Hand-drawn 2D Bitcoin logo in black ink on a warm beige paper-textured background

Bitcoin

B1
500 Words - 5 min

Story Audio

Story Reading

Anna was a young woman who lived in a small town. She worked in a shop and did not earn much money. Every month, she tried to save a little, but it was hard. She often felt worried about her future.

One evening, Anna visited her old friend, Marco. He was a computer programmer, and he loved talking about new technology. While they drank tea, Marco started to talk about something called Bitcoin.

"What is Bitcoin?" Anna asked. She had heard the word before, but she did not really understand it.

Marco smiled. "It's a kind of digital money," he said. "You cannot touch it like normal coins or notes. It only exists on computers. People use the internet to send it to each other, all over the world."

Anna looked confused. "But how can money not be real paper or metal?"

"It is real," Marco explained. "It's just different. Banks are not needed to move it. A special computer system called blockchain keeps track of every payment. This makes it safe and hard to cheat."

Anna thought about this for a moment. "Is it a good idea to buy some?"

Marco was careful with his answer. "It can be risky," he said. "The price changes very quickly. One day, one Bitcoin can cost a lot of money. The next day, the price can fall fast. Some people have become rich with Bitcoin. Other people have lost a lot of money."

Anna felt nervous, but also curious. "How do people get Bitcoin?"

"You can buy it on special websites called exchanges," Marco said. "You don't have to buy a whole Bitcoin. You can buy a very small part of one, if that's all you can afford."

That night, Anna could not stop thinking about their conversation. She decided to learn more before she made any decisions. She read articles online and watched videos about blockchain and digital money. She learned that Bitcoin was created in 2009 by a mysterious person, or maybe a group of people, known only as Satoshi Nakamoto. Nobody knew who Satoshi really was.

After two weeks of reading, Anna decided to try something small. She took a little money from her savings, an amount she could lose without serious problems, and bought a small amount of Bitcoin online. She did not tell many people about it because she still felt unsure.

Over the next few months, Anna watched the price go up and down. Some days, she felt excited when the value grew. Other days, she felt worried when it dropped suddenly. She learned to stay calm and not panic.

Anna did not become rich quickly. But she learned something important. She understood more about money, technology, and how the modern world was changing. She realized that new ideas, like Bitcoin, could be exciting, but people also needed to be careful and patient.

In the end, Anna kept a small amount of Bitcoin as a lesson, a reminder that the future of money was changing, one digital coin at a time.

Vocabulary Exercises

Match

Match the Words with Their Meanings

1. savings          a. a sudden feeling of great fear that cannot be controlled
2. digital          b. money that someone has kept for future use
3. risky            c. existing or working through computers or the internet
4. exchange         d. involving the possibility of losing money or having problems
5. mysterious       e. difficult to understand or explain
6. panic            f. act of giving and receiving something in return
1. b | 2. c | 3. d | 4. f | 5. e | 6. a

Fill in the blanks

Fill in the blanks with the words below:

savings - exchange - mysterious - panic - blockchain - digital - risky

1. Anna did not earn much money, so she tried to build her ______.
2. Bitcoin is a kind of ______ money.
3. Marco warned Anna that Bitcoin could be ______.
4. People can buy Bitcoin on a special website called an ______.
5. Satoshi Nakamoto is a ______ person whose real identity is unknown.
6. Anna learned about ______ and digital money.
7. Anna learned not to ______ when the price of Bitcoin dropped.
1. savings | 2. digital | 3. risky | 4. exchange | 5. mysterious | 6. blockchain | 7. panic

Odd One Out

Odd One Out

1. savings - money - coins - future

2. digital - online - electronic - physical

3. risky - dangerous - uncertain - safe

4. exchange - website - platform - bicycle

5. mysterious - unknown - secret - obvious

6. panic - fear - worry - calm

7. blockchain - computer - internet - sandwich
1. future 2. physical 3. safe 4. bicycle 5. obvious 6. calm 7. sandwich

Comprehension Exercises

True/False

Answer with True or False

1. Anna lived in a small town and worked in a shop.
2. Anna earned a lot of money every month.
3. Marco worked as a computer programmer.
4. Bitcoin is a type of digital money.
5. Marco said Bitcoin was completely safe and had no risks.
6. Anna learned about Bitcoin before buying a small amount.
7. Anna became rich very quickly after buying Bitcoin.
1. True 2. False 3. True 4. True 5. False 6. True 7. False

Multiple Choice

1. Where did Anna work?

a. In a bank
b. In a shop
c. In a school
d. In a computer company

2. What was Marco's job?

a. Teacher
b. Banker
c. Computer programmer
d. Shop owner

3. What did Marco say Bitcoin was?

a. A type of digital money
b. A new type of computer
c. A bank account
d. A normal metal coin

4. What system keeps track of Bitcoin payments?

a. A bank
b. A blockchain
c. A telephone
d. A newspaper

5. Why did Marco say Bitcoin could be risky?

a. It could disappear every night.
b. It could only be used in one country.
c. Its price could change very quickly.
d. People could not buy small amounts.

