Natale a sorpresa (B2)

.epub ebook, .mobi (kindle compatible) ebook, .pdf ebook
(19 customer reviews)
An original Italian easy reader by Marika Romano

Matteo’s supposed to be writing a book but he’s suffering terribly from writers’ block – all he can do is stare at the blank computer screen.

Worse, it’s December! Normally Matteo spends the festive season with his family, but this year they’re visiting relatives in Australia. So it looks as if he’ll be celebrating alone…

  • .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
  • .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
  • 8 chapters to read and listen to
  • Comprehension questions to check your understanding
  • Italian/English glossary of ‘difficult’ terms for the level
  • Suitable for students at intermediate level or above
  • Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
How do I access my ebook?

When your order is ‘completed’ (normally immediately after your payment), a download link will be automatically emailed to you. It’s valid for 7 days and 3 download attempts so please save a copy of the .pdf ebook in a safe place. Other versions of the ebook, where available, cannot be downloaded but will be emailed to people who request them. There’s a space to do that on the order form – where it says Additional information, Order notes (optional). If you forget, or if you have problems downloading the .pdf, don’t worry! Email us at the address on the website and we’ll help. Also, why not check out our FAQ?

£9.99

Description

An original Italian easy reader by Marika Romano

Matteo’s supposed to be writing a book – he has a deadline coming up – but he’s suffering terribly from writers’ block. All he can do is stare at a blank computer screen. He’s recently out of a relationship, which hasn’t helped…

Worse, it’s December and Christmas is coming! Normally Matteo spends the festive season with his family, but this year they’re visiting relatives in Australia. So it looks as if he’ll be celebrating alone.

Then he has an idea. He’ll call his best friend Filippo, who’ll surely be able to help! Perhaps they can spend Christmas at Filippo’s place in the mountains, or take a trip somewhere…

  • .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
  • .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
  • 8 chapters to read and listen to
  • Comprehension questions to check your understanding
  • Italian/English glossary of ‘difficult’ terms for the level
  • Suitable for students at intermediate level or above
  • Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
How do I access my ebook?

When your order is ‘completed’ (normally immediately after your payment), a download link will be automatically emailed to you. It’s valid for 7 days and 3 download attempts so please save a copy of the .pdf ebook in a safe place. Other versions of the ebook, where available, cannot be downloaded but will be emailed to people who request them. There’s a space to do that on the order form – where it says Additional information, Order notes (optional). If you forget, or if you have problems downloading the .pdf, don’t worry! Email us at the address on the website and we’ll help. Also, why not check out our FAQ?

Additional information

Format

.epub ebook, .mobi (kindle compatible) ebook, .pdf ebook

19 reviews for Natale a sorpresa (B2)

  1. Rakel Fuentes (verified owner)

    I chose this ebook because it has a dog on the cover and I was expecting to read more about Caligola. It is a simple story and it wasn’t difficult for me to read it, so I learnt new vocabulary and could travel to Venice in my imagination! What I like the most about these e-books is that you can read and listen to the story improving also your listening skills.
    Buon Natale!

    • easyreadersorg

      Thanks for leaving a review, Rakel! We appreciate it.
      In 2023 we’ll be publishing an easy reader in which all the principle characters, including the narrator, are dogs. Italian dogs, obviously. Look out for it, won’t you?

  2. Cherry (verified owner)

    I enjoyed this story and it expanded my vocabulary. Whether I will remember the new words is another matter, but hopefully I might recognise them if I come across them in another book or article.

  3. Patricia (verified owner)

    I really enjoyed this short story and was surprised to be able to answer the comprehension questions correctly. I still have to read “Un giorno di ricordare”
    Being able to listen to the audio version too is a real bonus.
    I print the books so that I can add translations of unknown words and also reread them from time to time in order to increase my vocabulary.
    The free pages are an excellent idea for finding your level. Thank you all.

    • easyreadersorg

      Thank YOU Patricia, for taking the time to leave a review. We appreciate it!

  4. Margaret Sutton (verified owner)

    This was a lovely little story. I especially liked reading about the Christmas traditions in context, and also vocabulary to do with Caligola the dog. I have only read it so far but will now go back and listen to it. Thank you.

  5. Mary

    Engaging little book about everyday life at Christmas time. There are several longer natural conversations between characters which I enjoy the most, and from which I learn the most, when reading modern stories and books.

    I agree with the first commenter, John Holden, that the glossary words often are words that have a relatively direct translation into English. They may be ten-dollar words, like my dad used to say, but are readily understandable. I have noticed this same tendency with my Italian teacher too so I also understand Daniel’s response. That said, I resist the urge to look up every unknown word so long as I’ve gotten the overall meaning (applying the wisdom of OnlineItalianClub.com!)

