B2 short stories in English
Short stories at B2 (Upper-intermediate) level, newest first. Press play to hear a story, read along, then write it down as a dictation.
A Receiver at Supper
The film A Receiver at Supper follows an inventor whose kettle alarm becomes entangled in family life. Her first prototype mistakes a washing machine's vibrations for a boiling kettle, ruining Sunday soup. Her father, a night baker, sleeps through ordinary alarms after his shifts, giving her invention personal stakes. The device sends a light to a receiver, so it cannot help if either part is misplaced. Bright daylight can also hide the flash, a practical weakness the film does not conceal. Instead of presenting a polished success story, the director lets failed tests reshape their relationship. During one late test, her father covers the receiver with a tea towel, expecting a louder warning. That small gesture shows how easily a thoughtful design can fail to match someone's habits. The middle section occasionally overexplains the circuitry, although its domestic humor keeps the pace warm. Viewers drawn to intimate family dramas and inventive everyday details will enjoy its understated payoff.
Write this story as a dictationThe Map Behind the Wall
By the time the repair crew reached the archive, rain had darkened the lowest shelves. Water ran from a loose joint in the upstairs drainpipe, then seeped through a crack in the brickwork. At first, the clerk assumed the damp had ruined only a stack of obsolete forms. Years earlier, a caretaker had painted over that same stain whenever winter storms returned. When the crew removed a warped panel, they uncovered a tin case wedged behind it. Inside lay a survey map showing a passage sealed during renovations decades before. The crack traced the old passage, which connected the archive to a forgotten street entrance. Because the map recorded a public right of way, the town could not simply close it. The clerk had been preparing to discard those forms, which documented the passage's closure. After the pipe was repaired, she filed the map among records that could reopen the dispute.
Write this story as a dictationShade That Travels
On hot afternoons, a shaded pavement can feel several degrees cooler than nearby asphalt. The difference comes partly from trees blocking sunlight before it heats roofs, walls, and roads. Leaves also release water vapour, which absorbs energy as it evaporates into the air. This process, called transpiration, cools the surrounding area, although its strength depends on available water. In tightly built districts, heat stored by concrete lingers after sunset, raising indoor temperatures overnight. Trees can soften that effect, but planting them is not a simple universal remedy. Where roots lack space, young trees may struggle, while dense canopies can obstruct airflow. Careful placement matters because shade is most useful where people walk, wait, and gather. As heat waves become more frequent, street trees are increasingly treated as public infrastructure. Their benefits are unevenly distributed, however, unless planting plans prioritize the hottest, least shaded neighbourhoods.
Write this story as a dictationBread Before Closing
At a corner bakery, yesterday's loaves once waited untouched until closing. Managers began lowering prices in small steps each afternoon, instead of announcing one final bargain. By Friday, regulars arrived earlier, and one asked whether discounted bread was already stale. The question sounded unflattering, yet staff noticed fewer loaves left behind at night. After two weeks, late discounted bread sales nearly doubled, while fresh loaf sales dipped slightly. Meanwhile, a shelter kitchen collected donated loaves early and turned some into toast for soup. That second use surprised the bakers, who had assumed the kitchen wanted only untouched loaves. Still, discounts may train customers to wait, while donations depend on drivers and careful handling. Donated loaves must be collected before the food becomes unsafe, which requires reliable timing. Neither choice prevents overordering, so the bakery now combines both with more careful ordering. Regular markdowns can cut waste, but a flexible mix of sales and timely donations seems wiser.
Write this story as a dictationThe Pay Stub Test
During payroll week, the grinding printer drowned out calls from staff about missing wage entries. Callers discussed pay privately while salary sheets accumulated on an unlocked tray beside the noisy machine. Replacing it promised silence, but a compatible scanner would take weeks and delay deposits. A soundproof enclosure might cost less, although its narrow vents risked overheating during the month's largest payroll run. Moving the printer into the locked records room could protect sheets, but add a walk to each correction. The team hesitated because scanner replacement could postpone deposits for the entire kitchen crew. They dismissed the enclosure after testing airflow against the machine's heavy workload. In a relocation trial, clearer calls revealed that several cooks had the same missing shift premium. Payroll traced the shortage to a faulty timesheet import and corrected it before deposits went out. They kept it there, accepting extra steps after one clear call exposed a crewwide payroll error.
Write this story as a dictationHow to learn English with short stories
Short stories are one of the easiest ways to practise listening: they are short enough to finish, and the story helps you guess the words you don’t catch. Listen once without reading, then listen again while you read, and notice the words you missed.
When a story feels familiar, write it down as a dictation. You type each sentence as you hear it, and every word is checked, so you see exactly which sounds still slip past you. Every level gets a new story each day.
Where can I find short English stories with audio?
Here, for every level from A1 to C1. Each story has its own recording and full text, and new stories are added every day.
Are these stories good for beginners?
Yes. A1 stories use short sentences, common words and slow, clear speech. Start there, and move up when you understand most of a story on the first listen.
Should I read the text while I listen?
Listen once without the text first, so you train your ear. Then read along to check what you missed, and listen a last time without it.