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Christmas in Prague
In a house in Oxford three people are having breakfast - Carol, her husband Jan, and his father Josef. They are talking about Prague, because Carol wants them all to go there for Christmas. Josef was born in Prague, but he left his home city when he was a young man. He is an old man now, and he would like to see Prague again before he dies. But he is afraid. He still remembers another Christmas in Prague, many long years ago - a Christmas that changed his life for ever...
56 pages, Paperback
First published August 17, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 27, 2019
3,5 stars. A very easy text for learning English. I read this book in just one sitting. The text is about two twins brothers: One baby was left in Prague with his grandmother during the Communism times, and the other escape for England with their father in 1957. In 1995, all the three men met again at Christmas in Prague, after the Communism's collapse.
October 29, 2019
Una historia sencilla y con palabras fáciles para el que empieza a leer en inglés. Esta historia me la mandaron a leer en el curso de inglés.
La disfruté mucho porque se me hizo fácil y la entendía. Historia simple pero es perfecta para este tipo de comienzos leyendo en inglés.
La disfruté mucho porque se me hizo fácil y la entendía. Historia simple pero es perfecta para este tipo de comienzos leyendo en inglés.
September 2, 2017
Carol is a harpist, she joined the Oxford Orchestra, they are giving concert in Prague at Christmas. In Prague, she saw a man alike her husband on the street, unfortunately she got crashed at the same time and committed to hospital. later, her husband and father-in-law came for Carol, they met the man in the hospital and revealed a family secret. The man-Pavel and her husband were twins, they never know each other, their father thought Pavel and his mother were dead on Christmas night on the road at the Austrian border.
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October 31, 2017This book is very well to learning English specially for starters..
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October 6, 2022سرگرم کننده
برای آموزش زبان به همراه cd
سطح 1
برای آموزش زبان به همراه cd
سطح 1
August 22, 2017
Reading this book again and I must say I kinda love it more than the first time, so I had to change my rating score to 4 stars ^^ It's a decent story about family secret, misunderstanding, tragedy, and the moment when secret's finally revealed, leaving the people in it with joy and happiness of reunion. The way the story was told is really good, really sensible and smooth, the reactions of characters are also comprehensible, compared to other Oxford Bookworms stories I've read.
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November 18, 2011Okay, I can accept that two twin brothers met accidentally at a hospital. Their father explained all about it. They all are happy. But it is impossible for Carol, who just has an car accident, lying down in bed at the hospital, to play harp at the concert that night.
July 26, 2025
The sense does not lie in the complexity of passages or their absence. It is mostly about the ideas that are conveyed in basic terms.
“December the 25th,” said Pavel. “My grandmother told me the day. My mother died in a hospital bed in Prague, she said.”
“Lenka died in the snow, on the road at the border,” Josef said. “She was so near Austria… so near us… with you, Pavel, on her back…”
Even if it may not carry clear meaning for you, Hemingway would say, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” It isn’t vague if you wish it to make sense.
“December the 25th,” said Pavel. “My grandmother told me the day. My mother died in a hospital bed in Prague, she said.”
“Lenka died in the snow, on the road at the border,” Josef said. “She was so near Austria… so near us… with you, Pavel, on her back…”
Even if it may not carry clear meaning for you, Hemingway would say, “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” It isn’t vague if you wish it to make sense.
February 2, 2025
"Christmas in Prague is a short yet emotional story about love, memories, and unexpected reunions. The snowy setting adds a magical touch, making it a heartwarming read for the holiday season. A simple but touching story."
February 13, 2020
This is a good book for my higher-level ESL students. It was interesting read. Definitely historical fiction with an interesting twist.
January 16, 2024
A story about family.
Easy way to read English.
Easy way to read English.
January 29, 2025
A pretty easy and enjoyable book to read when you are learning English.
May 6, 2025
i love this sotory because it can play with your brain to solve the family mysteries .
September 25, 2025
The first English book I finished quickly [ happy ]
July 10, 2025
4734 Words
October 22, 2014
10/17=50minutes (on the road) 10/22=40minutes
1. Christmas
2. Shot
3. Concert
4. Accident
5. Brother
6. Secret Story
7. Prague
"It is night, and the fields near the village are white with snow. The village is quiet, but not everybody is sleeping."
This is very beginning of the book and when you keep reading, you find this phrase shows the beginning of terrible night, but I like this sentences. When I read it, I remember my early days keep waking in the bed, waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas night.
It is nearly Christmas season! Well, I know Halloween is coming first, anyway I like Christmas so I chose this book to read. However, the story was not so happy, but it was good. Japan is an island country so I don't know the risk of crossing the border without permission but I wanted to know why they had to escape from their country with taking such a risk which is not on this book.
1. Christmas
2. Shot
3. Concert
4. Accident
5. Brother
6. Secret Story
7. Prague
"It is night, and the fields near the village are white with snow. The village is quiet, but not everybody is sleeping."
This is very beginning of the book and when you keep reading, you find this phrase shows the beginning of terrible night, but I like this sentences. When I read it, I remember my early days keep waking in the bed, waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas night.
It is nearly Christmas season! Well, I know Halloween is coming first, anyway I like Christmas so I chose this book to read. However, the story was not so happy, but it was good. Japan is an island country so I don't know the risk of crossing the border without permission but I wanted to know why they had to escape from their country with taking such a risk which is not on this book.
January 9, 2013
1/10 Oxford Readers
90min
Mother-Father-Christmas-Border-Shoot-Twin-Secret-Accdent-Happy
Q. Main character's father had big secret. Main character know keeping the secret. If your parents have secrets, do you want to know it?
A. I don't want to know it, because they have reason to keep the secret. I want to wait until they tell me it.
Q. What the most secret do you keep for your parents?
A. When I was high school student, I dyed my hair. It was secret for my mother. But my secret had come out soon after that.
