The Burnt Rice
A free A1-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Ana burns her first pot of rice, but she reads the directions carefully and tries again.
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Ana wants to cook rice for the first time. Her mom is at work. Ana finds a bag of rice in the kitchen. She reads the words on the bag.
She puts rice and water in a pot. She turns on the stove. She sets the pot on the burner. Then she goes to her room to watch a video.
Ana watches the video for a long time. She forgets about the rice on the stove. After twenty minutes, she smells something strange.
She runs to the kitchen. Black smoke comes from the pot. Ana turns off the stove fast. She opens the window to let the smoke out.
She looks inside the pot. The rice is black and dry. It sticks to the bottom of the pot. Ana sighs and empties the pot into the trash.
She washes the pot with soap and water. She reads the bag again, more slowly this time. The bag gives simple directions. Use two cups of water for one cup of rice.
Ana measures the rice and water carefully. She puts the pot back on the stove. She sets a timer on her phone for fifteen minutes.
This time, she stays in the kitchen. She checks the pot every few minutes. The timer rings. She turns off the stove.
Ana opens the pot. The rice is soft and white. It smells warm and good.
She puts some rice on a plate. She takes it to the table.
