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Love in 1860: Part 5

Love in 1860 (An Easy English Story): Part 5

February 25, 1861

Dear reader,

The snow is melting. I can hear more birds in the morning.

And I am going to leave this house in the spring.

My plan is simple. I don’t want to stay here anymore.

When the weather is warm, I will tell David and Elizabeth, “I am going to pick berries in the woods.” I will hide food under my skirt. I will leave and never come back.

We are living in Virginia. If I walk north, maybe I can go to New York. I think New York did not have slaves in 1861. In movies, some people hide on trains. Maybe I can find a train to New York. I can hide in the back with the animals. I can sleep in the hay.

After David talked with the neighbors in December, I did not talk with him for three weeks. He and Elizabeth were worried. They said, “Don’t be angry. We need to keep you safe. You are not our slave. But if other people know that you are not our slave, they will try to take you. A black woman living with a white family is not normal. Maybe you are from the north. Did any memories come back?”

Not normal.

My mom’s parents were from Nigeria. My dad’s parents were from England and Mexico. Mom and Dad got married in 1997. This life is very normal for me.

I can’t tell this to David and Elizabeth. They can’t know that I am from 2025.

Last week, David gave me a book. It had many pictures in it. “These are pictures of cities in the north. Maybe you can remember your home.”

I looked at the pictures. I pointed to a picture of New York City. “Maybe this was my home…” I lied.

After seeing that picture, I decided to leave after the winter.

Yours truly,
Grace Miller

Part 6>

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Love in 1860: Part 4

Love in 1860 (An Easy English Story): Part 4

December 2, 1860

Dear reader,

I am scared.

Our new neighbors came to our house this morning. I was making breakfast in the kitchen. They knocked on our door. David opened it.

“Can I help you?” David asked.

The new neighbors are a man and a woman. Both of them are about twenty years old. Their voices were friendly. “We’re your new neighbors,” the woman said. “We are building a house near the river. It’s nice to meet you.”

David quickly said, “It’s nice to meet you too.” He added, “Let’s go talk outside. I can show you our barn.”

It was snowing outside, so I turned around. “I just made breakfast,” I said. “Would you like to eat with us? Our kitchen table is small, but it’s warm inside.” I laughed, “David, it’s so cold out! Our new neighbors will freeze.”

The woman looked at me with wide eyes. She whispered to her husband. Then her husband asked David, “Your slave calls you David?”

Slave?!

David looked at the floor. “It’s okay. I asked her to call me David.”

The woman crossed her arms and looked at my clothes. “Her clothes are beautiful.”

“We’re having a party tonight,” David lied. “I want her to look nice for our guests.”

When the neighbors left, David closed the door and sighed. “I hope this war ends soon.”

“I’m not your slave!” I yelled and threw my wooden spoon at him. “Why didn’t you tell them?”

“If they know about our love, they might hurt you,” David said. “Don’t you know that?”

I’m not good at history. But even in 1860, I will not be anyone’s slave.

But I can’t leave David and Elizabeth’s house. Where will I go?

Yours truly,
Grace Miller

Part 5>

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Love in 1860: Part 1

Love in 1860 (An Easy English Story): Part 1

July 15, 1860

Dear reader,

My name is Grace. I am 28 years old. You may not believe me, but I am from the year 2025.

Last week, I went hiking in the mountains. I fell down. When I woke up, my head hurt. I could not find my phone. It was evening, and the sun was going down. I needed to leave the mountains.

Then I smelled smoke. Maybe someone had a fire. I walked to the smell. I saw a small house in the woods. I knocked on the door. A woman looked out the window. She was surprised, but she opened the door.

“Please help me,” I said. “I fell and hurt my head. I don’t know where the road is. Can I sleep here? Can I use your phone in the morning?”

The woman said, “We don’t have a… phone. But you can sleep here tonight.” She looked around the forest and pulled me inside.

The woman was about 50 years old. She lived with her son. He was about 30 years old. They gave me some bread and a blanket. I slept on the floor. I was tired and went to sleep.

