the cafe. She eats my food and smiles. She says my food is the best. I know it’s not true, but her kind words still make me happy.
I learned that kind words are strong. They can change a shop. They can change a life. They changed my life.
Полезные выражения
▶ to look sad – выглядеть грустным
▶ to pick up – поднимать
▶ to start to cry – начать плакать
▶ to try new things – пробовать новое
▶ to decide to – решить (сделать что-то)
▶ to talk with – разговаривать с
▶ to try to – пытаться
Упражнения
1
Прочитайте утверждения и напишите верно или неверно:
1. Kim works in a big shop. ___
2. The old woman was kind to Kim. ___
3. Kim wanted to be a teacher. ___
4. The old woman gave Kim money for school. ___
5. Kim is now a cook at a cafe. ___
2
Заполните пропуски:
1. Kim _____ (to work) in a small shop.
2. People _____ (to be) always in a hurry.
3. The old woman _____ (to want) to buy bread and milk.
4. Her words _____ (to help) Kim a lot.
5. Kim _____ (to go) to cooking school.
3
Ответьте на вопросы:
1. Where did Kim work?
2. What did the old woman say to Kim on the first day?
3. What did Kim want to be?
4. How did the shop change?
5. Who gave Kim money for cooking school?
Story 5. The Park Bench
My name is Tom. I am old now. I go to the park every day. I sit on the same bench. It is an old green bench under a big tree.
I watch people in the park.
In the morning, people run by. They run fast. They have no time to look at the sky or trees. They go to work.
At noon, mothers come with little children. The children laugh and play. They throw bread to the birds. The birds eat bread.
One rainy day, a young woman sat on my bench. She had sad eyes. She looked at the rain. I smiled at her. She did not smile back.
The next day, she came again. And the next day too. She sat quietly. She never talked.
After a week, I asked, “You look sad. Do you feel well?”
She looked at me. “No,” she said. “My husband passed away. I miss him. We sat on this bench every Sunday.”
I felt sorry for her. “This is a good bench,” I said. “You can think about him here.”
We sat together. We looked at the park. The trees, the children, the birds. It was nice not to be alone.
The next day, she brought tea. Hot tea in thermos for me. We drank tea and watched the birds.
Slowly, she started to smile again. She told me about her husband. He was a good man. He loved birds. She told me about her life. She was a teacher.
One day, she brought a book. She read to me. My eyes are not good now. I liked when she read.
Winter came. It was cold. We still sat on our bench. We had warm coats and hot tea. The park was white with snow. It was beautiful.
Spring came. The woman looked different. Her eyes were not sad anymore.
We sit on the bench every day. We watch life in the park. Sometimes more people come.
Our bench is never empty now. It is a place where sad people can come. Where they can sit and watch life. Where they can feel better.
I am old. But when I sit on my bench, I feel young. I can see the life around me. I am a part of it.
Полезные выражения
▶ to go to – ходить в/на
▶ to watch people – наблюдать за людьми
▶ to run by – пробегать мимо
▶ to throw bread – бросать хлеб
▶ to sit quietly – сидеть тихо
▶ to look at – смотреть на
▶ to watch life – наблюдать за жизнью
Упражнения
1
Прочитайте утверждения и напишите верно или неверно:
1. Tom sits on a blue bench in the park. ___
2. In the morning, people walk slowly in the park. ___
3. The young woman’s husband passed away. ___
4. The woman brought coffee for Tom. ___
5. In winter, they did not go to the park. ___
2
Заполните пропуски:
1. Tom _____ (to go) to the park every day.
2. Children _____ (to throw) bread to the birds.
3. The woman _____ (to have) sad eyes.
4. The woman _____ (to be) a teacher.
5. The park _____ (to be) white with snow in winter.
3
Ответьте на вопросы:
1. Where does Tom sit every day?
2. What do children do in the park?
3. Why was the woman sad?
4. What did the woman bring for Tom one day?
5. How did the woman look in spring?
Story 6. The Aromatic Soup
My name is Ben. I live with my grandmother. My parents work abroad. They send letters and photos. But I miss them a lot.
My grandmother is very old. She has kind eyes. She takes care of me. Every Sunday, she makes soup.
This is not a simple soup. It is a special family soup. My grandmother learned to make it from her mother. And her mother learned it from her mother. The recipe is very old.
When grandmother makes the soup, the house smells good. I can smell carrots, potatoes, and herbs. I sit in the kitchen and watch.
“Come here, Ben,” grandmother says. “You need to learn how to make our family soup.”
I don’t want to learn. “Boys don’t cook,” I say. “I want to play football.”
Grandmother looks sad. But she doesn’t say anything.
One day, my grandmother got sick. She stayed in bed. She looked very weak. I was scared.
"I'm hungry," I said. Grandmother tried to get up, but she couldn't.
"The soup recipe is in the red book," she said. "You can try to make it."
I found the book. The recipe was there. It looked easy. I went to the kitchen.
I cut vegetables. I boiled water. I put herbs in the pot. I did what the recipe said. Soon, the house smelled like Sunday. Like the family soup.
I brought the soup to my grandmother. She tasted it. Her eyes got bigger.
"Ben! This is perfect! You made our family soup!" she said.
I felt proud. The soup was good. It tasted like home.
Grandmother got better. But now every Sunday, I make the soup. Grandmother sits and watches me. She tells me stories about our family. About my mother when she was little. About my grandfather. These stories are like the soup. They connect us to our family.
One day, a letter came. My parents were coming home. I was very happy.
When my parents came, I made the family soup. They were surprised.
