当ブログでは、洋書を読めるようになりたい方のために、Oxford Reading Treeシリーズ（ORT)をご紹介しています。このシリーズを読み込むことで、英語を読むことに抵抗がなくなり、次のステップの洋書に移行しやすくなります。
英語を読めるようになるために、頑張って努力して､挫折・・・そんな経験はなるべくしたくは無いですよね。ORTは､お子さんから大人まで、幅広い年代に対応しているシリーズなので、一度読んで終わり、では無く、何度も使えるお得な絵本です。絵本を読み終わった後に、当ブログで紹介している英語での質問と答えを使って、絵本での英語学習を、もっと効果的な物にしてくださいね。読むだけでは無く、英会話の練習にもなりますよ！
私も、子どもの英語学習だけで無く、自分のやり直し英語の教材としても使用しました。次は、孫の世代でも活躍すると、自信を持っています。
この記事では、Oxford Reading Tree stage8 More storiesの５冊をご紹介します。もっと易しいレベルの記事を読んでみたい方は､以下から、該当記事を読んでくださいね。
Pocket Money お小遣い
DadとMumは、子どもたちにお手伝いをしてもらえば、お小遣いをあげると言いました。子どもたちはどんなお手伝いをしましたか？お手伝いの他に､お小遣いを増やすことはできたかな？
お小遣いの使い道はなんでしょう？
What did Dad want to discuss with the children?
Dad wanted to discuss his idea for a pocket money chart with the children.
Why did Chip groan when Dad mentioned his idea?
Chip groaned because he didn’t like the sound of Dad’s idea.
こんな質問もしてみよう！
Q: What did Dad call his idea?
A: Dad called his idea the “pocket money chart.”
Q: What was the purpose of the pocket money chart?
A: The purpose of the pocket money chart was to encourage everyone in the family to help with household chores.
Q: How did Dad explain the pocket money chart to the children?
A: Dad explained that if everyone did their chores without complaining, they would receive extra pocket money.
Q: What did Biff do to try to earn all the extra pocket money?
A: Biff tried to earn all the extra pocket money by doing everyone’s chores.
Q: Why did Biff feel upset?
A: Biff felt upset because, even though she did extra chores, she wasn’t going to receive all the extra pocket money.
Q: What did Biff find on the beach?
A: Biff found a fossil on the beach.
Q: Why did Biff decide not to accept money from the photographer?
A: Biff decided not to accept money from the photographer as a reward for rescuing the camera because she believed that doing a good deed shouldn’t be rewarded with money.
Q: How did Dad reward the children the next day?
A: Dad rewarded the children the next day by giving them some extra pocket money.
The Evil Genie 邪悪なジーニー（Magic Keyのお話）
Magic Keyによって、何も無い小さな島に冒険に来た子どもたち。冒険家の父を探している少年と出会います。邪悪なジーニーの出現によって、とんでもないことに巻き込まれてしまいます。Floppyも捕まってしまったのに、Magic Keyが光り出してしまいました！
What did Biff put over the tiny apple?
Biff put a bottle over the tiny apple.
What did Biff find in the bottle after a long time?
Biff found a big apple in the bottle after a long time.
こんな質問もしてみよう！
Q: Where did the magic key take the children?
A: The magic key took the children into another adventure.
Q: What did Floppy hate about magic adventures?
A: Floppy hated magic adventures.
Q: Who did the children meet on the tiny island?
A: The children met a boy named Kamar on the tiny island.
Q: Why was Kamar alone on the boat?
A: Kamar was alone on the boat because he was looking for his missing father, Hassan the Explorer.
Q: What was found in the bottle that Biff picked up?
A: There was something heavy inside the bottle that Biff picked up.
Q: Who appeared when Kamar pulled the cork out of the bottle?
A: An evil genie appeared when Kamar pulled the cork out of the bottle.
Q: What did the genie do when he grew very big?
A: The genie made a storm by puffing out his cheeks and blowing very hard.
