Рассказы на английском языке для средней школы. Интересные истории с упражнениями

Monday morning started like any other day at Green Valley School. Students were laughing and talking in the hallway. Emma Carter stood near the entrance and looked around. Everything felt new and unfamiliar.

She had moved from Bristol two weeks ago because her father got a new job. The move happened very quickly. She didn’t have enough time to say goodbye to all her friends. Now she was here, in a new city, in a new school.

Emma held her backpack tightly and took a deep breath. «You can do this,» she thought.

The bell rang, and she walked into Class 8B.

Inside, the classroom was loud. Students were chatting and looking at their phones. Then the teacher walked in.

«Good morning, everyone,» she said. «Please sit down.»

The room became quiet.

«We have a new student today. This is Emma Carter. Please make her feel welcome.»

All eyes turned to Emma.

«Hi,» she said softly.

«There’s an empty seat next to me,» said a boy with curly brown hair. «You can sit here.»

«Thank you, Leo,» the teacher said.

Emma sat down.

«Don’t worry,» Leo whispered. «The first day is always difficult. Feel free to ask me if you need help.»

«Thanks,» Emma said. She already felt a little better.

The first lesson was history. The class was working on a group project about ancient Egypt. Emma felt confused because she didn’t know anything about it.

Leo noticed her worried face.

«Take your time,» he said quietly. «We’ll explain everything later.»

During the break, two girls came up to her.

«Hi, I’m Sophie, and this is Mia,» one of them said. «Where are you from?»

«From Bristol,» Emma answered.

«Do you like it here?» Mia asked.

«I’m not sure yet,» Emma said honestly.

Later, in English class, Mr. Thompson asked Emma to read a paragraph out loud. Her heart was beating fast. She started reading, but she made a small mistake.

All of a sudden, some boys at the back began to laugh.

Emma felt her face turn red.

«It’s okay,» Mr. Thompson said. «Everyone makes mistakes.»

Leo looked at the boys. «Grow up,» he said quietly.

Emma took a deep breath and continued reading. This time she spoke more clearly.

«Very good,» said Mr. Thompson when she finished.

After school, Leo caught up with her.

«We’re meeting in the park to work on the project,» he said. «Do you want to come?»

Emma hesitated. She was tired, but she didn’t want to feel lonely at home.

«Okay,» she said.

In the park, they worked together. Sophie shared her notes, and Mia showed pictures on her tablet. Emma had an idea.

«We could act out a short scene from ancient Egypt,» she suggested.

«That’s brilliant,» Leo said.

For the first time that day, Emma felt relaxed.

When she walked home, her phone suddenly buzzed. It was a message from Sophie: «Welcome to our group chat.»

Emma smiled.

Maybe this new school was not so bad after all.

Glossary

unfamiliar – незнакомый

move – переезжать

say goodbye – попрощаться

entrance – вход

hold tightly – крепко держать

loud – громкий

make someone feel welcome – помочь почувствовать себя желанным гостем

empty seat – свободное место

whisper – шептать

difficult – трудный

confused – растерянный

worried – обеспокоенный

break – перемена

honestly – честно

paragraph – абзац

out loud – вслух

heart was beating fast – сердце быстро билось

make a mistake – сделать ошибку

all of a sudden – внезапно

turn red – покраснеть

continue – продолжать

clearly – ясно, чётко

catch up with – догнать

hesitate – колебаться

lonely – одинокий

share – делиться

suggest – предложить

brilliant – замечательный

buzz – вибрировать

after all – в конце концов

Discussion Questions

Why did Emma move to a new city?

How did Leo help Emma on her first day?

What happened in English class?

Why did Emma decide to go to the park?

How does Emma feel at the end of the story?

Fill in the Gaps

Emma had moved from ______ two weeks ago.

She held her backpack ______.

Leo told her to feel ______ to ask for help.

Emma felt ______ because she didn’t understand the project.

In English class, she read a paragraph out ______.

She made a small ______ while reading.

Emma took a deep ______ and continued.

After school, Leo ______ up with her.

They worked on their history ______ in the park.

Her phone suddenly ______.

Answers

Discussion Questions:

Emma moved because her father got a new job.

Leo offered her a seat, helped her with the project, and supported her in class.

She made a small mistake while reading, and some boys laughed at her.

She didn’t want to feel lonely at home and wanted to join the group.

