Slow English Story for Beginners

Slow English Story is a podcast for beginner English learners. We read fascinating stories about great people and interesting topics in a slow and easy way. Each episode is carefully narrated to help you understand words and sentences with ease.
The Little Prince
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUNLoymBO6g The Little Prince Chapter 1: The Crash in the Desert The narrator, a pilot, begins the story by talking about his love for flying. He explains that he has always dreamed of exploring the skies and seeing the world from above. One day, while flying his small airplane across the Sahara Desert, something unexpected happens. The engine of his plane suddenly breaks down, forcing him to make an emergency landing in the middle of nowhere. The desert is vast and empty, with nothing but sand stretching as far as the eye can see. The pilot is completely alone. He has very little food and water, and he knows he must fix the plane quickly or he won’t survive. He begins to work on the engine, but it is complicated, and he feels frustrated and tired. That night, the pilot sleeps under the starry sky, feeling lonely and worried. The stars twinkle brightly, and the silence of the desert feels heavy. But just as the sun rises the next morning, something extraordinary happens. The pilot hears a small voice. “Please, draw me a sheep,” the voice says. Startled, the pilot looks around. Standing in front of him is a small boy with golden hair. The boy looks very unusual. He is not dressed like anyone the pilot has ever seen, and his calm, curious eyes seem to look right into the pilot’s heart. The pilot is so surprised that he forgets his fear and asks, “Who are you? Where did you come from?” But the boy does not answer his questions. Instead, he repeats, “Please, draw me a sheep.” The pilot doesn’t know how to draw very well. He hasn’t practiced since he was a child. But the boy’s request feels important, so the pilot takes out his notebook and pencil. He tries his best to draw a sheep, but the boy shakes his head. “No, no, this one is too sick,” the boy says. The pilot tries again, but the boy says, “This one is too old.” The pilot draws a third sheep, but the boy says, “This one looks like a ram. I want a real sheep.” Finally, feeling a little impatient, the pilot draws a box with holes in it. He says, “The sheep you want is inside this box.” To the pilot’s surprise, the boy’s face lights up with joy. “This is perfect!” the boy says, holding the drawing close. “This is exactly the sheep I wanted.” The pilot is curious about the strange boy. He asks again, “Who are you? Where did you come from?” The boy looks up at the sky and says quietly, “I come from a very small planet. It is far, far away.” The pilot doesn’t know what to think. A boy from another planet? It sounds impossible. But there is something about the boy that feels magical and true. The pilot decides not to ask too many questions yet. Instead, he decides to focus on fixing his plane. As the hours pass, the boy stays by the pilot’s side. He watches the pilot work and sometimes asks curious questions. The boy’s calm presence makes the pilot feel less lonely. Even though they have just met, the pilot feels like they are already becoming friends. And so, the adventure begins. The pilot doesn’t know it yet, but meeting this strange boy will change his life forever. Chapter 2: The Little Prince's Home As the sun rose higher in the sky, the Little Prince and the pilot sat together in the quiet desert. The boy’s golden hair shone brightly, and his curious eyes were full of wonder. “Where do you come from?” the pilot asked again. The Little Prince smiled softly. “I come from a tiny planet,” he said. “It is so small that I can walk all the way around it in just a few minutes.” He drew a small circle in the sand to show the pilot what his planet looked like.
