A traveler walks in a cold, dark town at night. He is looking for a cheap room. He is tired and cold. He sees a small house with a warm light in the window. He walks closer and looks inside. He sees a nice room with a fire. A kind old woman opens the door. She has a soft smile. "Come in, my dear," she says. Her voice is gentle. He goes inside. It is warm and quiet. There is a big chair by the fire. She asks him to sit down. She brings him hot tea and a biscuit. He drinks the tea slowly. It tastes strange, but he does not mind. He feels happy but very sleepy. He looks at a picture on the wall. Two young men are in the picture, smiling. He thinks he knows their names, but he cannot remember why. He wants to ask her. But he feels too tired to speak. Slowly, the light grows dark. The house becomes very quiet. He closes his eyes. He never leaves the house again.
The Strange House
Story Audio
Story Reading
Vocabulary Exercises
Match
Match the Words with Their Meanings 1. travel a. not making much noise 2. cheap b. to go from one place to another 3. gentle c. not expensive 4. strange d. kind and soft 5. slowly e. unusual or unfamiliar 6. sleepy f. in a way that is not fast 7. picture g. a feeling of wanting to sleep 8. remember h. an image or photograph 9. quiet i. to keep something in your memory
1. b |
2. c |
3. d |
4. e |
5. f |
6. g |
7. h |
8. i |
9. a
Fill in the blanks
Fill in the blanks with the words below: traveler - slowly - sleepy - picture - remember - quiet - mind - cheap - gentle - strange 1. The ______ walks through the town at night. 2. He is looking for a ______ room. 3. The woman's voice is ______. 4. The tea tastes ______. 5. He drinks the tea ______. 6. He feels very ______. 7. He looks at a ______ on the wall. 8. He thinks he knows the names, but he cannot ______ why. 9. The house is warm and ______. 10. He does not ______ that the tea tastes strange.
1. traveler |
2. cheap |
3. gentle |
4. strange |
5. slowly |
6. sleepy |
7. picture |
8. remember |
9. quiet |
10. mind
Odd One Out
Odd One Out 1. tired - sleepy - exhausted - happy 2. cheap - inexpensive - affordable - expensive 3. gentle - kind - soft - angry 4. quiet - silent - peaceful - noisy 5. warm - hot - cold - cozy 6. strange - unusual - unfamiliar - normal 7. slowly - quickly - gently - quietly 8. picture - photograph - image - biscuit
1. happy |
2. expensive |
3. angry |
4. noisy |
5. cold |
6. normal |
7. quickly |
8. biscuit
Comprehension Exercises
True/False
Answer with True or False 1. The traveler walks through a warm town. 2. He is looking for a cheap room. 3. The traveler is tired and cold. 4. He sees a large house with a cold light. 5. The house has a fire inside. 6. A kind old woman opens the door. 7. The woman speaks in an angry voice. 8. She gives the traveler hot tea and a biscuit. 9. The tea tastes completely normal. 10. The traveler feels very sleepy. 11. The picture shows two young men. 12. The traveler remembers exactly why he knows their names. 13. The traveler is too tired to speak. 14. The light slowly grows dark. 15. The traveler leaves the house at the end.
1. False |
2. True |
3. True |
4. False |
5. True |
6. True |
7. False |
8. True |
9. False |
10. True |
11. True |
12. False |
13. True |
14. True |
15. False
Multiple Choice
1. Where does the traveler walk? a. In a warm city b. In a cold, dark town c. In a sunny village d. In a busy city 2. What is he looking for? a. A restaurant b. A job c. A cheap room d. A friend 3. What does he see in the house? a. A swimming pool b. A fire c. A restaurant d. A garden 4. Who opens the door? a. A young woman b. A young man c. An old woman d. A child 5. How does the woman speak? a. Angrily b. Gently c. Loudly d. Quickly 6. What does she give the traveler? a. Coffee and cake b. Milk and bread c. Hot tea and a biscuit d. Soup and water 7. How does the tea taste? a. Sweet b. Strange c. Cold d. Bitter 8. How does the traveler feel after drinking the tea? a. Very energetic b. Angry c. Happy but sleepy d. Excited 9. What does he see on the wall? a. A clock b. A map c. A picture d. A window 10. Who is in the picture? a. Two young men b. Two old women c. Three children d. A family 11. Why does the traveler want to ask the woman something? a. He wants more tea. b. He wants to ask about the picture. c. He wants to ask for money. d. He wants to leave. 12. Why does he not ask her? a. He is angry. b. He forgets the question. c. He is too tired to speak. d. She leaves the room. 13. What happens to the light? a. It becomes brighter. b. It grows dark. c. It changes color. d. It disappears immediately. 14. What happens at the end? a. The traveler leaves. b. The woman leaves. c. The traveler falls asleep and never leaves. d. The traveler calls for help.
1. b |
2. c |
3. b |
4. c |
5. b |
6. c |
7. b |
8. c |
9. c |
10. a |
11. b |
12. c |
13. b |
14. c
Ordering
Put the Events in Order 1. ___ The traveler sees two young men in a picture. 2. ___ The woman brings him tea and a biscuit. 3. ___ The traveler walks through the cold town. 4. ___ The traveler sees a small house. 5. ___ The old woman opens the door. 6. ___ The traveler drinks the tea. 7. ___ He feels very sleepy. 8. ___ He becomes too tired to speak. 9. ___ The light grows dark. 10. ___ The traveler closes his eyes.
