19 ago 2013

Short stories with idioms



Man Eats Out and Gets More Than He ordered

Deltona, FL, USA. Henry Snowden, 31, decided to eat out one Friday night. He pulled into a drive-up window at Burger King. Hungry as a bear, he ordereda large burger, large fries, and a king-size drink. Snowden got his fast food as well as a big surprise. Stuffed inside one of the paper bags was $4,170!


"I looked at the money as I ate. I knew immediately I should give it back, "Snowden said. But Snowden did not return the money right off the bat. He went home to sleep on it. "I've got to say I was tempted to keep it," he admitted.


Snowden went back to Buger king the next day to give back the money. Restaurant workers greeted him with tear in their eyes and gave him lunch on the house. They explained that the restaurant puts its bank deposits in paper bags to prevent robberies. By mistake, a clerk gave Snowden the wrong paper bag.


Buger King may offer Snowden a reward. But Snowden says there's something even better - he has a clear conscience. "I'm glad I did the right thing. I feel better than I've ever felt."


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be tempted: be strongly attracted to an idea


New idioms and expressions

eat out ................................................................ eat in a restaurant
pull into a place ................................................. arrive at a place by car, bus or train
(as) hungry as a bear ......................................... very hungry
as well as ........................................................... and also
look at someone or something ............................direct your eyes to someone or something
give something back (to someone) .....................return something (to someone)
right off the bat ................................................. immediately
sleep on it ..........................................................decide later, often the next day
have got to do something .................................have to do something: must do something
go back (to a place) ..........................................return (to a place)
on the house .................................................... free; paid for by the merchant
by mistake ........................................................accidentally; in error
have a clear conscience ..................................be free of guilt











On top of the World


KATMANDU, NEPAL. As a boy in Wales, Tom Whittaker had his heart set on climbing mountains. He moved to the U.S. and became a skilled climber.

In 1979, a drunk driver hit his car. Whittaker, then age 30, lost his right foot. This was a bitter pill to swallow. However, he refused to give up climbing. Instead, he decided to break new ground as a disabled person. He set his sights on Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. It's also the most dangerous; one in six climbers dies there.

Year in and year out for more than ten years, Whittaker trained hard for his dream. With the help of doctors and engineers, he designed a strong artificial foot to climb the terrible mountain. In 1989, Whittaker forced him back. In 1995, he made a second attempt. This time, illness forced him back.

Finally, in 1998, Whittaker reached the roof of the world. "I arrived just as the sun came up," he said. He was on  top of the world! Whittaker made history as the first disable person to climb Mount Everest.



 

New idioms and expressions

be on top of the world .............................................be very happy
have one's heart set on something .........................want something very much
a bitter pill to swallow ............................................a difficult thing to accept
give up (doing) something .......................................stop or quit (doing) something
break new ground ....................................................do something that has not been done before
set one's sights on (doing) something .....................choose (to do) something as a goal
year in and year out ..................................................continuously for many years
make an attempt (to do something) ..........................try (to do something)
force someone back ..................................................make someone go back
come up .....................................................................rise (reffering to the sun, moon, etc.)
make history ..............................................................do something that will be remembered in history    
                                                                                    books.



Lovesick Elephant 

LYON, FRANCE. For Pankov and Mako, it was love at first sight. When the two elephants first saw each other in the Lyon  zoo, they fell head over heels in love.

For 34 years, the two elephants looked after each other and were happy. Then one day, Mako got sick. He fell into a dich by the elephants' cage. A few months later, on a cold January day, he passed away.

Pankov was brokenhearted. Over and over, zookeepers tried to feed her, but she refused to eat. Although Pankov had a sweet tooth, she even refused her favorite treat, sweet spiced wine. Nothing could cheer her up. Pankov didn't eat for four weeks, and she went from bad to worse. On Valentine's Day, a month after Mako's death, zookeepers found Pankov in the same ditch. That night, she died of a borken heart.





New idioms and expressions

love at first sight .....................................................love that happens when two people first see each other
fall head over heels in love (with someone) ...........fall deeply and suddenly in love
look after someone or something ............................take care of; watch over someone or something
pass away ................................................................die
be brokenhearted .....................................................be very sad
over and over ...........................................................repeatedly; many times
have a sweet tooth ..................................................love to eat sweet foods
cheer someone up ...................................................make someone happier
go from bad to worse ..............................................go from a bad situation to a very bad situation
die of a broken heart ...............................................die from sadness


















INTERESTING LINKS:


American Stories for English Learners (Text & MP3 Files)

 

SHORT STORIES

 

SHORT STORIES (BRITISH COUNCIL)




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