0:03 Hello and welcome to Lovely English
0:07 Stories. Thank you for stopping by. This
0:10 story was voted for by you, our
0:13 subscribers, and it's for advanced
0:17 English learners. So, are you ready?
0:21 Well, let's get started. A Day by the
0:26 River, C1 Advanced English Story. We'll
0:28 read through the story first with some
0:31 vocabulary explanations within the
0:34 story. Then we'll go through some more
0:38 vocabulary and then we'll read the story
0:41 again without any explanations. Ready?
0:48 It was a mild, which means a pleasantly
0:52 warm, not too hot or too cold, Saturday
0:55 morning when Emma decided to spend the
1:00 day by the river. She packed a picnic,
1:03 which is a meal eaten outdoors, often on
1:07 a blanket, into her rucksack, of two
1:09 crusty baguette sandwiches, a ripe
1:13 peach, and a flask of tea. After lacing
1:16 up her trainers, which are comfortable
1:19 sports shoes, she left her flat and
1:23 strolled towards the park.
1:25 The park was already bustling with
1:29 activity. Joggers passed by, their
1:31 footsteps rhythmic against the gravel
1:34 paths, while children squealled with
1:37 laughter as they chased each other
1:41 across the grass. Near the bandstand, a
1:44 man was flying a kite. That's a light
1:47 frame covered with fabric or paper, and
1:51 it is flown in the wind. Its vibrant
1:54 tail twisting and fluttering in the
1:58 crisp breeze.
2:00 When Emma reached the riverbank, she
2:04 paused for a moment. The water flowed
2:07 lazily, its surface glinting, which
2:11 means reflecting small flashes of light
2:15 under the midday sun. She chose a spot
2:19 beneath a sweeping willow tree, which is
2:23 a tree with long trailing branches.
2:26 Its foliage providing cool dappled
2:30 shade. Sitting cross-legged, she
2:33 breathed in the earthy scent of grass
2:35 and damp soil and listened to the
2:38 distant murmur of voices blending with
2:41 bird song.
2:44 Emma opened her book, but was soon
2:48 distracted by two elegant swans gliding
2:52 across the water. Unlike ducks, swans
2:57 move with an almost regal grace. Their
3:00 necks curved like question marks as they
3:03 dipped beneath the surface, searching
3:07 for food. Emma tossed a few crumbs from
3:10 her sandwich onto the water.
3:13 The ripples widened as the birds
3:16 approached cautiously, their moments and
3:20 movements serene, which means calm and peaceful.
3:23 peaceful.
3:26 As afternoon settled in, the park grew
3:29 livelier. Families arrived carrying
3:32 picnic baskets.
3:35 Cyclists whizzed along the riverside
3:38 path, and somewhere nearby, a group of
3:41 friends strummed a guitar, filling the
3:44 air with soft melodies.
3:47 Emma savored the moment. The gentle
3:50 breeze, which is a light wind, was
3:53 brushing against her cheeks, the sun
3:57 flickering through the canopy above.
4:00 A sudden commotion snapped her out of
4:03 her thoughts. A dog had leapt into the
4:08 river, sending up a spray of water. Its
4:10 frantic owner called from the bank, her
4:14 voice sharp with concern. Yet the dog
4:18 emerged triumphant, tail wagging and
4:21 stick clenched between its jaws.
4:24 Laughter rippled through the onlookers
4:28 and the owner exhaled in relief. That's
4:31 the easing of an anxiety, anxious
4:35 feeling or worry.
4:38 Later, Emma wandered along the toe path
4:41 where she watched a team of rowers. This
4:44 is people propelling a boat using long
4:48 oars as they glide past in a sleek
4:51 racing shell. Their strokes were
4:54 perfectly synchronized. That means they
4:57 occurred at the same time and in the
5:00 same rhythm, a testament to discipline
5:03 and teamwork. She wondered how many
5:07 early mornings it had taken to achieve
5:14 As dusk approached, the river mirrored
5:17 shades of orange and rose pink. Emma
5:20 lingered for a final glance, then took a
5:23 photograph to capture the scene. Walking
5:26 home, her thoughts drifted lazily like
5:29 the current itself. It had been an
5:33 ordinary day, yet threaded with quiet
5:36 beauty. A reminder that sometimes
5:40 simplicity holds the greatest reward.