  6. Nancy Lee (verified owner)

    I read this book with my Italian class and it was a wonderful end of the year story, not too hard but with plenty of learning opportunities. The ending was predictable but that didn’t matter, as it was happy and, for me, especially nice because it included a dog. I know it is not easy to create these stories for us, so thank you very much and please continue to provide stories we can learn from and enjoy.

  7. Tony Prosser (verified owner)

    Nice story which maintains interest very well. It’s also good to know a little about Italian Christmas celebrations. I think B2 is right for the level; clearly not suitable for beginners but nothing really challenging for someone with a reasonable knowledge of the language. As always in this series, great value for money.

  8. Elaine Peters (verified owner)

    A charming Christmas story. It was not too difficult to understand although there were several words I looked up after the first reading. Then I read it again with the sound on. Interesting to note grammatical points too. Just the right length too – not too daunting!

  9. Melissa (verified owner)

    I agree with the other reviewers of this book: this easy reader is very enjoyable, and the narrator is fantastic. I like learning about Italian customs in the context of people actually following them. Now I am tempted to go out and get my own Caligola or Giunia!

    Having a somewhat more extensive glossary certainly wouldn’t hurt. I like reading the glassy, then listening to the story again and identifying the words that I didn’t know in the text. he story was the first of the B2 level I have attempted and I found it to be perfect.

  10. Claire M (verified owner)

    I enjoyed this wee book – interesting to learn some of the Italian Christmas customs, & I plan to read it with my U3A intermediate group next Christmas season.
    It was read clearly & grammar was appropriate for this level.

  11. Mike Jolly (verified owner)

    A nice story really well narrated, I especially liked the enthusiasm for the ringing telephone ‘Drin Drin’ it made me smile every time, you’ll understand when you have listened to it.
    As always some useful new vocabulary. Good listening practice which I am sure most of us find the hardest part of the language (News Years resolution – listen to all the excellent EasyItalian News posts which are still, unbelievably, free of charge. Donations at your discretion).
    B2 level grammar but not too tricky a bit of Congiuntivo Imperfetto at worst so don’t be put off trying this book.
    Well done to everyone at OnlineItalianClub.

  12. Kathy

    This was a lot of fun to listen to! Disclaimer – I have not bought the story to read – I ran out of things to listen to at work and remembered the “free audio versions” – bingo! A lonely writer, a surprise dog, good food, and a little romance … What more could one want out of a Christmas story? It took me several listens before I was sure I understood the whole gist, and more to get the details, but the nice thing was that the story was good enough to keep me engaged and curious even as I was listening for the 10th time. I liked getting to know the rhythm of the Italian Christmas season, too. Thanks, Marika!

  13. Jackie (verified owner)

    I enjoyed reading this book and understood the gist of it, although not every word! However, the word ‘fagottino’ (page 26) really threw me. The glossary gave definition as ‘a sort of little cake’ but dictionary showed as ‘bundle’ which made a lot more sense of the story. Looking forward to trying another book soon!

  14. Martin Byron-Grange (verified owner)

    I enjoyed this story and the characters were realistic and believable. The text flowed nicely and there were quite a few new words and expressions to learn. The level was stretching for me, but just enough to make me feel like I was progressing without being demoralising. I have read it through once, but I need to work more on the text to really consolidate the new vocabulary.

  15. Georgia (verified owner)

    I enjoyed the Christmas theme of “Natale a sorpresa”, but also the presence of Filippo’s dog, Caligola. It was interesting to read some of the verbs and nouns related to the actions, activities and paraphernalia of pet dogs in Italy!

  16. Joan (verified owner)

    ‘Natale a sorpresa’ is well written and entertaining. I found it to be both rewarding and challenging. Rewarding because in the first reading I understood the story. Challenging because I had to go back and decipher the details. Great fun!

  17. sue (verified owner)

    As already said a lovely Chrismassy story with good bits of cultural awareness thrown in. L’immacolata, La Befana, il cibo di Natale e San Stefano I have finally learnt how to pronounce Epifania properly!

  18. Mercedes (verified owner)

    I agree with John; an enjoyable book with some new vocabulary which does not affect the flow. It is uncanny how the glossary rarely contains what we need. Having said that, looking them up helps retention!

  19. John Holden (verified owner)

    An enjoyable feel good book for Christmas, but no prizes for guessing the ending, though we don’t find out whether Matteo actually finishes writing his book.
    There were several words new to me, which didn’t affect the flow of the story too much, but it’s strange how they always seem to be different from the words in the glossary.

    • easyreadersorg

      Yes, it’s a weakness, I admit. The writers, being Italians, seem very poor at guessing which words will be new to an English-speaker like you or I. There are ways to do this sort of thing in a more systematic way but so far we’ve left it up to the individual writer and/or editor and hoped for the best. Sorry!

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