It was a hot summer afternoon. Emma and her family were having a picnic in the park. They had sandwiches, fruit, and lemonade. Emma's little brother was playing with a ball. Their dog was running around happily. Everything was perfect. Then Emma noticed something strange. The sky was changing color. Dark clouds were coming from the west. 'Look at the sky,' Emma said to her mother. Her mother looked up and saw the dark clouds. 'A storm is coming,' her mother said. 'We should go home quickly.' The family started to pack their things. The wind started to blow stronger. The leaves on the trees were moving wildly. Emma's father grabbed the picnic blanket. Her mother picked up the food basket. Emma held her little brother's hand. The dog was barking at the sky. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light. It was lightning! A few seconds later, they heard a loud boom. It was thunder. Emma's little brother started to cry. 'It is too loud!' he said. Emma hugged him tightly. 'Do not worry,' she said. 'Thunder cannot hurt you.' They started running toward the car. The first drops of rain started to fall. The drops were big and cold. Soon, it was raining very hard. The family finally reached the car. Everyone was wet, but they were safe. They got into the car and closed the doors. The rain was hitting the car roof loudly. The dog was shaking water off his fur. Emma's father turned on the car heater. Soon, everyone started to feel warm again. They watched the storm through the windows. The lightning was beautiful and scary at the same time. Emma counted the seconds between lightning and thunder. Her father had taught her this trick. 'If you count five seconds, the storm is about a mile away,' he said. The storm seemed to be very close now. Emma could count only two seconds between the flash and the boom. After about thirty minutes, the rain started to slow down. The thunder became quieter and more distant. The dark clouds started to move away. The sun started to appear again. 'Look!' Emma shouted. 'A rainbow!' A beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky. It had all the colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Emma's little brother stopped crying and smiled. 'The rainbow is so pretty!' he said. Emma's mother took a photo of the rainbow with her phone. The family stayed in the car a little longer. They waited until the ground was not too wet. Then they drove home. That evening, the family talked about the thunderstorm. 'It was a little scary,' Emma's brother said. 'But the rainbow was amazing!' Emma smiled at her brother. 'Thunderstorms can be exciting,' she said. 'And there is always something beautiful after the storm.'
English Story (A2)The Thunderstorm
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 and her family are enjoying a picnic in the park on a hot summer afternoon when they notice dark clouds approaching. As a thunderstorm begins, they quickly pack up and run to their car just as the rain starts to fall. Inside the car, they watch the lightning and listen to the thunder. Emma's little brother is scared at first, but Emma comforts him. After the storm passes, a beautiful rainbow appears in the sky, making everyone happy again.
Translations in English
Linked wordUnderlined wordOther words
Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
What were Emma and her family doing when the storm started approaching?
2
What did Emma's little brother do when he heard the thunder?
3
What trick did Emma's father teach her about thunderstorms?
4
What appeared in the sky after the storm ended?
Vocabulary
30 words from this story
