Chapter 1: The First Morning

Story Vocabulary

beside	neben
forest	Wald
lake	See
to frown	die Stirn runzeln
to set up	einrichten, gründen
tray	Tablett

Chapter 1

Listen to the Story

Maya opens her small café in Willow Park early on Monday morning. The sun is bright, and the lake is very blue. Her brother, Eric, helps her. He sets up the tables and puts fresh flowers on each one.

A woman walks in and smiles.

“Good morning,” Maya says.

Eric brings a tray with two hot coffees.

The woman says, “Thank you. My name is Anna.”

Maya answers, “I’m Maya, and this is my brother Eric.”

They talk about the town for a few minutes. Anna sits by the window and reads the menu. Maya feels happy; the café is warm and quiet. But then, Anna looks at the forest and frowns.

Grammar Focus: The Present Simple

We use the Present Simple to talk about facts, habits, and things that are true right now. In this chapter, we see it in:

Facts: "The sun is bright."
Habits/Actions: "Maya opens her café," "Eric brings a tray."
Third Person: Remember to add an -s to the verb when the subject is He, She, or It (e.g., Maya says, Eric helps).

Examples

The forest has many trees.
He stands near a tree.

Negative sentences:

He does not move.
He The man is not there.

Reading Comprehension Exercises

Here are some questions to help you start thinking in English.