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English
Marco needs a haircut. His hair is very long now. On Saturday morning, he walks to the hairdresser near his flat. The hairdresser's name is Sam. Marco waits ten minutes on a chair. Then Sam calls his name. Marco sits in the big chair in front of the mirror. Sam asks, "Short or long?" Marco says, "Short, please. Not too short." Sam cuts his hair carefully. He uses scissors and a small machine. Marco watches in the mirror. After twenty minutes, Sam finishes. Marco looks very different! He thanks Sam and pays at the desk. Outside, the sun is warm. Marco feels happy with his new haircut. He takes a photo and sends it to his sister.
Spanish translation
Marco necesita un corte de pelo. Su pelo está muy largo ahora. El sábado por la mañana, camina hasta la peluquería cerca de su piso. El peluquero se llama Sam. Marco espera diez minutos en una silla. Luego Sam dice su nombre. Marco se sienta en la silla grande delante del espejo. Sam pregunta: «¿Corto o largo?». Marco dice: «Corto, por favor. No muy corto». Sam corta su pelo con cuidado. Usa tijeras y una pequeña máquina. Marco mira en el espejo. Después de veinte minutos, Sam termina. ¡Marco se ve muy diferente! Le da las gracias a Sam y paga en la caja. Fuera, el sol está cálido. Marco se siente feliz con su nuevo corte de pelo. Hace una foto y se la envía a su hermana.
Key vocabulary
| the haircut | el corte de pelo |
| the hairdresser | el peluquero / la peluquería |
| the scissors | las tijeras |
| the mirror | el espejo |
| to wait | esperar |
| carefully | con cuidado |
| to pay | pagar |
| the desk | la caja / el mostrador |
| warm | cálido |
| different | diferente |
| to send | enviar |
| short | corto |
Grammar notes
Present simple for current situations: "needs", "walks", "waits" — A1 stories describe everyday actions using the present simple, the base verb form with -s for he/she/it.
Reporting speech with "say" and "ask": "Sam asks, ..." and "Marco says, ..." — introducing spoken words with a comma and quotation marks is a simple, very common pattern.
Comprehension quiz
1. Where does Marco go on Saturday morning?
To the hairdresser near his flat.
2. What does Marco ask for?
Short hair, but not too short.
3. Who does Marco send a photo to?
His sister.
English
It is raining hard this morning. Lucy waits for the bus at the corner. She has a red umbrella, but her shoes are still wet. The bus arrives ten minutes late. Lucy gets on and finds a seat near the window. Water drops fall down the glass. She looks at the grey sky and the busy street. Next to her, an old man reads a newspaper. A little dog sits quietly under his seat. Lucy listens to music with her headphones. After fifteen minutes, the bus stops near her office. She says, "Thank you," to the driver and steps outside. The rain is lighter now. Lucy opens her umbrella and walks quickly to the door. Inside, it is warm and dry.
Spanish translation
Está lloviendo mucho esta mañana. Lucy espera el autobús en la esquina. Tiene un paraguas rojo, pero sus zapatos están mojados. El autobús llega diez minutos tarde. Lucy sube y encuentra un asiento cerca de la ventana. Gotas de agua caen por el cristal. Ella mira el cielo gris y la calle concurrida. A su lado, un hombre mayor lee un periódico. Un perrito está sentado tranquilamente bajo su asiento. Lucy escucha música con sus auriculares. Después de quince minutos, el autobús para cerca de su oficina. Ella dice: «Gracias», al conductor y baja. La lluvia es más suave ahora. Lucy abre su paraguas y camina rápido hacia la puerta. Dentro, hace calor y está seco.
Key vocabulary
| the umbrella | el paraguas |
| wet | mojado |
| the bus | el autobús |
| the window | la ventana |
| the grey sky | el cielo gris |
| the newspaper | el periódico |
| quietly | tranquilamente |
| the headphones | los auriculares |
| the driver | el conductor |
| light (rain) | suave / ligera |
| dry | seco |
| to step outside | bajar / salir |
Grammar notes
Present continuous for now: "is raining", "is lighter now" — used for temporary situations happening at the moment of speaking, unlike routines, which use the present simple.
Adverbs of manner: "quietly", "quickly" — formed with -ly and placed after the verb they describe: "sits quietly", "walks quickly".
Comprehension quiz
1. What colour is Lucy's umbrella?
Red.
2. Who sits next to Lucy on the bus?
An old man reading a newspaper, with a small dog under his seat.
