Jesus Calms the Storm

Luke 8:22-25 CEV - Easy English Listening

ESL Easy English Listening
The Storm on the Sea of Galilee by Rembrandt van Rijn

This is a story about Jesus and his disciples from Luke 8, verses 22-25. It may be a familiar story to you!

Instructions

1. Read the 5 comprehension questions.

2. Listen to the audio and answer the questions. Listen again if it will help you answer them all. The answers are at the bottom of the page.

3. Look at the PDF and study the vocabulary words. The vocabulary words are highlighted in the PDF.

4. Listen again and read as you listen.

 

If the questions are easy for you, use this recording to practice your speaking. Pause the audio after a phrase and repeat what you heard. When you are good at this, read the text out loud with me, at the same time! This is called shadowing, and it will help you learn English intonation and stress patterns. Give it a try!

Comprehension Questions

1. Jesus and his disciples were going:
a. to visit Mary and Martha
b. to Galilee
c. to the other side of the lake

2.  During the trip, Jesus
a. taught his disciples
b. fell asleep
c. helped repair the fishing nets

3. The disciples told Jesus they were
a. dying
b. trying to get the water out of the boat
c. almost to their destination

4. Jesus asked the disciples
a. Who is this?
b. Where is your faith?
c. Why did you wake me up?

Now listen…

Jesus Calms the Storm – Story in Easy English
Download the PDF and Read Along!

Vocabulary

  • boat –
    A boat travels on water, moved by oars, sails, or a motor. It is smaller than a ship.
  • cross –
    Cross is a verb meaning to go from one side to the other – I cross the lake, I cross the street
  • started out –
    To start out is a phrasal verb that means to start or begin something. Started out is in the past simple tense, and is regular.
  • across –
    Across is a preposition that means from one side to the other side of something. You move across something – sail across the lake, walk across the street. 
  • went to sleep –
    To go from being awake to being asleep. Went to sleep is the simple past of go to sleep. It is irregular. You can also say fall asleep.
  • struck –
    Strike is a verb that means to hit something hard, with force. Struck is the past simple form and is irregular. 
  • woke him up –
    To wake up is a phrasal verb that means to stop sleeping. Woke up is the past simple form of wake up, and it is irregular. You can put a pronoun between the words to give extra information – woke him up, woke them up.
  • about to –
    About to is an idiom that means something will happen very soon. The disciples were about to drown; they would die soon if Jesus did not save them.
  • got up –
    Get up is a phrasal verb that means to stand after sitting or lying. Got up is the past simple form, and it is irregular.
  • each other –
    Each other is a pronoun that is used as the object of a verb or preposition. It means that every member of a group does something to or for the other members. The disciples said to each other, “Who is this?”

Answers to Comprehension Questions

1. c – to the other side of the lake
…he said, “Let’s cross the lake.” (verse 1)

2. b – fell asleep
While they were sailing across, he went to sleep. (verse 23)

3. a – dying
“Master, Master! We are about to drown!” (verse 24) 

4. b – Where is your faith?
Then Jesus asked the disciples, “Don’t you have any faith?” (verse 25)