Italian Short Stories

Words with an asterisk (*) are new words to this story (assuming you've studied chapter 1 vocabulary). You will find the translation of these words after the story.

UN NUOVO AMICO

A scuola.

Elena: Ciao, parli italiano?

Marco: Buongiorno! Parlo inglese ma parlo un po' di italiano.

Elena: Fantastico (cool)! Come ti chiami?

Marcos: Mi chiamo Marcos e tu?

Elena: Mi chiamo Elena. Lieto di conoscerti!

Marcos: Lieto di conoscerti! Di dove sei?

Elena: Io sono dal Italia, e tu?

Marcos: Sono dagli Stati Uniti.

Elena: Parli bene lo Italiano!

Marcos: Grazie, sto praticando lo italian ma non capisco tutto.

Elena: Non preoccuparti! Quali cose ti piacciono?

Marcos: Scusa, non capisco. Cosa significa "cose" in inglese?

Elena: "Cosa" significa "things". Quali cose ti piacciono?

Marcos: Oh, io capisco. Mi piacciono i cani!

Elena: Anche mi piacciono molto i cani! Ho un cane e un gatto. Hai un cane e un gatto?

Marcos: Ho un cane ma non ho un gatto.

Elena: Fantastico! Arrivederci, Marco.

Marcos: Alla prossima, Elena!

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Translation

TRANSLATION

A NEW FRIEND

At the school.

Elena: Hello, do you speak Italian?

Marcos: Good morning! I speak English but I speak a little Italian.

Elena: Cool! What is your name?

Marcos: My name is Marcos, and you?

Elena: My name is Elena. Nice to meet you!

Marcos: Nice to meet you! Where are you from?

Elena: I'm from Italy, and you?

Marcos: I'm from the United States.

Elena: You speak Italian well!

Marcos: Thank you, I am practicing Italian but I don't understand everything.

Elena: Don't worry! What things do you like?

Marcos: Excuse me, I don't understand. What does, "cose" mean in English?

Elena: "Cose" means "things." What things do you like?

Marcos: Oh, I understand. I like dogs!

Elena: I like dogs a lot also! I have a dog and a cat. Do you have a dog and a cat?

Marcos: I have a dog but I don't have a cat.

Elena: Cool! Goodbye, Marcos.

Marcos: See you later, Elena!

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New Words

quiero

presentarles

llamado

que

años

linda

por las mañanas

desayunamos

luego

matemáticas

historia

hago

me encanta

juego

así* que

fútbol

después*de

tarea

I want

to present (them)

named/called

that

years (old)

beautiful

in the mornings

we eat breakfast

later

math

history

I ask

I love

I play

soccer

him

after

homework

jardín

allí

bicicleta

pasar tiempo

nuestra

más tarde

arroz

frijoles

pollo

nos

platos

antes de

irme

la cama

un libro

a veces

helados

dulces

los cumpleaños

quiero

garden

there

bicycle

spend time

our

later

rice

beans

chicken

plates/dishes

before

I go

the bed

a book

sometimes

ice cream

candy/sweets

birthdays

I love

Translation

MY FAMILY

Hello, friends! I want to present my family to you all. My name is Maria, and I'm from Mexico. I'm 10 years old and I have a brother named Miguel that is 7. I have a mother and a father named Sara and Roberto. We also have a dog.

We live in a beautiful house in Uriangato, Guanajuato. In the mornings, my family and I eat breakfast and later I walk to school with my little brother. I like to study Spanish, Math, and History at school. Also, I am learning English. I ask a lot of questions because I love to talk a lot. My cousins also attend my school. I play soccer at my school with them. We don't win a lot so I need to practice more. My brother likes soccer and I teach him how to play.

After school, I finish my homework and my cousins and I walk to the garden and we run and play there. My cousin Marta and I sing and dance and my brother likes to ride his bike. We like to spend time with our family a lot.

Later, we return home and clean the house. My mom cooks rice, beans, chicken, tamales, and tortillas. When my mom finishes the food, she calls us for dinner. My aunt and uncle, Estefania and Juan work at a store and after work they come to eat dinner at our house. I eat a lot of rice and beans, and I drink a lot of water.

After dinner, we clean the plates. I also work with my mom and I help her sell tortillas and tamales from our house. People don't forget to pay for the food. Before I go to bed, we relax and my dad reads a book to my brother and me.

Sometimes we visit my grandma and grandpa in Santa Ana Maya. My grandma buys me ice cream and candy that I share with my brother. We celebrate birthdays at my grandparent's house. I love my family a lot!

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FAMILY

Written by Marcelo Roman

My family isn't very big, I have a dad, a mom, a sister, a brother, two grandmothers, and a paternal grandfather. My maternal grandfather died before I was born. My dad's name is Fernando, he is 52 years old, and he is black. He has black hair with some white strands. He isn't tall nor short. My mom's name is Bruna. She is 50 years old and she's blonde and very short.

My sister's name is Roseli, and she's 25 years old. She has brown curly hair, and works as a professor at a school in my city. My maternal grandmother always gives me a lot of presents. I like going to her house a lot! Unfortunately, I don't know my maternal grandfather since he died before I was born.

My paternal grandmother cooks very well. Every time I go to her house, she prepares very delicious food. The food that I like the most is feijoada. My paternal grandfather is a very funny man that always has a good sense of humor. When he was younger, he worked as a car mechanic. My family is a lot of fun; I like to always be with them a lot.

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THE GAME OF SOCCER

Written by Marcelo Roman

Here in Brazil, soccer is a national passion. The game of soccer unites races, religions and different social classes. Soccer is more than just a sport here, we can say that it has a political and cultural role as well, in addition to being a attempt to improve the lives of many poor children.

I always really liked going to the soccer stadium with my father; it was with him that I learned to love this sport and my team at heart- The Corinthians! To get to the stadium, I usually take the subway, as it is a quick, easy and cheap way to get there.

Here in Brazil it is very traditional to arrive earlier and outside the stadium eat a barbecue or some traditional snack according to the region of the country, as well as having some very cold beers.

Inside the stadium, I like to be close to the organized supporters, because they sing and encourage all the time.

The best moment of the match is when your team scores a goal, as the crowd “explodes” with joy. It's pure emotion!

If you visit Brazil, I recommend that you live this experience.

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CARNIVAL

Written by Marcelo Roman

Carnival is one of the main holidays in Brazil. It happens every year, but it does not have a fixed date. It generally takes place between the end of February and the beginning of March.

There are several different types of carnival parties and celebrations scattered around Brazil. From the parades of samba schools like in Rio de Janeiro to the called street blocks.

Everyone must have seen something about the samba school parades on television. There are very large cars, all very well decorated, and thousands of people costumed according to specific fantasies.

Many foreigners do not know that these parades are actually competitions, where schools are judged on different criteria, like for example, rhythm, allegory, evolution etc.

Samba schools begin preparations many months before Carnival, such as, for example, the costumes, the cars, and the musical rehearsal. Another curiosity is that musical lyrics always have a theme that can be a social criticism, a tribute, etc.

The street blocks are a little different from the parades, that is, the objective of blocks is for overflow, and to play and sing.

But unfortunately not everything is a party. Some care must be taken, as these parties usually have a lot of people. This makes it easier for people who want to commit thefts. My tip: Don't walk around with valuables. Also some people overindulge in drinks and end up getting drunk and aggressive. Keep your distance from these people.

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THE CITY OF SÃO PAULO

Written by Marcelo Roman

I was born and raised and I live in the city of São Paulo, one of the biggest cities in the world. Like every city, São Paulo has good things and bad things. I will talk about some of these things for you.

Like every big city in the world, São Paulo has many flaws. Something that I really miss are places with more nature here. Everything is very gray, that is, there are a lot of constructions, malls, buildings and there are very few green places.

Another thing that I don't really like in São Paulo is the traffic. Practically all day long you will struggle to get around by car. One thing that makes me sad is social inequality. There are high rise neighborhoods, but there are also slums.

But not everything is bad, there are many things I like here. São Paulo is one of most multicultural cities in the world, such as the largest colony of Japanese people outside of Japan live here. There is even a Japanese neighborhood called Liberty, is one of the most visited places in São Paulo.

Another thing I like here is the metro. The metro is generally very efficient, cheap, fast and clean compared to other trains around the world.

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La Pasqua in Italia: Tradizioni e Simboli

Scritto da Elio Ministeri

La Pasqua in Italia è una delle festività più importanti dell'anno e celebra la risurrezione di Gesù Cristo. È una festa che coinvolge tutta la famiglia e che viene festeggiata con tradizioni che variano da regione a regione.

In alcune regioni del Nord Italia, come ad esempio in Lombardia o in Veneto, la Pasqua è celebrata con una torta speciale chiamata Colomba, che rappresenta la pace e la speranza per il futuro. Invece, in altre regioni come la Puglia o la Sicilia, la Pasqua è caratterizzata da tradizioni più antiche e profonde. Ad esempio, il Giovedì Santo viene fatta una processione per le strade del paese, mentre il Venerdì Santo viene organizzata una Via Crucis nella quale vengono ricostruite le tappe della Passione di Cristo.

Il Sabato Santo è invece una giornata di attesa e di silenzio, che viene interrotta solamente dalla Messa di mezzanotte, durante la quale viene accesa la luce del cero pasquale.

La domenica di Pasqua in Italia è un giorno di grande festa e di gioia. Si organizzano pranzi in famiglia, durante i quali vengono serviti piatti tipici come l'agnello, le uova di Pasqua e il dolce tradizionale italiano, la pastiera.

Le uova di Pasqua sono un simbolo della festa molto importante in Italia. Vengono decorate con disegni e colori vivaci e spesso contengono al loro interno sorprese e regali. A volte, le uova vengono anche regalate ai bambini come simbolo di rinascita e di speranza.

La pastiera napoletana è invece il dolce tradizionale della Pasqua, a base di ricotta, grano e canditi. È un dolce ricco e sostanzioso che rappresenta l'abbondanza e la generosità.

In alcune città italiane, la Pasqua viene festeggiata con spettacolari manifestazioni. A Firenze, ad esempio, viene organizzata una rievocazione storica della Passione di Cristo con un corteo che attraversa il centro storico della città. A Roma, invece, viene celebrata la messa papale in piazza San Pietro, alla quale partecipano migliaia di fedeli provenienti da tutto il mondo.

In ogni caso, la Pasqua in Italia è un momento di grande festa e di unione familiare, un momento di rinascita e di speranza per il futuro. Un'occasione per riscoprire le tradizioni e per celebrare i valori della vita e della famiglia.

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La Domenica in Italia: Differente tra Nord e Sud

Scritto da Elio Ministeri

La domenica in Italia è un giorno molto importante per la maggior parte delle persone e delle famiglie italiane. Tuttavia, le tradizioni e le abitudini possono variare notevolmente tra il nord e il sud del paese.

Nel nord Italia, la domenica inizia con una buona colazione, magari con un caffè ed un cornetto. In alcune famiglie, si prepara anche una torta fatta in casa o una frittata, ma generalemente le persone italiane preferiscono una colazione dolce e non salata. Dopo la colazione, tradizionalmente, le famiglie vanno in chiesa per la messa, ma non sempre.

Nel pomeriggio, molte famiglie si dedicano al relax e al divertimento, magari guardando una partita di calcio italiano in televisione o andando a fare una passeggiata in un parco. Alcune famiglie si incontrano anche per un pranzo insieme, dove si gustano le specialità locali come la polenta o il risotto.

Al sud Italia, invece, la domenica mattina inizia con una colazione leggera, a base di caffè e biscotti o cornetti. Dopo la colazione, le persone vanno a fare una passeggiata in centro con gli amici o con la famiglia e vanno al bar a bere qualcosa o mangiare un gelato. In estate, invece, la domenica le persone spesso vanno al mare, dove rimangono lì fino quasi al tramonto.

Generalmente, alcune famiglie si incontrano anche per un pranzo insieme, dove si gustano le specialità locali come la pasta al forno o la pizza.

In entrambe le parti del “Bel Paese”, la domenica è un giorno di festa e di relax per tutte le famiglie italiane. Anche se, le abitudini e le tradizioni possono variare notevolmente, creando così una grande diversità culturale in tutta l’Italia.

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