Maria lived in a small apartment in the city. She had lived there for three years and loved her home. The apartment was quiet and comfortable. But last month, a new neighbor moved in upstairs. His name was Thomas, and he was a musician. At first, Maria thought it would be nice to have a neighbor who played music. She imagined soft piano music in the evenings. But Thomas played the drums. He practiced every day for several hours. The noise was incredibly loud. Maria could feel the vibrations in her ceiling. The first week, she tried to ignore it. She told herself that new neighbors need time to settle in. But the noise continued every single day. Thomas started playing at nine in the morning. He often played until ten at night. Maria could not concentrate on her work. She worked from home as a translator. She needed quiet to do her job well. After two weeks, Maria decided to talk to Thomas. She went upstairs and knocked on his door. Thomas opened the door with a friendly smile. 'Hello, you must be my neighbor,' he said. Maria tried to stay calm. 'Yes, I live downstairs. I wanted to talk about the music.' Thomas's face changed a little. 'Is it too loud?' he asked. 'Yes, it is. I work from home, and I cannot concentrate.' Thomas looked surprised. 'I am sorry. I did not know anyone worked from home in this building.' 'Could you maybe play less during the day?' Maria asked. Thomas thought for a moment. 'The problem is that I have a big concert next month.' 'I need to practice a lot.' Maria felt frustrated, but she understood. 'Can we find a compromise?' she suggested. Thomas nodded. 'What do you have in mind?' Maria thought about her schedule. 'I usually have important calls between ten and noon.' 'Could you maybe take a break during those hours?' Thomas smiled. 'That is actually a good idea.' 'I can use that time to go shopping or exercise.' Maria felt relieved. 'Thank you so much for understanding.' 'And I will try to finish my loud practice by eight in the evening,' Thomas added. Maria was happy with this agreement. The next weeks were much better. Thomas kept his promise. He took a break every day from ten to twelve. He also stopped playing at eight in the evening. Maria could finally work in peace during her important hours. One day, Thomas invited Maria to his concert. 'I would love to come,' she said. The concert was amazing. Thomas was an incredibly talented drummer. Maria understood why he needed to practice so much. After the concert, she told him how impressed she was. 'You are really talented,' she said. Thomas thanked her and apologized again for the noise. 'It is fine now,' Maria said. 'Communication is the key.' They became good friends after that. Maria learned that talking to neighbors can solve many problems.
English Story (A2)Noise from the Neighbor
This A2 English story is designed for elementarys learning English. It includes simple vocabulary and short sentences to help you improve your reading and listening skills. Click any word to see translations and hear pronunciation.
About this story
Maria lives in an apartment where a new neighbor, Thomas the drummer, moves in upstairs. The constant noise disrupts her work from home. After two weeks, she talks to him and they find a compromise - Thomas takes breaks during her important hours. They become friends after Maria attends his concert.
Translations in English
Linked wordUnderlined wordOther words
Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
What instrument does Thomas play?
2
What is Maria's job?
3
What compromise did Maria and Thomas agree on?
4
Why did Thomas need to practice so much?
Vocabulary
30 words from this story