5:42 Now, we're going to go through some of
5:45 those more advanced or complex words
5:48 from the story and then we'll read the
5:52 story again and hopefully this will help
5:55 you understand those words in context.
5:59 So let's start with drifted to drift.
6:02 Drifted means moved slowly without
6:06 control. The clouds drifted across the
6:10 evening sky. Frantic. If someone is
6:13 frantic, they are very worried or
6:16 anxious in a hurried way. She made a
6:20 frantic search for her missing keys.
6:24 Lingered or to linger. Lingered means to
6:26 stay in a place for longer than is
6:29 necessary. He lingered by the door,
6:34 unsure what to do. Melodies. Melodies
6:37 are pleasant musical tunes. The piano
6:41 filled the room with gentle melodies.
6:44 Murmur. A murmur is a low, soft,
6:47 continuous sound. The murmur of voices
6:50 came from the next room. Cautiously.
6:52 Cautiously.
6:55 To do something cautiously means in a
6:59 careful way to avoid risk or danger. She
7:03 approached the wild animal cautiously.
7:07 Commotion. A commotion is a sudden noisy
7:10 confusion or disturbance. There was a
7:12 commotion in the hallway when the bell rang.
7:13 rang.
7:17 Squealled. To squeal means to make a
7:20 high-pitched cry or sound. The children
7:24 squealled with delight at the surprise.
7:27 Synchronized means something that
7:30 happens at the same time or in harmony.
7:32 For example, dancers can be
7:34 synchronized. Swimmers can be
7:37 synchronized. The rowers on the boat
7:39 were synchronized.
7:43 Bandstand. A bandstand is an outdoor
7:46 platform for musicians to perform. The
7:50 band played on the park's band stand.
7:54 Snapped or to snap means that something
7:57 has broken suddenly or spoken in an
8:00 angry or sharp way. She snapped the
8:03 pencil in half or she snapped at the
8:07 little boy who was being naughty.
8:10 Triumphant means feeling or showing joy
8:14 after a victory after a win. He returned
8:16 home with a triumphant smile after
8:19 winning the race.
8:22 Footsteps are the sound or mark of
8:25 someone walking. She could hear her
8:28 dad's footsteps.
8:31 Grace. If something is done with grace,
8:35 it is done smoothly and elegantly. The
8:38 ballerina moved with effortless grace
8:41 across the stage.
8:45 to clench. Clenched means closed
8:47 tightly, usually due to a strong emotion.
8:49 emotion.
8:54 He clenched his fists in frustration.
8:57 Dappled. Dappled means marked with spots
9:00 or patches of light and shade. They
9:03 walked under the dappled sunlight
9:05 filtering through the trees.
9:08 A reminder is something that makes you
9:12 remember something else. The photo was a
9:15 reminder of the holiday. Simplicity.
9:17 Simplicity.
9:19 Simplicity is the quality of being
9:22 simple and uncomplicated.
9:25 She loved the simplicity of a quiet life
9:28 in the countryside.
9:31 Twisting. To twist.
9:34 Twisting means turning in a winding or a
9:38 spiral shape. The smoke was twisting up
9:42 into the clear blue sky.
9:45 Bustling. If something is bustling, it
9:48 is full of lively activity and movement.
9:51 The market was bustling with shoppers
9:53 and street performers.
9:56 Glinting or to glint.
9:59 Glinting means shining with small
10:02 flashes of light. The sun was glinting
10:05 on the surface of the water.
10:09 Willow. Willow is a type of tree with
10:12 beautiful long trailing branches. They
10:16 sat beneath a willow by the river.
10:18 They're often called weeping willow trees.
10:20 trees.
10:24 To flutter. Fluttering means moving
10:26 lightly and quickly in the air. The
10:28 butterfly was fluttering above the flowers.
10:30 flowers.
10:34 To ripple. Rippled means something that
10:37 is forming or formed small waves on the surface.
10:38 surface.
10:42 Laughter rippled through the crowd after
10:44 the joke. Serene.
10:46 Serene.
10:49 Serene means calm, peaceful, and
10:53 untroubled. She looked serene as she sat
10:55 by the lake.
10:59 Canopy. Canopy is a covering formed by
11:03 tree branches and leaves. The hikers
11:06 rested under the forest canopy.
11:10 Exhaled or to exhale means to breathe
11:12 out air
11:16 like that. He exhaled or exhaled. Some
11:17 people pronounce it slightly
11:25 That could also be a bit of a sigh.
