The Time Machine
Vocabulary
Read each word out loud.
clean out
/Ėklin ĖaŹt/
phrasal verb
to take away things you do not need from a place and make it clean
Example:
I need to clean out my closet this weekend.
mysterious
/mÉŖĖstÉŖɹiÉs/
adjective
strange and hard to understand or explain
Example:
The forest was so dark and mysterious, I didn't feel comfortable walking through it.
trapped
/tÉ¹Ć¦pt/
adjective
not able to leave a place or a situation
Example:
We were trapped in the elevator for an hour.
amazed
/ÉĖmeÉŖzd/
adjective
to be impressed, surprised, or astonished by something
Example:
I was amazed when my favorite football team won the big competition.
machine
/mÉĖŹin/
noun
piece of equipment used to do work
Example:
The factory uses a large machine to assemble the parts for the cars.
experiment
/ÉkĖspÉɹÉŖmÉnt/
noun
test performed to assess new ideas or theories
Example:
The students did an experiment in science class to see how plants grow in the dark.
explore
/ÉŖkĖsplÉɹ/
verb
to learn about something by examining in detail or someplace by traveling to it
Example:
We decided to explore the ancient ruins during our vacation in Greece.
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Story
Read the story out loud or play the audio and follow along.
Audio recorded by Thomas
The Time Machine
Yesterday, I was cleaning out my grandpaās garage and I found a really weird machine. When I grabbed it, I took a trip back in time to when the pyramids were being built! I was so scared and amazed, but I came back to the present when I let go of the machine.
Today, Iām doing experiments to see how this mysterious machine works. So far I have learned that when I touch it, I travel through time, but when I let go, I come back. If I can figure out how to stay in the past, maybe I can explore?
Iām feeling confident. Tomorrow, I will do it. I will travel back to the pyramids and explore. I just have to make sure I donāt get trapped thereā¦
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Conversation Practice
Working with a tutor? Try asking or answering these questions out loud with them.
Working alone? Try speaking your answers out loud or write them in the lesson discussion below.
1. If you found a time machine, would you want to use it?
2. What time and place would you like to travel to?
3. What do you think would happen if you got trapped in another time? Could you survive?
4. What types of places do you enjoy exploring?
5. Have you ever been trapped in a small space like an elevator? If yes, what happened?
6. When was the last time you cleaned out your fridge or pantry?
Written by:
Thomas
Lesson updated:
November 6, 2026