Effective English Listening Practice with Short Stories and Questions

Have you ever listened to someone speak English, caught a few words,

but missed the full meaning?

You're not alone.

Listening is one thing, but truly understanding is another.

The best way to improve is by training your ears, and one way to do that

is by listening to short stories.

Just like we're going to do today.

Hello, everyone.

My name is Anna from English Like a Native.

And today I'm going to give you three short stories that will help

to sharpen your comprehension skills.

After each story, I'll ask you five questions to see how much you understood.

Do you think you can get them all right?

Let's find out.

My dad was always a bit of a mystery to me.

He was super strict.

Always watching me with these serious eyes that made me feel

like I was constantly being judged.

Deep down, I know he had my interests at heart.

But back then, it just felt like too much.

My father was dead set on not being too indulgent.

He thought being soft would make me weak.

Every time I did something good, he'd just give a quick nod.

Every mistake meant a long talk.

He wanted me to do well so badly that he forgot kids need

a bit of love and understanding.

He was pretty aloof.

Which made me feel like I was some kind of project rather than his daughter.

During my teenage years, when I was struggling with friendships,

self confidence, and the turbulent emotions of adolescence.

I just wanted him to cut me some slack.

Just once.

I wish he had listened without lecturing me or trying to fix everything.

Now, years later, I can see how we grew apart bit by bit.

I wish we could clear the air and really talk, but it feels like

those moments have already passed.

My dad's getting older now and he's much quieter.

The intensity of his strictness has faded, but so has our connection.

I can't help wondering if he ever realised how much I just

wanted him to understand me.

I wanted him to see me as his daughter, not as some

project that needed perfecting.

It's funny how relationships can get so complicated.

Sometimes I think some connections are like frail pieces of string, easy

to break, tough to put back together.

Here are the comprehension questions.

Get a pen or pencil at the ready.

Here we go.

1. Why did the narrator want their father to cut them some slack?

2. What does the narrator compare relationships to?

3. Why does the narrator wish they could clear the air with their father?

4. Why did the narrator feel that their father had their interests at heart?

Number five.

Why did the father's aloof behavior affect the narrator?

Nice work!

How did you do?

Keep track of your answers and at the end of this lesson let me know in

the comments how many you got right.

If you enjoy this type of comprehension exercise, check out Podcast Plus.

This is a membership where you'll get access to interactive quizzes

and transcripts to my latest podcast episodes, as well as a space

to do some writing of your own.

Now it's a great way to transform your passive listening into

an active learning experience.

I'll leave a link in the description for you to learn more.

Now let's move on to our next story.

Abigail had been teaching French at Oakwood Secondary School for five years.

Exam time was approaching and she was on her way to a department meeting about it.

We need to create the end of year exam for year ten.

The head of department announced, Abigail and Matthew, you'll

be responsible for this.

Abigail sighed.

She felt uneasy about working with Matthew, a new teacher who

had joined the modern foreign languages department that year.

He had seemed standoffish during their first few staff meetings.

He always sat quietly at the far end of the table and spoke

only when absolutely necessary.

Abigail approached Matthew during the lunch break.

Shall we discuss the exam?

she asked tentatively.

Matthew nodded and pulled out his notebook.

As they began discussing potential question types and assessment criteria,

something surprising happened.

Matthew's initial standoffish attitude seemed to disappear.

I was thinking we could focus on practical language use, he said.

Abigail's eyes lit up.

Spot on, she replied.

They started sharing ideas and it quickly became clear that they were

on the same page about assessment.

Matthew's methodical approach complemented Abigail's creative thinking.

They wanted an exam that would genuinely test the student's French skills, not just

their ability to memorise grammar rules.

Hours passed as they worked, sketching out sections for reading comprehension,

writing tasks and speaking assessments.

Their initial awkwardness disappeared, replaced by a shared enthusiasm for

creating a fair and challenging exam.

We should forge ahead with this draft, Matthew suggested

as the afternoon wore on.

Abigail agreed and they refined their plan, checking and

double checking every detail.

By the end of the day, they had created an exam that they both felt proud of.

What had started as an uncomfortable collaboration

Okay, here are the questions.

Number one, why was Abigail uneasy about working with Matthew?

Number two, how did Abigail and Matthew realise they were on the same page?

Number three, what helped Matthew appear less standoffish?

Number four, What does forge ahead mean in the context of Abigail and Matthew's work?

Number five.

How did Abigail and Matthew's working relationship change

by the end of the story?

Great job.

Listening to different stories like this is an amazing way to

improve your English naturally.

You get to hear vocabulary in context, making it easier to

remember and use in real life.

Are you ready for the final story?

Let's go.

I've been running this corner shop for over 20 years now.

And every day feels both the same and different.

The constant hum of the fridges and the flickering neon lights have become

as familiar to me as my own heartbeat.

When I first started, I knew it would be a challenge to hold my own

against the big supermarket chains that were popping up everywhere.

But I've learned a thing or two about surviving.

While they can offer cheaper prices, I offer something they can't.

A personal touch.

I know most of my regulars by name.

There's Mr Jackson who comes in every morning for his

newspaper and custard creams.

And the local school kids who sometimes mess about near the

sweet section after school.

I've worked hard to stand out from the competition.

I carefully choose my stock, ordering the products I know people want.

The school kids might laugh and joke, but they appreciate that I stock their

favourite crisps and energy drinks.

The older residents appreciate that I keep hard to find British

brands and always have a kind word.

Running an independent shop isn't easy.

Some days the takings are low and I worry about keeping the business going, but then

a regular will come in, share a story, or simply smile and thank me for being

here and I remember why I love what I do.

The shop might be small, tucked away on this quiet street, but

it's more than just a business.

It's a community hub, a little piece of local life that keeps ticking

along, and despite the challenges, I wouldn't have it any other way.

As evening approaches and the last customer drifts out, I tidy some

shelves and prepare for another day.

Ready for the questions.

Number one.

How did the shopkeeper hold his own against the supermarket chains?

Number two, what does the hum of the shop refer to in the story?

Number three, why do the school kids mess around in the shop?

Number four, how does the shopkeeper make his shop stand out from the supermarkets?

Number five, what makes the corner shop an important part of the community?

How many questions did you answer correctly?

Let me know in the comments.

Now, if you enjoyed these stories and you do want to take your learning further,

remember that Podcast Plus has full episode transcripts, quizzes, and a

space for you to practice your English.

So click on the link below to learn more.

And of course, please subscribe for more fun lessons like this.

I'll see you in the next video.