Welcome to mr. Aslanov’s pre-ielts lessons 40 stories to retell

 
 
STORY 16. 
A history teacher was talking to his class about the ancient Romans. ‘They were very strong, brave 
people, and they were good soldiers,’ he said. ‘They always wanted to have strong bodies, so they played a lot 
of games.’ ‘Did they like swimming?’ one of the girls asked. ‘That makes people’s bodies strong.’ She was 
very good at swimming. ‘Oh, yes, some of them swam a lot,’ the teacher answered. Then he told them a story 
about one famous Roman. ‘There was a big, wide river in the middle of Rome,’ he said. ‘It was the Tiber, and 
this man swam across it three times every day before breakfast.’ The girl laughed when she heard this. ‘Why 
are you laughing?’ the teacher asked her angrily. ‘Have I said anything funny?’ ‘Well, sir,’ the girl answered, 
‘Why didn’t he swim across the river four times, to get back to his clothes again?’
 
 
STORY 17. 
Betty Brown was five years old, and her mother wanted her to begin going to school, because she 
wanted to start working in an office again. A month before the beginning of the school year Mrs. Brown began 
telling Betty about school. ‘It’s very nice,’ she said. ‘You’ll play games and paint pictures and sing songs.’ Mrs. 
Brown began doing these things with Betty. Betty liked the games and the painting and the singing very much, 
but she always wanted to be near her mother, so Mrs. Brown was rather afraid and thought, ‘What will she do 
when I leave her at school?’ But on the first day at school Betty was very good. She did not cry, and she was 
happy. On the second morning Mrs. Brown said, ‘Put your clothes on, Betty. I’m going to take you to school in 
half an hour's time.’ ‘School?’ Betty said. ‘But I’ve been to school!’
 
 
STORY 18. 
One morning Mrs. Perry said to her husband, ‘Jack, there’s a meeting of our ladies’ club at Mrs. 
Young’s house at lunch time today, and I want to go to it. I’ll leave you some food for your lunch. Is that all 
right?’ ‘Oh, yes,’ her husband answered, that’s quite all right. What are you going to leave for my lunch?’ ‘This 
tin of fish,’ Mrs. Perry said. ‘And there are some cold, boiled potatoes and some beans here, too.’ ‘Good,’ Mr. 
Perry answered. I’ll have a good lunch.’ So Mrs. Perry went to her meeting. All the ladies had lunch at Mrs. 
Young’s house, and at three o’clock Mrs. Perry came home. ‘Was your fish nice, Jack?’ she asked. ‘Yes, but 
my feet are hurting,’ he answered. ‘Why are they hurting?’ Mrs. Perry asked. ‘Well, the words on the tin were, 
“Open tin and stand in hot water for five minutes”.’