She feels more relaxed and hopeful about her new school.

Fill in the Gaps:

Bristol

tightly

free

confused

loud

mistake

breath

caught

project

buzzed

On Wednesday afternoon, Emma felt much more confident than on her first day. She was no longer «the new student.» She was part of the history group with Leo, Sophie, and Mia.

Their project about ancient Egypt was due on Friday. They had planned to act out a short scene about a young pharaoh and his advisors. Emma helped write the script, Leo wanted to be the pharaoh, Sophie prepared the slides, and Mia was in charge of costumes.

«It’s going to be amazing,» Leo said during lunch. «We still have two days. We have plenty of time.»

Emma smiled, but she wasn’t so sure. «Are you sure we’re ready?»

«Relax,» Sophie said. «Everything is under control.»

On Thursday afternoon, they met at Sophie’s house to practise. At first, everything seemed fine. Mia brought some white sheets to use as costumes. Leo had made a paper crown. Sophie opened her laptop to show the presentation.

«Okay,» Sophie said. «Let’s start from the beginning.»

They began acting. Emma read her lines. Leo spoke loudly and dramatically. Mia tried not to laugh.

Then suddenly, Sophie’s laptop screen went black.

«What happened?» she said.

She pressed a few buttons. Nothing.

«Oh no,» she whispered. «My battery is dead.»

«Can you charge it?» Emma asked.

Sophie looked around. «I left my charger at school.»

For a moment, nobody spoke.

«It’s fine,» Leo said quickly. «We still have the file.»

«Yes,» Sophie said slowly. «But… I didn’t save the last version.»

Emma felt her stomach drop. «What do you mean?»

«I worked on it last night,» Sophie explained. «I added pictures and fixed some mistakes. But I forgot to save it.»

All of a sudden, the situation felt serious.

«Maybe it saved automatically?» Mia suggested.

Sophie tried to turn the laptop on again, but it didn’t work.

«This is a disaster,» she said quietly.

Emma took a deep breath. «Okay. Let’s not panic. We can fix this.»

Leo nodded. «She’s right. We still have the script. And we remember most of the information.»

«But the pictures,» Sophie said. «And the design. It took hours.»

Emma thought for a moment. «Take your time. First, let’s make a plan.»

They decided to divide the work again. Mia would help Sophie recreate the slides from memory. Leo and Emma would practise their scene one more time.

For the next hour, everyone worked hard. There was no more joking. They wanted to save their project.

At one point, Leo forgot his lines.

«Sorry,» he said. «My mind is a mess.»

«It’s okay,» Emma said. «We’re all stressed.»

Finally, Sophie stood up.

«I have good news,» she said. «I turned the laptop on. It had a little battery left. And… the file is here!»

«Is it the new version?» Mia asked.

Sophie clicked on the file and waited.

«Yes!» she shouted. «It saved automatically!»

Everyone started laughing.

«That was close,» Leo said. «I thought we were in real trouble.»

Emma smiled. «At least we learned something.»

«What?» Sophie asked.

«Always save your work,» Emma said.

On Friday morning, the group felt nervous but ready. Other students were also preparing their presentations. Some looked confident. Others looked worried.

When it was their turn, Leo walked to the front of the class with his paper crown. A few students smiled.

The presentation began. Sophie changed the slides carefully. Mia helped with the costumes. Emma and Leo acted out their scene.

Leo spoke clearly and confidently. Emma remembered all her lines. The class watched quietly.

When they finished, there was a short silence.

Then the students started clapping.

«That was creative and well prepared,» Mrs. Miller said. «Excellent teamwork.»

Emma felt proud. This time, her heart was beating fast for a different reason.

After class, Leo smiled at the group.

«We did it,» he said.

«And no more disasters,» Mia added.

Sophie laughed. «Next time, I’ll save my work twice.»

Emma looked at her new friends. A few days ago, she felt like a stranger. Now she felt like part of something important.

Maybe group projects were stressful.

But sometimes, they brought people closer together.