In the morning, I woke up. I looked around. The house had a wood stove. There were blankets on the windows. There were no lights—only candles. The woman and her son were outside in the garden.

I asked, “What is today’s date?”

The son laughed. “It’s July 15, 1860.”

Am I dreaming?

Yours truly,
Grace Miller

Part 2>

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See the World: Part 10

See the World (An Easy English Story): Part 10 (Final Part)

After the surgery, like always, Neil throws up. He doesn’t have time to take out the lenses, so he vomits with his eyes closed. If he sees the cells in his stomach, he will definitely throw up again.

Neil slowly stands up, takes out the lenses, and walks out of his office. The hospital’s hallways look orange in the sunset. Dr. Umar stands in front of a big window. She is crying and smiling. And talking to a news reporter. A cameraman points a large camera at them.

Dr. Umar notices Neil and waves to him. “Neil!” she calls. The cameraman turns toward Neil, and Dr. Umar tells the reporter, “This is Dr. Neil Kalkan. He just finished the cancer surgery with me.”

The reporter waves her hand, asking Neil to come closer. She holds up a microphone. “How does it feel to use such an amazing piece of technology? The lenses, I just…” she sighs excitedly, “can’t believe this is possible!”

The reporter pushes the microphone closer to Neil’s face. Neil is not wearing the lenses, but he imagines the germs on the microphone. Neon pink slime might cover the top of the microphone, even brighter than the reporter’s lipstick. Green spikes might swirl around the handle. Some of the reporter’s yellow breath might float toward Neil’s head. Dr. Umar’s shirt sleeve, covered in tears, might drip with purple and gray germs.

Dr. Umar’s tears flow down to the corners of her mouth. They might be filled with disease. But they are filled with joy. They are filled with life.

Neil breathes in deeply.

The world will never be the same. It will always be filled with spiky, slimy, moldy germs. People will always be weak, always be followed by sickness. But there will always be joy and hope.

Neil grabs the reporter’s microphone, stepping closer to her. “Using the lenses feels…” Neil cannot finish his thought. He grabs the microphone tightly as his eyes fill with tears. Through his tears, the orange sunset, Dr. Umar’s white coat, the reporter’s worried smile, the blue hallway tiles, the green patient chairs, his gray shoes–they all blur together.

-THE END-

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The Cold: Part 10

The Cold (An Easy English Story): Part 10 (Final Part)

We hear guns.

The police shout, “Come out of there now. If you run, we will shoot.”

More gun shots. Then it is quiet.

An ambulance drives by. Then another.

Priya and I wait. Three police cars eventually drive by. Each police car has two people in the back. In one of the cars, I see two of the men from the truck. One is the driver, and the other was carrying the boxes. I don’t see the other men. In the rest of the police cars, there are only women. One of the women shouts at the police officer from the back seat. The rest sit quietly. One looks out the window. Her face is red.

Priya knows what I am thinking. She says, “I think it’s safe. Let’s go. Maybe your dad is there.”

Priya slowly backs the car out from behind the wall. We drive to the large building. Many ambulances and police cars are still parked outside. A news van is also there. Cameramen walk around the building, filming the inside of the large trucks and the metal boxes that sit on the ground.

Police are opening each of the metal boxes. First responders stand behind them. They shake their heads. Police cover the boxes again.

One of the police officers walks toward our car. Priya rolls down her window. “This is a crime scene,” she says. “It’s not safe to be here.”

“My dad might be there,” I whisper.

The woman’s frown becomes soft. “How old is he?”

“50.”

“The people in the boxes are all at least 70.” The woman pauses. “There are more people inside, though. You can come check, but are you sure? Some of them are dead.”

My heart sinks. I don’t want to see Dad if he’s dead. But I want to be sure.

The police officer leads us into the large building. The inside is much cleaner than the outside. The walls and the floor are cold and white. The air smells like bleach. There are aisles of glass tanks. Inside the glass tanks are people. Their skin is puffy and light blue.

