Sara’s big dream

September 15, 2026

Sara’s big dream

September 15, 2026

The cold walk to school

English Short Story

Emily loved challenges, and her latest idea was to turn an old, unused garage into a creative art studio. It wasn’t going to be easy, but she was excited about the project.

"I’ll finally have my own space to paint," she thought with a smile.
The garage had been abandoned for years and was filled with old furniture, boxes, and dust. Emily spent the entire weekend cleaning it out. She threw away what she didn’t need and kept a few interesting pieces of furniture she could repaint.
After clearing the garage, Emily started designing her new studio. She imagined large windows for natural light, bright walls, and plenty of shelves for her art supplies. She spent hours sketching the design, making sure it would be both practical and inspiring.
Emily was good at painting, but she didn’t know much about construction. So, she decided to ask her friend Mike, a carpenter, for help.

“I need some advice on how to install the windows and fix the walls,” she said.

Mike agreed to assist her and even offered to help with the installation.
Mike and Emily started the renovation the following weekend. They began by replacing the old, cracked windows with new, larger ones. It took longer than expected because they ran into a few problems with the walls.

“We’ll have to fix the foundation before adding the windows,” Mike said.
During the renovation, they discovered that the roof was leaking. Emily hadn’t planned for this extra expense.

"What a nightmare," she said, frustrated.

But she didn’t want to give up. She adjusted her budget and decided to delay buying some art supplies until the roof was repaired.
After fixing the roof and installing the new windows, things finally started to move forward. Emily painted the walls a soft white, giving the studio a bright and clean atmosphere. She added colorful curtains and decorated the space with some of her own artwork.
With the major work done, Emily focused on the small details. She set up a large wooden table for painting and arranged her brushes, paints, and canvases neatly on the shelves. She also installed track lighting to highlight her artwork when it was finished.
After weeks of hard work, the studio was ready. Emily invited her friends over to celebrate the opening of her new creative space. Everyone admired the transformation, especially Mike, who was proud of how well the project had turned out.
Sitting in her new studio, Emily felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. She picked up her brush and began to paint, feeling more inspired than ever.

"This is just the beginning," she thought,, as she imagined all the art she would create in this beautiful new space.

Language Difficulty Level

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Grammar Focus

1 Simple Past

The Simple Past is used for completed actions or events in the past.

wake up → woke up
look → looked

“Anna woke up and looked out the window.”

Example:

She opened the door.

2 Past Simple Negative

To make a negative sentence in the past, use didn’t + base verb.

After didn’t, use the base form of the verb.

“She didn’t want to leave her warm bed.”

Remember:

❌ She didn’t wanted to go.
✅ She didn’t want to go.

3 Have to / Had to

Have to expresses necessity or obligation. For past situations, use had to.

Present: have/has to + base verb
Past: had to + base verb

“You have to go.”

Past example:

Anna had to walk slowly.

4 Wish + Could

Wish + could is used to express a desire for something that is not possible or not possible in the current situation.

Subject + wish + subject + could + base verb

“I wish I could stay home today.”

Example:

I wish I could fly.

5 Even Though

Even though introduces a contrast between two ideas.

Even though + subject + verb, subject + verb

Even though it was cold, they laughed and joked.”

Example:

Even though I was tired, I continued working.

Key Vocabulary

# Word / Phrase Meaning in English
1freezingextremely cold
2slipperydifficult or dangerous to walk on because you can easily slide
3crunching sounda crackling or crushing sound made when something is stepped on
4thickhaving a large distance between opposite sides; not thin
5woola soft, warm material made from the hair of sheep
6cheeksthe soft parts of the face below the eyes
7blewthe past form of blow; moved or pushed air strongly
8reachto arrive at a particular place
9sipa small amount of a drink taken at one time
10at leastused to emphasize something positive in a difficult situation
11deepextending far down from the surface
12warmhaving a comfortably high temperature
13coata piece of clothing worn over other clothes to keep the body warm
14glovespieces of clothing worn on the hands
15scarfa piece of clothing worn around the neck for warmth
16bootsstrong shoes that cover the foot and part of the leg
17windmoving air, especially air moving strongly outdoors
18roada path or surface used for traveling between places
19frozenturned into ice or made extremely cold
20jokesomething said or done to make people laugh

Discussion Questions

1.

How did Anna feel about going to school at the beginning of the story? How did she feel when she finally arrived at school?

2.

How did meeting Ben change Anna’s experience on the way to school?

3.

If you were Anna, would you have wanted to go to school on such a cold day? Why or why not?

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