"Ben! You learned to make grandmother's soup!" my mother said. She tasted it and smiled. "It tastes like my childhood."
My father ate three plates of soup. "It's the best soup in the world," he said.
Now, every Sunday, we all make the soup together. We talk and laugh. The house smells good. We are a family again.
The soup is not just food. It is love. It is memories. It is our love in a pot.
Полезные выражения
▶ to work abroad – работать за границей
▶ to take care of – заботиться о
▶ to learn to – научиться (делать что-то)
▶ to smell good – хорошо пахнуть
▶ to look easy – выглядеть легким
▶ to connect us – соединять нас
Упражнения
1
Прочитайте утверждения и напишите верно или неверно:
1. Ben lives with his parents. ___
2. The soup recipe is new. ___
3. Ben doesn’t want to learn how to make soup at first. ___
4. Ben makes soup when his grandmother is sick. ___
5. Ben’s parents don’t like the soup. ___
2
Заполните пропуски:
1. Ben’s parents _____ (to work) abroad.
2. Grandmother _____ (to have) white hair and kind eyes.
3. The house _____ (to smell) good when grandmother makes soup.
4. Ben _____ (to find) the recipe in the red book.
5. The soup _____ (to taste) like home.
3
Ответьте на вопросы:
1. Who does Ben live with?
2. What does grandmother make every Sunday?
3. Why does Ben decide to make soup?
4. What does grandmother tell Ben when he makes soup?
5. What happens when Ben’s parents come home?
Story 7. The Library Note
Emma loved the small library in her town. It was quiet, warm, and full of books. Every Saturday, she came to read.
One day, Emma found a blue book on the top shelf. She opened it and saw a small paper inside.
It was a note. It said:
“Hello! My name is Oliver. I love this book. If you read it too, please write back.”
Emma was surprised. She took a pen and wrote under the note:
“Hi Oliver! I’m Emma. I like this book too. It is full of magic.”
She put the note back in the book and left it on the shelf.
Next week, she looked inside the book again. There was a new message:
“Hi Emma! Do you like the dragon part? I think it’s the best!”
Every Saturday, Emma and Oliver wrote to each other in the book.
They never met, but they talked through the notes. It was their little secret.
One rainy day, Emma came and saw a new note:
“Dear Emma, I will be in the library at 2 PM today. I hope we can meet.”
Emma felt shy, but she waited near the blue book shelf. At 2 PM, a boy walked in. He had a red backpack and a big smile.
“Are you Emma?” he asked.
“Yes. Are you Oliver?”
They both laughed. Now they read books together every Saturday.
The library was still quiet. But now, it was also full of friendship.
Полезные выражения
▶ top shelf – верхняя полка
▶ to be surprised – удивиться
▶ to write back – написать в ответ
▶ through the notes – через записки
▶ to wait near – ждать рядом
▶ to feel shy – чувствовать себя застенчиво
Упражнения
1
Прочитайте утверждения и напишите верно или неверно:
1. Emma found a yellow book. ___
2. The note in the book was from a girl. ___
3. Emma and Oliver met in the library. ___
4. They talked on the phone before meeting. ___
5. Emma and Oliver became friends. ___
2
Заполните пропуски:
1. Emma came to the ______ every Saturday.
2. She found a small ______ inside the book.
3. Emma and Oliver wrote to each other ______ the notes.
4. One rainy day, Emma waited ______ the shelf.
5. Now they read books ______ every Saturday.
3
Ответьте на вопросы:
1. Where did Emma fi nd the fi rst note?
2. What did Oliver write about in his second message?
3. How did Emma feel before meeting Oliver?
4. What time did Oliver want to meet?
5. What do Emma and Oliver do now?
Story 8. Stars in the Window
My name is Max. I live in a small flat on the top floor. My flat has a big window. Every night, I look out of this window. I look at the stars.
When I was a child, my father told me about stars. He said that stars are like dreams. They are far away, but we can see them. He said that when you see a star, you can make a wish.
I didn’t believe him then. But now I do.
Last year, I lost my job. I was very sad. I had no money. I had no friends. I stayed at home all day. I felt alone.
One night, I couldn’t sleep. I went to the window. The sky was clear. I saw many stars. They were so bright. I remembered my father’s words. I made a wish. I wished for a new job.
The next day, I went for a walk. I saw a small cafe. They needed a worker. I got the job. I was happy again.
Now, every night, I look at the stars. I make wishes. Sometimes big wishes, sometimes small wishes. I wished for a friend. I wished for a good day. I wished to be happy.
My wishes come true. Not all of them. Not very quickly. But many of them do.
One night, it was very cold. I looked at the stars. I saw a woman in the window of the house next to mine. She looked at the stars too.
I waved to her. She waved back. The next night, she was there again. We waved to each other again.
After a week, I wrote my phone number on a big paper. I held it up to the window. She saw it. She wrote her number too.
Her name was Lily. We talked on the phone. She told me she loved stars too. She made wishes too.
One night, we met at the cafe where I work. We talked for hours. We looked at the stars together through the cafe window.
Now, Lily and I look at the stars together. We make wishes together. We are happy together.
I think the stars helped us meet. Maybe they heard our wishes. Maybe they helped our wishes come true.
Every night, I still look at the stars. I still make wishes. I believe in stars now. I believe in wishes.
The stars are still far away. But they look like old friends now.
Полезные выражения
▶ to look out – выглядывать из
▶ to tell me – рассказать мне
▶ to stay at – оставаться в/на
▶ to go for a walk – отправиться на прогулку
▶ to look at – смотреть на
▶ to come true – сбываться
▶ to hold it up – поднять
Bepul matn qismi tugad.