“These are the successful ice bodies,” the police officer explains quietly. “A few spas in Clayton are working with scientists. The scientists know how to freeze bodies and melt them after. They started to ask people with diseases if they wanted to be frozen. We looked at the patient information. The scientists kept records. They froze people with any health problem: cancer, diabetes, PTSD, depression. They especially tried to get people with depression. They sent them messages: Do you want to die, but are you afraid? You don’t have to die. Freeze your body and sleep until your problems are gone. People were interested in that.” She sighed. “Sleep until your problems are gone. It sounds great.”

Was Dad depressed? He was never the same after Alex died. He was quieter. He was angrier. I remember Dad’s note. I’m sorry, Alex. If I didn’t buy you that car, you would never have died. It’s all my fault.

I stop at one of the tanks. An old man lies inside. His eyes are closed. His face looks gray. His thin white hair floats in the tank.

I know him.

I saw him at the spa in the mall. He went there to be frozen? Why did he want to sleep? And did Dad go to that spa, too?

The police officer brings me to another room. It is small, like a doctor’s office. But it doesn’t feel like a doctor’s office. A frozen body of a young man lies on a table. Two women stand next to him. They are wearing white coats. Five police officers stand behind the women. They hold guns close to the women’s heads. The women quietly pass tools over the ice body. A yellow liquid is pumped into his veins. Slowly, his blue skin turns a light pink. “He just needs some time to wake up,” one of the women says.

The police officer with me walks over to the women. She points at me. “Her dad might be here. Find him and wake him up.” Her voice is deep, and the other police officers raise their guns. One of the scientists sighs and looks at me. “What is your dad’s name?”

“Henry Brooks.”

The woman looks through a stack of papers. She shakes her head. “Not here.”

The young man on the table opens his eyes. He begins crying for help. The scientists walk away from me and go back to help him.

I run out of the room.

The building is filled with hundreds of tanks. None of them are Dad. If his body isn’t in here, will he appear on the side of the road as an ice body? Will a young girl see his body out of the bus window? Will his arms and legs be covered in blue and purple marks?

I slow down and look at the faces. I notice that the names are in order. Martinez, McDonald, Murano… Maybe the scientist was wrong. Maybe she made a mistake. I need to check.

Bailey, Boushaki, Brenes...

I see him before I see the name.

Dad’s skin looks gray. I see the bones in his arms and legs. Even though he is sleeping, his face is tired. Even if he slept a thousand years, he would never feel alive.

I press my hand against the blue glass. “Dad…” I cry. I look down and see his name printed on the bottom of the tank. Alex Brooks. He used Alex’s name.

The police officer comes up behind me. “Is this him?” she asks. I nod. “Over here!” the officer shouts. She kneels down next to me and hugs my shoulders.

The two scientists use a machine and lift Dad’s tank into the smaller room. They carefully take his body out and lay it on the table. “Melting” him only takes an hour, but it feels like a week.

His skin turns from gray to a warm brown. I see his chest rise and fall as he breathes.

I run over to the table. My face is wet with tears.

I grab Dad’s hand. It is warm. Full of life.

His eyes open.

-THE END-

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How I Passed the Hardest Level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test without Studying

Read this blog post in Easy English or Advanced English below.

Easy English

I hate studying.

I am a teacher, but I hate studying. I think that textbooks and flashcards are boring.

This was a problem when I started studying Japanese. I used some helpful sites to study for the JLPT, a Japanese language test. These sites were JLPT Sensei and Nihongo no Mori, and they were great. But I was still bored.

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I wanted to find a fun way to study.

I am always looking for fun study materials for my students. I want to use books that real English speakers wrote. These fun materials can:

  • Teach about culture
  • Teach vocabulary and grammar
  • Be interesting to read!
  • Help students have fun

I want fun materials for my students. Why don’t I use fun materials to study Japanese?

I asked my Japanese friends to tell me their favorite books, and I started reading. And I stopped using textbooks.

My dream was to read a science fiction book. Sadly, there weren’t science fiction books in easy Japanese. So I started by reading books for elementary students about daily life.

I had so much fun! And I took notes on the vocabulary and grammar in the books. My Japanese got better and better.

Slowly, I read books from different genres: historical fiction, fantasy, and mystery.

