The Bank Job – a short story for English reading comprehension

Three men go into a bank.

They are armed and dangerous. They are going to rob the bank.

But then one them takes off his mask…

And a young woman working at the bank has his gun in her hand.

What kind of bank robbery is this?

 

This is a full and complete lesson plan based on a funny story, The Bank Job.

This lesson comes complete with:

  • introductory questions
  • the short story
  • reading comprehension questions
  • essential vocabulary
  • discussion questions
  • a writing exercise

 

Take a look below… You can download the full lesson and use in your class today.

Introduction

What happens during a bank robbery?

How do people feel during a bank robbery?

Is it possible to fall in love during a bank robbery? Why/why not?

Have you ever fallen in love in a strange place or situation?

The Bank Job

And we all charged in as one.

We had done this a hundred times before; we were well-practised at it.

Colin raised his shotgun and made sure all the people in the bank could see it.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is a bank robbery. Everyone get on the floor and you will not get hurt. All the staff — out front now.”

He spoke calmly and quietly.

Jason, always good with technology, had disarmed all the alarms and cameras. And me, I stood at the door, keeping nosy people out and the customers and staff in.

This was a piece of cake.

“You,” said Colin, and pointed to a middle-aged man by a desk. “Give me the keys to the vault.”

The man faltered and tried to speak, but Colin approached him and waved the shotgun in his face.

“This is no time for heroics, my friend,” he said.

The man produced a set of keys, and Colin took them from him.

From behind me, Jason let out a laugh. “Sweet,” he said.

We had done all our homework on the bank. We knew exactly how much they had in the vaults. We would be raking it in.

I looked around at the people. They were all lying down on their fronts. Some peeked up at me and Jason.

We must have looked pretty intimidating with our masks on — I was Donald Duck. Jason was Goofy. And Colin was Mickey Mouse because he was in charge.

And then something came over me. I don’t know what it was, but I looked down at all these people lying on the floor of the bank — a man in a suit, a middle-aged woman, her hands trembling, and a security guard. And they were all ordinary people going about their lives.

Just normal people trying to get on with life.

And here we were, robbing the bank and making everyone’s life really difficult.

I looked at the gun in my hand. It was loaded.

Would I use it if I had to? I don’t know. But it now looked so evil, so bad.

I turned to the side and placed the gun on a counter where people fill in forms.

Then I removed my mask.

The security guard looked up at me in amazement. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Jason stared ahead at all the cashiers’ windows. He turned his head and saw me with my mask off.

“What — what are you doing?” he said. He stepped forward. “Put your mask on. Where’s your gun? What the hell are you doing?”

I shook my head at him.

“This is wrong,” I said. “This is all wrong. We shouldn’t be doing this.”

Jason called out to Colin. He didn’t say his name, of course. But he shouted out to him.

Colin rushed out from the door leading to the back of the bank. He saw me and stopped moving.

In a stage whisper, he spoke to me. “What’s wrong with you? Why have you taken your mask off?”

“I’m sorry, guys,” I said. “But this is all wrong. We should not be doing this to these poor people. Look at them. They’re decent, hard-working people.”

Colin came towards me in three large steps. He put his face close to mine. His Mickey Mouse mask grinning back at me.

“I don’t know what you think you’re playing at,” he said. “But if you don’t put that mask back on, one of these people will recognise you. And they will tell the cops.”

I shook my head.

“I will accept any punishment that is brought to me.”

It just seemed right that I should be punished.

Colin grabbed me by the arm and yanked me towards Jason.

“This is madness,” he said. “This is completely insane.”

He turned back to all the people lying on the ground.

“Everyone stay calm —”

Then, by the counter, I saw her.

One of the cashiers, a young woman, she had my gun in her hand. She must have moved so fast.

She was pointing the gun at Colin.

“Don’t move,” she said.

The security guard groaned. “Don’t be stupid,” he said. “Please, don’t”.

The middle-aged woman started to cry.

“Listen, young lady,” said Colin. “You don’t know how to use that gun in your hands. So why don’t you put it down and get back on the ground?”

She shook her head. “I know how to use the gun,” she said. And she moved her hands two centimetres to the right and pulled the trigger.

A loud bang filled the cavernous interior of the bank. People screamed and yelled out.

I watched in absolute amazement at this woman. This was an act of sheer bravery.

She looked at me and smiled.

“I think you’re so brave,” she said, and she smiled again. It was the most genuine smile I had ever seen in my life.

There was something about this young woman, something pure and kind about her. Something that seemed so right.

“My name is Joe,” I said.

“Hi, my name is Karen,” she said. “Nice to meet you.”

Colin called out to the room. “Everyone calm down,” he screamed. “You.” He nodded his head to the woman. “Give me the gun.”

She shook her head. “No. I am not giving you anything.” She looked at me. “Joe. Get over here. Stand behind me.”

At that moment, I would have done anything she asked me to do. She looked so wonderful.

Behind me, Jason was freaking out. “Colin, what’s going on?” he wailed.

“Don’t use my name, you idiot,” yelled Colin. He waved his shotgun at the people in the bank. But I could see he was losing his cool.

Then, in the distance, the sound of police car sirens.

I stood behind Karen. It seemed like the safest place in the world to me.

I could already see our future together.

And Colin and Jason… Well, we wouldn’t be seeing them for many years.

Reading Comprehension Questions

Who is the narrator of the story?

What is happening at the beginning of the story?

Who are the three men? What are their names? Who is in charge? What are the other men’s roles?

Why did the narrator feel that the robbery was going to be easy?

Describe the narrator’s thoughts and emotions as they looked at the people in the bank.

Why are the three men wearing masks? What are their masks?

Describe what happens to Joe as he is staring at the people lying on the ground. What is happening to him do you think?

