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PRINT & GO ESLReading WorksheetsBook1Short Stories for Adult Students – Beginning LevelESL Printable Christina Niven, 2010Online E-bookwww.elcivics.com

TABLE OF CONTENTSIntroduction and Teaching TipsESL Stories – Subject CategoriesBuying a Used Car – (transportation, consumer skills) . 4Community College – (education, communities) . 5Crimes Around Town – (crime, communities) . 6Dream Vacation – (recreation, travel) . 7Edna’s On a Diet – (health, nutrition) . 8Good Neighbors – (communities) . 9Everyone Needs a Hobby – (recreation, family) 10Messy Teenagers – (family, parenting) . 11Miguel is a Runner – (health, recreation) . 12Office with a View – (employment) . 13Problems at Work – (employment) . 14Recycling for Cash – (environment) . 15Robots Can Help Us – (technology) . . 16Shipwrecked – (travel, recreation) . . 17Volunteers – (communities, civics) 18Voting is a Civic Duty – (civics, communities) . . 19Walking the Dog – (recreation, health) . . 20Molly is a Widow – (family, finances, health) . 21Working in New York City – (employment, family) . 22Young and In Love – (feelings) . . 232

IntroductionPrint & Go ESL Reading Worksheets is an assortment of reproducibleworksheets for ESL teachers and students. The material is designed forbeginning-level adults who are learning English. Worksheet subjectsinclude: communities, civics and government, employment, families,feelings, finances, health, nutrition, recreation, and travel.Worksheet Features Free Web site download, no need for paper backups Black and white pages that copy well Small easy-to-digest chunks of information Short one-paragraph stories Clear subject/verb/object sentence structures Repetitive exercises to guarantee student success Four skill areas: reading, true/false, forming opinions, writingTeaching Tips Preview the story by asking questions about the pictures. Pair students and have them read the stories aloud to each other. Conduct class surveys by tallying yes/no answers to Exercise C. Have students stand and share their written responses to Exercise D. Assign higher level students the task of writing a second paragraph foreach of the stories. Assign the worksheets as homework. Use the worksheets as a supplement to Distance Learning Classes.Permission to Make Photocopies – Download to Your Web SiteCopyright holder is licensing this eBook under the Creative Commonslicense, Attribution Non-CommercialNo Derivatives 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/. You have permission toshare this eBook, post to your web site, print it, and pass it along to others,as long as you don't make any edits or changes to its contents or digitalformat. You do not have permission to sell it electronically or as a printedbook. If you do post it to your site, provide a link back tohttp://www.elcivics.com/ giving credit to the copyright holder. This eBookis available for free by visiting http://www.elcivics.com. Christina Niven,2010.3

BUYING A USED CARA. ReadingJeff is trying to buy a used car. He is at a dealership and is negotiating with a carsalesman. He can afford to put 1,200 down on a car and pay up to 275 per month. Thecar salesman said Jeff needs to put more money down on the car if he wants the paymentsunder 300. The asking price for the car is 8,500. This includes a ninety-day warranty.Jeff told the salesman that he can’t afford to put more money down and he can’t affordhigher payments. He needs to keep some money to cover the cost of car insurance. Afriend at work is selling a similar car, but it doesn’t come with a warranty.B. True or False1. Jeff is talking to his friend at work.2. Dealerships sell cars.3. Jeff can afford 275 per month in car payments.4. Ninety days is about three months.5. Jeff will also need to pay for car insurance.C. Yes or No – Share Your Opinion1. It’s better to buy a new car than a used car.2. Jeff should tell the car salesman he doesn’t want the car.D. Writing – Describe your car. If you don’t have one, describe a friend’s car.4

COMMUNITY COLLEGEA. ReadingAnita saved 975 for community college tuition and other expenses, but now sheis confused. Her older sister is going to Hawaii next month, and she wants Anita to gowith her. They can get a discount on a hotel room and share the costs of renting a car.Anita knows college is important, but she wants to visit Hawaii. The problem is she can’tafford both. If she goes Hawaii, she won’t have enough money for college. It will takeher a year to save enough money for tuition. Anita wants to be a nurse someday and workin a hospital. She doesn’t know what to do. She has to make a difficult decision.B. True or False1. Anita saved money for college.2. Her sister is going to Hawaii next year.3. Anita works in a hospital.4. Colleges charge tuition.5. Anita and her sister can get a discount on a hotel room.C. Yes or No – Share Your Opinion1. Anita should use her money for college instead of vacation.2. Anita’s sister is a “bad influence”.D. Writing – Describe a difficult decision you made.5

CRIMES AROUND TOWNA. ReadingFrank was in a good mood when he woke up this morning. He showered, shaved,got dressed for work, and ate breakfast. When he opened his front door to go to work, hewas surprised. His car was on concrete blocks and all four tires were missing. Aneighbor saw his car and came out to talk to him. Frank asked his neighbor if he sawanything suspicious. The neighbor said no. Frank went back into the house and calledthe police. They sent an officer to take a report and investigate the crime. Frank’sneighbor gave him a ride to work.B. True or False1. Frank woke up happy.2. Police officers investigate crimes.3. All of the tires on the car were stolen.4. Frank’s neighbor is helpful.5. Frank took the day off from work.C. Yes or No – Share Your Opinion1. Does the city you live in have a lot of crime?2. You should report all crimes to the police.D. Writing – Where do you park your car at night? Is it a safe place?6

