The following stories are part of our easy reading for beginners in English series. In the first story, Sue, a four-year-old girl, visits a zoo with her mother. She sees many animals, including lions, tigers, elephants, and a singing blue bird that catches her attention. In the second story, you will learn about African grey parrots, intelligent birds known for their ability to mimic sounds and words. I hope you enjoy both stories. Happy reading!
Sue’s visit to a zoo
Sue and the bird
Sue is a girl. She is four years old. She lives in Germany. She loves animals and likes to dress up. Today, she is wearing a pink T-shirt and a blue jumpsuit. Today, she is visiting a zoo with her mother. The zoo is very big. There are many animals at the zoo: lions, tigers, elephants, zebra, owls, peacocks, and many more. Sue is excited to see all the animals. The lions are sleeping under a tree. The tigers are playing inside their enclosure. The elephants are walking slowly. The zebras are eating grass. There is a blue bird on a tree. Sue is looking at the bird. The bird is singing. She tells her mother, “Mama, look at that bird; it’s singing.” Her mother replies, “Yes, it’s beautiful.”
Reading comprehension
1. How old is Sue?
2. Where does Sue live?
3. What does Sue like to do?
4. What is Sue wearing today?
5. Where is Sue going today?
6. Who is Sue visiting the zoo with?
7. What are the lions doing at the zoo?
8. What are the tigers doing?
9. What is Sue looking at?
10. What is the bird doing?
Read the text slowly and answer the questions
African grey parrots
My name is African grey parrot. I am a bird. I have grey feathers and a red tail. I am very beautiful. I live in the forests of West and Central Africa. My home is in the trees. I like to fly. I can fly very far. I can fly up to 10 kilometres a day. I like to be with other birds. I live in a big group. The group is called a flock. My flock has many birds, and we all talk to each other. We are very social. We like to play together. We like to eat together too. I am a very smart bird. I can learn to talk. I can copy human words. People are amazed when I talk. I am as smart as a little child. I can also remember things. I can recognize colours and shapes. I can tell the difference between things. I can understand some simple questions. People say I am one of the smartest birds in the world.
In my home, I live with my family. I have a partner. I stay with my partner for life. We care for each other. We both help to take care of our baby birds. We both feed them and keep them safe. I love my family very much. I do not like to be alone. I feel happy when I am with my family or my flock. I eat fruit, seeds, and nuts. I like to eat in the trees. I also like to play with the other birds. Sometimes, we play games. We fly around, and we talk to each other. We make happy sounds. My family and I also like to sleep in the trees at night. It is nice and safe there.
People like to keep me as a pet. I am very popular because I can talk. Some people keep me in cages. But I do not like to live in a cage. I need to fly and be free. I need to be with other birds. In the wild, I can fly far and visit many places. I can travel to find food. I can meet many other birds. But when I am in a cage, I cannot fly or meet other birds. This makes me sad. Some people take me from my home. They take me to sell me as a pet. This is very bad for me. I miss my home, and I miss my family. Every year, many African grey parrots are taken from the wild. It is not good for us. We are becoming fewer in number. People should not take us from the wild. We need to stay in our natural homes, where we can be free.
I can live for many years. Some of us live up to 60 years or more. Because we live so long, we can be with our families for many years. But if people keep us as pets, we may have to move to another home if our owner dies or if the owner cannot take care of us anymore. This is very sad for us because we like to stay in one home with our family. I am a monogamous bird. This means I stay with one partner for life. I do not look for another partner. My partner and I work together to take care of our babies. We both help each other. We are a good team. In my home, my family is very important to me. I feel safe and happy when I am with my family.
In the wild, we have a very busy life. We talk, we fly, and we play. We take care of each other. We help each other find food. We also help each other build nests. When we have babies, we keep them safe and warm. We all work together. This is how we live in the wild. We are very happy when we are together. People should understand that we need to live in the wild. We are not meant to live in cages. We are happiest when we are free and with our family. We are smart and beautiful birds, and we belong in the forests of Africa.
1. Birds have wings and feathers.
2. African grey parrots are dumb.
3. African grey parrots have a short lifespan.
4. African grey parrots are not in danger.
5. African grey parrots eat fruits, nuts, and seeds.
6. African grey parrots live alone.
7. What does the word 'monogamous' mean?
8. What does the word 'flock' mean?
