3-10-1 Magic Cask I

Once upon a time, there was a poor farmer in a village. P

The farmer worked very hard and was able to buy a piece of land from a greedy, rich man. P

The farmer was only able to buy the land because no one else wanted it, P

and the greedy rich man sold it to him very cheaply, just to be rid of it. P

No one wanted this land because there were too many rocks on it, P

and it would be too hard to farm. P

But the farmer wasn’t afraid of hard work, P

and he woke up early each morning to dig up the rocks so that he could farm the land. P

One day, while the farmer was digging, his hoe hit something hard that wasn’t a rock. P

When the farmer dug deeper, he found a large cask. P

Even though the cask had been buried and he had hit it with his hoe, P

it didn’t have a single scratch on it. P

After the day's work was done, the farmer put his hoe inside the cask and brought it home. P

The next day, the farmer reached inside the cask to get the hoe. P

But when he did, he found a second hoe inside the cask. P

3-10-2 Magic Cask II

The farmer took the hoe out of the cask. P

Now he had two hoes that were each identical. P

"Wow! This must be a magic cask!" P

The farmer wanted to test the cask's magic, and pulled a coin out of his pocket. P

He put the coin in the cask and waited. P

When he reached in for the coin, sure enough, he found a second coin in the cask with the first. P

Realizing what the cask could do, the farmer kept putting more coins in it, P

and in no time the farmer was very rich. P

The story of the farmer's good fortune soon spread throughout the village, P

until even the greedy, rich man heard it. P

As soon as he heard the story, the greedy, rich man hurried over to pay the farmer a visit. P

3-10-3 Magic Cask III

"Hello, Farmer. Would you mind telling me where you found your new magic cask there?" P

"I dug it out of my field." P

"Well, I'm sorry to say that I sold you the field only, and not the cask. P

You'll have to give me back my cask at once." P

"I can't do that. It belongs to me." P

The farmer and the rich man argued and argued, P

and neither of them could convince the other that the cask was his. P

So they decided the only thing to do was to go to the local magistrate and let him decide who's cask it was. P

But when the magistrate heard that the cask was magic, P

he wanted the cask for himself. P

"Should neighbors who used to live so peacefully together fight over such a measly cask? P

The cask will be kept here so that the two of you can live peacefully once more. P

Is this not a wise decision?" P

3-10-4 Magic Cask IV

This was not what the farmer and the rich man had expected, P

but as it was now in the hands of the magistrate, P

they could do nothing but return home, empty handed. P

But instead of keeping the cask at the office as he had promised, P

the magistrate stole the cask and took it home. P

That night, the magistrate's father came out into the main hall and stumbled across the magic cask. P

"What is this? A new cask? Let me see if there is anything good to eat inside it." P

The father bent over the cask, lost his balance, and fell right in! P

"Dear me! Come and help me!" P

3-10-6 In Line

Kids are holding each other's hand and walking in a line. P

Yeah, in this way they won't get lost. P

Excuse me, where can I buy tickets for the concert? P

Just walk left and you will see the ticket vendor. P

It feels weird that we are the only persons in this big theatre. P

I told you to expect the unexpected for our anniversary. P

Are these documents urgent? P

Yes! I'm in a rush to fax all those documents. P

What is the man hanging? P

He is hanging up his portrait. P

What is the lady doing to the Christmas tree? P

She is taking down the Christmas decorations. P

Why are they so cold? P

The building heater won't work. P

3-10-7 Making a Reservation

Would you like to make a reservation? P

Yes, I would like to make a reservation for four people. P

What time would you like to eat dinner? P

I would like to make a reservation for 7 PM. P

7 PM is available. Would you like to sit inside or outside on the terrace? P

I prefer the outside terrace with a nice view. P

What is your last name? P

My last name is Roberts. P

Mr. Roberts, you are confirmed for four people at 7 PM. P

Where is your restaurant located? P

It is across the street from the subway exit 5A. P

Thank you. P

3-10-8 Movie Theatre

Wow! Look at this line-up. P

Yeah, it's so long. It's a good thing we aren't in a rush. P

It looks like we're going to be here for a long time. P

Isn't there an express ticket line? P

No, that's only at the newer theatres. This one is pretty old. P

It feels like we've been here forever, and we're only halfway. P

This movie theatre gets really busy on the weekends. P

Yeah, I hope our theatre isn't too crowded. P

Why is the man so upset at his wife? P

The videos weren't returned back to the video store. P

Why were the workers upset? P

One of the workers got injured. P

Why was the mother so upset? P

Her son didn't put away his toys. P

3-10-9 Dress Code

Is there a dress code at the restaurant? P

Yes. Men have to wear a jacket and a tie. P

What about for women? P

Women have to wear a dress. P

Can I borrow a jacket if I don't have one? P

Yes. We have jackets to loan. P

Are all restaurants in New York like this? P

No, just the fancier ones. P

Are children welcome? P

Yes, and the same dress code applies to children as well. P

3-10-11 Magic Cask V

When he heard his father's calls for help, the magistrate came running into the main hall. P