Glossary

confident – уверенный

due – срок сдачи

act out – разыгрывать

advisor – советник

in charge of – отвечать за

practise – репетировать

seem – казаться

screen – экран

battery – батарея

charger – зарядное устройство

save (a file) – сохранять

version – версия

automatically – автоматически

serious – серьёзный

disaster – катастрофа

panic – паниковать

divide – разделить

recreate – воссоздать

from memory – по памяти

stressed – в стрессе

turn on – включить

close (situation) – опасный, напряжённый момент

creative – креативный

teamwork – командная работа

proud – гордый

prepare – готовиться

clap – хлопать

presentation – презентация

trouble – проблема

bring closer – сближать

Discussion Questions

What was the group’s project about?

What problem happened at Sophie’s house?

How did the group react to the problem?

Why was Emma proud at the end?

What lesson did the students learn?

Fill in the Gaps

The project was ______ on Friday.

Sophie forgot to ______ the last version of the presentation.

When the laptop turned off, everyone felt it was a ______.

Emma told the group not to ______.

Leo said his mind was a ______.

The file saved ______.

Their presentation was creative and well ______.

The students started ______ after the performance.

Emma felt ______ of her team.

In the end, the project brought them ______ together.

Answers

Discussion Questions:

The project was about ancient Egypt.

Sophie’s laptop battery died, and she thought she didn’t save the new version of the presentation.

At first they were stressed, but then they stayed calm and worked together to fix the problem.

She was proud because the presentation was successful and they worked well as a team.

They learned to always save their work and not to panic.

Fill in the Gaps:

due

save

disaster

panic

mess

automatically

prepared

clapping

proud

closer

Two weeks after the history project, Class 8B had to give individual presentations in English. This time, everyone had to work alone.

When Mr. Thompson announced it, the classroom became quiet.

«You will choose a topic you like,» he explained. «Prepare a five-minute presentation. You can use slides if you want. Take your time, but be ready next Monday.»

Emma felt nervous again. Group work was easier. When you work in a team, you are not alone. But now she had to stand in front of the class by herself.

After school, she talked to Leo and Sophie.

«What are you going to present?» Leo asked.

«Maybe something about Bristol,» Emma said. «Or about moving to a new city.»

«That’s a good idea,» Sophie said. «It’s personal. People will listen.»

Emma decided to talk about «Starting Over: Life in a New City.» She worked on her presentation all weekend. She wrote notes, chose pictures, and practised in front of the mirror.

On Sunday evening, her mother watched her practise.

«You’re doing well,» her mother said. «Just speak slowly and clearly.»

«I’m afraid I’ll forget everything,» Emma admitted.

«That happens sometimes,» her mother said. «But if you forget a word, just explain it in a different way.»

On Monday morning, Emma felt ready. She had her notes. She had practised many times. She even felt a little excited.

But when she entered the classroom, she saw something that changed everything.

On the board, Mr. Thompson had written a new order for the presentations.

Emma was first.

Her heart began to beat faster.

«All of a sudden?» she whispered to Leo.

He looked at the board. «That’s bad luck,» he said quietly. «But you’ll be fine.»

Emma walked to the front of the class when Mr. Thompson called her name.

She connected her laptop and opened her slides. The first picture appeared on the screen. It was a photo of Bristol.

«Good morning,» she began. «Today I want to talk about starting over in a new city.»

Her voice was a little shaky, but she continued.

For the first minute, everything went well. She talked about her old school and her friends. Some students were listening carefully.

Then, suddenly, the screen froze.

Emma clicked the mouse. Nothing happened.

She clicked again.

Still nothing.

«I’m sorry,» she said. «Just a second.»

She tried to stay calm. But the computer was not responding.

A few students started whispering.

Emma felt her face turn red.

Mr. Thompson stood up. «Sometimes technology causes problems,» he said. «Can you continue without the slides?»

Emma looked at the blank screen. She had practised with the pictures. They helped her remember what to say.

For a moment, her mind went completely blank.

She couldn’t remember the next sentence.

The classroom felt very quiet.

«It’s okay,» Mr. Thompson said kindly. «Take your time.»

Emma closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath.

She remembered her mother’s words: If you forget something, explain it in a different way.

«I moved here two months ago,» she said slowly. «At first, I felt lost. I didn’t know anyone. I missed my friends.»

Her voice became stronger.

«But I learned something important,» she continued. «Starting over is scary, but it can also be exciting. You meet new people. You discover new places. And you learn more about yourself.»

Now the class was listening.

Leo smiled at her from his seat.

Emma forgot about the broken slides. She spoke from memory. She spoke from the heart.

When she finished, there was silence for a moment.

Then someone started clapping.

