Classic / British EnglishJean Valjean is free at last after nineteen years in prison. Cold and hungry, he is rejected by everyone he meets. But Jean’s life is changed forever when he discovers love. He spends the rest of his life helping people, like himself, who have been victims of poverty and social injustice – ‘les misérables’.
Classic / British EnglishBassanio wants to get married, but he has no money and a lot of debts. He asks his friend Antonio for a loan, but Antonio is waiting for his ships to return. Until then, he has nothing to lend. To help Bassanio, he borrows money from a money-lender – and agrees to an unusual condition. If Antonio cannot repay the loan in three months, the money-lender will cut a pound of flesh from his body. Will Antonio be able to repay the loan? Or will he die?
Classic / British EnglishEdward Prendick is travelling in the South Pacific when his ship goes down. He is saved after many days at sea by another ship, and a passenger, Montgomery, nurses him back to health. Prendick becomes interested in the mystery of Montgomery’s life. Why does he live on an unknown Pacific island? Why is he taking animals there? And should Prendick fear the dark secrets of Montgomery’s master – the even more mysterious Doctor Moreau?
Original / British EnglishA girl sees a quiet good-looking boy on the boat to Spain. She loves his shy smile and she wants to see him again. The boy wants to be with her too, but there are problems. Can the boy and the girl get together? Or do they never meet again?
Classic / American EnglishTom Sawyer loves adventures. He has them at home, at school, and with his friends —Huck Finn, Joe Harper, and Becky Thatcher. Tom has one adventure in a graveyard, one in an old house, one in a cave. Who does he see in those places—and why is he afraid?
Original / British EnglishKim is running through the streets of the old town. She is frightened. A man with dark eyes and a knife is looking for her. He is going to catch her. This holiday in beautiful Barcelona is suddenly very dangerous. Where is Kim’s friend Dave? What can she do?
Contemporary / American EnglishWhen Frank McCourt becomes a teacher in New York, he finds himself standing in front of bored, confused, angry students. Will he fail as a teacher? Or can he use his miserable Irish childhood to help his students? This is the true story of one man’s surprising, upsetting, but sometimes very funny experiences in the classroom.
Classic / British EnglishResting one night on a boat on the River Thames, Charlie Marlow tells his friends about his experiences as a steamboat captain on the River Congo. There, in the heart of Africa, his search for the extraordinary Mr Kurtz caused him to question his own nature and values – and the nature and values of his society.
Classic / American EnglishRip Van Winkle walks into the mountains one day and meets some strange old men. He comes home twenty years later. One dark night, Ichabod Crane is riding home and sees a man on a black horse behind him. The man has no head. Are there ghosts in these stories? What do you think?
Original / American EnglishIn 1974 two Black Americans fought in Zaire, in Africa. One was Muhammad Ali. After the fight, he was the boxing champion of the world — again. But why did a young boy from Kentucky start to box? Why did he stop boxing? And what is he doing now?
Original / British EnglishMarcel and his friend Céline are on holiday in Los Angeles. They are staying in the home of Arnold Waldman, a famous film director. But on the first night of their holiday, kidnappers take away Arnold’s daughter…
Original / British EnglishIt is Lisa’s first visit to London. She is going to learn English. Then she meets Michael. And suddenly her English lessons are very exciting.
Contemporary / British EnglishAnna Scott is an American film star. She is rich, beautiful and very famous. William Thacker is a shy man who has a small, unsuccessful bookshop in London. Their lives are different in every way, but they are both looking for someone special. Can a future together be more than a dream? Notting Hill is a wonderful – and very funny – love story.
Original / British EnglishAli wants to take photos of people and places in Istanbul, but he has a big problem. He hasn’t got a camera. How can he get one?
A group of pilgrims are travelling together for five days from London to Canterbury. On the way, each pilgrim has to tell a story to keep the others amused. Some stories are happy, and some are sad. But they all have a message, and we can learn from them.