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
calico – n. a light, printed cotton cloth
from the bottom of my heart – idiom. sincerely, honestly
recover – v. to apply a new fabric to a used piece of furniture
Turkey red – n. a color that was widely used to dye cotton in the 18th and 19th century
goods – n. products that are made or grown in order to be sold; things for sale
upholster v. to put a covering of cloth, leather, etc., on (a piece of furniture, such as a couch or chair)
uphostery n. the cloth, leather, etc., that covers a couch, chair, etc.
- Listen to the story.
- Watch the video and read along.
- Take the short story quiz.
Take the quiz: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/piece-red-calico-frank-stockton/2470361/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 3.23.2 Year 3
” A piece of Red Calico”
The short story, ”A piece of Red Calico” was written by Frank Stockton. The story revolves around a man who is sent to buy a piece of red calico cloth by his wife. The man encounters several hurdles in his search for the cloth, including a saleswoman who tries to sell him a different shade of and a salesman who tells him that the cloth he is looking for is only available from an upholster.
The theme of the story is the struggle of the common man against the forces of commerce and capitalism.