Soon, the whole class was clapping.

Emma felt surprised.

«Thank you, Emma,» Mr. Thompson said. «That was honest and brave. Sometimes problems help us show our real strength.»

Emma walked back to her seat. Her hands were still shaking, but she was smiling.

«That was not the worst presentation ever,» Leo whispered. «It was actually great.»

Emma laughed quietly.

Maybe it didn’t start perfectly.

Maybe it was stressful.

But in the end, it was not a disaster at all.

Glossary

individual – индивидуальный

announce – объявлять

choose – выбирать

prepare – готовить

nervous – нервный

starting over – начинать заново

practise – репетировать

admit – признавать

afraid – бояться

enter – входить

order – порядок

beat faster – биться быстрее

connect – подключать

appear – появляться

shaky – дрожащий

freeze – зависать

respond – реагировать

whisper – шептать

blank (mind) – пустой

take a deep breath – сделать глубокий вдох

lost – потерянный

continue – продолжать

brave – смелый

strength – сила

shake – трястись

actually – на самом деле

stressful – стрессовый

cause – вызывать

discover – открывать

honest – искренний

Discussion Questions

What was Emma’s presentation about?

Why did she feel more nervous than before?

What problem happened during her presentation?

How did Emma solve the problem?

Why did the class clap at the end?

Fill in the Gaps

Students had to prepare an ______ presentation.

Emma chose to talk about ______ over in a new city.

On Monday, Emma was ______ on the list.

Her heart began to ______ faster.

The computer screen suddenly ______.

For a moment, her mind went completely ______.

Mr. Thompson told her to take her ______.

Emma took a deep ______ and continued speaking.

The class started ______ when she finished.

In the end, the presentation was not a ______.

Answers

Discussion Questions:

Her presentation was about starting over in a new city.

She felt more nervous because she had to present alone and she was first.

The computer froze and her slides stopped working.

She took a deep breath and continued speaking without the slides.

The class clapped because her presentation was honest and brave.

Fill in the Gaps:

individual

starting

first

beat

froze

blank

time

breath

clapping

disaster

It was Wednesday morning again, and Class 8B was full of students talking about their weekend. Emma walked into the classroom and looked around for a place to sit. All the seats near the front were already taken.

«Hmm… maybe at the back,» she thought.

She walked quietly to the last row. A few students were sitting there, whispering and laughing. Emma smiled nervously.

«Hi,» she said. «Is this seat free?»

A boy with glasses looked up. «Sure,» he said. «I’m Daniel. I usually sit here. It’s quieter back here.»

Emma nodded and put her backpack on the chair. She liked that no one was watching her.

The teacher, Mrs. Miller, started the lesson. Emma tried to concentrate, but she noticed that some students in the back were passing notes and giggling.

All of a sudden, a paper airplane flew past her head. Emma ducked quickly.

«Hey!» Daniel said, picking it up. «Who did this?»

Nobody answered. Emma felt a little nervous. She didn’t want to be part of the trouble.

During the break, Daniel explained the rules of sitting at the back.

«Some students like to go here because it’s quiet,» he said. «But others use it to chat, play games, or even throw paper airplanes.»

Emma laughed. «I see. So it’s a mix of fun and chaos.»

«Exactly,» Daniel said. «But if you want, I can help you find a spot where you can work quietly.»

Emma agreed. She liked Daniel’s advice.

The next lesson was maths. Emma noticed that sitting at the back had advantages. She could watch the teacher and write her notes without distraction. She also felt less nervous than before when answering questions.

Later, a group of students came to the back to play a small game. Daniel asked them politely to be quiet. Surprisingly, they listened.

Emma realized that sitting at the back didn’t mean being invisible. She could still be part of the class and pay attention.

After school, she told Leo about her day.

«Sitting at the back?» Leo asked. «Doesn’t that make you miss a lot?»

«Not really,» Emma said. «It’s quieter, and I can focus. Plus, I met Daniel. He’s helpful.»

Leo smiled. «Sometimes, the back row is the best place to be.»

Emma laughed. «I guess so. Who knew?»

That evening, Emma thought about her first few weeks at the new school. She had made friends, survived group projects, and even learned how to find her own space in the classroom.

Sitting at the back wasn’t bad at all. In fact, it might be her favourite seat.

Glossary

whisper – шептать

quiet – тихий