A young traveler stands on a path facing a small countryside house with an open door

The Strange House

A1
25 Words - 15 sec

Story Audio

Story Reading

A tired traveler finds a warm house. A kind old woman smiles. She makes tea. "You will stay here," she says. "Forever, like the others."

Vocabulary Exercises

Match

Match each word with its meaning.

1- tired                            a- friendly and caring
2- travel                       b- for all time
3- warm                          c- feeling that you need to rest
4- kind                            d- to go from one place to another
5- forever                        e- having a comfortable temperature
1- tired → c. feeling that you need to rest | 2- traveler → d. someone who is traveling | 3- warm → e. having a comfortable temperature | 4- kind → a. friendly and caring | 5- forever → b. for all time

Fill in the blanks

Complete the sentences using the words below.

warm — kind — tea — tired — traveler  

1- The ______ finds a house.
2- The traveler is very ______.
3- The house is ______.
4- The old woman is ______.
5- She makes ______ for him.
1- traveler | 2- tired | 3- warm | 4- kind | 5- tea

Comprehension Exercises

Multiple Choice

1. Who finds the house?
a. A child
b. A traveler
c. A doctor

2. What does the woman make?
a. Soup
b. Coffee
c. Tea

3. What does the woman say?
a. "You must leave."
b. "You will stay here."
c. "Come back tomorrow."

4. What makes the ending strange?
a. The house is very small.
b. The woman makes tea.
c. She says the traveler will stay forever, like the others.
1. Who finds the house? --> b. A traveler | 2. What does the woman make? --> c. Tea | 3. What does the woman say? --> b. "You will stay here." | 4. What makes the ending strange? --> c. She says the traveler will stay forever, like the others.

Grammar Exercises

Fill in the blanks

Use the correct form of the verb.

1- A tired traveler ______ a warm house. (find)
2- A kind old woman ______. (smile)
3- She ______ tea. (make)
4- She ______, "You will stay here." (say)
1- finds | 2- smiles | 3- makes | 4.- says

Speaking Activities

Role-play

Would you stay in the woman's house?

YES / NO

Explain why.
Answers will vary. | Example: No, I would not stay because the woman says I will stay forever, which sounds dangerous and mysterious.

Discussion

Discuss:

1- Why is the woman smiling?
2- Why does she say "forever"?
3- Who are "the others"?
4- Is the woman really kind?
5- Is the house safe?
1. She is happy because another traveler has arrived. | 2. She may have a secret plan to keep the traveler in the house. | 3. They could be other travelers who stayed in the house before. | 4. She appears kind at first, but the ending makes her seem suspicious. | 5. Probably not. The phrase "Forever, like the others" makes the house seem dangerous.

Writing Exercise

Change the Ending

Write a different ending for the story.
Example answer: The traveler becomes frightened when he hears the woman's words. He thanks her for the tea but refuses to stay. He opens the door and runs into the cold night. Behind him, the woman whispers, "They always leave at first."