  • K
    kaz
Steve Jobs Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUODKXLRjAg Steve Jobs Story Chapter 1: I Moved to the Perfect Neighborhood for Me Steve Jobs was only ten years old when his family moved to Mountain View, California. Little did he know that this new neighborhood would change his life forever. The area was full of engineers and people who loved technology. Steve’s neighbors were not like the ones he had before—these neighbors built and fixed things that looked like magic to Steve. One sunny afternoon, Steve walked outside and saw a man working in his garage. The garage was packed with strange gadgets and wires. Steve couldn’t help but stare. “Hey there, young man! Interested in what I’m doing?” the man asked, noticing Steve’s curiosity. Steve nodded eagerly. “What are you making?” he asked, his eyes wide with wonder. The man smiled. “I’m building a radio. Do you want to see how it works?” From that moment, Steve spent many afternoons in the garages of his neighbors, learning about circuits, wires, and how things were built. He loved asking questions. “Why does this part make the light blink?” “What happens if you connect these two wires?” The neighbors were patient and happy to teach him. One day, Steve brought home a broken clock he found at a yard sale. He wanted to fix it. His dad, Paul Jobs, noticed and decided to help. “Steve, let’s open it up together,” Paul said. “I’ll show you how to take it apart carefully.” Paul Jobs was not an engineer, but he was very good with his hands. He showed Steve how to look at each piece of the clock and figure out what might be wrong. By the end of the day, the clock was ticking again. “You see, Steve,” his dad said, “things are made by people, and you can learn to make them too.” Steve never forgot those words. He started to believe that he could make things, just like the grown-ups in his neighborhood. Steve’s school life was not as exciting as his afternoons with gadgets. In class, he was often bored. His teachers said he was smart but easily distracted. They didn’t know how to keep him interested. But one teacher changed everything. Her name was Mrs. Teddy Hill. She noticed that Steve loved challenges, so she gave him harder problems to solve. “Steve, I think you’re capable of more,” she said one day, handing him a puzzle. “Try this and tell me what you think.” Steve solved it quickly and asked for more. Mrs. Hill also told him stories about famous inventors, like Thomas Edison, who had changed the world by following their ideas. “You can do something great too, Steve,” she said with a warm smile. Her belief in him made Steve work harder in school, even if it wasn’t always fun. At home and in the neighborhood, Steve kept learning about electronics. He loved opening up radios, TVs, and anything else he could find. His parents were amazed by his curiosity. “Where does he get all this energy?” his mom joked one evening as Steve worked on a broken toaster in the kitchen. “Maybe he’s just wired differently,” his dad said with a laugh. Steve didn’t know it yet, but these small moments of fixing and building would prepare him for something much bigger in the future. Chapter 2: A Teenage Rollercoaster When Steve Jobs entered middle school, things got harder for him. He still loved learning about electronics and gadgets, but school was a different story. The classes were boring, and Steve had trouble paying attention. His teachers often told his parents, “Steve is smart, but he doesn’t stay focused.” At home, Steve’s parents noticed his struggles. They decided to move him to a different school that might suit him better. The new school had more creative teachers and gave students more freedom. Steve liked it better, but he still found it hard to follow the rules. His mind was always full of ideas, and he wanted to do things his way. Around this time, Steve discovered something new—computers. He saw his first computer during a school trip to a nearby university. The computer was huge, taking up an entire room. Steve watched as a professor showed how it worked. He was amazed. “You mean this machine can think?” Steve asked, his eyes wide with curiosity. “In a way, yes,” the professor replied. “It can solve problems and follow instructions.” From that day, Steve couldn’t stop thinking about computers. He wanted to learn everything about them. He read books and asked questions. Even though computers were very expensive and rare at the time, Steve was determined to get his hands on one. Steve’s boldness also grew during these years. He wasn’t afraid to try new things or take risks. “You need courage to do something great,” Steve often said. He once snuck into a computer club meeting at a local university. He didn’t belong there, but he wanted to see what the club was doing. That’s where he met Steve Wozniak, a shy but brilliant engineer who loved building gadgets. “Hi, I’m Steve Jobs,” he introduced himself. “What are you working on?” Wozniak showed him a small computer he had built himself. Steve was amazed by Wozniak’s talent. The two Steves quickly became friends. They spent hours talking about technology and dreaming about what they could create together. As Steve grew older, he started thinking more about his future. What did he want to do with his life? He didn’t want a regular job like most people. He wanted to do something exciting and meaningful. Steve was also influenced by the hippie culture of the 1960s and 70s. He liked their ideas about freedom, creativity, and living simply. He started wearing jeans and turtlenecks, and he spent time with people who thought differently from the rest of the world. “Maybe I’ll create something that changes the world,” Steve thought to himself. His teenage years were full of ups and downs, like a roller coaster. But Steve never gave up. Each challenge and experience helped shape the person he was becoming. Chapter 3: Twenty Years Old, Betting His Life on Computers Steve Jobs was just 20 years old when he decided to dedicate his life to computers. While most