3. What does Lucy say to the driver?
"Thank you."
English
Every Sunday, Ben cooks breakfast for his family. He wakes up early, before everyone else. First, he makes coffee for his parents. Then he takes eggs, bread and butter from the fridge. Ben breaks two eggs into a hot pan. He also cuts the bread into thick slices. The kitchen smells wonderful. Soon, his sister Amy comes downstairs. She says, "That smells amazing!" Ben smiles and gives her a plate. His parents arrive a few minutes later. They all sit together at the table. They eat eggs, toast and fresh orange juice. Outside, birds sing in the garden. Ben loves these quiet Sunday mornings with his family. After breakfast, everyone helps clean the kitchen together.
Spanish translation
Cada domingo, Ben cocina el desayuno para su familia. Se despierta temprano, antes que los demás. Primero, hace café para sus padres. Luego saca huevos, pan y mantequilla de la nevera. Ben rompe dos huevos en una sartén caliente. También corta el pan en rebanadas gruesas. La cocina huele maravillosamente. Pronto, su hermana Amy baja las escaleras. Ella dice: «¡Eso huele increíble!». Ben sonríe y le da un plato. Sus padres llegan unos minutos después. Todos se sientan juntos a la mesa. Comen huevos, tostadas y zumo de naranja fresco. Afuera, los pájaros cantan en el jardín. A Ben le encantan estas tranquilas mañanas de domingo con su familia. Después del desayuno, todos ayudan a limpiar la cocina juntos.
Key vocabulary
| breakfast | el desayuno |
| the fridge | la nevera |
| the pan | la sartén |
| the slice | la rebanada |
| to smell | oler |
| the plate | el plato |
| toast | las tostadas |
| orange juice | el zumo de naranja |
| the garden | el jardín |
| quiet | tranquilo |
| to clean | limpiar |
| together | juntos |
Grammar notes
Sequencing words: "First", "Then", "Soon", "After breakfast" — these words show the order of events and are very useful for telling a simple story.
Lists with commas and "and": "eggs, toast and fresh orange juice" — English lists three or more items with commas, adding "and" only before the last one.
Comprehension quiz
1. What is the first thing Ben makes?
Coffee for his parents.
2. What does Amy say when she comes downstairs?
"That smells amazing!"
3. What does the family do after breakfast?
They clean the kitchen together.
English
Sara has a small box for her grandmother. Her grandmother lives in another city. Sara walks to the post office near the supermarket. Inside, there are three people in the queue. Sara waits patiently and looks at the stamps on the wall. When it is her turn, a friendly clerk helps her. He weighs the box and asks, "Is anything fragile inside?" Sara says, "Yes, a small vase." The clerk wraps the box with extra paper. He prints a label with the address. Sara pays five pounds for the delivery. The clerk says the box will arrive in two days. Sara thanks him and leaves the post office. She feels happy because her grandmother loves surprises.
Spanish translation
Sara tiene una pequeña caja para su abuela. Su abuela vive en otra ciudad. Sara camina hasta la oficina de correos cerca del supermercado. Dentro, hay tres personas en la cola. Sara espera pacientemente y mira los sellos en la pared. Cuando llega su turno, un empleado amable la ayuda. Él pesa la caja y pregunta: «¿Hay algo frágil dentro?». Sara dice: «Sí, un pequeño jarrón». El empleado envuelve la caja con papel extra. Imprime una etiqueta con la dirección. Sara paga cinco libras por el envío. El empleado dice que la caja llegará en dos días. Sara le da las gracias y sale de la oficina de correos. Se siente feliz porque a su abuela le encantan las sorpresas.
Key vocabulary
| the post office | la oficina de correos |
| the queue | la cola |
| the stamp | el sello |
| the clerk | el empleado |
| fragile | frágil |
| the vase | el jarrón |
| to wrap | envolver |
| the label | la etiqueta |
| the address | la dirección |
| the delivery | el envío |
| to arrive | llegar |
| the surprise | la sorpresa |
Grammar notes
Yes/no questions with "be": "Is anything fragile inside?" — questions with "be" simply invert the subject and verb, one of the easiest question patterns in English.
Future with "will": "the box will arrive in two days" — "will" plus the base verb is the simplest way to talk about the future at A1 level.
Comprehension quiz
1. Who is the box for?
Sara's grandmother.
2. What does the clerk ask Sara?
Whether anything inside is fragile.
3. How much does Sara pay?
Five pounds.