This book is part of the
Extensive Reading Program
Joha is a famous character in many stories from the Middle East and other places. Sometimes he is very clever, and sometimes he seems a bit silly, but his stories often teach us something or make us laugh.
One day, Joha decided to go to the market in the next town to buy some things. The journey was quite long, several kilometres, so he decided to take his donkey. He also took his young son with him.
At first, Joha put his son on the donkey's back, and Joha walked beside them. They walked along the dusty path. Soon, they passed a group of people resting under a tree. One person pointed at them and said loudly, "Look at that lazy boy! He rides the donkey while his poor old father has to walk in the hot sun."
Joha heard this and felt a bit uncomfortable. He didn't want people to think his son was lazy or unkind. So, he told his son to get off the donkey, and Joha climbed onto its back. His son now walked beside him.
They continued their journey. After a while, they met another group of people near a small farm. One of them shouted, "Oh, look at that man! He is so selfish. He rides the donkey comfortably while his poor little son has to walk on his small feet."
Joha heard this too. He thought, "What should I do? People are unhappy whatever we do." He thought for a moment and had an idea. He pulled his son up onto the donkey with him. Now, both Joha and his son were riding the donkey.
They went on their way. Soon, they passed near a well where some women were collecting water. One woman looked at them and said to her friend, "Look at those two! How horrible! They are both riding that poor, thin donkey. The animal looks so tired. They have no heart!"
Joha sighed. He felt very confused. He got off the donkey, and he told his son to get off too. "What can we do now?" he wondered. He looked at the donkey, and then he looked at his son. He thought again. "Maybe," he said, "we should carry the donkey!"
So, Joha and his son found a long, strong piece of wood. They tied the donkey's legs together and put the wood between them. Then, Joha lifted one end of the wood onto his shoulder, and his son lifted the other end. Now, they were carrying the donkey down the road!
As they came near the market, everyone stopped and stared. People started to laugh loudly. "Look! Look!" they shouted. "Two fools are carrying a donkey! We've never seen anything so crazy!"
Joha stopped. He realized that he couldn't please everyone. No matter what he did, someone would find something wrong. He learned that day that you should do what you think is right and not worry too much about what other people say.
Reading Tips: How to Get the Most from This Book
Read for meaning. Focus on understanding the main ideas rather than every single word. Encountering unfamiliar vocabulary is normal — use context to help you interpret meaning.
Keep a steady flow. Try not to stop too often. Reading continuously improves comprehension and helps you follow the development of ideas more naturally.
Listen and read together. Use the audio version while reading. This strengthens understanding, improves pronunciation, and develops your sense of rhythm and intonation in English.
Read regularly. Short, consistent reading sessions are more effective than occasional long ones. Re-reading sections you enjoy can further reinforce learning.
Engage with the text. Think about what you read. Asking simple questions and reflecting on ideas deepens comprehension and improves retention.
Extensive Reading Program - A2 Level
The Extensive Reading Program helps learners improve their English step by step, from level A1 to level C2. At the A2 level, students read simple texts that are a little longer and more interesting. They learn to understand the main ideas and talk about them with more confidence.
Reading regularly helps students learn new words. For this reason, the books, articles, and stories in this program are carefully written to include useful words and expressions for A2 learners. This helps students learn vocabulary naturally while they read.
Students can use this program by themselves or with a teacher in class. The levels make it easy to see progress, feel proud of improvement, and continue learning English through reading.
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All content © Dr. Imed Bin Abdallah Sdiri
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