people his age were still figuring out what they wanted to do, Steve had already made up his mind. He wanted to create something that would amaze the world. “I want to make a machine that is small but powerful. Something that people can use every day,” Steve said to his friend Steve Wozniak, who everyone called Woz. Woz was also passionate about computers. Together, they dreamed of building something special. They spent long hours in the garage, sketching ideas and tinkering with parts. At the same time, Steve started to explore new ways to think and relax. He learned about meditation and became interested in Eastern philosophy. “Meditation helps me focus,” Steve explained to his friends. “I feel like I’m starting to understand myself better.” He also read many books about Buddhism and other philosophies from Asia. These teachings helped Steve believe that he could do something meaningful with his life. “I want to prove that I can create something amazing,” he thought. To find more inspiration, Steve decided to travel to India. It was a big decision, but he felt it was important. In India, Steve learned to appreciate simple things. He saw how people lived with less but were still happy. This made him think about what truly mattered in life. “I feel like I’m starting to see the bigger picture,” Steve wrote in a letter to his parents. “I know now that I want to create something that helps people.” The trip changed Steve. He returned to California feeling more focused and ready to follow his dreams. Steve had attended college for a short time but decided it wasn’t the right path for him. Instead, he wanted to start a business with Woz. “Woz, I think we can build something great together,” Steve said one evening. Woz was a bit unsure. Starting a company was a big risk. But Steve’s energy and confidence were contagious. “Alright, let’s do it,” Woz finally said. “We’ll work hard and see what happens.” The two friends trusted each other completely. Steve brought bold ideas and a vision for the future, while Woz had the technical skills to make those ideas come to life. Together, they made a great team. “We’re going to change the world, Woz,” Steve said with a grin. And with that, their journey to create something incredible began. Chapter 4: Two Computer Geeks Enter the Business Battlefield Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, two friends who loved computers, decided to start their own company. But first, they needed a name. One day, Steve Jobs remembered a visit to an apple farm. “How about we call our company Apple?” Steve suggested. Woz laughed. “Apple? That’s simple and easy to remember. I like it!” And that’s how Apple got its name. Their first big project was a computer called the Apple I. Woz built the machine, and Steve worked hard to sell it. They showed it to people at computer clubs and even sold a few. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start. “We can make it better,” Steve said. “We just need help from the right people.” Steve knew they needed a great advertisement to show people how amazing their computer was. They found an expert who helped them make a fun and creative ad. “This will get people excited about Apple,” Steve said confidently. Next, they needed money to grow their business. They met with investors and told them about their big dreams. “We want to make computers that everyone can use,” Steve told one investor. The investor was impressed and decided to give them money to help. Apple was growing fast. Soon, they created the Apple II, a computer that was easier to use and looked nicer than anything else. It became a huge success. People loved it, and Apple started to make a lot of money. In 1980, Apple became a public company. This means people could buy shares of the company. When this happened, Steve Jobs became a millionaire. He was only 25 years old. Even with all their success, Steve knew they had to focus on the people who used their computers. “We need to think about what our users want,” Steve often said. “If we make them happy, we’ll be successful.” But running a company wasn’t easy. Steve had many ideas and wanted everything to be perfect. Sometimes, this led to disagreements with others. “I just want Apple to be the best,” Steve said to himself. It was clear that Steve was willing to fight hard to make his dreams come true. Chapter 5: A Dream to Change the World with Computers Apple was growing bigger and bigger. The company was successful, but Steve Jobs faced a new challenge. Being a good CEO was harder than he thought. He had many ideas, but sometimes he didn’t get along with the people who worked with him. “I need help to run this company,” Steve realized. So, he asked John Sculley, the CEO of Pepsi, to join Apple. “Do you want to sell sugary drinks forever, or do you want to change the world?” Steve asked John. John liked Steve’s vision and decided to join Apple. Together, they worked to grow the company even more. At the same time, Apple faced tough competition from a big company called IBM. IBM was like a giant, and Apple was like a small but brave David. “We are not just making computers,” Steve told his team. “We are working to change the world.” Steve gave a presentation to Bill Gates, who was also a computer genius. “We need your software to make our computers even better,” Steve told Bill. Bill agreed, and they worked together for a while. But competition between Apple and other companies like Microsoft was always exciting. Even though Apple was doing well, not everyone agreed with Steve’s way of running the company. Some people thought he was too demanding. Finally, the board of directors decided that Steve should leave Apple. “I started this company,” Steve said, feeling hurt. But he didn’t give up. “Maybe it’s time for me to move on,” he thought. Steve left Apple, ready to start a new Chapter in his life. Though it was a hard time for Steve, he kept his dream alive. He still believed that computers could change the world. And deep in his heart, he knew his journey was not over. Chapter 