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
uncertain – adj. not exactly known or decided
“in cold blood” – expression. without feeling or with cruel intent
wine – n. an alcoholic drink made from the liquid part that can be squeezed out of a small, round fruit that is green, dark red, or purplish-black in color
inn – n. a house usually in the country where people can eat, drink and rent a room to sleep in
cellar – n. the part of a building that is entirely or partly below the ground
sin – n. an action that is considered to be wrong according to religious or moral law
revenge – n. the act of doing something to hurt someone because that person did something that hurt you
pet(ted) – v. to touch an animal or person with your hand in a loving or friendly way
innkeeper – n. a person who owns or operates an inn
decay – n. the process or result of being slowly destroyed by natural processes
- Listen to the story.
- Watch the video and read along.
- Take the short story quiz.
Take the quiz: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/the-black-cat-edgar-allen-poe/3715082/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.
About the Author
lesson 3.7.2 year 3
American short stories
” the black cat” by Edgar Allan Poi.
The black cat is the story of an alcoholic man who is at first loves his wife and his pets, he has a black cat named Pluto, but as madness takes hold of him. He tortures and kills his cat, Pluto. In the story, an unnamed narrator is driven so mad after killing his cat with axe, his wife intervenes, and the narrator ends up killing his wife.
The real reason of narrator’s mental decline is his addiction to drinking. His obsession with drinking and the inner evil his drinking loses as symbolically personified by the black cat and eventually kills herald then his wife.
Love and hate are the two key theme in the story.
In the quiz of the lesson ” The Black Cat”
I got 100% result.
Dear teacher,
lesson 3.7.2 year 3
American short stories
” The black cat” by Edgar Allan PoE
The black cat is the story of an alcoholic man who is the first loves his wife and his pets.
The cat was a beautiful animal, of unusually large size, and entirely black. A man named that cat Pluto, he liked best and it follows him all around the house. It was even with difficulty that I stopped it from following me through the streets. Later on, the man tried to find an other ways to scare cat. However, the cat ran from him in fear whenever he came near it. One day, in cold blood he tied strong rope around cat’s neck, and taking it down to cellar under the house. He hangs it with tear in his eyes. He knew that his doing was a wrong so great, a Sin so deadly that it would his soul
Forever outside the reach of love of god.
Thank you.