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Level 2 — Level 3
Level 1
Here is some news from Texas. Five children are born. They are born at 29 weeks. They are from two pounds and seven ounces to three pounds and six ounces (from 1.1 to 1.5 kilograms) heavy.
Around 24 workers help with the babies. The babies are very small and pretty. The mother is very happy. The parents’ friends want to help with the babies.
The mother miscarried a few times. She used some medication. This medication helped her have the babies. The couple also have a two-year-old son.
Source: newsinlevels.com
Esl short stories for beginners free download
Dictionary
1) Born – verb /bɔːrn/- to come out of a mother’s body, and start to exist:
–She was born in 1950.
–We saw a lamb being born.
–Diana was born into an aristocratic family.
–Ann was born and brought up in Delaware.
2) Heavy – adjective /ˈhev.i /- weighing a lot, and needing effort to move or lift:
–This box is really heavy – can we put it down for a minute?
–He laboured up the hill with his heavy load.
–Several pieces of heavy equipment had to be manhandled into the lorry.
–These books are too heavy for me to carry.
–In the past, armies used catapults to hurl heavy stones at enemy fortifications.
Esl short stories for beginners
3) Around – preposition, adverb /əˈraʊnd/ – in a position or direction surrounding, or in a direction going along the edge of or from one part to another (of):
–We sat around the table.
–He put his arm around her.
–A crowd had gathered around the scene of the accident.
–She had a scarf around her neck.
–The moon goes around the earth.
–I walked around the side of the building.
4) Miscarry – verb /ˈmɪsˌker.i/ If a woman miscarries, her baby dies because it is born before it has fully developed:
Sadly, she miscarried eight weeks into the pregnancy.
She miscarried her first baby.
5 ) Medication – noun /ˌmed.əˈkeɪ.ʃən/- a medicine, or a set of medicines or drugs, used to improve a particular condition or illness:
He is currently on/taking medication for his heart.
In the study, patients were taken off their usual medications.
Esl short stories for beginners
6) Couple noun /ˈkʌp.əl/ – two or a few things that are similar or the same, or two or a few people who are in some way connected:
The doctor said my leg should be better in a couple of days.
A couple of people objected to the proposal, but the vast majority approved of it.
We’ll have to wait another couple of hours for the paint to dry.
She’ll be retiring in a couple more years.
The weather’s been terrible for the last couple of days.
Many economists expect unemployment to fall over the next couple of months.
I’m sorry I didn’t call you, but I’ve been very busy over the past couple of weeks.
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Five children were born in one family – level 2
A couple in Texas welcomed not just one baby, but five. The babies were born at 29 weeks, and they weigh from two pounds and seven ounces to three pounds and six ounces (from 1.1 to 1.5 kilograms).
Around 24 medical staff helped in the birth of the babies. The babies were really small and cute and The mother couldn’t wait to get her hands on them. The couple’s neighbours and friends promised to help with the babies.
The mother miscarried a few times, so she used fertility drugs and The parents also have a two-year-old son.
Source: newsinlevels.com
Dictionary
1) Couple-noun/ˈkʌp.əl/- two or a few things that are similar or the same, or two or a few people who are in some way connected:
The doctor said my leg should be better in a couple of days.
A couple of people objected to the proposal, but the vast majority approved of it.
We’ll have to wait another couple of hours for the paint to dry.
She’ll be retiring in a couple more years.
The weather’s been terrible for the last couple of days.
Many economists expect unemployment to fall over the next couple of months.
I’m sorry I didn’t call you, but I’ve been very busy over the past couple of weeks.Take a couple of stepsbackwards.
She lived in Rome for a couple of years, where she taught English.
Take a couple of weeks off – you need a break.
The getaway car was abandoned a couple of kilometres from the scene of the robbery.
There’s not much in the way of entertainment in this town – just the cinema and a couple of pubs.
2) Around-preposition, adverb /əˈraʊnd/- in a position or directionsurrounding, or in a direction going along the edge of or from one part to another (of):
We sat around the table.
He put his arm around her.
A crowd had gathered around the scene of the accident.
She had a scarf around her neck.
The moon goes around the earth.
I walked around the side of the building.
As the bus left, she turned around (= so that she was facing in the opposite direction) and waved goodbye to us.
He put the wheel on the right/wrong way around (= facing the right/wrong way).
The children were dancing around the room.
I spent a year travelling around Africa and Asia.
The museum’s collection includes works of art from all around the world.
She passed a plate of biscuits around (= from one person to another).
This virus has been going around (= from one person to another).The snakecoiled itself tightly around the deer.
People clustered around the noticeboard to read the exam results.
She drew her coat tightly around her shoulders.
She flung her arms around his neck.
The cathedral dominates the landscape for miles around.
3) Staff-noun /stæf/- the group of people who work for an organization:
There is a good relationship between staff and pupils at the school.
The staff are not very happy about the latest pay increase.
There are over a hundred staff in the company.
He is on (= a member of) the editorial staff of the magazine.
Has the news been communicated to the staff yet?
She thanked the staff for their dedication and enthusiasm.
We are lacking three members of staff due to illness.
Management have offered staff a 3% pay increase.
We could take on extra staff – that’s one possibility.
4) Couldn’t- /ˈkʊd.ənt/- short form of could not:
I couldn’t find my keys this morning.She couldn’t study with the childrenchasing around the house.
The banks had closed so I couldn’t get any money out.
I couldn’t understand the directions on the packet.
The car was so badly damaged that it couldn’t be repaired.
Why didn’t you come? Couldn’t you hear me calling you?
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5) Neighbor-noun /ˈneɪ.bɚ/ – someone who lives very close to you:
My wife checks on our elderly neighbour every few days to make sure that he’s alright.
