Hello students. I’m proud of you for completing years 1 and 2 of our American English course. In order for you to become a strong intermediate American English learner, you need to be able to read, understand, and discuss abridged American English short stories. In this lesson, throughout Year 3 of your studies, you will read, listen to, and write about popular American English short stories. Please follow the directions below closely.
- Study the American English vocabulary below.
Words in This Story
ransom – n. money that is paid in order to free someone who has been captured or kidnapped
carriage – n. a large vehicle with four wheels that is pulled by a horse and that carries people
paleface – n. a name supposedly used by North American Indians for a white person.
sling – n. a strap usually with a pocket in the middle that is used to throw something (such as a stone)
funning – v. joking or teasing someone
- Listen to the story.
- Watch the video and read along.
- Take the short story quiz.
Take the quiz: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/the-ransom-of-red-chief-by-o-henry/3106038/p1.html?isEmbedded=True
- Write a summary of the short story you just read and listened to in the comments section below. Click here to read an article that teaches you how to summarize a story. Remember to let us know who the characters of the story are, what they do, and what the story is about.
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