DREAM VACATION A. ReadingIt’s 3:00 in the morning and Irma is sound asleep. She is dreaming about avacation. In her dreams she is on a beach in Acapulco, Mexico. She is staying at a resortoverlooking the Pacific Ocean. The water is blue and warm and the sand is white. Agentle breeze cools the heat of the Mexican sun. Irma can hear mariachis in a nearbyrestaurant. They are playing traditional music. Tropical plants are everywhere. Theblooms of their flowers are yellow, pink, red, and blue. Everything there is slower andmore relaxed. Irma is happy. She stretches and smiles. She continues to sleep anddream.B. True or False1. Acapulco is in Mexico.2. Irma is on vacation.3. Mariachis are performing in a play.4. Some tropical plants have blooms.5. Irma is awake.C. Yes or No – Share Your Opinion1. Mexico is a great place for vacation.2. Most people feel happier when the weather is warm.D. Writing – Where do you want to go on vacation?7

EDNA’S ON A DIETA. ReadingEdna is on a diet. She lost five pounds, but she wants to lose ten more poundsbefore her trip to Italy next month. She is going with a group of friends, and she wants tolook her best. Everyone tells her she looks great, but she doesn’t agree. She bought newclothes for her vacation, but she can’t fit into them. Edna got a diet book that lists thecalories of foods. She writes down everything she eats and adds up the calories. Shetries to eat no more than a thousand calories per day. Right now she is thinking abouteating a slice of cherry pie. Dieting is not easy!B. True or False1. Edna wants to lose five more pounds.2. She is moving to Italy.3. Her diet book lists the calories of foods.4. It’s not easy to stick to a diet.5. Edna is trying to eat a hundred calories per day.C. Yes or No – Share Your Opinion1. Edna is not fat. She shouldn’t be on a diet.2. Exercise is more important then dieting.D. Writing – Why did Edna buy new clothes that don’t fit?8

GOOD NEIGHBORSA. ReadingMr. and Mrs. Russo live in a small house in a small town. Their neighbors arevery friendly and helpful. When they go on vacation, their neighbors watch their house tomake sure it is safe. They also water the grass and get their mail. Mrs. Russo wants to dosomething nice for her neighbors. She wants to invite them to her house for dinner onSaturday. She plans to serve roast beef, baked potatoes, asparagus, and a green salad. Fordessert, she will bake a pecan pie. After dinner, Mr. Russo will play a few songs on hisnew guitar.B. True or False1. The Russo’s neighbors are helpful.2. Mr. and Mrs. Russo never go on vacation.3. Potatoes and asparagus are vegetables.4. Mr. Russo plays a musical instrument.5. Mrs. Russo will make a peach pie.C. Yes or No – Share Your Opinion1. The best part of dinner is dessert.2. People in small towns are friendlier than people in large cities.D. Writing – What would you make for your guests for dinner?9

EVERYONE NEEDS A HOBBYA. ReadingJanice and her sister, Hilda, like arts and crafts. Janice likes to embroider andHilda likes to paint. The sisters get together once a week. One week they meet atJanice’s house and the next week they meet at Hilda’s house. The sisters work on craftprojects all year. When someone they know has a birthday, they give them a homemadegift. Friends and family members appreciate the gifts. Many of them have suggested thatthe sisters rent a booth at the swap meet and sell their crafts. But Janice and Hilda preferto make things for friends. They don’t want to turn their hobbies into a business.B. True or False1. Hilda is Janice’s sister.2. Janice and Hilda meet twice a week.3. Homemade gifts are made in factories by machines.4. Hobbies are for fun. Businesses are for money.5. People can rent a booth at the swap meet and sell things.C. Yes or No – Share Your Opinion1. Janice and Hilda should sell their crafts at the swap meet.2. You can tell a lot about a person by knowing their hobby.D. Writing – What is your favorite hobby? How much time do you spend on it?10

MESSY TEENAGERSA. ReadingMr. Johnson and his wife have a teenage son named Kyle. Kyle is fifteen yearsold. He is a good kid, but he is messy. His hair is messy, his handwriting is messy, andhis bedroom is messy. The Johnsons want to change Kyle’s bad habits. They want himto comb his hair, write neatly, and keep his room clean. Mr. Johnson gets angry whenKyle’s room is a mess. He scolds him, but it doesn’t do any good. Mrs. Johnson tries toreason with Kyle. She explains why he should be neater. Neither parent is able tochange Kyle’s bad habits. Kyle is just a messy teenager.B. True or False1. Kyle’s bedroom is messy.2. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are Kyle’s grandparents.3. Kyle is between thirteen and nineteen years old.4. Kyle doesn’t comb his hair very often.5. Mrs. Johnson scolds Kyle.C. Yes or No – Share Your Opinion1. Most teenagers are messy.2. Kyle will be neater when he gets older.D. Writing – Are you a neat person or a messy person?11