Welcome to New Concept English Book 3, Lesson 30 reading session. Today we will practice proper English pronunciation and reading techniques. This lesson will help you develop better intonation patterns, rhythm, and overall fluency in English reading. We'll break down the text systematically to ensure clear understanding and accurate pronunciation of every word and phrase.
Now let's examine the complete text structure for Lesson 30, titled 'The Death of a Ghost'. This is a fascinating story about a haunted farm. As we prepare for reading, remember these key guidelines: maintain proper pacing throughout, pay careful attention to intonation patterns, emphasize sentence stress correctly, practice linking sounds between words, use natural pauses for comprehension, and always maintain clear pronunciation. The text tells the story of Endley Farm and the mysterious occurrences that made workers believe it was haunted.
Let's begin our paragraph-by-paragraph reading practice. First paragraph: For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was haunted. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox. Notice the stress on 'years', 'villagers', 'believed', 'Endley Farm', 'haunted', 'owned', and 'brothers'. Pay attention to the natural pauses after 'years' and 'haunted'. Second paragraph: They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story. Emphasize 'employed', 'farmhands', 'willing', 'worker', and 'story'. Third paragraph: Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned. Focus on the linking between words and the rhythm of the sentence.
Now let's focus on key vocabulary and pronunciation. First, 'haunted' - pronounced /ˈhɔːntɪd/ with stress on the first syllable. Notice the long 'aw' sound. Common mistake is pronouncing it like 'how-nted'. Next, 'employed' - /ɪmˈplɔɪd/ with stress on the second syllable. The 'oy' sound is crucial here. Then 'farmhands' - /ˈfɑːmhændz/ - compound word with stress on 'farm'. Finally, 'labourers' - /ˈleɪbərərz/ - three syllables, not two. The middle syllable contains a schwa sound. Remember, the primary stress mark looks like an apostrophe before the stressed syllable, and the colon indicates a long vowel sound.
Now let's experience the complete text reading with natural flow and rhythm. The Death of a Ghost. For years, villagers believed that Endley Farm was haunted. The farm was owned by two brothers, Joe and Bob Cox. They employed a few farmhands, but no one was willing to work there long. Every time a worker gave up his job, he told the same story. Farm labourers said that they always woke up to find that work had been done overnight. Hay had been cut and cowsheds had been cleaned. A farm worker, who stayed up all night, claimed that he had seen a figure moving in the farmyard. It was always the same figure, that of a man bent over his spade, digging. Notice how the sentences flow naturally together, with proper breathing points and connected phrases that create the story's mysterious atmosphere.