📖 Tom Sawyer – Chapter 3 (Adapted)

Title: Tom the Hero

Tom walked proudly into the house. He felt like a king. He had made the other boys do his work—and they paid him for it!

Aunt Polly was surprised to see the fence finished so quickly.

“Well, I never! Maybe Tom is a good boy sometimes,” she said, smiling.

At dinner, Tom tried to be quiet and polite. But Sid, his half-brother, broke a plate—and Aunt Polly blamed Tom.

“Tom! What did you do this time?”

“It wasn’t me! It was Sid!”

“Don’t lie to me, Tom,” she said, and she sighed.

Tom felt angry. It wasn’t fair.

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After dinner, Tom left the house to go for a walk. He was still upset, but soon forgot everything when he saw a beautiful girl in a blue dress.

She was standing in her garden, holding a flower. Tom had never seen her before. He fell in love immediately.

He stood on the sidewalk and showed off. He stood on his hands, did tricks, and whistled. The girl pretended not to see him, but when he wasn’t looking, she threw a flower over the fence.

Tom picked it up gently and held it to his heart. Then he ran off, full of joy.

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Later that evening, Tom came home and climbed through his bedroom window. He didn’t want to talk to Aunt Polly.

Sid was already asleep. Tom lay in bed, thinking about the girl.

“I don’t even know her name,” he whispered.

He held the flower close and smiled.

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📘 Glossary

Word	Meaning
Proudly	With a strong, happy feeling about something you've done
Half-brother	A brother who shares one parent with you
Blamed	Said that someone is responsible for a mistake
Sidewalk	A path for people to walk beside a road
Pretended	Acted in a way that is not true
Whistled	Made a sound by blowing air through the lips or teeth

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❓ Comprehension Questions

1. How did Aunt Polly react when she saw the fence was finished?

2. Why did Tom get in trouble at dinner?

3. What did Tom see during his walk?

4. How did the girl react to Tom’s tricks?

5. What did Tom do when he got home?

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✅ Answers

1. She was surprised and thought Tom might be a good boy after all.

2. Sid broke a plate, but Aunt Polly blamed Tom.

3. He saw a beautiful girl in a blue dress in her garden.

4. She acted like she didn’t see him but secretly threw him a flower.

5. He climbed into his room quietly and went to bed thinking about the girl.

 

✦ IELTS Topic: Weather – Sunshine & Heat – 10 Useful Phrases

1. Scorching hot
   e.g., It was scorching hot in the desert — almost 45 degrees!

2. Heatwave
   e.g., The country experienced a week-long heatwave in July.

3. Blazing sunshine
   e.g., We sat outside in the blazing sunshine all afternoon.

4. Sweating buckets
   e.g., I was sweating buckets after walking in the heat.

5. Sunburn
   e.g., I forgot sunscreen and ended up with painful sunburn.

6. Clear blue skies
   e.g., We had clear blue skies every day during the holiday.

7. Boiling hot
   e.g., It was boiling hot on the bus — the air conditioning was broken.

8. Muggy weather
   e.g., The muggy weather made it feel hotter than it actually was.

9. Dry heat
   e.g., The dry heat in the mountains was more bearable than the humidity.

10. Sun-drenched
    e.g., We stayed in a sun-drenched villa by the sea.

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✦ IELTS Speaking Practice – Sunshine & Heat

Part 1: Introduction & Interview

1. Do you enjoy hot weather?

2. How do you stay cool in the summer?

3. Have you ever experienced a heatwave?

4. What do people do in your country during sunny days?

5. Do you prefer hot or cold weather?

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Part 2: Cue Card

Describe a time when you experienced very hot or sunny weather.
You should say:

• where you were

• what the weather was like

• what you did
  and explain how you felt about the experience.

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✦ Sample Answers Using the Phrases

Part 1 Answers

1. Yes, I love sunny days — especially with clear blue skies.
2. I stay indoors during heatwaves and drink lots of water.
3. Last year, it was scorching hot for over a week — I got sunburn!
4. People go to the beach or sit in sun-drenched cafés.
5. I prefer warm weather, but not muggy conditions.

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Part 2 Sample Answer

One of the hottest days I’ve experienced was during a summer trip to southern Spain. It was boiling hot, around 40°C, with blazing sunshine from morning until sunset.

We stayed in a sun-drenched villa, which was beautiful but had no air conditioning. I remember sweating buckets just walking to the supermarket!

The heat was intense, but the clear blue skies and relaxed vibe made it worth it. I did get a bit of sunburn, though — lesson learned!