The children were saved from the fire only because a neighbour pulled them clear.
It was a bitter civil war, that pitted neighbour against neighbour.
I’ve asked my neighbour to water the plants while I’m away.
The government warned its neighbours not to interfere in its internal affairs.
6) Promise-verb /ˈprɑː.mɪs/ – to tell someone that you will certainly do something:
He promised faithfully to call me every week.
The government have promised that they’ll reduce taxes.
Promise me (that) you won’t tell him.
I’ll look for some while I’m at the shops but I’m not promising anything.
Can I have that book back when you’ve finished because I’ve promised it (= I have said I will give it) to Sara.
Her parents promised her a new car if she passed her exams.
I’ve promised myself a long bath when I get through all this work.
“I won’t do anything dangerous.” “You promise?” “I promise.”
“I’ll come round and see you every day,” she promised.
“I won’t have time to take you shopping this afternoon.” “But you promised!”
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7) Miscarry-verb /ˈmɪsˌker.i/- If a woman miscarries, her baby dies because it is born before it has fully developed:
Sadly, she miscarried eight weeks into the pregnancy.
She miscarried her first baby.
Her friend had recently miscarried.
She miscarried at 22 weeks.
Up to 30% of pregnancies are miscarried.
8) Fertility-noun /fɚˈtɪl.ə.t̬i/- (of animals and plants) the quality of being able to produce young or fruit:
a fertility symbol
declining fertility rates He runs a fertility clinic.
She was prescribed fertility drugs to stimulate her ovaries.
She’s a leading fertility expert.
She began fertility treatment at the clinic three years ago.
It is thought that environmental toxins are destroying fertility.9) Drug-noun /drʌɡ/- any natural or artificially made chemical that is used as a medicine:
anti-cancer/fertility/pain-killing drugs
a prescription drug
drug therapy
He takes several drugs for his condition.The new drug could be an importantstep in the fight against cancer.
There are doubts about the effectiveness of the new drug in treating the disease.
For patients who do not respond to drug treatment, surgery is a possible option.
The doctors gave him more powerful drugs in the vain hope that he might recover.
I can give you stronger pain-killing drugs if these aren’t strong enough.
Five children were born in one family – level 3
“When we were going through the process, there was maybe a 10 percent chance of having twins, so, huh, quite a surprise!”
This couple in Texas have just welcomed not just one baby, but five. The newborns Mia, Tessa, Brant, Gracie and Rayleigh were born at 29 weeks through a caesarean section.
It took around 24 medical staff to help in the birth of the babies, who tipped the scales at weights from two pounds and seven ounces to three pounds and six ounces.
“So precious. They are tiny, and I just love it and I mean, I thought I’d be scared because of all the machines and tubes, but they’re just… I just love it. I can’t wait to get my hands on them.”
Mum and dad Steve and Michelle, who also have a two-year son, used fertility drugs after Michelle had several miscarriages.
The new parents said neighbours and friends at home have promised to help when they bring the five babies home.
Dictionary
1) Caesarean-noun /sɪˈzer.i.ən/- an operation in which a woman’s uterus is cut open to allow a baby to be born:
I had to have a caesarean.
The baby was born by caesarean.
a caesarean birth/delivery
2) Tip-verb /tɪp/- to (cause to) move so that one side is higher than another side:
The table tipped, and all our drinks fell on the floor.
If you put too many books on one end of the shelf, it’ll tip up.
Don’t tip your chair back like that, you’ll fall.
3) Scale-noun /skeɪl/-a set of numbers, amounts, etc., used to measure or compare the level of something:
the Centigrade/Fahrenheit scale
How would you rate his work on a scale of 1 to 5?
Films are rated on a scale of poor, fair, good and excellent.
Like all reading book schemes, these books are on a graduated scale of difficulty.
On a scale of one to ten, I’d rate his latest book a five.
The new salary scale only refers to company managers and directors.
Management have offered an extra 2% to staff on the lowest end of the pay scale.
Esl short stories for beginners free download
4) Ounce-noun /aʊns/-unit of weight equal to approximately 28 grams:
There are 16 ounces in one pound.
Measure out eight ounces of flour.
The recipe needs three and a half ounces of soft brown sugar – that’s about 100 grams.
Daniel weighed a healthy eight pounds and ten ounces when he was born.
Our best Beluga caviar costs $105 for one ounce.
The salesman showed me an amazing little music player weighing only a few ounces.
5) Fertility-noun /fɚˈtɪl.ə.t̬i/- (of animals and plants) the quality of being able to produce young or fruit:
a fertility symbol
She was prescribed fertility drugs to stimulate her ovaries.
She’s a leading fertility expert.
She began fertility treatment at the clinic three years ago.
It is thought that environmental toxins are destroying fertility.
Esl short stories for beginners free download
6) Miscarriage-noun /ˈmɪsˌker.ɪdʒ/- an early, unintentional end to a pregnancy when the baby is born too early and dies because it has not developed enough:
The amniocentesis test carries a significant risk of miscarriage.
I had two miscarriages before I gave birth to my daughter.
7) Promise-verb /ˈprɑː.mɪs/- to tell someone that you will certainly do something:
He promised faithfully to call me every week.
The government have promised that they’ll reduce taxes.
Promise me (that) you won’t tell him.
I’ll look for some while I’m at the shops but I’m not promising anything.
Can I have that book back when you’ve finished because I’ve promised it (= I have said I will give it) to Sara.
“I won’t do anything dangerous.” “You promise?” “I promise.”
Her parents promised her a new car if she passed her exams.
I’ve promised myself a long bath when I get through all this work.
“I’ll come round and see you every day,” she promised.
“I won’t have time to take you shopping this afternoon.” “But you promised!”