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
gambler – n. a person who risks money or other possessions when playing a game
prison – n. a place where a person is kept as punishment for a crime
cruel – adj. causing or helping to cause suffering; terrible and unfair
outcast – n. someone who is not accepted by other people
snowshoe – n. a light, wide frame that is attached to your shoe to make it easier to walk on soft snow without sinking
- Listen to the story.
- Watch the video and read along.
- Take the short story quiz.
Take the quiz: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/2826509/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.
Lesson 3.21.2 Year 2
American short story.
” The Outcasts of Poker Flat”. Written by Bret Haste
” The outcasts of Poker Flat” is a short story by Bret Haste. The story is set in Poker Flat a small mining town in California during the Gold Rush era. The story is about a groupe of people who are banished from the town of Poker Flat. The groupe includes John Oakhurst, a gambler, mother Shipton, a prostitute, the Duch, a saloon girl and uncle Billy, a drunkard. They are sent to the mountains to fend for themselves. The story is about their journey and how they deal with the challenges they face. The groupe of people are left to die in a snowstorm. They find a cabin and take shelter there; the next morning Oakhurst discovers that uncle Belly has stolen their provisions and horses and left them to die. Oakhurst decides to after him alone. The Duches and Mother Shipton are found dead in the snow by a rescue party sent from Poker Flat. Oakhurst is found dead under a tree with a note that reads, ” I am tired of this kind of life.”
The story is cocerned with morallity and immmorality. The theme of the story is how a bad person can be good.
Dear teacher,
Lesson 3.21.2 Year 2
American short story.
” The Outcasts of Poker Flat”. Written by Bret Haste.
John Oakhurst was a gambler. He had lived in the small western town of Poker Flat for only a short time. He had defeated many people at cards. He had also won a lot of their money.
The groupe includes John Oakhurst, a gambler, mother Shipton, a prostitute, the Duch, 2 women and uncle Billy, a drunkard man. They are sent to the mountains to fend for themselves. The story is about their journey and how they deal with the challenges they face. The groupe of people are left to die in a snowstorm. They find a cabin and take shelter there; the next morning Oakhurst discovers that uncle Belly has stolen their horses went away and left them to die. They had frozen to death because they could not stand with cooler atmosphere in juggle.
A single bullet from a small handgun nearby had ended his life. John Oakhurst had been both the strongest, and the weakest, of the outcasts of Poker Flat.
Oakhurst is found dead under a tree with a note that reads.
For the quiz, I got 100% correct scores.
Thank you.