1. 3 |
2. 4 |
3. 1 |
4. 2 |
5. 5 |
6. 6 |
7. 7 |
8. 8 |
9. 9 |
10. 10
Find the Evidence
1. Find a phrase that shows the traveler is tired. 2. Find a phrase that shows the traveler is cold. 3. Find a phrase that shows the room is warm. 4. Find a phrase that shows the woman is kind. 5. Find a phrase that shows the woman speaks softly. 6. Find a phrase that shows the tea is unusual. 7. Find a phrase that shows the traveler becomes sleepy. 8. Find a phrase that shows the picture contains two young men. 9. Find a phrase that shows the traveler cannot remember something. 10. Find a phrase that shows the traveler never leaves.
1. "He is tired" |
2. "He is tired and cold" |
3. "It is warm and quiet" |
4. "A kind old woman" |
5. "Her voice is gentle" |
6. "It tastes strange" |
7. "He feels happy but very sleepy" |
8. "Two young men are in the picture" |
9. "he cannot remember why" |
10. "He never leaves the house again"
Grammar Exercises
Fill in the blanks
Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Verb 1. The travelers ______ through the town. (walk) 2. He ______ for a cheap room. (look) 3. We ______ a small house. (see) 4. The woman ______ the door. (open) 5. She ______ a soft smile. (have) 6. She ______ him tea. (bring) 7. He ______ the tea slowly. (drink) 8. The tea ______ strange. (taste) 9. They ______ sleepy. (feel) 10. The light ______ dark. (grow)
1. walk |
2. looks |
3. see |
4. opens |
5. has |
6. brings |
7. drinks |
8. tastes |
9. feel |
10. grows
Multiple Choice
Choose the Correct Preposition 1. The traveler walks (in / on / under) the town. 2. He is looking (for / at / from) a cheap room. 3. He sees a light (in / at / from) the window. 4. He walks (toward / under / between) the house. 5. There is a chair (by / from / at) the fire. 6. She brings tea (to / under / between) him. 7. He looks (at / from / under) the picture. 8. The picture is (on / at / from) the wall. 9. He closes his eyes (at / on / from) the end.
1. in |
2. for |
3. in |
4. toward |
5. by |
6. to |
7. at |
8. on |
9. at
Choose A, AN, or THE 1. He is looking for ___ cheap room. 2. He sees ___ small house. 3. ___ old woman opens the door. 4. She has ___ soft smile. 5. She gives him ___ biscuit. 6. He sees ___ picture on the wall. 7. ___ picture shows two young men. 8. He drinks ___ tea. 9. ___ light grows dark. 10. ___ traveler closes his eyes.
1. a |
2. a |
3. an |
4. a |
5. a |
6. a |
7. the |
8. the |
9. the |
10. the
Find the Adjectives
Find the Adjectives 1. cold town 2. dark town 3. cheap room 4. tired traveler 5. small house 6. warm light 7. nice room 8. kind old woman 9. soft smile 10. gentle voice 11. big chair 12. hot tea 13. strange tea 14. sleepy traveler 15. young men
1. cold |
2. dark |
3. cheap |
4. tired |
5. small |
6. warm |
7. nice |
8. kind, old |
9. soft |
10. gentle |
11. big |
12. hot |
13. strange|
14. sleepy |
15. young
Find the Adverbs
Find the Adverbs 1. He drinks the tea slowly. 2. The woman speaks gently. 3. The traveler walks slowly toward the house. 4. The light slowly grows dark. 5. He quietly looks at the picture. 6. The house becomes completely quiet. 7. He finally closes his eyes.
1. slowly |
2. gently |
3. slowly |
4. slowly |
5. quietly |
6. completely |
7. finally
Speaking Activities
Discussion
Do you think the house is safe or dangerous?
Possible answer: The house seems dangerous.
What makes the house seem safe?
Possible answer: The warm light, fire, soft chair, and kind woman make it seem safe.
What makes the house seem dangerous?
Possible answer: The strange picture, the traveler's missing memories, his sleepiness, and the fact that he never leaves suggest danger.
What happened to the previous visitors?
Possible answer: They may have disappeared and never left the house.
Why does the traveler become sleepy after drinking the tea?
Possible answer: The tea may contain something that makes him sleepy.
Would you drink tea from a stranger in a strange house?
Answers will vary.
What Would You Do?
1. Would you enter the house? 2. Would you drink the tea? 3. Would you ask the woman about the picture? 4. Would you stay after seeing the two young men?
Answers will vary.
Rate the Story
1. How mysterious is the story? 1 = Not mysterious 5 = Extremely mysterious 2. How frightening is the story? 1 = Not frightening 5 = Extremely frightening 3. How suspicious is the woman? 1 = Not suspicious 5 = Extremely suspicious
Answers will vary.
Writing Exercise
Change the Ending
Write a new ending for the story. Keep the story the same until the traveler looks at the picture, but change what happens next.
Example Answer:
The traveler looks carefully at the picture. Suddenly, he remembers the two young men. They had disappeared from the town several months earlier. He looks at his cup of tea and becomes suspicious. He quickly stands up and walks toward the door. The old woman tries to stop him, but he pushes the door open and runs into the cold night. He does not stop until he reaches the main road. The next morning, he tells the police about the strange house. When they return with him, the house is empty.
Dialogue
Write a dialogue between the traveler and the old woman after he notices the picture.
Example Answer:
Traveler: Excuse me, who are those two young men? |
Woman: They were travelers who stayed here. |
Traveler: Why do their names seem familiar to me? |
Woman: Perhaps you have heard of them. |
Traveler: What happened to them? |
Woman: They never left. |
Traveler: What do you mean? |
Woman: They became very tired, just like you. |
Traveler: Why do I feel so sleepy? |
Woman: The tea is making you tired. |
Traveler: I don't want to sleep. I want to leave. |
Woman: I'm afraid it is too late, my dear. |
Traveler: Open the door! |
Woman: You will stay here now.