6. Who created Bitcoin according to the story?

a. Marco
b. Anna
c. A famous bank
d. Satoshi Nakamoto

7. What did Anna learn from her experience with Bitcoin?

a. New technology is always safe.
b. She could become rich quickly.
c. People should be careful and patient.
d. Bitcoin never loses value.
1. b | 2. c | 3. a | 4. b | 5. c | 6. d | 7. c

Ordering

Put the Events in Order

1. ___ Anna bought a small amount of Bitcoin.
2. ___ Marco explained what Bitcoin was.
3. ___ Anna watched the price go up and down.
4. ___ Anna visited Marco.
5. ___ Anna read articles and watched videos.
6. ___ Anna decided to learn more about Bitcoin.
7. ___ Anna learned to stay calm when the price changed.
1. 4 2. 2 3. 6 4. 1 5. 5 6. 3 7. 7

Grammar Exercises

Find the Evidence

Find a phrase from the story that supports each statement.

1. Anna had financial difficulties.
2. Marco was interested in technology.
3. Bitcoin is digital money.
4. Bitcoin does not need banks to move it.
5. Bitcoin can be risky.
6. Anna researched Bitcoin before buying it.
7. Anna did not become rich quickly.
1. "She did not earn much money." 2. "He was a computer programmer, and he loved talking about new technology." 3. "It's a kind of digital money." 4. "Banks are not needed to move it." 5. "It can be risky." 6. "She read articles online and watched videos about blockchain and digital money." 7. "Anna did not become rich quickly."

Fill in the blanks

Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Verb

Past Simple

1. Anna ______ in a small town. (live)
2. She ______ in a shop. (work)
3. Marco ______ about Bitcoin. (talk)
4. Anna ______ him what Bitcoin was. (ask)
5. He ______ that Bitcoin could be risky. (explain)
6. Anna ______ articles online. (read)
7. She ______ a small amount of Bitcoin. (buy)
1. lived | 2. worked | 3. talked | 4. asked | 5. explained | 6. read | 7. bought

Choose one

Choose the Correct Preposition

1. Anna worked (in / on / at) a shop.
2. Marco talked (about / under / between) Bitcoin.
3. People use the internet to send Bitcoin (to / under / between) each other.
4. Anna read articles (on / at / between) the internet.
5. She took money (from / under / between) her savings.
6. Anna bought Bitcoin (online / beside / under) an exchange.
7. She learned (about / under / between) blockchain.
1. in | 2. about | 3. to | 4. on | 5. from | 6. online | 7. about
Choose A, AN, or THE

1. Anna worked in ___ shop.
2. Marco was ___ computer programmer.
3. Bitcoin is ___ kind of digital money.
4. Marco explained ___ blockchain to Anna.
5. Anna read ___ article about Bitcoin.
6. Satoshi Nakamoto was ___ mysterious person.
7. Anna bought ___ small amount of Bitcoin.
1. a | 2. a | 3. a | 4. the | 5. an | 6. a | 7. a

Transformation

Change to the Past Tense

1. Anna lives in a small town.
2. She works in a shop.
3. Marco talks about Bitcoin.
4. Anna asks many questions.
5. He explains how Bitcoin works.
6. Anna reads articles online.
7. She buys a small amount of Bitcoin.
1. Anna lived in a small town. 2. She worked in a shop. 3. Marco talked about Bitcoin. 4. Anna asked many questions. 5. He explained how Bitcoin worked. 6. Anna read articles online. 7. She bought a small amount of Bitcoin.
Make the Sentences Negative

