Story in English for Intermediate
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Ema Visits Paris
Ema had always dreamed of visiting the beautiful and romantic city of Paris with its lovely narrow streets, charming old cafes, and historic tall buildings that seemed to touch the soft blue sky above.
She worked very hard for many long months and finally saved enough money from her job at the local library to buy a plane ticket for her very first international trip to Europe all alone by herself.
The flight across the ocean was extremely long but also very exciting, and she spent hours looking out the small window at the endless white clouds that floated peacefully below the shiny silver wing of the airplane.
When the plane finally landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Ema felt a sudden rush of pure joy and quickly collected her bright red suitcase from the crowded baggage claim area before heading outside into the fresh air.
She took a comfortable taxi through the busy morning traffic directly to her small but charming hotel near the city center, where a very friendly front desk clerk welcomed her with a genuinely warm and helpful smile.
The next morning, she woke up very early feeling completely refreshed and walked down the quiet street to a nearby traditional bakery to taste a fresh, warm, and wonderfully buttery French croissant with a cup of hot coffee.
Her first big stop of the day was the absolutely magnificent Eiffel Tower, which stood much taller and far grander than she had ever imagined from looking at all the photographs and postcards over the years back home.
Ema patiently waited in a very long line with other excited tourists, then finally took the glass elevator all the way up to the very top observation deck to see the entire sparkling city of Paris spread out beautifully below her.
After enjoying the amazing tower views, she visited the world-famous Louvre Museum and walked through its massive halls filled with art to finally see the mysterious and captivating painting of the Mona Lisa up close with her own eyes.
In the late afternoon, she sat peacefully by the gentle Seine River and watched colorful boats pass slowly under the beautiful old stone bridges while artists painted and musicians played soft romantic melodies nearby on the banks.
Ema bravely tried to speak a little French when she ordered her dinner at a cozy traditional restaurant, and the patient waiter kindly helped her understand the menu and even complimented her pronunciation with an encouraging nod.
On her very last evening in the city, she stood watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle brilliantly with thousands of magical golden lights against the dark night sky and felt truly grateful for her absolutely wonderful and unforgettable Parisian adventure.
Vocabulary Words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| romantic | beautiful in a way that affects your emotions |
| international | involving more than one country |
| peacefully | in a calm and quiet way without disturbance |
| baggage claim | the area where you collect your luggage after a flight |
| comfortable | providing physical ease and relaxation |
| traditional | relating to customs that have continued for a long time |
| absolutely | completely; without any doubt |
| observation deck | a high platform for viewing the surrounding area |
| captivating | very attractive and holding your attention completely |
| melodies | pleasant musical tunes or songs |
| complimented | said something nice to praise someone |
| encouraging | giving someone support and hope |
| brilliantly | in a very bright and impressive way |
| unforgettable | impossible to forget because it was so special |
| Parisian | relating to the city of Paris in France |
Phrases
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| had always dreamed of visiting | wanted to go somewhere for a very long time |
| saved enough money | collected sufficient funds over a period of time |
| very first international trip | the initial journey to another country |
| a sudden rush of pure joy | an immediate and strong feeling of complete happiness |
| genuinely warm and helpful smile | a truly friendly and supportive facial expression |
| wonderfully buttery French croissant | a deliciously rich and flaky French pastry |
| far grander than she had ever imagined | much more impressive than she had previously thought |
| entire sparkling city of Paris | the whole city shining beautifully with many lights |
| see the mysterious and captivating painting | view the strange and deeply interesting artwork |
| beautiful old stone bridges | lovely ancient structures built from rock for crossing water |
| patient waiter kindly helped | the calm server gave nice and useful assistance |
| sparkle brilliantly with thousands of magical golden lights | shine extremely brightly with many wonderful yellow lights |
| felt truly grateful | experienced deep and honest feelings of thankfulness |
| absolutely wonderful and unforgettable | completely amazing and impossible to ever forget |
| Parisian adventure | an exciting experience in the city of Paris |
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