Daffodil International University

Faculty of Humanities and Social Science => English => Topic started by: ayasha.hamid12 on December 04, 2014, 01:32:12 PM

Title: Short stories for ESL students
Post by: ayasha.hamid12 on December 04, 2014, 01:32:12 PM


Hans Andersen, a life-long fisherman, had a dream. He wanted to sail around the world. And he did it. He got several sponsors who subsidized his trip. He bought a beautiful 40-foot yacht, with all the latest technical and safety gear, and had a pleasant voyage. Well, except for almost sinking while going around the tips of South America and Africa.

The voyage went so smoothly that, looking back on it, he felt it was too easy. He needed a new challenge. He decided to build his own boat. But that was nothing new. Several people had built their own boats and sailed them around the world. No, he needed a unique boat. Watching TV commercials one day, he got it—ice cream sticks! He would be the first man to sail around the world in a boat built exclusively of ice cream sticks.

He put out the word. Within three years, school children from all over Holland had sent Hans 15 million ice cream sticks. He used these sticks to build a 45-foot replica of a Viking ship. After all the sticks were glued together, Hans took his new boat out to sea on a one-week voyage. "It's magnificent, and totally sea-worthy," he proclaimed.

He plans to set sail in early 2008 with a crew of two. He will sail across the Atlantic to Canada, and then down to Florida and through the Panama Canal. Then he'll travel to Los Angeles, Honolulu, Tokyo, around the tip of Africa, and back to Holland. "If this trip succeeds," he joked, "my next goal will be to build a plane out of ice cream sticks and fly it around the world!"
Title: Re: Short stories for ESL students
Post by: diljeb on December 04, 2014, 01:34:58 PM
Madam, this is a good story.  :)  Can you give more?
Title: Re: Short stories for ESL students
Post by: ayasha.hamid12 on December 04, 2014, 01:46:36 PM
Thanks Kobir bhai.. yes I can give more.  :D
Title: Re: Short stories for ESL students
Post by: ayasha.hamid12 on December 04, 2014, 01:51:43 PM


Johnny asked Dotty how her first day in her Duarte ESL class was. It was terrible, she told him. She understood little of what the Level 4 teacher said. He spoke too fast for her. She had struggled through a Level 3 class at a Monrovia school.

When the teacher asked if there were any questions, she told him that she didn't understand most of what he had said. He told her not to worry; she could take the class again if she failed it the first time. She didn't want to fail it the first time, however, or any time.

He gave them homework the first day, of course. They were supposed to write a 300-word essay supporting gun control. Of course, Dotty said, she could write that essay in her native language. But there was no way she could write it in English. She showed Johnny the textbook. The print was so tiny that trying to read just a few pages gave her a headache. On top of that was all the new vocabulary on each page. "I'm going to drop the class," she said. She wanted to cry. When was she ever going to learn this language?
source : www.rong-chang.com
Title: Re: Short stories for ESL students
Post by: Shampa Iftakhar on December 04, 2014, 03:51:22 PM
  Please carry on sharing mam. :)
Title: Re: Short stories for ESL students
Post by: ayasha.hamid12 on December 07, 2014, 12:50:53 PM
Thank you mam ...  :D
Title: Re: Short stories for ESL students
Post by: ayasha.hamid12 on December 07, 2014, 01:22:00 PM
This is for Kobir bhai
                                                                               Getting Ready for Work
He woke up. He got out of bed. He went to the restroom and took a shower. The water was cold at first. He made it warm. He took ten minutes to shower. He stepped out of the shower. The floor became wet. He grabbed a towel. He wrapped it all around him. He went to his bathroom mirror. He saw his reflection. He looked handsome. He had grown facial hair. It was time for him to shave it. He grabbed the shaving cream and poured some in his hand. He spread the shaving cream around his face. He grabbed the razor and started shaving. He cut himself by accident. It started bleeding. He was not hurt. He washed his face and applied aftershave. He put a band-aide on his cut. The cut stung him a little. He dried himself, and started getting ready for work.
Title: Re: Short stories for ESL students
Post by: farahdina on December 10, 2014, 04:31:42 PM
.......... :) :D ;D
Title: Re: Short stories for ESL students
Post by: Antara11 on December 14, 2014, 11:30:46 PM
Kabir vai's one should be like DIU oriented. Kidding.  ;D
Title: Re: Short stories for ESL students
Post by: Shampa Iftakhar on December 17, 2014, 11:47:51 AM
 Great writing piece ...:) :)
Title: Re: Short stories for ESL students
Post by: Tahsina on December 27, 2014, 12:38:37 PM
I loved the one dedicated to Kabir Vai. :)
Title: Re: Short stories for ESL students
Post by: A.S. Rafi on April 26, 2015, 07:02:46 PM
LOL-- his preparation never ends, but the show goes on and on ...
Title: Re: Short stories for ESL students
Post by: Afroza Akhter Tina on April 27, 2015, 08:45:44 AM
Interesting indeed!!


Afroza Akhter Tina
Senior Lecturer,Dept.of English
Daffodil International University