A story by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1922) — a poor boy, a rich girl, and a dream that comes true.
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Before we read, let's learn the words you'll need. Think first — then click Reveal to check.
Read the sentence. What does the bold word mean? Then reveal.
Read the meaning. Say the word. The first letter helps you.
Read the sentence and choose a, b or c. Then reveal.
This is a famous American story, told here in simple English. Read each part, then try the questions from memory.
Dexter Green is fourteen. He lives in a small town in Minnesota, by a lake. In summer he works as a caddy at the golf club: he carries the rich men's golf clubs. He is the best caddy in the club. He never loses a ball.
In winter, the golf course is under snow. Dexter skis over it and dreams. He dreams that he is a golf champion. He dreams that he is rich, with a big car, and everybody looks at him. These are his winter dreams.
One morning a little girl comes to the club: Judy Jones, eleven years old. She is with her nurse, and she has five new golf clubs. She is not pretty yet — but she will be, and everybody can see it. "Boy!" she says to Dexter. "Do you know where the golf teacher is?" Then she has an argument with her nurse and hits her golf club on the ground, very hard.
Dexter watches her. Something happens inside him. When the caddy-master says, "Go and carry the young lady's clubs," Dexter says: "No. I'm quitting. I'm too old." He gives back his badge and walks home. He does not want to be a caddy for Judy Jones. His winter dreams have decided.
1. What is Dexter's job, and what does he dream about in winter?
2. Why does he quit?
1. He is a caddy at the golf club. In winter he dreams that he is a golf champion and a rich man.
2. A rich little girl, Judy Jones, calls him 'Boy' and wants a caddy. Something happens inside him — he does not want to carry her clubs. He quits.
Dexter goes to a famous university in the East. Then he starts a business: a laundry. He learns to wash rich men's golf socks perfectly. Soon he has five laundries. At twenty-three, he is making more money than any young man in the state.
One weekend, a rich man invites him to play golf at the same club where he was a caddy. Now he is a guest. On the course, a golf ball flies over a hill and hits one of the men in the stomach. A girl comes over the hill. "Sorry! I shouted 'Fore!'" It is Judy Jones. She is twenty now, and she is beautiful.
That night Dexter swims out to a raft in the lake. A motor-boat comes roaring across the water. Judy is driving it. "Can you drive a boat? Then drive this one, and I'll surf behind. My name is Judy Jones." He drives. She stands on the surf-board with her arms wide open. "Why don't you come to dinner tomorrow night?"
At dinner, her parents are not there. After dinner she says: "Do you mind if I cry a little? A man I liked told me today that he is poor. I didn't know. Let's start right — who are you?" "I'm nobody," says Dexter. "Are you poor?" "No. I'm probably making more money than any man my age." She smiles, and moves closer, and kisses him. Dexter knows now: he has wanted Judy Jones since he was a little boy.
1. How does Dexter become rich?
2. What does Judy ask Dexter after dinner?
1. He starts a laundry business and learns to wash rich men's golf socks perfectly. Soon he has five laundries.
2. 'Who are you?' and 'Are you poor?' He says he is nobody, but he is not poor — he makes more money than any man his age.
For two years, Dexter loves Judy Jones. It is terrible. One week she loves him; the next week she goes away with another man. She has a dozen men around her. She says "kiss me", she says "I'd like to marry you" — and she means nothing. She is bored with everybody.
At last Dexter gives up. He gets engaged to a nice girl called Irene. Irene is kind and honest and a little fat. The wedding will be in September. Dexter is calm. He is not happy, but he is calm.
Then, one night in May, Judy comes back. She walks across the dance floor in a gold dress. "Hello, darling. Have you got a car?" In the car she says: "I'm tired of everything, Dexter. I wish you'd marry me." He should tell her about Irene. He cannot. Judy starts to cry. "I'm more beautiful than anybody. Why can't I be happy? Won't you come in?" "All right," he says. "I'll come in."
Judy loves him for one month. Then it is over. Dexter has lost Irene, and he has not got Judy. He goes to the war, and then to New York, and becomes very rich.
Seven years later, a man from Detroit comes to Dexter's office. "You're from the Middle West? A friend of mine married a girl from your town. Judy Jones. Her husband drinks. She stays home with the kids. She was a pretty girl once." "Once?" says Dexter. "She was the most beautiful girl in the world!" "Oh, she's all right," says the man. "She has nice eyes."
When the man goes, Dexter lies down and looks out at the New York sky. He tries to see Judy's face, the lake, the moon. He cannot. The dream is gone. For the first time in years, he cries — but only for himself. "Long ago," he says, "there was something in me. Now it is gone. I cannot cry. I cannot care. It will never come back."
1. What does Dexter do when Judy comes back in May?
2. What does the man from Detroit tell him seven years later?
1. He forgets Irene and goes with Judy. Judy loves him for one month, and then it is over. He loses both of them.
2. That Judy is married to a man who drinks, she stays home with the children, and she is not beautiful any more — 'she's all right'.
This is a story about wanting. Dexter wants to be rich; Judy would like to marry him (this week); Irene hopes to be happy. Three verbs, one small rule: they are all followed by to + verb.
Complete with want to, wants to, doesn't want to or wanted to.
1. At fourteen, Dexter be a golf champion.
2. He carry Judy's golf clubs, so he quits.
3. Now he be rich — and he is.
4. "What do you do with your life?" his father asks.
1. wanted to
2. doesn't want to
3. wants to
4. want to
Make the sentence or question with would like to.
1. Judy: "I (marry) you, Dexter."
2. " (you / come) to dinner tomorrow night?" — "Yes, I'd love to."
3. Dexter (take) Judy with him to New York.
4. " (you / try) this new drink?"
1. 'd like to (would like to) marry
2. Would you like to come
3. would like to take
4. Would you like to try
Complete with hope to / hopes to / hoped to. Then say: did it happen?
1. Irene marry Dexter in September.
2. Dexter forget Judy — but he can't.
3. At fourteen, he be a champion one day.
4. "I see you again," says the man from Detroit.
1. hopes to (hoped to)
2. hopes to
3. hoped to
4. hope to
In the Speak tab, say what each person in the story wants to do, would like to do, and hopes to do — and what really happens.
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) wrote this story in 1922, when he was twenty-six. Three years later he used the same idea for his famous novel The Great Gatsby: a poor boy, a rich girl, money, and a dream. The lake in the story is real — Fitzgerald spent his summers there.
Dexter gets everything he wants. He is rich. He is successful. Nobody can stop him. But the dream was never really about money — it was about wanting. When the man says Judy is 'all right', Dexter learns that the beautiful thing he wanted has gone — and, worse, that he cannot feel anything about it any more.
This is the heart of the lesson — do all three out loud. The timer helps you keep going: fill the time with details.
Tell 'Winter Dreams' to someone who does not know it: the caddy and the winter → Judy at eleven → the laundries → the boat → dinner → two terrible years → Irene → the gold dress → seven years later.
Use want to / would like to / hope to, and at least five key words (caddy, golf, laundry, engaged, rich, dream, beautiful, cry, married, lose).
Some readers hate Judy Jones. Do you? Give your opinion and two reasons. Then say the opposite for one minute.
Talk about dreams and plans — yours, or someone else's. Use want to, would like to and hope to.
Not sure what to talk about? Choose one: