Your Blood Has a Name — English short story at A1 (and A2, B1, B2)

Level A1 · Beginner

Selin gives blood for the first time. A nurse called Rosa puts a needle in her arm. A bag fills slowly. It has a letter on it: O. "Why a letter?" Selin asks.

"Because blood has names," says Rosa. "Yours is group O. Other people have A, B or AB. A doctor in Vienna found this in 1901. His name was Karl Landsteiner."

"He mixed drops of blood from his friends. Some blood mixed well. Some blood made small hard lumps. So he gave the blood names: A, B and O."

"Before 1901, giving blood was dangerous. Sometimes the person died. Nobody knew why. After 1901, doctors knew: blood must match. Landsteiner got the Nobel Prize in 1930."

The bag is full. Selin drinks a glass of juice. Her blood will help up to three people. "Now I know my name," she says. "O."

The same story, one level up

Every Journeva story exists at four levels — same plot, same characters, richer language each step. Here is how this one begins at each level.

A2 · Elementary

Selin is giving blood for the first time. A nurse called Rosa puts a needle in her arm, and a bag fills slowly with dark red blood. …

B1 · Intermediate

The bag filling slowly beside Selin's arm had a letter on it: O. "Why a letter?" she asked, mostly to stop looking at the needle. …

B2 · Upper intermediate

The bag filling slowly beside Selin's arm carried a single letter: O. "Why a letter?" she asked, mainly to avoid looking at the needle. …

Read the whole story at A2, B1 and B2

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This story in other languages

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