The most enjoyable and effective way to learn new vocabulary is through reading, since the words are not only learned in context, but also while your interest is high. However, it is often difficult to find texts that are easy enough to read and are still intellectually rewarding. The stories in this book were written using as many words from the B1/B2 level as possible, while shying away from more difficult words. Following each story is an English translation so that new words can be learned quickly without the need of a dictionary. The stories will also introduce many sentence structures in a fluid way so that you can pick up new grammar naturally. Reading stories makes learning new vocabulary and grammar fun and easy. But to make your learning most effective, try to implement "intelligent guessing": before turning to the English translation, try to guess the meaning of new words from context. This builds stronger connections with the words you are learning.