Walt Disney: He Lost His Cartoon Rabbit… So on the Train He Drew a Mouse
Walt Disney loved drawing animals on his farm. His cartoon company closed, and another company took his cartoon rabbit. On the long train home, he had a new idea — a little mouse. Learn five A1 words with the true story of Walt Disney.
Transcript
Tap a time to jump to that moment. Highlighted words have a meaning: tap them. Words in bold show today's grammar.
A young man lost his rabbit.
On the long train home, he had a new idea: a little .
This is the story of Walt Disney.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
. A is a small animal with a long tail.
He drew a little .
. A is a film with that move.
He made .
. A is a business.
His closed.
. When you are , you feel good.
Families were there.
. A is a place to play and have fun.
He opened a big .
Now, one pattern: wanted to.
We use wanted to plus a verb for a wish in the past.
He loved .
He wanted to make .
Ready? Let's begin.
Walt Disney was born in Chicago in 1901.
As a boy, he lived on a farm.
He loved the animals, and he wanted to draw them.
He drew a horse, and a doctor gave him money!
He wanted to make .
In 1921, he started a .
But his closed.
So he went to California.
There, he made .
People liked his rabbit.
But in 1928, another took the rabbit.
What could he do now?
Walt sat on the train home with his wife.
He was sad.
Then he had an idea: a !
He and his friend Ub drew a little .
The was in a new with music and sound.
Walt was the 's voice!
People laughed and clapped.
They called the Mickey.
He made many films.
In 1955, he opened a big .
Families were there.
He wanted to make people .
Let's review. He drew a little .
He made .
His closed.
Families were there.
He opened a big .
And remember: he wanted to make people .
Walt Disney's story teaches us: a bad day can bring a good idea.
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Step 3
Words from the story
Say the word, guess its meaning, then flip the card. Keep the ones you know, and practise the rest again.
Great work, you know every word in this story. Now try the quiz below.
mouse noun (plural: mice)
a small animal with a long tail
“He drew a little mouse.”
cartoon noun
a film with drawings that move
“He made cartoons.”
company noun
a business
“His cartoon company closed.”
happy adjective
feeling good
“Families were happy there.”
park noun
a place to play and have fun
“He opened a big park.”
drawing noun
a picture made with a pencil or pen
“The doctor liked his drawing of the horse.”
magic noun
a special power that makes impossible things happen
“Cartoons felt like magic.”
studio noun
a room or building where people make films or art
“He worked in a small studio.”
Grammar in the story
wanted to + verb
We use it for: to talk about a wish in the past
- He wanted to make people happy.
- He wanted to make cartoons.
- He wanted to draw the animals.
From the story
- He wanted to make people happy.
- He wanted to make cartoons.
Find it in the story 5 times
Your turn
He wanted make cartoons.
As a boy, he wanted to the animals.
He to make people happy.
Step 4
Story Challenge
9 quick rounds: choose, fill the gap, build the sentence and match the words. Answer in a row to build a streak and earn bonus points.
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Take it further
Before you watch: Do you like cartoons? What is your favourite cartoon animal?
After you watch: Write three sentences with wanted to. For example: As a child, I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted to have a dog. I wanted to visit Japan.
Think about it: Walt lost his rabbit, but on the same day he had a new idea. Can a bad day bring a good idea? Tell a story from your life.
