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Italian A2 readings: short stories in the past

Stories in Italian for elementary learners: they tell what happened, with the passato prossimo and the imperfetto. Each story has questions, useful words and a free PDF.

What you’ll find

Stories of 80 to 250 words about past events: a letter, classic fables, small discoveries about life in Italy.

How to read

On the first reading, just follow the story. On the second, underline the past-tense verbs: which ones take essere, which avere? Then answer the questions and retell the story aloud.

A2 grammar

Review the passato prossimo, the imperfetto, when to use one or the other and direct object pronouns.

A2

Stories of today

Emma at the counter of a bar in Rome looks at a glass of cold milkEmma in Italy · A2

A week at the bar

250 words · 2 min

Emma writes to a friend: five days, five mistakes at the bar. In the end she is the one explaining to a tourist how to order.

Structure: ho chiesto · sono andata · mi sono seduta (with avere and essere) Read the story →Emma on the sofa laughs as she looks at a box of old black-and-white photos with the grandmother; behind them, the grandfather in an armchairEmma in Italy · A2

The grandparents’ photos

260 words · 2 min

In the old photos the children are all dressed the same. And after Carosello… off to bed!

Structure: era · avevo · portavano · guardavamo Read the story →Emma and Chiara on a station platform at dawn, coffee in hand, waiting for the trainEmma in Italy · A2

The perfect plan

260 words · 2 min

Emma has a perfect plan for Venice. Then Chiara reads one word on her phone: strike.

Structure: prenderemo · andremo · sarà in ritardo Read the story →A red octopus climbs out of a glass tank and stretches an arm towards a pipeScience · A2

The octopus: three hearts, nine brains and blue blood

270 words · 2 min

One night Inky the octopus climbed out of his tank, found a pipe and vanished. A true story.

Structure: è uscito · ha trovato · è scappato Read the story →A tardigrade, the water bear, walks on a strand of green mossScience · A2

The water bear: the animal that survives (almost) everything

270 words · 2 min

It lives in the moss on your roof and can wait thirty years without water.

Structure: può aspettare · dobbiamo usare · vuoi vedere Read the story →A great spotted woodpecker in front of a mossy tree trunk; a transparent drawing shows its tongue wrapping around the skullScience · A2

The woodpecker: twenty pecks a second and no headache

310 words · 3 min

For years its tongue was the brain’s “seat belt”. Then someone filmed 109 pecks.

Structure: pensavano · era · hanno filmato · hanno scoperto Read the story →A small, shiny green hummingbird hovers in front of a red flower, its wings moving very fastScience · A2

The hummingbird: 1,200 heartbeats a minute and an almost icy sleep

300 words · 3 min

The sun is setting over the Andes and a hummingbird is “switching off”: its body is cooling towards three degrees.

Structure: sta volando · sta bevendo · si sta spegnendo Read the story →A black crow on a branch stares at a rubber mask lying on a park benchScience · A2

Crows never forget a face (and they tell the others)

260 words · 2 min

A professor puts on a mask and catches seven crows. For years the crows recognise it and chase it.

Structure: li studia · la vedono · la riconoscono · l’ha sgridato Read the story →A silver eel swims in the deep blue ocean among many tiny transparent larvaeScience · A2

The mystery of the eel: where is it born? No one has ever seen it

280 words · 2 min

Once nobody knew how the eel was born. Fishermen opened them up and never found any eggs.

Structure: nessuno sapeva · aprivano · non trovavano · aveva Read the story →A brown platypus swims in a clear river, with its flat bill and webbed feetScience · A2

The platypus: the animal made from other animals’ parts

280 words · 2 min

In 1799 a London scientist picked up a pair of scissors: he wanted to find the stitches of a fake animal.

Structure: è arrivato · ha pensato · ha preso · non ci hanno creduto Read the story →A brown beaver sitting on a riverbank gnaws a branch, its orange teeth clearly visibleScience · A2

The beaver: the engineer with orange teeth

260 words · 2 min

If you hear running water, you must close the hole. A biologist fooled beavers with a loudspeaker.

Structure: deve stare · può abbattere · vuole un lago Read the story →A small transparent jellyfish with a red stomach in the centre floats in the blue sea waterScience · A2

The jellyfish that becomes young again

220 words · 2 min

A student looks into his aquarium: some jellyfish are no longer there. In their place there are newborn polyps.

