Skip to content 
Level 2 — Level 3
Level 1
A group of people makes bionic arms. The arms are 3D printed. The people give the arms to children.
One boy doesn’t have two complete arms. One of his arms is OK. The other one is short. It ends with his elbow. The group gives the boy a bionic arm. It looks like Iron Man’s arm. Who gives the boy the arm? Iron Man, of course!
Robert Downy Jr is an actor. He plays Iron Man. He is the boy’s idol.
Source: newsinlevels.com
Short stories to learn English for adults NEXT
Learn English Through Story Subtitles in youtube.com
Dictionary
1) Group-noun /ɡruːp/ – a number of people or things that are put together or considered as a unit:
-I’m meeting a group of friends for dinner tonight.
-The car was parked near a small group of trees.
-She showed me another group of pictures, this time of children playing.
-A small group of children waited outside the door.
-An unknown terrorist group has claimed responsibility for this morning’s bomb attack.
-They work as a group – no one person is allowed to dominate.
-This group of chemicals is known to be harmful to people with asthma.
-The two groups of scientists are vying to get funding for their research projects.
2) Make-verb /meɪk/ – to produce something, often using a particular substance or material:
-Do you want me to make some coffee?
-He made a chocolate cake.
-She makes all her own clothes.
-He made us some coffee./He made some coffee for us.
-The pot is made to withstand high temperatures.
-He works for a company that makes furniture.
-The label on the box said “made in China”.
-Butter is made out of/from milk.
-Her new trainer has promised to make an Olympic athlete of her.
3) Bionic-adjective /baɪˈɑː.nɪk/ using artificial materials and methods to produce activity or movement in a person or animal:
-a bionic arm / leg
4) Arm-noun /ɑːrm/-
5) Give-verb /ɡɪv/ – to offer something to someone, or to provide someone with something:
-She gave us a set of saucepans as a wedding present.
-Can you give me a date for another appointment?
-They never gave me a chance/choice.
-Has the director given you permission to do that?
-We always try to give to charity.
-We’re collecting for the children’s home – please give generously.
-The police gave (out) road-safety booklets to the children (= gave them to all the children).
-Please give (up) your seat to an elderly or disabled person if they need it.
6) Complete-verb /kəmˈpliːt/ – to make whole or perfect:
-Complete the sentence with one of the adjectives provided.
-He only needs two more cards to complete the set.
-All she needed to complete her happiness was a baby.
-At the last minute, we roped in a couple of spectators to complete the team.
-I need two more vases to complete the collection.
-The baby completed our family.
-Some heavy curtains completed the furnishings in the living room.
-Her family completed the list of guests.
7) Other-determiner /ˈʌð.ɚ/- as well as the thing or person already mentioned:
-The product has many other time-saving features.
-There is no other work available at the moment.
-There is only one other person who could help us.
-Are there any other people we should ask?
-I found one earring – do you know where the other one is?
8) End-noun /end/- the part of a place or thing that is furthest away from the centre:
-This cable should have a plug at one end and a socket at the other.
-We damaged the end of the piano when we moved it.
-Get to the end of the queue and wait your turn like everyone else.
-Our house is the third from the end on the left.
-Is it safe to stand the computer on (its) end?
9) Elbow-noun /ˈel.boʊ/-
10) Course-noun /kɔːrs/- a set of classes or a plan of study on a particular subject, usually leading to an exam or qualification:
-They’re going away on a training course next week.
-I’d like to do (US take) a writing course when I retire.
-UK Tim did a three-year course in linguistics at Newcastle.
-I did a course in creative writing.
-Julie has signed up for courses on English and French this year.
-There are still some vacancies for students in science and engineering courses.
-The course comprises a class book, a practice book and an audio tape.
-She’s been offered a place on the nursing course.
11) Idol-noun /ˈaɪ.dəl/ – someone who is admired and respected very much:
-The Hollywood film idols of the 1940s were glamorous figures, adored by millions.
Iron Man gives a boy a bionic arm – level 2
A group of people started to make free 3D printed bionic arms for kids. The group gave a bionic arm to a seven-year-old boy who was born with a partially developed arm.
But it was not just about what the group gave the boy, but who gave it to him – Robert Downey Jr, the man who plays Iron Man. The boy was a bit star-struck when he met his idol, but soon they started talking.
The boy’s bionic arm looks a lot like Iron Man’s arm. Cool, isn’t it?
Source: newsinlevels.com
Short stories to learn English for adults NEXT
Learn English Through Story Subtitles in youtube.com
Dictionary
1) Partially-adverb /ˈpɑːr.ʃəl.i/- not completely:
-The meat was only partially cooked.
-He’s been partially deaf since birth.
-The books with large print are meant for our partially sighted readers.
-Guide dogs are a great boon to the partially sighted.
-It’s only partially decorated.
