The text is an excerpt from Pilkington's novel Rabbit Proof Fence in its adapted version for English learners. It can be read in natural speed and intonation. It will be played in an English lesson for 8-graders. Thank you very much!
Preferably native speakers with Australian accent :-)
After a five-day trip by ship, train and car, Molly, Daisy and Gracie arrived at Moore River Native Settlement. Here they would learn to be European, learn the white man's way, learn to forget their own people and the wide, empty beautiful Western Desert where they were born.
It was dark when the car stopped. They got out, and a woman came towards them through the rain. "Come with me," she said. "I'm Miss Evans, I take care of the girls here. I'll take you to your dormitory. This way." They followed her to a wooden building, and watched as she unlocked the big padlocks on the door. The room was full of beds with shapes under thin grey blankets. "There are your beds. Oh, and for a toilet, you use one of those buckets in the bathroom," she said and went away.
Molly, Daisy and Gracie lay down on the hard beds under the thin blankets. They were shaking with cold. After a while, Gracie whispered to Molly, "Molly, I can't sleep. I'm so cold." "Bring your blanket and sleep in my bed," Molly whispered. Then Daisy sat up and whispered, "I'm cold too, Molly.""You can sleep on my other side," Molly said. "Come on."For the rest of the night the three of them lay close in the same bed keeping warm.
Very early the next morning the three girls were woken by a strange voice shouting loudly, "Come on, girls, wake up, wake up!" It was Miss Evans. She went round the room, pulling the blankets off the beds and shaking the girls awake. When she came to Molly's bed, she stared at the three girls lying there. "Ah yes... the new girls. Alright, make your beds, then get some breakfast. The others will show you where to go."
One of the bigger girls came over to them. "I'm Martha Jones," she said. "I'm from Port Hedland. I've been here one year now. I can show you round, if you like."Martha was friendly, and full of useful information. The girls form Jigalong liked her at once. "It's not so bad here once you know the place," Martha added.
Molly said nothing. She stood still and stared across at the other dormitory buildings, saw the metal bars across all the windows, the big padlocks in all the doors. "I don't like this place," she thought. "It's like a prison. They lock you up at night time, and let you out in the morning."
