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This switcher only changes the instructions — the reading is always in English.
In bold: key vocabulary. Tap any word in the text to see its definition.
It was a rainy afternoon, and Leo was in the town library. He wasn't looking for anything special. He just wanted to stay dry. On the lowest shelf, he saw a dusty old book about stories of the sea. "This looks interesting," he thought.
He opened the book, and a folded paper fell onto the floor. It was a map! The drawing showed the library, with the main room, the stairs, and the long shelves. A red cross marked a place behind the third shelf. Under the cross, somebody wrote three words: "Come and see."
Leo looked around. The librarian, Miss Hart, was busy at her desk. "I'm going to find out," he whispered. He walked to the third shelf. Behind it, there was only a wall. He pushed the shelf, and it moved easily, like a door.
Behind the shelf, there was a narrow staircase going down. A soft yellow light shone at the bottom, and the air smelled of old paper and salt. Leo stopped. "If I tell Miss Hart, she'll close this door forever," he thought. "I'm going to look first."
He went down the steps, one by one. His footsteps made an echo in the dark. At the bottom, there was a round wooden door with a brass handle. From the other side, he could hear a strange sound: waves. Real waves, like the sea.
Leo held the handle tightly. Who made the map? Why was there a sea under a library? In a moment, he was going to know.
