Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Penguin Readers. Level 6

The Penguin Readers series offers language learners a chance to explore the works of best-selling authors through thoughtfully modified text, new illustrations, language practice activities, and additional online resources. This series includes a variety of engaging stories, from beloved classics to captivating modern fiction and insightful non-fiction. Among these is the Level 6 Reader, "Tess of the d'Urbervilles," which corresponds to the B1+ level in the CEFR framework. This version contains extended text composed of sentences with as many as four clauses, which incorporate complex grammatical structures like future continuous, reported questions, the third conditional, planned actions, and ellipsis. The content is supplemented by a minimal number of illustrations. The story unfolds as Jack and Joan Durbeyfield discover their noble lineage, tracing back to the affluent d'Urberville family, kindling hopes for a better future. They send Tess, their elder daughter, to connect with these newfound "relatives," where she encounters Alec d'Urberville, who is instantly captivated by her beauty. The consequential, tragic event that occurs marks a turning point in Tess's life. The description above is provided by the publisher.