Pre-intermediate

There are five stories in this book. ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ and ‘The Barrel of Amontillado’ are stories of madness; ‘The Maelström’ describes fear of death during a storm on the ocean; and in ‘The Murders of the Rue Morgue’ and ‘The Stolen Letter’ meet C. Auguste Dupin, Poe’s famous Parisian detective.

‘It was the seventh day of the storm. We didn’t know where we were. Everyone on the ship believed that death was very near.’ The Robinson family do not die at sea; they find their way to a small island. But what can they do now? Where will they live? What will they eat? Luckily, the father and their mother have useful skills and they can teach their four young sons. But how long will they be there, on the island?

One day Rafael was well; the next day he was completely mad. What happened to him? The story of Rafael and his gold ring is a strange story of murder, mystery and love. Many people know part of the story. But only Rafael knows the true facts. And Rafael is mad.

Anna Scott is an American film star. She is rich, beautiful and very famous. William Thacker is a shy man who has a small, unsuccessful bookshop in London. Their lives are different in every way, but they are both looking for someone special. Can a future together be more than a dream? Notting Hill is a wonderful – and very funny – love story.

Meet the Larkin family! They enjoy a wonderful country life, never worrying about money, work – or the law. But then, one day, a man arrives from the tax office. Is the taxman going to change the Larkin’s lives? Or is his life going to change forever?

Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark. His heart is filled with sadness and pain. Why? Only his two best friends, Horatio and Marcellus, know the true reason. The new king, Claudius, murdered Hamlet’s father and married the young prince’s mother. Will Hamlet be strong and brave enough to take revenge? Is he mad? Or does he have a secret plan?

Has Mrs Brown killed Granny on the beach? Why does Mrs Hill want to leave her husband? Who wants to steal the Professor’s invention? And what is little Johnny trying to say? Discover the answers when you read the plays in this book. They are plays about ordinary people and the unusual, often funny, things that happen to them.

Britain is a small country but it has a long history. Two thousand years ago it was part of the Roman Empire. In the 1930s the British Empire was the biggest empire in world history. In the past, kings and queens fought to rule Britain. Discover how wars, revolutions and religion have changed its history. Read about the different countries of the United Kingdom – and the great men and women who have shaped the British nation.

Why is the frightening Mr Hyde a friend of the nice Dr Jekyll? Who is the evil little man? And why does he seem to have power over the doctor? After a terrible murder, everyone is looking for Mr Hyde. But he has disappeared. Or has he?

Edmond Dantes is a clever young seaman, but he has enemies who tell lies about him. On the day of his wedding to the beautiful Mercedes, Edmond is thrown into prison. There he meets a man who tells him about some treasure on the island of Monte Cristo. Will Edmond escape from prison and find the treasure? And will he see Mercedes again?

Jane, a 20-year-old writer falls in love with Tom Lefroy who studies law. Jane’s romance inspired her to write Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. Read the story of Jane Austen and how she became one of the greatest writers of English literature.

What does the name Agatha Christie mean? To many people , it means a book about a murder mystery - a whodunnit. I´m reading an Agatha Christie, people say. I´m not sure who the murderer is - I think it´s ... But they are usually wrong , because it is not easy to guess the murderer´s name before the end of the book. But was Agatha Christie? What was she like? Was her life quiet and unexciting, or was it full of interest and adventure? Was there a mystery in her life, too? True Stories