Q. Main character suddenly have brother(twin)
If you have brother you have not meet, what do you do?
A. I will so be surprised to meet her. But I can get new family!!! I'm happy.
90min
Mother-Father-Christmas-Border-Shoot-Twin-Secret-Accdent-Happy
Q. Main character's father had big secret. Main character know keeping the secret. If your parents have secrets, do you want to know it?
A. I don't want to know it, because they have reason to keep the secret. I want to wait until they tell me it.
Q. What the most secret do you keep for your parents?
A. When I was high school student, I dyed my hair. It was secret for my mother. But my secret had come out soon after that.
Q. Main character suddenly have brother(twin)
If you have brother you have not meet, what do you do?
A. I will so be surprised to meet her. But I can get new family!!! I'm happy.
July 2, 2014
1 Oxford level 1
2 6/29= 60 minutes
3 christmas, accident, hospital, snow, twins, family, orchestra
4 a)"I want to ask you a question, but...I...it's difficult. I am afraid of your answer."
b) I know this feeling. I often feel like this. I have many questions but I am afraid to hear these answers.
5 I don't know everything about my family and they don't know everything about me. It is difficult to know everything, but it is important to know. Thanks to this book, I learned that. I guess my family has secrets, happy stories and sad stories. I would like to hear about them in the future and I want to talk my family about my secrets.
2 6/29= 60 minutes
3 christmas, accident, hospital, snow, twins, family, orchestra
4 a)"I want to ask you a question, but...I...it's difficult. I am afraid of your answer."
b) I know this feeling. I often feel like this. I have many questions but I am afraid to hear these answers.
5 I don't know everything about my family and they don't know everything about me. It is difficult to know everything, but it is important to know. Thanks to this book, I learned that. I guess my family has secrets, happy stories and sad stories. I would like to hear about them in the future and I want to talk my family about my secrets.
November 25, 2015
Oxford/level 1
Nov 19 = 20 minutes
" Now the only sound is the crying of the baby. "
This passage is from the very beginning of the story. The woman tries to escape from Czechoslovakia to Austria since people have no freedom there at that time. She is carrying her son on her back, and worst of all the baby begins to cry. She is found by the border guards and is shot at once. This passage is kind of sarcasm.
This is mainly about one family's story. However, I felt that there was something more serious issue as I read the book. I didn't know much about the history of Czechoslovakia, and it made me know what was happing there at that time. Very curious book.
Nov 19 = 20 minutes
" Now the only sound is the crying of the baby. "
This passage is from the very beginning of the story. The woman tries to escape from Czechoslovakia to Austria since people have no freedom there at that time. She is carrying her son on her back, and worst of all the baby begins to cry. She is found by the border guards and is shot at once. This passage is kind of sarcasm.
This is mainly about one family's story. However, I felt that there was something more serious issue as I read the book. I didn't know much about the history of Czechoslovakia, and it made me know what was happing there at that time. Very curious book.
October 14, 2013
Oxford1
Time= 80 minutes
seven word summary= christmas, accident, orchestra, twins, secret, father, hospital
If you have a sibling, but you didn't know. When you know about that, what would you do??
= I will very surprise, but I think I want to know the sibling and be a family.
This story is very easi to understand, and very interesting story.
I was moved by this story, so I want to reccomend it my friends snd you.
Time= 80 minutes
seven word summary= christmas, accident, orchestra, twins, secret, father, hospital
If you have a sibling, but you didn't know. When you know about that, what would you do??
= I will very surprise, but I think I want to know the sibling and be a family.
This story is very easi to understand, and very interesting story.
I was moved by this story, so I want to reccomend it my friends snd you.
October 22, 2013
Oxford1 80 minutes
christmas,prague,concert,accident,family,sibling,happy
Q.Are there twins close to you?
A.Yes, there are. My friends are twins, but the twins are completely unlike each other.
This story was impressed me. When Carol got into a car accident, I was very sad. But, finally her condition was better, so I felt happy.
christmas,prague,concert,accident,family,sibling,happy
Q.Are there twins close to you?
A.Yes, there are. My friends are twins, but the twins are completely unlike each other.
This story was impressed me. When Carol got into a car accident, I was very sad. But, finally her condition was better, so I felt happy.
November 21, 2013
1, Christmas in Prague; OXFORD; level 1
2, 91 minutes
3, Christmas mother brother Prague concert accident memory
4, Do you have any plans for the Christmas?
No, I don't, but I will go dinner with my family. I want Santa to come to my house.
5, At first, I couldn't understand the story, but gradually I understanded all. It was very impressed story.
2, 91 minutes
3, Christmas mother brother Prague concert accident memory
4, Do you have any plans for the Christmas?
No, I don't, but I will go dinner with my family. I want Santa to come to my house.
5, At first, I couldn't understand the story, but gradually I understanded all. It was very impressed story.
May 5, 2014
the russians may cause the suffer of a czech family, as the book said prague is such a wondeful city a natural beauty cover the street with with snow i can barely i imagine their magnificent architecture on christmas, in the future i would like to take a chance to be there
October 27, 2014
Es sorprendente lo que ocurre en la historia. Pero no es mas que eso. Obvio estamos hablando de una historia en nivel 1 de ingles. Se lo robe un ratito a la chica de mi tio. Una lectura super ligera y entretenida de no mas de media hora. Recomendable para los que recien empiezan.
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October 6, 2014ithink nothing
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November 13, 2014این داستان درباره ی دو برادر است در کودکی یکدیگر را گم می کنند و در حاثه ای یک دیگر را پیدا می کنند
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December 13, 2014Good book.
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May 24, 2014IT IS GOOD
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews