Learn English through Story 04 Rich Man Poor Man

H a r r y Black is a thief. He takes a famous painting and puts it in an old newspaper. But then the recycling truck arrives—and where is Harry's newspaper? Penguin Readers are simplified texts designed in association with Longman, the w o r l d famous educational publisher, to provide a step-by-step approach to the joys of reading for pleasure. Each book has an introduction and extensive activity material. They are published at seven levels from Easystarts (200 words) to Advanced (3000 words). Series Editors:Andy Hopkins and Jocelyn Potter 6 Advanced (3000 words) Contemporary 5 Upper Intermediate (2300 words) Classics 4 Intermediate (1700 words) Originals 3 Pre-lntermediate (1200 words) 2 Elementary (600 words) 1 Beginner (300 words) British English Easystarts (200 words) American English Cassette also published www.penguinreaders.com Cover illustration © Adam Willis Published and distributed by Pearson Education Limited
2. The time is one o'clock in the morning. The place is the Ritesville town art gallery. A window opens and a man comes in. His name is Harry Black, and he is a thief. It is dark in the art gallery, but Harry has a light. He looks across the room at a painting. "There it is!" he says. 1
3. Harry moves quickly across the room. He stands and Harry goes back across the room to the window, but he looks at the painting. walks into a table. There is a beautiful blue glass vase "A million dollars for this?" he thinks. "I don't on the table. It falls on the floor and breaks into a understand it." hundred pieces. But he takes a knife from his coat. Harry smiles. "Is that a million-dollar vase?" he thinks. Then he takes the painting very, very slowly from "It isn't now!" its frame. He runs across the pieces of glass to the window. 3
4. Harry has a room in Mrs. Allen's rooming house. He In the morning, Janey Allen is in the kitchen. She is goes quietly up to his room and closes the door. putting old bottles into a box. Mrs. Allen and her daughter, Janey, are sleeping. They "Recycling is important," Janey thinks. don't hear him. On the TV, a reporter is at the Ritesville art gallery. He is In his room, Harry takes the painting from his bag. He talking about the painting. puts it in a newspaper, then he puts the newspaper "It's a million-dollar painting," he is saying. "Here's a under his bed. photo of it." 4 5
5. Now the reporter is talking about the blue glass vase. Harry isn't in his room. He is talking on his telephone to "It's in a hundred pieces now," he says. a man in Seattle. The man wants the painting, but Harry Janey looks at the photo of the vase, then she asks her isn't happy. mother, "Do you have any old bottles?" "Five thousand dollars?" Harry says. "No! It's a million- "No," Mrs. Allen says. "That's all, Janey. But the dollar painting! . . . What? . . . No, I want fifty thousand, newspaper recycling truck is coming today." not five! . . . What? . . . The painting? Yes, I have it, and "Of course!" Janey says. "It's Friday!" it's OK." 6 7