A weary traveler wanders into a small town late at night, hoping to find cheap lodging. He notices a cozy-looking house and knocks on the door. A friendly old woman welcomes him warmly, almost as if she'd been expecting him. She offers him tea, a comfortable seat by the fire, and gentle conversation. Something about her smile feels strange, but he ignores it. As he finishes his tea, the light slowly fades — and he never leaves.
The Strange House
Story Audio
Story Reading
Vocabulary Exercises
Match
Match the Words with Their Meanings 1. weary a. a place to stay 2. wander b. comfortable and warm 3. lodging c. tired 4. cozy d. to walk slowly around or to a place 5. warmly e. in a friendly way 6. expecting f. thinking something will happen 7. ignores g. chooses not to pay attention to something 8. fades h. slowly becomes less bright
1. c |
2. d |
3. a |
4. b |
5. e |
6. f |
7. g |
8. h
Fill in the blanks
Fill in the Blanks. Use: weary - town - expecting - tea - fades - lodging - cozy - warmly 1. The ______ traveler wanders into a small town. 2. He arrives late at night and hopes to find cheap ______. 3. He notices a ______-looking house. 4. The old woman welcomes him ______. 5. She seems as if she had been ______ him. 6. She offers him ______. 7. The traveler sits by the fire. 8. The light slowly ______.
1. weary |
2. lodging |
3. cozy |
4. warmly |
5. expecting |
6. tea |
7. fire |
8. fades
Comprehension Exercises
True/False
Answer with True or False. 1. The traveler arrives in a large city. 2. He arrives late at night. 3. He is looking for cheap lodging. 4. He sees a cozy-looking house. 5. The old woman refuses to let him inside. 6. The woman welcomes him warmly. 7. She seems to have been expecting him. 8. She offers him tea. 9. The traveler notices something strange about her smile. 10. The traveler leaves the house after drinking his tea.
1. False |
2. True |
3. True |
4. True |
5. False |
6. True |
7. True |
8. True |
9. True |
10. False
Choose one
1. Where does the traveler wander? a. Into a large city b. Into a small town c. Into a forest 2. When does he arrive? a. Early in the morning b. In the afternoon c. Late at night 3. What is he looking for? a. Cheap lodging b. A restaurant c. A new job 4. What does the house look like? a. Cold and empty b. Cozy c. Large and modern 5. Who opens the door? a. A young man b. A child c. A friendly old woman 6. How does the woman welcome him? a. Warmly b. Angrily c. Silently 7. What does she offer him? a. Coffee and cake b. Tea and a comfortable seat c. Water and food 8. What feels strange to the traveler? a. The house b. The fire c. The woman's smile 9. What happens as he finishes his tea? a. The door opens. b. The light slowly fades. c. The woman leaves. 10. What happens at the end? a. He leaves the town. b. He falls asleep and goes home. c. He never leaves.
1- b. Into a small town |
2- c. Late at night |
3- a. Cheap lodging |
4- b. Cozy |
5- c. A friendly old woman |
6- a. Warmly |
7- b. Tea and a comfortable seat |
8- c. The woman's smile |
9- b. The light slowly fades. |
10- c. He never leaves.
Ordering
Put the Events in Order 1. ___ The traveler finishes his tea. 2. ___ The woman welcomes him. 3. ___ The traveler wanders into a small town. 4. ___ He notices something strange about her smile. 5. ___ The woman offers him tea. 6. ___ He notices a cozy-looking house. 7. ___ The light slowly fades. 8. ___ The traveler never leaves.
1. 3 |
2. 6 |
3. 2 |
4. 5 |
5. 4 |
6. 1 |
7. 7 |
8. 8
Grammar Exercises
Choose one
Choose the Correct Verb 1. The traveler (wanders / wander) into a small town. 2. We (notices / notice) a cozy-looking house. 3. He (knocks / knock) on the door. 4. The women (welcomes / welcome) him. 5. She (offers / offer) him tea. 6. He (ignores / ignore) the strange feeling. 7. He (finishes / finish) his tea. 8. The light (fades / fade) slowly.
1. wanders |
2. notice |
3. knocks |
4. welcome |
5. offers |
6. ignores |
7. finishes |
8. fades
Choose the Correct Preposition 1. The traveler wanders (into / on / at) a small town. 2. He arrives (at / in / on) the town late at night. 3. He knocks (on / in / at) the door. 4. She welcomes him (into / at / on) the house. 5. He sits (by / to / at) the fire. 6. He looks (for / at / on) cheap lodging.
1. into |
2. in |
3. on |
4. into |
5. by |
6. for
Find the Adjectives
Find the Adjectives 1. weary traveler 2. small town 3. cheap lodging 4. cozy-looking house 5. friendly old woman 6. comfortable seat 7. strange smile
1. weary |
2. small |
3. cheap |
4. cozy-looking |
5. friendly, old |
6. comfortable |
7. strange
Find the Adverbs
Find the Adverbs 1. The woman welcomes him warmly. 2. The light slowly fades. 3. The traveler wanders quietly through the town. 4. He finishes his tea quickly.
1. warmly |
2. slowly |
3. quietly |
4. quickly
Speaking Activities
Discussion
Do you think the woman's house is safe or dangerous?
Possible answer: The house seems safe at first because the woman is friendly and the room is comfortable. However, the strange smile and the fact that the traveler never leaves suggest that the house is dangerous.
What do you think is special about the tea?
Possible answer: The tea may contain something that makes the traveler unable to leave.
Would you accept tea from a stranger?
Answers will vary.
Possible answer: I would accept it only if I felt completely safe.
Do you think the traveler is still alive?
Answers will vary.
Possible answer: Maybe, but he may be trapped in the house and unable to leave.
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
5/5
Writing Exercise
Change the Ending
Write a different ending for the story.
As the light begins to fade, the traveler suddenly remembers where he has seen the woman's face before. She was in an old photograph belonging to his family. He quickly stands up and runs toward the door. The woman tries to stop him, but he escapes into the street. When he looks back, the house has completely disappeared.
Role-play
Write a conversation between the traveler and the old woman.
Example Answer:
Traveler: Excuse me. Do you have a room?
Woman: Of course. Come in, please.
Traveler: Thank you. It is very cold outside.
Woman: Sit by the fire.
Traveler: That feels much better.
Woman: Would you like some tea?
Traveler: Yes, please.
Woman: You look tired.
Traveler: I have been traveling all night.
Woman: Then you should stay here.