Approximately B1 · 148 words

The Phone That Never Rang

Two brothers reconnect after years of silence. Notice how the conversation begins and ends.

Read at your own pace. Use the English meanings below, then answer the questions. The level is a teaching guide, not an assessment. Original stories include some British spellings and settings.

A telephone

The story

My brother and I stopped speaking after an argument about money.

The argument itself lasted about ten minutes.

The silence lasted three years.

At first I was angry, and being angry was easy.

After a year I was not angry any more, but I still did not call.

The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to make the first move.

I thought about him at every birthday and every holiday.

Twice I found his number and put the phone down again.

Then one evening in October my phone rang, and it was him.

I looked at the screen for four or five seconds before I answered.

Neither of us mentioned the argument.

He asked about my job and I asked about his daughter.

We talked for forty minutes about nothing important.

Before he hung up he said, "I should have called earlier." I said, "So should I."

English meanings

Save words to your review deck.

argument
An angry disagreement.
make the first move
To be the first person to act or start contact.
hung up
Ended a phone call.

Check your understanding

Choose an answer for each question, then open its explanation. You can try again as often as you like.

1. What started the disagreement?
Show answer and story evidence

Money

The brothers argued about money. Read the guide

The story says: “My brother and I stopped speaking after an argument about money.”

2. How long did the silence last?
Show answer and story evidence

Three years

Three years is the silence; ten minutes is the argument and forty minutes is the call. Read the guide

The story says: “The silence lasted three years.”

3. Who finally called?
Show answer and story evidence

The brother

The narrator's phone rang because the brother called. Read the guide

The story says: “Then one evening in October my phone rang, and it was him.”