He reached in and helped his father out of the cask. P

But after he did, he heard a second father inside the cask calling for help. P

"What are you waiting for? Get me out of here now!" P

He rescued his second father, but the shouting continued because there was another father still inside the cask. P

In no time, the magistrate had pulled ten fathers from the cask. P

And still, there were more fathers waiting to be rescued from the cask. P

Soon, the room was filled with hundreds of fathers, each one insisting that he was the REAL father! P

3-10-12 Italians

Italy is a part of Western Europe. P

If you look at Italy on a map you see that is shaped like a boot. P

It's one of the oldest countries in the world and has a lot of history. P

In Rome, the capital, there are many old buildings. P

The Coliseum is a historic building that's in Rome. P

Italians make good food. P

Italians created many of the most popular dishes that we like to eat today like pizza and pasta. P

Many Italians have come to the United States. P

In New York, there is a place called "Little Italy" because there are so many Italians. P

Italy is also known for their fast cars. P

Italian-Americans have been featured in many movies like "The Godfather" and "Rocky". P

3-10-13 French

France is a large country in Western Europe. P

It's one of the most famous tourist spots in the world. P

The biggest city in France is Paris, and people come to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower and visit the Louvre Museum. P

The French make bread that is crusty and delicious. P

They also make a wonderful French onion soup that has bread and melted cheese on it. P

They do cook wonderful food. P

They enjoy drinking coffee and eating good pastries. P

French fashion is beautiful and the countryside in France is lovely. P

The French people love good food and some of the best restaurants in the world are in France. P

3-10-14 Russians

Russia is the largest country in the world. P

Over the years, Russia has seen many wars. P

Because of all the wars, lots of the old buildings have been destroyed. P

Pollution is a big problem because of all the factories in the area. P

The country is very cold. P

Many of the foods are stews and soups to help the people keep warm. P

In Russia, they eat a lot of potatoes because that is one of the few vegetables that grow in the cold weather. P

Russians were the first people to launch a spaceship and Yuri Gagarin was the first man to be in space. P

Russia's national sport is hockey. P

They have one of the best teams and they have won many Olympic gold medals. P

3-10-16 At Work

Can you stop by my place after work? P

Okay, I will. I'm going to hang up the phone now. P

You seem to be enjoying something. Share with me! P

I'm just watching at my old school performance. P

Does this mirror really reflect the way I look right now? I don't believe it. P

It's just that you've been stressed out lately. Relax a bit. P

Leave me alone! I have to get back to work. P

Give a break. You deserve some fun. P

Why was she cold? P

The air conditioner was on all day. P

Why was the boy happy? P

He got her phone number. P

Why was she so confused? P

The problem was very difficult. P

3-10-17 Kid Friendly

Hello, Pete's Cafe. Can I help you? P

Hello, is this restaurant kid friendly? P

Yes. Lots of families bring their kids here. P

Is there a play area for the kids? P

No. I'm sorry. We don't have a play area. P

Do you have a kid's menu? P

Yes. We have a kid's menu with smaller portions. P

Are there any special discounts for kids? P

Children under the age of eight eat for free. P

Thank you. I will see you tonight. P

3-10-18 Call Me

Look at the time, it's already 7 pm! I should eat some dinner. P

Yeah, we've been on the phone for a while. I had a lot of fun catching up with you. P

Me, too. It was really nice talking to you, reflecting on the good old times. P

We really should do this more often. Don't be a stranger, okay? P

Ha ha. Sure, I'll make sure to call more regularly. Maybe next time we can meet up! P

Hopefully, I'd like that too. For now, I'll let you go. Enjoy your supper. P

Thanks, you too. I'll talk to you soon. Bye! P

Bye, Clara. Talk to you soon. P

How is the boy greeting the man? P

He is greeting him by shaking his hand. P

What is the lady recovering from? P

She is recovering from the flu. P

Who is the teacher calling on? P

The teacher is calling on the male student. P

3-10-19 Ordering

May I take your drink order? P

Yes, I would like a soda. P

Have you had enough time to look at the menu? P

What would you recommend? P

I would recommend the roasted chicken with potatoes. P

Is it possible to substitute a different side dish with the roasted chicken? P

Yes, our mashed potatoes are a popular side dish. P

Great, I will have that. P

Do you prefer the dark or white meat for the chicken? P

White meat please. P

Would you like any other sides? P

Is there an additional charge? P

Yes, there is. P

No, thank you. That will be all. P

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10