vocabulary list to check

That it is completely normal

that you do not understand all the words or sentences. It
doesn’t mean that your language level is flawed or that you are
not doing well. It means you’re engaged in the process of
learning. So, what should you do when you don’t understand a
word? Here are a few steps: 1. Look at the word and see if it is
familiar in any way. Remember to look for vocabulary elements
from your first language that may be familiar. Take a guess –
you might surprise yourself! 2. Re-read the sentence that
contains the unknown word several times. Use the context of
that sentence, and the rest of the story, to try to guess what
the unknown word might mean. 3. Think about whether or not
the word might be a different form of a word you know. For
example, you might encounter a verb that you know, but it has
been conjugated in a different or unfamiliar way: go went have
gone
You may not be familiar with the particular form used, but ask
yourself: Can I still understand the gist of what’s going on?
Usually, if you have managed to recognize the main verb, that is
enough. Instead of getting frustrated, simply notice how the
verb is being used, and carry on reading. Recognizing different
forms of words will come intuitively over time. 4. Make a note
of the unknown word in a notebook and check the meaning
later. You can review these words over time to make them part
of your active vocabulary. If you simply must know the meaning
of a bolded word, you can look it up in the vocabulary lists at
How to Read Effectively
Reading is a complex skill. In our first languages, we employ a
variety of micro-skills to help us read. For example, we might
skim a particular passage in order to understand the general
idea, or gist. Or we might scan through multiple pages of a train
timetable looking for a particular time or place. While these
micro-skills are second nature when reading in our first
languages, when it comes to reading in a foreign language,
research suggests that we often abandon most of these reading
skills. In a foreign language, we usually start at the beginning of
a text and try to understand every single word. Inevitably, we
come across unknown or difficult words and quickly get
frustrated with our lack of understanding. One of the main
benefits of reading in a foreign language is that you gain
exposure to large amounts of words and expressions used
naturally. This kind of reading for pleasure in order to learn a
language is generally known as ‘extensive reading’. It is very
different from reading a textbook in which dialogues or texts
are meant to be read in detail with the aim of understanding
every word. That kind of reading to reach specific learning aims
or do tasks is referred to as ‘intensive reading’. To put it
another way, the intensive reading in textbooks usually helps
you with grammar rules and specific vocabulary, whereas
reading stories extensively helps show you natural language in
use. While you may have started your language learning
journey using only textbooks, Short Stories in English for
Beginners will now provide you with opportunities to learn
more about natural English language in use. Here are a few
suggestions to keep in mind when reading the stories in this
book in order to learn the most from them: • Enjoyment and a
sense of achievement when reading is vitally important.
Enjoying what you read keeps you coming back for more. The
best way to enjoy reading stories and feel a sense of
achievement is by reading each story from beginning to end.
Consequently, reaching the end of a story is the most important
thing. It is actually more important than understanding every
word in it! • The more you read, the more you learn. By
reading longer texts for enjoyment, you will quickly build up an
understanding of how English works. But remember: in order to
take full advantage of the benefits of extensive reading, you
have to actually read a large enough volume in the first place.
Reading a couple of pages here and there may teach you a few
new words, but it won’t be enough to make a real impact on
the overall level of your English. • You must accept that you
won’t understand everything you read in a story. This is
probably the most important point of all! Always remember
the end of each chapter or in the glossary at the back of this
book or use a dictionary. However, this should be your last
resort. These suggestions are designed to train you to handle
reading in English independently and without help. The more
you can develop this skill, the better you’ll be able to read.
Remember: learning to be comfortable with the ambiguity you
may encounter while reading a foreign language is the most
powerful skill that will help you become an independent and
resilient learner of English! The Six-Step Reading Process In
order to get the most from reading Short Stories in English for
Beginners, it will be best for you to follow this simple six-step
reading process for each chapter of the stories: 1 Look at the
illustration and read the chapter title. Think about what the
story might be about. Then read the chapter all the way
through. Your aim is simply to reach the end of the chapter.