1. Anna earned a lot of money.
2. Marco thought Bitcoin was completely safe.
3. Anna understood Bitcoin immediately.
4. Anna bought a whole Bitcoin.
5. Anna told many people about her purchase.
6. Anna became rich quickly.
7. Anna stopped learning about technology.
1. Anna did not earn a lot of money. 2. Marco did not think Bitcoin was completely safe. 3. Anna did not understand Bitcoin immediately. 4. Anna did not buy a whole Bitcoin. 5. Anna did not tell many people about her purchase. 6. Anna did not become rich quickly. 7. Anna did not stop learning about technology.
Turn the Sentences into Questions

1. Anna lived in a small town.
2. Marco was a computer programmer.
3. Marco talked about Bitcoin.
4. Anna asked many questions.
5. Anna read articles online.
6. She bought a small amount of Bitcoin.
7. Anna learned to stay calm.
1. Did Anna live in a small town? 2. Was Marco a computer programmer? 3. Did Marco talk about Bitcoin? 4. Did Anna ask many questions? 5. Did Anna read articles online? 6. Did she buy a small amount of Bitcoin? 7. Did Anna learn to stay calm?

Find the Adjectives

Find the adjectives in each phrase.

1. small town
2. old friend
3. new technology
4. digital money
5. special computer system
6. mysterious person
7. small amount
1. small 2. old 3. new 4. digital 5. special 6. mysterious 7. small

Find the Adverbs

Find the adverb in each sentence.

1. Anna often felt worried about her future.
2. People can send Bitcoin internationally.
3. Anna could not really understand Bitcoin at first.
4. The price can change quickly.
5. Anna carefully learned about Bitcoin before buying it.
6. She watched the price closely.
7. Anna did not panic when the price dropped suddenly.
1. often 2. internationally 3. really 4. quickly 5. carefully 6. closely 7. suddenly

Speaking Activities

Discussion

1. Do you think Bitcoin is a good idea for Anna?
Example answer: I think Bitcoin can be interesting for Anna, but she should be careful because its price can change quickly.
2. Why do you think Anna wanted to learn about Bitcoin?
Example answer: Anna wanted to understand Bitcoin before making a decision because she did not want to risk her savings without knowing how it worked.
3. Why was Marco careful when talking about Bitcoin?
Example answer: Marco knew that Bitcoin could make money, but it could also cause people to lose money.
4. Do you think Anna made a good decision by buying only a small amount?
Example answer: Yes, I think it was a careful decision because she only used money that she could afford to lose.
5- What is the most important lesson Anna learned?
Example answer: Anna learned that new technology can be exciting, but people need to be careful, patient, and willing to learn.

What Would You Do?

1. Would you buy Bitcoin after Marco's explanation?
2. Would you use your savings to buy Bitcoin?
3. Would you tell your friends about your Bitcoin investment?
4. What would you do if the price suddenly dropped?
5. What would you do if the price suddenly became much higher?
6. Would you spend two weeks learning about Bitcoin before buying it?
7. Would you rather keep your money in savings or invest some of it?
Answer may vary

Rate the Story

1. How interesting is the story?

1 = Not interesting
5 = Extremely interesting

2. How useful is the information about Bitcoin?

1 = Not useful
5 = Extremely useful

3. How risky does Bitcoin seem?

1 = Not risky
5 = Extremely risky

4. How careful is Anna?

1 = Not careful
5 = Extremely careful

5. How helpful is Marco?

1 = Not helpful
5 = Extremely helpful

6. How understandable is the explanation of Bitcoin?

1 = Not understandable
5 = Extremely understandable

7. How interesting is the ending?

1 = Not interesting
5 = Extremely interesting
Example answers: 1. 4 2. 4 3. 5 4. 5 5. 5 6. 4 7. 4

Writing Exercise

Change the Ending

Write a new ending for the story. Keep the story the same until Anna buys a small amount of Bitcoin, but change what happens during the following months.
Over the next few months, Anna continued watching the price of Bitcoin. At first, the price went down, and she became worried. She remembered Marco's advice and decided not to panic. Instead of selling immediately, she continued learning about digital money. After some time, the price began to rise again. Anna did not become rich, but she felt proud that she had made a careful decision and learned something new.

Dialogue

Write a dialogue between Anna and Marco after Anna has learned about Bitcoin for two weeks.
Example answer: Anna: I have been reading about Bitcoin for two weeks. | Marco: What have you learned? | Anna: I learned that the price can change very quickly. | Marco: That's right. It can be risky. | Anna: I still want to try buying a small amount. | Marco: That's your decision, but only use money you can afford to lose. | Anna: I understand. I don't want to risk all my savings. | Marco: Good. Remember to stay patient and keep learning. | Anna: I will. I think I understand Bitcoin much better now.