One day, I found a science fiction book for adults. And I could read it! Reading for fun helped me so much. I started reading easy books for elementary students, but soon I could read my favorite type of book. I reached my goal!

After reading many books, I took the most difficult Japanese language test: the JLPT N1. And I passed without studying. No textbooks. No grammar worksheets.

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This is the power of reading for fun.

Studying with textbooks is helpful, but the most meaningful learning is fun learning.

This is why I created Fun for Fluency. There are not many easy English stories that are fun to read. Most adults who learn English have to use children’s picture books. But Fun for Fluency has interesting stories in easy English.

You can read different English stories here. There are new stories every week!

Advanced English

I hate studying.

I’m a teacher, but it’s so hard to focus on studying vocabulary flashcards and doing reading practice exercises.

I’ve been teaching myself Japanese for years, and around the time that I was studying for the intermediate Japanese proficiency test, the JLPT N3, I used textbooks and study sites, like JLPT Sensei and Nihongo no Mori. They were useful and I recommend them to anyone studying for the JLPT.

But I wanted to learn with fun materials written by native speakers.

As an ESL teacher, I know the benefits of authentic materials. They help language learners:

  • Understand the target language culture
  • Acquire natural vocabulary and grammar in context
  • Access interesting content
  • Feel motivated

So why wasn’t I studying with authentic materials myself?

When I began studying for the JLPT N1, the most difficult Japanese proficiency test, I decided to do away with study sites for the time being and looked instead for Japanese books that sparked my interest.

I am a HUGE science fiction lover, but unfortunately there weren’t any science fiction novels that were at my level when I started studying for the N1. (This is one of the reasons I created Fun for Fluency, so that English learners can have more access to interesting stories at a comprehensible level.)

I started by reading novels for upper elementary and middle school students that featured topics of daily life. These were much more interesting than practice JLPT articles I had been reading, and I was able to take notes on the vocabulary and grammar I was encountering in the novels and learn them naturally.

As my reading progressed, I began branching out into different genres. I read historical fiction, fantasy, and mystery.

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And finally, the day came when I was able to read a science fiction novel written for adults. I couldn’t believe that I had gone from reading an elementary-level book about school friends to a classic novel satirizing the public’s belief in aliens.

And after being able to read even novels for adults, I passed the JLPT N1 on my first try. No studying.

Reading for fun is what got me there.

There is no problem with studying, and it is at times necessary to learn a new concept. But I 100% believe that the best kind of language learning is learner-initiated and authentic.

This is why Fun for Fluency is so effective. There is such a shortage of interesting materials for beginning learners of English. Fun for Fluency is a growing database of engaging, easy English stories for adolescent and adult learners. It is the gateway to being able to read authentic materials while having fun.

Check out our different English learning stories here. Stories are updated and added frequently, so visit again for more resources!

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See the World: Part 9

See the World (An Easy English Story): Part 9

Cancer looks like mold.  The cancer cells are a deep red, like poison berries. On the berries are gray and green moldy spots.  Fuzzy shapes climb in and around the patient’s brain.

Neil can see where all of the cancer cells are, but there is a problem: There are many cells inside the brain, and it would be dangerous to do surgery. Ibsituu Umar, a doctor from Mayo Clinic who uses the lenses, works next to Neil.  Before the surgery, she told Neil that she was nervous to use the lenses on someone with cancer. It might not be successful. But Dr. Umar wanted to try.

“Incredible,” Dr. Umar says. “I’ve never seen cancer before.”

“It looks like mold, right?”  Both Neil and Dr. Umar are wearing their lenses. Neil hopes that Dr. Umar has the same opinion as him.

“I actually think the cancer cells look like moss.”  Dr. Umar finishes typing data about the cancer cells into the computer. She pushes her glasses up her nose and sighs.  “We can try.”

We.

Finally, someone can see what Neil sees.

During the surgery, Dr. Umar works carefully. She stays focused on the size, shape, and place of the cancer cells. They finish their part of the surgery in just an hour. Neil turns on the computer, and it begins the genome editing. Neil and Dr. Umar sit and watch the cells start to change shape and color.