Q: What happened to the boat during the storm?
A: The wind snapped off the mast, and big waves tossed the boat up and down during the storm.
Q: Who did the children encounter when they reached the shore after the storm?
A: The children encountered Hassan, Kamar’s father, when they reached the shore after the storm.
Q: What did Hassan find on the island during the storm?
A: Hassan found a big chest washed up on the island during the storm.
Q: Who appeared suddenly with a terrible smell of rotten eggs?
A: The evil genie appeared suddenly with a terrible smell of rotten eggs.
Q: What happened to Floppy when the large bird swooped down?
A: The large bird swooped down and picked up Floppy in its claws.
Q: What did Biff and her friends want to do after returning home?
A: Biff and her friends wanted to go back into the adventure to rescue Floppy.
Save Floppy! フロッピーを助けて！（Magic Keyのお話）
前作の続きです。邪悪なジーニーにとらわれてしまったFloppyを助けに行けるでしょうか。無事に助けられると良いけれど・・・Chipにはあるアイデアが浮かびます。
Who was left behind in the last magic adventure?
Floppy was left behind in the last magic adventure.
Why did Biff and Chip want to go back into the adventure?
Biff and Chip wanted to go back into the adventure to rescue Floppy.
こんな質問もしてみよう！
Q: What did Biff and Chip wish would happen to the magic key?
A: Biff and Chip wished that the magic key would start glowing.
Q: Where did the magic take the children back to?
A: The magic took the children back to the island where the giant bird flew off with Floppy.
Q: Who were they surprised to find still on the island?
A: They were surprised to find Kamar and his father, Hassan, still on the island.
Q: Why did Kamar warn Biff and Chip not to go to the mountain?
A: Kamar warned Biff and Chip not to go to the mountain because of the evil genie.
Q: How did Biff and Chip plan to climb the mountain?
A: Biff and Chip planned to climb the mountain through a dried-up stream gully.
Q: What did the evil genie do to try to stop Biff and Chip?
A: The evil genie made water gush down the gully to try to stop Biff and Chip.
Q: Who came to rescue Biff and Chip when they were trapped by the water?
A: Kamar came to rescue Biff and Chip when they were trapped by the water.
Q: Where did the children find Floppy?
A: The children found Floppy asleep in the giant bird’s nest at the top of the mountain.
Q: How did Chip trick the evil genie?
A: Chip tricked the evil genie by pushing him into a chest and locking it with the magic key.
Q: What did Chip do when the genie tried to escape from the chest?
A: Chip held the bottle over the keyhole when the genie tried to escape from the chest.
Q: Where did the magic key take them after the genie was trapped?
A: The magic key took them home after the genie was trapped.
Q: How did Kipper react when he found out Floppy was rescued?
A: Kipper was excited and happy when he found out Floppy was rescued.
Q: What happened when Biff tried to open the chest after returning home?
A: When Biff tried to open the chest after returning home, the lid wouldn’t open, and the key wouldn’t fit anymore.
What Was It Like? それはどんな蓋だった？（Magic Keyのお話）
子どもたちは、第二次世界大戦についての劇をすることになりました。練習中に､思わず笑ってしまいます。戦争は笑い事では無いと言うことを、Magic Keyでの冒険で思い知らされます。みんなはどんな体験をして、何を学んだのでしょう？
What were the children excited about in the beginning?
The children were excited about taking part in a play about the history of their town.
Why was Gran surprised when she saw Biff?
Gran was surprised when she saw Biff because Biff was wearing a dress for her role in the play, representing the style from World War Two.
こんな質問もしてみよう！
Q: What did Gran remember about the war?
A: Gran remembered that the town was bombed during the war, and she recalled the period known as the Blitz.
Q: What did the children have to carry during the rehearsal?
A: During the rehearsal, the children had to carry empty boxes, representing gas masks used during World War Two.
Q: What happened when the air raid warning sounded?
A: When the air raid warning sounded, people began to run, and the children were directed into a shelter to seek safety from the bombing.
