Advanced Arabic reading

The Great Tree in Arabic

الشجرة العظيمة

The Great Tree is a Advanced-level Arabic reading text about children using evidence and civic action to protect an old oak tree. Its fully vocalized Arabic helps learners read each word accurately, while the sentence-by-sentence English translation supports understanding. The story also includes optional Arabic audio, useful vocabulary, comprehension practice and a focused language point. It works well for independent reading, a short classroom lesson or shared practice with a parent.

Read the Arabic story with English translation

Read each Arabic sentence from right to left. Use the speaker button to hear the sentence, then check its English meaning underneath.

فِي وَسَطِ الْقَرْيَةِ، كَانَتْ تَقِفُ شَجَرَةُ بَلُّوطٍ عَظِيمَةٌ تَتَشَابَكُ أَغْصَانُهَا فَوْقَ السَّاحَةِ.

In the centre of the village stood a great oak tree whose branches intertwined above the square.

لَمْ يَعْرِفْ أَحَدٌ عُمْرَهَا بِدِقَّةٍ، لَكِنَّ صُوَرًا قَدِيمَةً أَظْهَرَتْهَا وَهِيَ كَبِيرَةٌ مُنْذُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ مِئَةِ عَامٍ.

No one knew its exact age, but old photographs showed it already large more than a hundred years ago.

كَانَ الْمُسَافِرُونَ يَسْتَرِيحُونَ فِي ظِلِّهَا، وَكَانَ الْأَطْفَالُ يَسْتَمِعُونَ إِلَى حِكَايَاتِ الْجَدَّاتِ تَحْتَهَا.

Travellers rested in its shade, and children listened to their grandmothers’ stories beneath it.

ذَاتَ صَبَاحٍ، وَجَدَ السُّكَّانُ عَلَامَةً حَمْرَاءَ عَلَى جِذْعِهَا، وَعَلِمُوا أَنَّ خُطَّةَ الطَّرِيقِ الْجَدِيدِ تَقْتَضِي قَطْعَهَا.

One morning, the residents found a red mark on its trunk and learned that the new road plan required it to be cut down.

شَعَرَ الْأَطْفَالُ بِالْحُزْنِ، لَكِنَّهُمْ قَرَّرُوا أَلَّا يَكْتَفُوا بِالِاعْتِرَاضِ.

The children felt sad, but they decided not to stop at simply objecting.

جَمَعُوا صُوَرَ الشَّجَرَةِ وَحِكَايَاتِ السُّكَّانِ عَنْهَا، وَطَلَبُوا مِنْ خَبِيرَةٍ فِي الْبِيئَةِ فَحْصَهَا.

They collected photographs and residents’ stories about the tree and asked an environmental expert to examine it.

أَكَّدَتِ الْخَبِيرَةُ أَنَّ الشَّجَرَةَ سَلِيمَةٌ، وَأَنَّهَا تُوَفِّرُ الظِّلَّ وَالْمَأْوَى لِطُيُورٍ كَثِيرَةٍ.

The expert confirmed that the tree was healthy and provided shade and shelter for many birds.

كَتَبَ الْأَطْفَالُ تَقْرِيرًا وَاقْتَرَحُوا مَسَارًا بَدِيلًا لِلطَّرِيقِ، ثُمَّ جَمَعُوا تَوْقِيعَاتِ أَهْلِ الْقَرْيَةِ.

The children wrote a report, proposed an alternative route for the road, and collected the villagers’ signatures.

فِي اِجْتِمَاعِ الْبَلَدِيَّةِ، عَرَضُوا أَدِلَّتَهُمْ بِهُدُوءٍ، وَلَمْ يَكْتَفُوا بِالْكَلَامِ عَنْ مَشَاعِرِهِمْ.

At the municipal meeting, they calmly presented their evidence instead of speaking only about their feelings.

رَاجَعَ الْمُهَنْدِسُونَ الْخُطَّةَ، وَوَجَدُوا أَنَّ الْمَسَارَ الْبَدِيلَ مُمْكِنٌ وَلَا يُعَطِّلُ الْمَشْرُوعَ.

The engineers reviewed the plan and found that the alternative route was possible and would not delay the project.

تَغَيَّرَ مَسَارُ الطَّرِيقِ، وَبَقِيَتِ الشَّجَرَةُ وَسَطَ السَّاحَةِ تَحْمِلُ ذِكْرَيَاتِ الْقَرْيَةِ.

The road’s route was changed, and the tree remained in the square carrying the village’s memories.

تَعَلَّمَ الْأَطْفَالُ أَنَّ حِمَايَةَ الْبِيئَةِ تَحْتَاجُ إِلَى الْمَحَبَّةِ، وَالْمَعْرِفَةِ، وَالْعَمَلِ الْمُنَظَّمِ.

The children learned that protecting the environment requires care, knowledge, and organized action.

New Arabic words from the story

These words all appear in the story. Listen, repeat and find each one in the text above.

بَلُّوطٌ Oak
تَتَشَابَكُ Intertwines
جِذْعٌ Trunk
تَقْتَضِي Requires
الِاعْتِرَاضُ Objection
الْمَأْوَى Shelter
مَسَارٌ بَدِيلٌ Alternative route
تَوْقِيعَاتٌ Signatures
أَدِلَّةٌ Evidence
الْعَمَلُ الْمُنَظَّمُ Organized action

Reading comprehension questions

Choose one answer for each question. Your score updates after every first attempt.

Score: 0 / 5

1. لِمَاذَا وُضِعَتْ عَلَامَةٌ حَمْرَاءُ عَلَى الشَّجَرَةِ؟

2. مَاذَا أَكَّدَتِ الْخَبِيرَةُ؟

3. مَا الَّذِي قَدَّمَهُ الْأَطْفَالُ إِلَى الْبَلَدِيَّةِ؟

4. لِمَاذَا قَبِلَ الْمُهَنْدِسُونَ الْمَسَارَ الْبَدِيلَ؟

5. مَا الَّذِي جَعَلَ حَمْلَةَ الْأَطْفَالِ مُقْنِعَةً؟

Learn Arabic from this story

أَلَّا combines أَنْ and لَا

شَعَرَ الْأَطْفَالُ بِالْحُزْنِ، لَكِنَّهُمْ قَرَّرُوا أَلَّا يَكْتَفُوا بِالِاعْتِرَاضِ.

The children felt sad, but they decided not to stop at simply objecting.

أَلَّا is formed from أَنْ + لَا. It introduces a negated verb after قَرَّرُوا, and يَكْتَفُوا loses its final ن because it is subjunctive.

Another example: قَرَّرُوا أَلَّا يَسْتَسْلِمُوا. — They decided not to give up.

For parents and teachers

Read the story in sections and discuss the ideas connected with environmental protection, evidence and community action. Ask the learner to summarize each section, explain character motives or causes, support inferences with evidence from the Arabic, answer the comprehension questions, and finish with a short written or creative response.

Questions about The Great Tree

What level is The Great Tree?

The Great Tree is marked Advanced. The full tashkīl, English translation and sentence audio provide extra support for developing readers.

What can learners practise in The Great Tree?

Learners practise connected reading, listening, comprehension and vocabulary related to environmental protection, evidence and community action.

How should this Arabic story be used?

Read one sentence at a time, listen to the audio, repeat the Arabic aloud, check the English only when needed, and then answer the questions from memory.

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