Neil enjoys working with Dr. Umar. She is only 38 years old, but she has three PhDs. Neil senses her love for medicine. While the computer works and the cells change color, Dr. Umar says, “The cancer cells are beautiful. I know they are bad, but I think the different patterns look like jewels. Nature is amazing.” Neil doesn’t agree, but he is happy that Dr. Umar can at least see the cells.

After seven hours, Neil and Dr. Umar finish. The genome editing was successful. Dr. Umar’s eyes are filled with tears. “We can change the world,” she says softly.

Part 10>

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The Cold: Part 8

The Cold (An Easy English Story): Part 8

I found Dad’s note two days ago, and I cannot stop thinking about it.

We still can’t find him. Every day I watch the news. Will they find a new ice body? Will this one be Dad?

While I am watching the news, Ms. Sato calls me. “Ari,” she says with a gentle voice. “Are you doing okay?”

“We can’t find my Dad.” I want to cry.

Ms. Sato is quiet on the other end. She finally says, “Well, I have some information that might help you know where he is. Some of our journalists interviewed the police. Yesterday, the police found something the same about all of the ice bodies. About a month before each person died, they all took out $50,000 from their bank accounts. It was cash, and they took it out in small amounts. About $5,000 ten times. Because they didn’t use a credit card or do a bank transfer, we don’t know who they paid the money to.”

My chest feels cold. I know what Ms. Sato wants me to do.

“Ari, if you check your Dad’s bank account, you can see if he took out $50,000 recently.”

I can’t speak. If Dad really took out $50,000, then I know he is an ice body.

Ms. Sato adds, “Don’t worry about work this week. And I hope you can find your dad.”

She doesn’t say, “I’m sure he’s fine.” We both know the possibility.

Mom is still sleeping, so I wake her up. With her eyes closed, she whispers, “Did they find him?”

“Maybe we can find him, Mom. I need you to check your bank account.”

“Why?” Mom sits up and reaches for her glasses beside her bed. Before I can answer, she turns on her phone and opens her bank app.

“I need to see if Dad took out money from the bank recently.”

“Oh, Dad keeps most of his money in his own account.” Mom looks worried. “But I can try to find his login info.” Mom walks to Dad’s desk and begins searching through a stack of papers. She never asks why I need to check his bank account, and I don’t want to tell her.

We look through Dad’s notes for an hour. Finally, Mom cries, “Here it is!” She opens Dad’s banking site on her laptop and types in the login and password with shaking fingers. My heart sinks when I see the screen.

December 22, 2023 -$5,000
December 29, 2023 -$8,000
December 30, 2023 -$6,000
January 5, 2024 -$7,000
January 11, 2024 -$3,000
January 15, 2024 -$8,000
January 22, 2024 -$8,000
January 25, 2024 -$5,000

That’s $50,000.

I tell Mom about Ms. Sato’s phone call. She closes the laptop and calls the police.

When Mom called the police, they said sadly that Dad is probably an ice body. They told Mom to keep checking the bank account. If Dad takes out more money, then they know he is still alive.

So far, the police have found 755 ice bodies. And now there are 82 missing people. Now, banks will have to call the police when any customers take out a large amount of money, but this won’t help people like Dad who already took out the money. The ice bodies were only found in or near Clayton. Local hotels are filled with scientists, FBI agents, and news reporters. They all hope to find more information about a disease, a killer, or a war. But no one has an answer.

I call Priya. I don’t know what to say to her. When she picks up the phone, singing “Ari Brooooooks!” in her usual way, I start to cry. I cry for several minutes, and Priya waits patiently on the phone. When I finally whisper the words “ice body,” Priya says, “My dad is asleep now. I’m coming over.”

Priya, who lives five minutes away from my house, runs through the front door and hugs me. We stand in the front hallway for a long time, just hugging. Priya’s shoulder is soaked with my tears. Priya holds my hand as we go upstairs to my bedroom. She says quietly, “I noticed your Dad’s car isn’t in the driveway. Is it your Dad?”

I nod.

“Did they find his body?”

I shake my head, crying more.