Structure: non ci sono più · non ha ancora capito · appena nati · già adulte Read the story →A pink axolotl with feathery gills on the sides of its head rests on the sand at the bottom of the waterScience · A2

The axolotl: it regrows its legs and stays young for ever

240 words · 2 min

In Paris in 1865 some axolotls lost their gills and left the water: they looked like a different animal.

Structure: sono rimasti · li ha messi · hanno perso · è successo Read the story →A monarch butterfly with open orange and black wings resting on a pink milkweed flowerScience · A2

The monarch butterfly: a journey four generations long

220 words · 2 min

No butterfly will make the whole journey: it will take four generations. But the last one will find the way to Mexico on its own.

Structure: arriverà · partiranno · deporranno · ci vorranno Read the story →A dark swift with long narrow wings flies in the blue sky above the roofs of an Italian townScience · A2

The swift: ten months in flight without ever landing

250 words · 2 min

October: it is flying over the Sahara. February: it is sleeping… and still flying. A one-gram backpack revealed the swift’s secret.

Structure: sta partendo · sta volando · sta piovendo · sta facendo Read the story →In the entrance hall of an old building, two teenagers read aloud to an elderly man sitting next to a bookshelfCulture · A2

The library in the entrance hall

320 words · 3 min

Chiara wants to put some books in the entrance hall. The rules forbid it. Then Mr Bruno speaks.

Structure: ha convinto i ragazzi a · ha chiesto di · vieta di Read the story →Ingredients for preparing a pizza on a kitchen tableEveryday life · A2

How to prepare a pizza

95 words · 1 min

Why does the dough need to rest? And what is the high edge of a Neapolitan pizza called?

Structure: si prepara · si stende · si cuoce Read the story →
A2

Classic fables

A hare runs while a tortoise advancesFable · A2

The hare and the tortoise

85 words · 1 min

The hare was sure it would win. That is why it fell asleep.

Structure: si è sdraiata, si è addormentata (reflexive verbs) Read the fable →A cicada sings while some ants collect foodFable · A2

The cicada and the ant

90 words · 1 min

All summer the cicada sang. Then the snow came.

Structure: cantava, mentre la formica raccoglieva (while + imperfetto) Read the fable →A shepherd boy shouts near the sheep on a hillFable · A2

The lying shepherd boy

95 words · 1 min

Twice the boy shouted “Wolf!” as a joke. The third time nobody came.

Structure: si annoiava · ha gridato (imperfetto and passato prossimo) Read the fable →A fox looks at a bunch of grapes that are too tallFable · A2

The fox and the grapes

95 words · 1 min

The fox couldn’t reach the grapes. So it decided they weren’t good.

Structure: prima… poi… dopo (telling events in order) Read the fable →A dog with a bone near a riverFable · A2

The dog and the bone

105 words · 1 min

The dog saw a bigger bone in the river. It opened its mouth, and…

Structure: lo ha preso, lo ha portato via (direct object pronouns) Read the fable →Three little pigs near straw, wood and brick houses while a wolf watches from afarFable · A2

The wolf and the three little pigs

105 words · 1 min

The first little pig wanted to finish quickly. The wolf blew.

Structure: ha deciso, ha scelto, ha resistito (passato prossimo) Read the fable →A miller and his son walk with a donkey while some people observe them along a country roadFable · A2

The miller, his son and the donkey

105 words · 1 min

The miller listened to everyone. And pleased no one.

Structure: stava andando, camminavano (imperfetto) Read the fable →A country mouse and a city mouse meet between bread, ears of corn and an elegant tableFable · A2

The city mouse and the country mouse

115 words · 1 min

A table full of cheese and cakes. Then someone came into the room.

Structure: c’erano, era abituato (imperfetto for descriptions) Read the fable →A little mouse frees a lion from a netFable · A2

The Lion and the Mouse

130 words · 1 min

The lion was sleeping when the mouse climbed onto its back. A few days later: the net.

Structure: dormiva quando… è salito (imperfetto and passato prossimo) Read the fable →An emperor parades among his courtiers while a child points to his nonexistent clothesFairy tale · A2

The Emperor's New Clothes

180 words · 2 min

Nobody wanted to look stupid. So everyone applauded a suit that wasn’t there.

Structure: C’era una volta… (imperfetto and passato prossimo) Read the fairy tale →A young white swan looks at its reflection in a pond while three swans swim towards itFairy tale · A2

The Ugly Duckling

320 words · 3 min

It was cold, he was hungry and alone. Then, one morning, he looked into the water.

Structure: faceva freddo · un giorno è scappato Read the fairy tale →

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