6: Losing a Company but Not the Dream After leaving Apple, Steve Jobs didn’t give up. Instead, he started a new company called NeXT. “This will be my new kingdom,” Steve said with determination. He wanted to build a computer that could help students and teachers. He imagined schools using his computers to make learning more exciting and fun. “I want it to be perfect,” Steve often told his team. NeXT computers were advanced and beautiful, but they were also very expensive. Not many schools could afford them. Still, Steve believed in his vision and kept working hard. During this time, Steve also became interested in something new: computer graphics. He learned about a small company called Pixar that was making amazing animations with computers. “What exactly does Pixar do?” Steve asked when he first visited the company. “We make tools for animators,” one of the employees explained. Steve saw the potential for something bigger. “What if we use these tools to make a full movie?” he asked. Steve decided to buy Pixar and became its leader. He gathered a team of talented artists and engineers who shared his dream. Together, they started working on a new kind of animation—computer-generated movies. But not everything went smoothly. Steve faced many challenges, and some of his projects failed. “Every failure is a lesson,” Steve told himself. During this time, Steve also became a father. Having a family changed how he saw the world. “I want to create something my children will be proud of,” he thought. Even with the ups and downs, Steve never stopped dreaming. His time at NeXT and Pixar helped him grow as a leader and a creator. He was ready for whatever came next. Chapter 7: Another Big Chance Steve Jobs was always looking for new challenges. At Pixar, he found a way to bring computers and movies together. He met with Disney, a famous company known for its amazing cartoons. “We can make a movie with computers,” Steve told the Disney team. Disney liked the idea, but they wanted to be in charge. Steve, however, didn’t want to give up control. “We won’t settle for less,” he said firmly. Pixar worked on a movie called Toy Story. It was the first animated movie made entirely with computers. Steve and his team put everything they had into making it great. Then, trouble came. Disney thought about stopping the project. “Stopping Toy Story? That can’t happen,” Steve said. He worked hard to convince Disney to keep going. Finally, the movie was finished. When Toy Story came out, it was a huge success. Everyone loved it, and Pixar became very famous. Pixar became so successful that it went public, meaning people could buy shares of the company. When this happened, Steve Jobs became a billionaire once again. “Toy Story taught me something important,” Steve said. “If you believe in your vision, you have to fight for it.” At the same time, Steve’s other company, NeXT, wasn’t doing as well. But something surprising happened—Apple asked Steve to come back. “We need your help to make Apple great again,” they said. Steve was surprised but also excited. He had learned so much from his time at Pixar and NeXT. Now, he was ready to return to the company he started and take on a new challenge. Chapter 8: Returning to Apple After 10 years away, Steve Jobs came back to Apple. A lot had changed while he was gone. The company was struggling and needed a new direction. “Apple and I are meant to be together,” Steve thought. “We’re like two people on the same boat.” But fixing Apple wasn’t easy. Steve had to make tough choices. He decided to focus only on the best products and cut out the rest. “Sometimes you have to let go of things, even if it’s hard,” he said. One of Steve’s first big projects after returning was the iMac. It was a colorful and friendly computer that was easy to use. People loved it! The iMac helped Apple become popular again. “I just want to create things that people will enjoy using,” Steve said. The iMac showed the world that Apple was back and ready to innovate. It was the start of a new Chapter for the company. Steve also noticed a new trend: people wanted to listen to music in new ways. He decided to focus on the MP3 market. “Music is going to be the next big thing,” Steve told his team. This idea would lead to something even bigger, but for now, Steve was happy to see Apple growing stronger. He felt proud to be back and leading the company he loved. Chapter 9: Leading a Music Revolution Steve Jobs had a new dream: to change how people listened to music. He introduced the iPod, a small and simple music player that could hold thousands of songs. “With the iPod, you can carry your entire music library in your pocket,” Steve said proudly. The iPod became a huge success. But Steve didn’t stop there. He also launched iTunes, an online music store where people could buy and download songs. “When I set a goal, I won’t stop until I reach it,” Steve often said. The iPod and iTunes completely changed the music industry. Steve showed that his unique ideas could become amazing products. Next, Steve focused on creating a phone that would do more than just make calls. The result was the iPhone. It combined a phone, a music player, and a computer all in one device. “This is my style,” Steve said. “Simple, beautiful, and powerful.” The iPhone was a groundbreaking product that millions of people loved. It showed the world that Steve’s vision could keep changing lives. But along with success came personal challenges. Steve learned he was very sick. Even as he faced his illness, he continued to work on his ideas. “Thinking about death helps you focus on what really matters in life,” Steve said. By the time Steve Jobs passed away, he had changed not just one, but three industries: computers, movies, and music. He taught the world that creativity and courage could solve big problems. “The hardest times taught me the most important lessons,” Steve once said. Today, Apple continues to grow, and the world remembers Steve Jobs as a bold thinker who never gave up on his dreams.
  • K
    kaz