Q: What did the children see when they came out of the shelter?
A: When the children came out of the shelter, they saw that the street had been bombed, with smoke and dust everywhere.
Q: Why were the children given a brown paper bag?
A: The children were given a brown paper bag containing food because they were being sent away from the town due to the bombing, and it was too dangerous to stay.
Q: What did the children find inside their boxes?
A: Inside their boxes, the children found gas masks, which were supposed to be used for protection during air raids.
Q: How did Biff feel about wearing the gas mask?
A: Biff hated wearing the gas mask because it felt tight, uncomfortable, and made it hard to breathe.
Q: What happened when the train arrived?
A: When the train arrived, the children were lined up, and their names were called out to board the train. However, the children’s names weren’t on the list, causing confusion.
Q: Why couldn’t the children stay together on the train?
A: The children couldn’t stay together on the train because they weren’t listed, and the authorities didn’t know who they were, so they had to be split up.
Q: What happened when the magic key began to glow?
A: When the magic key began to glow, the adventure was over, and the children returned home.
Q: How did the children feel about their experience in the war adventure?
A: The children felt scared during the war adventure, and they felt sorry for the children who had to leave their homes during the war.
Q: What did Gran tell the children about her experience during the war?
A: Gran told the children about the scarcity of food and basic necessities during the war, such as bananas, sweets, chocolates, soap, and shampoo.
Q: How did the children feel during the night of the play?
A: During the night of the play, the children didn’t laugh during their performance because they remembered the hardships they experienced during the war adventure.
Flood! 洪水！
ずっと雨が続いていて、外で遊ぶことも出来ません。ついに、自宅まで浸水してしまい、レスキューされることに。大変なことになってしまいましたが、一番大切なことに気がつきます。
それは一体なんでしょう？
What was the weather like at the beginning of the story?
It had been raining for days at the beginning of the story.
What did Mum suggest doing despite the rain?
Mum suggested taking Floppy for a walk despite the rain.
こんな質問もしてみよう！
Q: What did Mum and Biff see in the park?
A: Mum and Biff saw that the stream had flooded, covering the bridge.
Q: Why did Mum stop Biff from wading across the bridge?
A: Mum stopped Biff from wading across the bridge because the stream was flowing fast and it was dangerous.
Q: What did Chip find exciting about the floods?
A: Chip found the floods exciting because he thought they were fun.
Q: What happened during the storm in the middle of the night?
A: During the storm, the rain beat heavily on the roof, and the flood water began to enter the house.
Q: Why couldn’t the children play football after the rain stopped?
A: The children couldn’t play football after the rain stopped because there were big puddles on the field, making it too wet.
Q: What did Dad do when he saw the flooded park?
A: Dad looked worried when he saw the flooded park and expressed concern about the water reaching their house.
Q: How did the children help when sandbags were brought to their street?
A: The children helped carry sandbags and placed them in front of the doors to prevent water from entering the house.
Q: What did Mum suggest doing as the floods worsened?
A: Mum suggested taking things upstairs as the floods worsened to protect them from water damage.
Q: Where did the family go when the floods became severe?
A: The family went to stay with Gran when the floods became severe.
Q: What happened when the floods were over?
A: When the floods were over, the family returned home to find the house covered in mud.
Q: How did Dad comfort the children about the messy house?
A: Dad comforted the children by emphasizing that they were more important than the mess and gave them mops and brooms to clean up.
最後に
ORTを読んでおしまいではなく、この記事のように、英語で色々な質問をすることで、英会話の練習にもなります。質問が少し難しく感じる場合には、「このページには何人の人がいるかな？」や、「Floppyを探してみよう！」「ゴムボートは何色かな？」など、本を読む人のレベルによって､質問内容を変えたとしても､変わらず英語の学習に長く使える本当にお勧めのシリーズです。是非、お子さんから､大人のやり直し英語まで、幅広い年代の方に読んでいただきたいシリーズになっています！
ポチップ