“Then there’s still time. He might be okay.” Priya grabs the tissue box from my desk and wipes my face. “How do you know that he died?”

I slowly tell Priya about the $50,000. She squeezes my hand tighter.

“Ari, Carlos told me that you found ice in the mall, right? At the cafe that closed?”

I nod.

“Then let’s go! The police aren’t being helpful. We can do more.”

I look outside at Mom’s car.

“I know your mom will worry,” Priya says, understanding the problem with her plan. “So let’s sneak out tonight.” She whispers, “I’ll pick you up at 2:00 a.m. We’ll come back before 5:00.”

I sigh. I couldn’t save Alex. But maybe I can save Dad.

Part 9>

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See the World: Part 8

See the World (An Easy English Story): Part 8

Neil sits down in the brown leather chair next to Dr. Chen’s desk. He can’t stop looking at the red-spiked germs spilling out of Dr. Chen’s mouth as she talks.

“Neil, you know that today’s patient has a very serious disease.”

“Yes, cancer,” Neil whispers.

Dr. Chen nods. “The lenses work well on diseases like HIV and Ebola, but they do not work well with cancer. But the patient doesn’t want to do chemotherapy, so the lenses could help him.”  Dr. Chen leans closer to Neil. Neil leans back. “Neil, this is the first brain cancer surgery with the lenses. If the surgery fails, please remember: It’s not your fault.” Dr. Chen smiles and grabs Neil’s hand. Neil and Dr. Chen have been coworkers and friends for ten years, and she often grabs his hand when she knows he is nervous. Neil is nervous about the surgery, but he has a stronger feeling than nervousness. Disgust. A sick feeling in his stomach.  A few of Dr. Chen’s cold cells are on her fingers from when she coughed. When she takes her hand away, Neil looks down at his hand. Neon green and red circles dance on his skin.

Neil quickly pulls his hand back. He wants to wash his hands, but he doesn’t want to be rude.

Dr. Chen continues talking about the cancer surgery, but Neil cannot think.

He feels frozen in his chair.

He tries not to look at his hand, but every time he does, he sees the green cells buried in the hair on his knuckles. He wonders if there are still cells on his face from Dr. Chen’s cough. More cells float around them as Dr. Chen talks.

I’m fine. It’s just a cold. I’m fine. It’s just a cold. Neil repeats these words in his head, but he doesn’t feel better.

“Neil?” Dr. Chen waves her hand in front of his face. “Are you ready for the surgery?”

Part 9>

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See the World: Part 7

See the World (An Easy English Story): Part 7

Neil uses the lenses for two months, and he feels like a pro. The HIV of Neil’s first patient was cured in just five days. Because the surgery was so successful, Dr. Chen asked Neil to do twenty more surgeries. All twenty patients got better quickly. 

Neil feels excited to look at the patients’ new healthy cells.  Before the surgeries, their bodies look like Neil’s bedroom wall when Leila drew on it with crayons two years ago.  After Neil spent an hour cleaning the wall with mayonnaise it was a smooth light blue again.  Genome editing with the lenses is like mayonnaise for their too-colorful cells.

The diseases all look different with the lenses, and all of them are uncomfortably bright. Ebola is Neil’s least favorite. It looks like thousands of neon blue worms. These little worms seem to eat through the healthy cells, squirming in and out of them.

On the morning of Neil’s twenty-first surgery, Dr. Chen asks Neil to meet with her in her office to talk about the surgery. Neil already started getting ready for the surgery, so he is wearing the lenses.

Neil opens Dr. Chen’s office door and immediately feels sick. Bright green circles with red spikes float in the air around Dr. Chen. As she says, “Good morning,” the spikes fly towards Neil. He jumps to the left, but some of the green and red still hit his face. Neil wipes his face with his sleeve, and then he remembers: This is what a cold looks like.

“I see you’re wearing the lenses,” Dr. Chen says. She laughs at Neil’s reaction.

Neil tries to laugh, too. “I forgot that I put them in.”

Dr. Chen laughs louder and begins to cough.  More frog-green circles fly towards Neil, and he holds his breath.

Part 8>