-My dish, when it came, was only partially cooked.
2) Bit-noun /bɪt/ – a small piece or amount of something:
-Would you like a bit of chocolate?
-The glass smashed into little bits.
-There were bits of paper all over the floor.
-She tries to do a bit of exercise every day.
-I don’t understand this bit.
3) Star-struck-adjective /ˈstɑːr.strʌk/ – feeling great or too much respect for famous or important people, especially famous actors or performers:
-It’s the story of a star-struck young girl who goes to Hollywood to make her fortune.
4) Meet-verb /miːt/- to see and talk to someone for the first time:
-They met at work.
-I met her in Hawaii.
-Would you like to meet my sister?
C-ome and meet (= be introduced to) my friend Laura.
-I’d like you to meet Ann Gregory, my deputy.
-I’m dreading having to meet his parents.
-It’s important to create a good impression when you meet a new client.
-It’s not always easy to meet members of the opposite sex.
-We went backstage after the show to meet the actors.
Iron Man gives a boy a bionic arm – level 3
He plays a bionic character in a film franchise, but it seems Robert Downey Jr is a superhero in real life, too. Posing as his Iron Man character, the star made this disabled fan’s dreams come true.
“Pleasure to meet you. Have another bionics expert on hand, so I thought I’d drop by.”
“Thank you.”
“Yes, it’s pleasure. Nice bowtie by the way.”
“Thanks.”
“How were your travels?”
“It was very good!”
“Well, I thought I’d bring one of my gauntlets to match it up with yours and see if everything’s copacetic. You want to have a look?”
“Sure!”
Seven-year-old Alex Pring was born with a partially developed arm, seemed a little star-struck when he met his idol, but they soon hit it off.
“Do you know who that is?”
“Iron Man.”
“What’s his name?”
“Robert.”
“Great!”
The star then presented his friend with a new gift – a bionic arm of his very own. The 3D replica was even better than the real thing.
“Um, as you can see my light isn’t working. Half the time, you know, I design one of these, it winds up breaking on me. But what I do is I keep working on it. Kind of like you’re working on it with Albert.”
“He keeps working and working until he gets it right.”
“Yeah. I think yours is still a little bit more right than mine because at least, you know…”
“The light’s working.”
“The light works, yeah.”
This arm was made by a volunteer group started by Alberto Manero to make free bionic arms for kids. Downey Jr later took to his Facebook page, calling Alex the most dapper seven-year-old he’s ever met.
“Bang, nailed it!”
Short stories to learn English for adults NEXT
Source: newsinlevels.com
Learn English Through Story Subtitles in youtube.com
Dictionary
1) Character-noun /ˈker.ək.tɚ/-
-the particular combination of qualities in a person or place that makes them different from others:
-Politeness is traditionally part of the British character.
-It would be very out of character (= not typical) of her to lie.
-One of the joys of being a parent is watching the child’s character develop.
-The idea was to modernize various aspects of the house without changing its essential character.
-It’s not in his character to be (= he is not usually) jealous.
-The area where I grew up has been all modernized and has lost all its old character.
-It’s very tasteful, their house, but I can’t help thinking it lacks a little character.
-Closing the factory would irrevocably alter the character of the local community for the worse.
-There’s a marked contrast between his character and hers.
-The way he drives says a lot about his character.
2) Franchise-noun /ˈfræn.tʃaɪz/ – a right to sell a company’s products in a particular area using the company’s name:
-a fast-food franchise
-a franchise holder
-The Commission felt the company were overbidding and gave the franchise to their competitors instead.
-The company expanded rapidly during the 1980s by means of franchises.
-Each store is owned by an individual who pays a fee for the franchise.
-The franchise has proved to be extremely lucrative.
-He lost the franchise after failing to meet the specified standards.
3) Disabled-adjective /dɪˈseɪ.bəld/- not having one or more of the physical or mental abilities that most people have:
-The accident left him severely disabled.
-How would disabled people escape in an emergency?
-Parking restrictions do not extend to disabled people.
-The new law should allow more disabled people to enter the mainstream of American life.
-They cared for their disabled son for 27 years, at great personal sacrifice.
-We hope our work will help to change popular misconceptions about disabled people.
4) Gauntlet-noun /ˈɡɑːnt.lət/-
5) Copacetic-adjective /ˌkoʊ.pəˈset̬.ɪk/- very good or going very well:
-Everything was copacetic between them.
-But are things really as copacetic as they seem at first sight?
-He is the first to admit that not everything has been copacetic in his life.
-He got me a job and things were copacetic after that.
-Two argumentative people living under the same roof doesn’t make for a copacetic situation over the long run.
6) Replica-noun /ˈrep.lɪ.kə/ – an exact copy of an object:
-The ship is an exact replica of the original Golden Hind.
7) Nail-noun /neɪl/-
Short stories to learn English for adults NEXT