Improve your English Level 1 ⭐ The Shoeshine Boy | Listen and Practice

Summary

Charlie, a poor shoe shine boy, works outside Café Columbo, a busy café where well-dressed people sit and enjoy their day. One day, Charlie catches a lottery ticket blown by the wind and holds onto it, unaware that it might be worth a fortune. His mother, hopeful, examines the ticket, and as they wait for the draw, Charlie dreams that a goat eats parts of the ticket. The next morning, the lottery office announces the winning number, and Charlie wonders if their luck will change. This story explores hope, dreams, and the possibility of a better life.

Takeaways

• 😀 Cafe Columbo is always busy with well-dressed people drinking coffee, eating ice cream, and reading newspapers.
• 😀 Charlie, a shoe shine boy, works outside Cafe Columbo, shining shoes for a living.
• 😀 Charlie does not go to school and works all day, shining shoes of various colors for 10 cents each.
• 😀 One day, a well-dressed man inside Cafe Columbo calls Charlie to shine his shoes, paying him 10 cents for his work.
• 😀 An old man selling lottery tickets walks by, and a well-dressed man buys a ticket for $1 before hurrying into a taxi.
• 😀 The lottery ticket falls from the man’s pocket and is caught by Charlie, who tries to return it to him, but the man doesn't hear him.
• 😀 Charlie’s long walk home each night leads him to give all the money he earns to his mother, who needs it to buy food for the family.
• 😀 Charlie shows his mother the lottery ticket, and they wonder if it will be the winning ticket with the number 753812946.
• 😀 Charlie dreams of a goat eating the ticket, which results in parts of the number being eaten, specifically the numbers 6, 4, and 9.
• 😀 The next day, Charlie discovers the ticket is missing, but he later sees his mother holding it, and a man announces the winning number.
• 😀 Charlie and his mother hope that the lottery number they hold could be the winning one, but they wait to find out if the number 6 is called.

Q & A

Where does Charlie work and what is his job?

Charlie works as a shoe shine boy outside Cafe Columbo, where he shines shoes for customers in exchange for 10 cents per shine.

Why doesn't Charlie sit inside Cafe Columbo like the other people?

Charlie doesn't sit inside Cafe Columbo because he is not well-dressed and instead sits outside, working as a shoe shine boy.

What happens when the man in Cafe Columbo asks Charlie to shine his shoes?

The man in Cafe Columbo calls Charlie over to shine his shoes, and Charlie runs in, puts his box at the man's feet, and cleans his dirty black shoes in exchange for 10 cents.

What is the significance of the lottery ticket in the story?

The lottery ticket represents a potential escape from Charlie's difficult life. Charlie finds the ticket after it falls from a well-dressed man’s pocket, and he holds onto it, hoping it will bring good luck.

What does Charlie do when he finds the lottery ticket?

Charlie waves the ticket and shouts to the well-dressed man, but the man doesn’t hear him, and Charlie is left with the ticket, which he later shows to his mother.

What happens in Charlie's dream about the goat?

In Charlie's dream, a goat enters their home and starts eating the lottery ticket, consuming some of the numbers, including the number 6, which creates worry about the ticket's validity.

What does Charlie’s mother think of the lottery ticket?

Charlie’s mother looks at the ticket and reads the number on it. She wonders if the ticket could be the winning one, considering the number sequence, and hopes it might bring them luck.

How does Charlie react when he wakes up and the ticket is missing?

Charlie wakes up to find that the lottery ticket is missing from his box, which makes him panic and rush to the lottery office, worried that the ticket has been lost.

What is the atmosphere like at Cafe Columbo?

Cafe Columbo is always busy, with well-dressed men and women drinking coffee, eating ice cream, and reading newspapers. It contrasts with Charlie’s situation, as he is outside, working as a shoe shine boy.

What do we learn about Charlie's family life?

Charlie lives with his mother, who is waiting for him at home. He has younger siblings and no father. His mother depends on the money Charlie earns to buy food for the family.