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
cop – n. a person whose job is to enforce laws, investigate crimes, and make arrests
shop – n. a building or room where goods and services are sold
necktie –n. a long piece of cloth that is worn by men around the neck and under a collar and that is tied in front with a knot at the top
coat – n. an outer piece of clothing that can be long or short and that is worn to keep warm or dry
- Listen to the story.
- Watch the video and read along.
- Take the short story quiz.
Take the quiz: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/3418255/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 2.46.2: Year 3
American Story
‘After the Twenty Years’ written by Henry.
I got 100% in the quiz of this story.
Lesson 2.46.2: year 3
” After twenty years – a short story by o.henry.
The story is about two best friends, best fellows, grew up together like two brothers, jimmy wells and bob. Jimmy is twenty and bob is eighteen. Bob decides to go down different paths and make a pact to meet at the same place after twenty years. Bob leaves New York to go and try his luck in the West but Jimmy decides to stay in New York, as he thinks that it is the only place in the earth. Both of them are agreed that they would meet again here in twenty years. Jimmy joins police department and becomes a cop (a police officer).
A cop walking around the streets of New York in the evening, doing his duty and checking the locks of the doors. He finds a man standing in the doorway of a store. On inquiring, he tells the cope that he is waiting his old friend, whom he had promised to meet at the same place twenty years ago before going West, while talking to the cop, the man lights his cigar, the cop notices that the man has a pale face, a scare near his right eyebrow, and sharp eyes and a diamond of the man’s scarf tells a lot about his riches. The man wishes that his friend has done at least half of he has achieved. The man is quite confident that his friend Jimmy will defiantly meet him as promised. The cop goes on his way, the rain begins to start, and the man keeps waiting,
After a few minutes, a man arrives and introduce himself as Jimmy, bob is happy to find his friend, Jimmy, but during the talks bob notices that jimmy has changed, in fact, he is taller than before. jimmy tells that since the old restaurant is not anymore there, they should go some other place, as they pass the streetlight, bob looks at the friends face and says that though twenty years can change a man in many ways, but it rarely changes the shape of a man’s nose. he asks, if he is jimmy, the other man says that he is not. The man tells Bob that,” he is under arrest”, he tells him quietly and gives him a letter, which says,” Bob I was the place on time. I saw the face of the man wanted by Chicago cops. I didn’t want to arrest you myself. So, I went and got another cop and sent him to do the job,
Jimmy”
The story tells us, how people overtime and how relationships evolve or deteriorates.