Marta walked out of the big hospital building. She worked as a nurse on the third floor. Every day at one o’clock, she took a break for thirty minutes. Today was a very sunny Tuesday in June, so she wanted to sit outside.

She walked past a small park, but it was too busy. Many people sat on the grass. She walked a bit further down the road. She found a small, grey stone bench near a statue. The area was peaceful.

Marta sat down and opened her bag. She took out a cheese sandwich and an apple. She was very hungry because her morning was long and difficult. She took a bite of her sandwich. It tasted good.

Suddenly, a small bird flew down from a tree. It stood on the ground near her shoes. The bird looked at Marta with its bright black eyes. It moved its head up and down. Marta smiled at the little animal.

She broke a small piece of bread from her sandwich. She threw it on the ground. The bird jumped forward quickly, picked up the bread, and ate it. Then it looked at her again. It wanted more food.

Marta gave the bird two more pieces of bread. The bird ate them happily. Then, it sang a short, sweet song. Marta felt very relaxed and forgot about her stressful work at the hospital.

She looked at her telephone. It was twenty five minutes past one. Her break was almost finished. She ate her apple quickly and stood up. She put her rubbish into a nearby bin.

The bird flew back up into the green tree. Marta walked back to the hospital with a smile on her face. She felt ready for the rest of her afternoon.

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Vocabulary Notes

Further down
Meaning: A longer distance along a path or road. In British English, we often use further instead of farther when we talk about distance.
Example: She walked a bit further down the road.
Similar words: Further along, along the road, down the street.

Peaceful
Meaning: Very quiet, calm, and without any noise or trouble. It comes from the noun peace.
Example: The area was peaceful.
Similar words: Quiet, calm, tranquil, relaxing.

Suddenly
Meaning: When something happens very quickly and when you do not expect it.
Example: Suddenly, a small bird flew down from a tree.
Similar words: All of a sudden, quickly, unexpectedly.

Rubbish
Meaning: Things that you do not want anymore and throw away. This is the standard British English word. In American English, people usually say trash or garbage.
Example: She put her rubbish into a nearby bin.
Similar words: Waste, litter, refuse.

Rest
Meaning: The part of something that remains, or the remaining period of time.
Example: She felt ready for the rest of her afternoon.
Similar words: Remainder, balance, remaining part.

Story written by Gemini.

Image created by Gemini.

CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.

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