Therefore, do not stop to look up words and do not worry if
there are things you do not understand. Simply try to follow the
plot. 2 When you reach the end of the chapter, read the short
summary of the plot to see if you have understood what has
happened. If you find this difficult, do not worry; you will
improve with each chapter. 3 Go back and read the same
chapter again. If you like, you can focus more on story details
than before, but otherwise simply read it through one more
time. 4 When you reach the end of the chapter for the second
time, read the summary again and review the vocabulary list. If
you are unsure about the meanings of any words in the
vocabulary list, scan through the text to find them in the story
and examine them in context. This will help you better
understand the words. 5 Next, work through the
comprehension questions to check your understanding of key
events in the story. If you do not get them all correct, do not
worry; simply answering the questions will help you better
understand the story. 6 At this point, you should have some
understanding of the main events of the chapter. If not, you
may wish to re-read the chapter a few times using the unknown
words and phrases until you feel confident. Once you are ready
and confident that you understand what has happened –
whether it’s after one reading of the chapter or several – move
on to the next chapter and continue enjoying the story at your
own pace, just as you would any other book. Only once you
have completed a story in its entirety should you consider going
back and studying the story language in more depth if you wish.
Or, instead of worrying about understanding everything, take
time to focus on all that you have understood and congratulate
yourself for all that you have done so far. Remember: the
biggest benefits you will derive from this book will come from
reading story after story through from beginning to end. If you
can do that, you will be on your way to reading effectively in
English! Paella Loca tamrante Crazy Paella Chapter 1 – Getting
Ready ‘Daniel, I’m here!’ Julia calls. She is at the front door of
the house. ‘What is it, Julia?’ I reply. ‘We’re going to Spain
today! You remembered, right?’ ‘Of course I did. I’m packing!’ I
call. My name is Daniel. I’m 24 years old. Julia is my sister. She
is 23. We’re both at university. We share a house in London.
Our parents are Arthur and Sarah Bell. Julia and I are getting
ready for a trip. We’re going to Barcelona, Spain. We’re both
earning degrees in Spanish. We already know a lot of the
language, but we want to learn more. We’re going to be
exchange students this term. I’m tall, about six feet. I have
longish brown hair. My eyes are green and I have a wide
mouth. I have a strong build. My legs are strong due to hours
on the tennis courts. I’m a very good basketball player as well.
My sister Julia also has brown hair. Her hair is longer than mine.
She doesn’t have green eyes. She has brown eyes like my dad. I
have the same colour eyes as my mum. My parents both work.
My dad is an electrician. He works for a major electric company.
My mum is a writer. She also owns a company. It sells science
fiction books. My parents are really great. They always help us
to reach our goals. They both speak Spanish well. They often
speak to us in Spanish. It helps Julia and I practise. They really
encouraged us to become exchange students. We are leaving
for Spain today. My dad comes in my room. He looks at me in
surprise. Why? Because I’m not dressed. ‘Daniel! Why aren’t
you dressed?’ Dad asks. ‘Dressed? I just got up. I had a shower
five minutes ago. I’m not even dry yet!’ ‘Come on! We don’t
have much time. I want to take you to the airport. But I have to
go to work, too.’ ‘Don’t worry, Dad. I’m getting dressed now.’
‘Where’s your sister?’ ‘She’s in her room.’ My dad goes into my
sister’s room. He wants to talk to her. He enters and Julia looks
at him. ‘Oh, hi, Dad. Do you need something?’ asks Julia. ‘Yes.
Your brother’s getting dressed. Here.’ My dad gives Julia a wad
of cash. ‘I want you to both have this.’ Julia is surprised. ‘Dad!
There’s a lot of money here!’ she says. ‘Your mother and I have
saved this money. We want to pay for part of your trip to
Spain.’ ‘Thanks, Dad!’ says my sister. ‘It will be very useful. I’m
going to tell Daniel!’ Julia turns to leave. She almost runs into
me. She and Dad didn’t notice that I was coming in. My dad
sees me. ‘Oh, Daniel, you’re here!’ he says. ‘And you’re
dressed! Great!’ My dad points to the money. ‘That money is
for the two of you. It’s to help with the trip.’ ‘Thanks, Dad. It’ll
be really helpful,’ I reply. Julia smiles. ‘Now we must get ready,’
Dad says. ‘We have to leave for the airport! Come on!’ Shortly
after we eat, we leave the house. We head for the airport in
Mum’s car. Julia is very nervous. ‘Julia,’ Mum says, ‘are you all
right?’ ‘I’m really nervous,’ Julia answers. ‘Why?’ ‘I don’t know
anybody in Spain. I’ll only know Daniel.’ ‘Don’t worry,’ Mum
replies. ‘There are a lot of very nice people in Barcelona.
Especially Daniel’s friend Armando.’ ‘Yes, Mum. I’m sure you’re
right. But I still feel nervous … What if something happens?’ ‘It
will be all right,’ says Dad.