11:27 Rowers. Rowers are people who propel a
11:31 boat by using oes. The rowers worked in
11:36 perfect rhythm. Rhythm. Crusty.
11:39 Crusty means having a hard outer layer.
11:42 She bought a loaf of crusty bread from
11:43 the bakery.
11:47 Tow path. A toe path is a path along the
11:50 side of a river or a canal. They cycled
11:53 along the toe path.
11:57 Now, we'll read through the story again,
11:59 but this time we won't do the
12:02 explanations. You can still see them on
12:04 the screen if you're not sure, but we
12:08 won't read them out. So, are you ready?
12:11 Hopefully, this will be useful.
12:14 It was a mild Saturday morning when Emma
12:18 decided to spend the day by the river.
12:20 She packed a picnic into her rucks sack
12:23 of two crusty baguette sandwiches, a
12:26 ripe peach, and a flask of tea. After
12:29 lacing up her trainers, she left her
12:33 flat and strolled towards the park.
12:36 The park was already bustling with
12:39 activity. Joggers passed by, their
12:42 footsteps rhythmic against the gravel
12:45 paths, while children squealled with
12:48 laughter as they chased each other
12:51 across the grass. Near the bandstand, a
12:55 man was flying a kite, its vibrant tail
12:58 twisting and fluttering in the crisp breeze.
13:01 breeze.
13:04 When Emma reached the riverbank, she
13:07 paused for a moment. The water flowed
13:11 lazily, its surface glinting under the
13:15 midday sun. She chose a spot beneath a
13:18 sweeping willow tree, its foliage
13:22 providing cool, dappled shade. Sitting
13:25 cross-legged, she breathed in the earthy
13:27 scent of grass and damp soil, and
13:30 listened to the distant murmur of voices
13:33 blending with bird song.
13:36 Emma opened her book, but was soon
13:40 distracted by two elegant swans gliding
13:43 across the water.
13:47 Unlike ducks, swans move with an almost
13:50 regal grace. Their necks curved like
13:53 question marks as they dipped beneath
13:56 the surface searching for food. Emma
13:59 tossed a few crumbs from her sandwich
14:02 onto the water. The ripples widened as
14:05 the birds approached cautiously, their
14:13 As afternoon settled in, the park grew
14:16 livelier. Families arrived carrying
14:20 picnic baskets. Cyclists whizzed along
14:22 the riverside path. And somewhere
14:24 nearby, a group of friends strummed a
14:27 guitar, filling the air with soft melodies.
14:29 melodies.
14:31 Emma savored the moment, the gentle
14:34 breeze brushing against her cheeks, the
14:39 sun flickering through the canopy above.
14:41 A sudden commotion snapped her out of
14:45 her thoughts. A dog had leapt into the
14:49 river, sending up a spray of water. Its
14:52 frantic owner called from the bank, her
14:56 voice sharp with concern. Yet the dog
14:59 emerged triumphant,
15:02 tail wagging and stick clenched between
15:06 its jaws. Laughter rippled through the
15:10 onlookers and the owner exhaled in relief.
15:12 relief.
15:16 Later, Emma wandered along the toe path
15:19 where she watched a team of rowers glide
15:22 past in a sleek racing shell. Their
15:25 strokes were perfectly synchronized, a
15:28 testament to discipline and teamwork.
15:31 She wondered how many early mornings it
15:36 had taken to achieve such precision.
15:39 As dusk approached, the river mirrored
15:42 shades of orange and rose pink. Emma
15:45 lingered for a final glance, then took a
15:48 photograph to capture the scene. Walking
15:51 home, her thoughts drifted lazily like
15:54 the current itself. It had been an
15:58 ordinary day, yet threaded with quiet
16:01 beauty, a reminder that sometimes
16:06 simplicity holds the greatest reward.
16:10 We hope you enjoyed this lovely English
16:13 story as voted for by you. And we hope
16:16 you can realize that we are real people.
16:18 Sometimes people comment and think that
16:21 we're a computer or a bot or AI, but we
16:23 are very much real people as you can
16:26 hear when sometimes I stumble over
16:29 words. But everyone does that, even
16:32 native speakers. So when you're learning
16:34 a new language and you worry that you're
16:37 stuttering or stumbling, native speakers
16:40 do it, too. No one is perfect. The fact
16:43 that you're trying to learn is good
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