eslreading.org strange news stories from around the world
Lucky Break

Intermediate

It seems like Yuri’s lucky day.

The 24-year-old thief watches a mechanic working on a Nissan Primera in a Moscow street. The car is parked in front of a garage. The mechanic is doing some minor paintwork.

The mechanic needs to use the bathroom. He goes back inside the garage. He leaves the car keys in the ignition.

Easy

Yuri hurries across to the car. He gets into the driving seat. The hand brake is off. The keys are in the ignition. The car starts first time.

‘That was so easy!’ thinks Yuri, as he drives away.

At the first junction there are traffic lights. They turn red. Yuri puts his foot down on the brake. Nothing happens.

This is because the brakes are not inside the car. They are back in the garage. The mechanic was going to fit them that afternoon

The car continues straight through the traffic light. It crashes into a police car coming from the other direction.

It’s not Yuri’s lucky day after all.

'I'll draw him!'

Yuri didn’t have enough information. Nor did the thief in England who robbed 82 year-old Bill Green of his bicycle. What this thief didn’t realise was that his victim was a cartoonist ‘I’ll draw him for you,’ Mr Green told the police.

The drawing exactly matched the photograph of a suspect. The police arrested the 34 year-old thief that evening. 




Read about about another stupid thief here

Learning Activities


ESL Reading: free graded reading materials for English language learners