Emma and Sophie had been best friends since childhood. They shared everything with each other. At least, that is what Emma believed. One day, Emma noticed that Sophie was acting strangely. Sophie kept checking her phone and smiling. 'Who are you texting?' Emma asked. 'Oh, nobody important,' Sophie replied quickly. Emma felt hurt. They had never kept secrets from each other before. The next week, things got worse. Sophie cancelled their plans three times. She always had some excuse. 'I have a headache,' or 'I need to help my mother.' Emma started to worry. Was Sophie angry with her? Had she done something wrong? Emma decided to talk to Sophie about it. She invited Sophie to meet at their favourite café. Sophie agreed to come. Emma arrived early and ordered two cups of tea. She felt nervous about the conversation. Sophie arrived ten minutes late. 'Sorry I am late,' Sophie said with a smile. Emma took a deep breath. 'Sophie, I need to ask you something.' 'Are you keeping a secret from me?' Sophie's face turned red. 'What do you mean?' she asked nervously. 'You have been avoiding me lately,' Emma said sadly. 'And you always look at your phone with a mysterious smile.' Sophie looked down at her hands. 'I am so sorry, Emma,' she said quietly. 'I cannot tell you everything yet.' Emma felt her heart sink. 'But I promise it is nothing bad,' Sophie added quickly. 'Please trust me for just one more week.' Emma was confused, but she agreed. A week later, Emma received a strange text message. 'Come to the park at seven o'clock. Do not be late.' The message was from Sophie. Emma felt curious and a little worried. She arrived at the park exactly at seven. The park was dark and quiet. Suddenly, all the lights turned on. 'Surprise! Happy birthday, Emma!' Emma could not believe her eyes. All her friends and family were there. Sophie ran to her and gave her a big hug. 'This was the secret!' Sophie laughed. 'I was planning your surprise party for weeks!' Emma felt tears of happiness in her eyes. 'I thought you were angry with me,' she admitted. 'Never!' Sophie said with a warm smile. 'You are my best friend, and I wanted to make your birthday special.' Emma hugged Sophie tightly. 'Thank you so much,' Emma said. 'This is the best birthday ever.' Sometimes the best secrets are the ones worth waiting for.
English Story (A2)The Secret
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
Emma notices that her best friend Sophie has been acting strangely and avoiding her. After a week of worry and confusion, Sophie invites Emma to the park where a surprise birthday party awaits. The secret was that Sophie had been planning the party all along.
Translations in English
Linked wordUnderlined wordOther words
Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
Why did Emma start to worry about Sophie?
2
Where did Emma invite Sophie to have an important talk?
3
What was Sophie's secret?
4
What did Emma receive a week after meeting Sophie at the café?
Vocabulary
30 words from this story