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✦ Comprehension Test: Sunshine & Heat Vocabulary

1. "It was scorching hot in the desert — almost 45 degrees!"
Q: What was the temperature like?

2. "The country experienced a week-long heatwave in July."
Q: What kind of weather occurred?

3. "We sat outside in the blazing sunshine all afternoon."
Q: What was the weather like?

4. "I was sweating buckets after walking in the heat."
Q: How did the speaker feel?

5. "I forgot sunscreen and ended up with painful sunburn."
Q: What happened due to forgetting sunscreen?

6. "We had clear blue skies every day during the holiday."
Q: What was the weather like?

7. "It was boiling hot on the bus — the air conditioning was broken."
Q: Why was the bus uncomfortable?

8. "The muggy weather made it feel hotter than it actually was."
Q: What made it uncomfortable?

9. "The dry heat in the mountains was more bearable than the humidity."
Q: What kind of heat was easier to handle?

10. "We stayed in a sun-drenched villa by the sea."
Q: What was the villa like?

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✦ Answer Key

1. Extremely hot.

2. An extended period of very hot weather.

3. Bright, strong sunlight.

4. Very hot and sweaty.

5. They got sunburn.

6. Sunny, with no clouds.

7. It was too hot and stuffy.

8. High humidity.

9. Dry heat.

10. Very sunny and bright location.

 

🧒🌊 Tom Sawyer – Chapter 1: A Boy with a Wild Spirit

Meet Tom Sawyer—a clever, mischievous boy who hates school and loves adventure. From sneaking jam to fighting with new kids in town, Tom always finds a way to cause trouble and have fun.

But this time, Aunt Polly has a plan to teach him a lesson…

📘 This chapter is perfect for B1+/B2 English learners:

✔️ 600-word adapted version
✔️ Easy glossary
✔️ Comprehension questions + answers

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📖 Tom Sawyer – Chapter 2 (Adapted for English Learners)

Title: The Art of Work Without Working

It was Saturday morning. The sun was shining. Birds were singing. The whole town was ready for fun. But not Tom.

Tom stood in front of Aunt Polly’s house, holding a brush. A long, tall fence stretched before him. It was 30 yards long and 9 feet high. Aunt Polly told him he must whitewash it—every inch.

“This is terrible,” he said. “All the boys will laugh at me. They will be playing while I paint!”

Tom began slowly. He dipped the brush in the white paint and made one careful stroke.

Soon, his friend Ben Rogers came along, eating an apple and pretending to steer a boat.

“Ahoy, Tom! Working on a Saturday?”

Tom looked serious.

“Work? What do you mean? This isn’t work. This is... art.”

Ben laughed.

“You’re painting a fence!”

Tom replied calmly,

“You may think so, but not everyone can do it. Aunt Polly wants it done just right. She trusts only me.”

Ben became curious.

“Really?”

Tom didn’t stop brushing.

“Oh yes. Most boys never get this chance.”

Ben wanted to try.

“Tom, let me paint a little!”

Tom thought for a moment, then said,

“I don’t know, Ben. This is important work. Aunt Polly said—”

“Please! I’ll give you my apple!”

Tom smiled. He gave Ben the brush and sat down, happily eating the apple while Ben painted.

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Soon, more boys came by. Each of them laughed at first, but then Tom said the same thing:

“It’s not easy. You must do it perfectly. Aunt Polly chose me.”

They all wanted to try.

Billy Fisher gave him a kite. Johnny Miller gave him a dead rat and a string to swing it. One boy even gave him a piece of blue glass to make rainbows in the sun.

By the end of the afternoon, the fence had three coats of paint—and Tom didn’t do any of it. He sat happily with a pile of treasures in his pocket.

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📘 Glossary

Word	Meaning
Whitewash	A type of white paint for fences or walls
Stroke	A single movement of a brush or pen
Ahoy	A call used by sailors (used here playfully)
Inch	A small unit of length (2.54 cm)
Coat	A layer of paint
Rainbow	Colored light that appears when light passes through water or glass

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❓ Comprehension Questions

1. What job does Aunt Polly give Tom?

2. How does Tom feel about painting the fence?

3. What trick does Tom use to get Ben to paint?

4. What kinds of things do the boys give Tom?

5. How much of the fence does Tom paint by himself?

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✅ Answers

1. She tells him to whitewash the fence.

2. He feels unhappy and thinks the other boys will laugh at him.

3. He pretends that it’s a special job and only special boys can do it.

4. An apple, a kite, a dead rat, a piece of glass, and more.

5. Very little—most of the work is done by the other boys.