Sofia had never been to an art museum before. Her friend Emma invited her to visit the city museum on Saturday. Sofia was excited but also a little nervous. She did not know much about art and was worried she would not understand the paintings. Emma told her not to worry and that museums were for everyone. On Saturday morning, Sofia woke up early. She put on a comfortable dress and her favorite sneakers. Emma said they would walk a lot inside the museum. Sofia took the bus to meet Emma at the museum entrance. Emma was already waiting with two tickets in her hand. 'I bought them online,' Emma said with a smile. They walked into the museum together. The building was very big and had high ceilings. Sofia looked around with wide eyes. 'This is amazing,' she whispered. The first room had paintings from the nineteenth century. Emma explained that these were landscape paintings. Sofia saw beautiful mountains, rivers, and forests in the paintings. She liked how the artists painted the sky with many different colors. In the next room, there were portraits of people. Sofia noticed that many of the women in the portraits wore fancy dresses. 'I wonder who these people were,' Sofia said. Emma read the small signs next to each painting. The signs told the name of the artist and the year of the painting. After an hour, Sofia's legs started to feel tired. They found a bench in the middle of a large room and sat down. From the bench, Sofia could see a huge painting on the wall. The painting showed a busy market scene with many people. 'I could look at this painting for hours,' Sofia said. Emma smiled and pointed to another room. 'There is a modern art section too,' she said. They walked to the modern art section on the second floor. The paintings here were very different from the ones downstairs. Some paintings had only shapes and bright colors. Sofia did not understand what she was looking at. 'What does this one mean?' she asked Emma. Emma laughed and said that modern art was about feelings, not pictures. 'Just look at it and see how it makes you feel,' Emma explained. Sofia looked at a painting with red and orange colors. 'This one makes me feel warm and happy,' she said. Emma was happy that Sofia was enjoying the museum. At noon, they decided to have lunch at the museum cafe. The cafe had big windows with a view of the city. Sofia ordered a sandwich and some coffee. They talked about their favorite paintings from the morning. After lunch, they visited the sculpture garden outside. The sculptures were made of stone, metal, and wood. Sofia walked around a tall metal sculpture that looked like a bird. She took many photos with her phone. The museum closed at five o'clock. Sofia was surprised that they had spent almost six hours there. 'Time goes fast when you are having fun,' Emma said. Before leaving, Sofia stopped at the gift shop. She bought a poster of her favorite painting to put in her room. She also bought a small notebook with art prints on the cover. Outside, the sun was setting behind the tall buildings. Sofia thanked Emma for inviting her. 'I had such a wonderful time,' she said. Emma smiled and said they should visit another museum soon. On the bus home, Sofia looked at the photos on her phone. She could not believe she had been so nervous that morning. Now she understood that museums were for everyone, just like Emma said. Sofia decided to visit more museums in the future. She also wanted to learn more about art and different painting styles. That night, Sofia hung the poster on her bedroom wall. Every time she looked at it, she remembered her wonderful day at the museum.
English Story (A2)The Museum Visit
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
Sofia visits an art museum for the first time with her friend Emma. She discovers landscape paintings, portraits, and modern art, learning that art is about feelings. After spending the whole day exploring, she leaves with a poster and new appreciation for museums.
Translations in English
Linked wordUnderlined wordOther words
Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
Why was Sofia nervous about visiting the museum?
2
How did Emma get the museum tickets?
3
What did Emma say about modern art?
4
What did Sofia buy at the gift shop before leaving?
Vocabulary
30 words from this story