What does Joe do with his gun? What about his mask?

Why did Joe decide to remove their mask?

What does the security guard think about this?

How does Jason react?

What does Colin do?

What does Joe say to Jason and Colin? What are his reasons for stopping the bank robbery?

What warning does Colin give Joe?

Why does Joe believe that they deserved punishment?

Who is Karen? Is she a customer in the bank? Or does she work there?

What does Karen do next?

Does Karen know how to use a gun?

How does the security guard react? How about the middle-aged woman?

What does Colin tell Karen? How does she respond?

How does Joe react to Karen?

What is happening between Joe and Karen?

What impression does Joe have of Karen?

What does Karen tell Joe to do?

Why does Joe choose to stand behind Karen?

What is the sound in the distance?

How does Colin react when he realizes the police are coming?

What does Joe imply about his future with Karen?

What fate does Joe predict for Colin and Jason?

How does the story end?

Essential Vocabulary

shotgun

heroics

cavernous

bank robbery

faltered

sheer

vault

trembling

genuine

alarms

evil

pure

cameras

removed

brave

disarmed

amazement

kind

nosy

insane

nodded

intimidating

yanked

wailed

raking it in

madness

losing his cool

amazement

groaned

sirens

 

Exercise

Write down all the words and phrases in your vocabulary notebook. Look in your dictionary and find the meaning of each word. Write the definition next to each word.

Then make up your own sentences using each word or phrase.

For example:

 

Shotguna type of firearm with a long barrel, fired from the shoulder.

 

Heroicsbrave or heroic actions, but often done in error.

 

Then write a sentence of your own that uses the new word or phrase correctly.

 

When they heard a noise outside, the farmer grabbed his trusty shotgun to protect his livestock from predators.

 

Despite the danger, he couldn’t resist the urge to show off his heroics by rescuing the stranded cat from the tree.

 

Do this with all the vocabulary and, over time, this will help improve all your English skills — reading, writing, speaking and listening.

Discussion Questions

What kind of story is this? A crime story? Or a love story?

How does the story begin? Describe the scene and the characters involved.

Describe Joe’s feelings at the beginning of the story. How about at the end?

How long do you think all the three men have known each other? What other kinds of crimes do you think they have committed?

What role does each character play in the bank robbery? How are their skills useful?

What do the characters’ masks symbolize in the story? Why did Joe choose to be Donald Duck? Or was he told to wear the Donald Duck mask?

How does Joe’s perspective change as the robbery progresses? What triggers this change?

Do you think they could have gotten away with all the money if Joe had stuck to the plan?

What would they do with the money?

Describe the feeling of the security guard and the middle-aged woman. Why are they feeling this way?

What thoughts and feelings does Joe have when looking at the people on the floor? How does this impact their actions?

What happens to Joe as they are robbing the bank? Why does he change his mind about robbing the bank?

Describe Joe’s feelings at this point. Why is he feeling this way at this moment?

Why does the protagonist decide to remove their mask and put down their gun? What moral dilemma are they facing?

When Joe takes his mask off, what does the security guard think? What do you think is going through the security guard’s mind at that time?

How does Jason react? How does Colin react?

Describe Joe’s interaction with Karen, who takes control of the situation.

How would you describe Karen’s personality based on her actions and dialogue in the story?

How does Karen get to the gun so quickly?

What is Karen doing? Is this wise, do you think?

How does the security guard react? The middle-aged woman? What could happen next at this point?

How does Colin react to Joe’s change of heart? How does he try to regain control of the situation?

Do you think Karen really knows how to use a gun? Or is she just bluffing?

What is happening between Joe and Karen? Are they falling in love? Is this the right place to do this? Why/why not?

How does Joe’s perception of Karen evolve throughout the story? Why does he feel a connection with her?

Describe the atmosphere in the bank as the situation escalates. How do the customers and staff react?

What is the significance of the police sirens approaching in the distance? How does it affect the characters’ choices?

What happens after the end of the story? In class, say some possible outcomes.

What will happen to Joe and Karen after? Say some possible outcomes for their future.

How do you think the story will end for each character? What consequences might they face?

Reflect on the theme of bravery in the story. How do different characters demonstrate bravery in their actions?

Discuss the moral dilemma Joe faces during the robbery. Do you agree with their decision? Why or why not?

How does the setting of a bank robbery contribute to the tension and conflict in the story?

How does the story explore the concept of right and wrong? How do characters’ choices reflect their values?

If you were in Joe’s shoes, how might you have handled the situation differently? What choices would you have made?

Writing

This is a creative writing exercise.

 

You are going to write a short story. The title is:

 

Love At First Sight

 

It is a continuation of the story you read at the beginning of the lesson.

 

Think about the following questions:

  • What happens to Joe and Karen after the police arrive?
  • What happens to Colin and Jason after the police arrive?
  • Do you think they are falling in love?
  • Maybe they get married. Who will attend their wedding?
  • The bank manager?
  • The security guard?
  • Colin and Jason?
  • What kind of life do Joe and Karen have later on?

 

Now write your story.

When you have finished writing your story, read it out loud in front of the class.

Or, if you prefer, you can give it to your teacher for review.

You can download the full lesson plan by clicking the link below!

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2 thoughts on “The Bank Job – a short story for English reading comprehension”

  1. I like this story. It is certainly interesting and has deeper connotations than what happens in the story itself. That would be good for class discussion. However, for political and cultural reasons, I believe it would be better for native speakers. Some countries are loathe to receive ‘Western Influence’ where something like a bank robbery would be unheard of. Perhaps that is because it would be a highly charged issue in countries where I’ve taught EFL.

    1. Yes I think that definitely could be an issue to deal with. But I also hope that this is only seen as a story and is totally fictional. You do raise a very important point, and that is that in EFL the foreign teacher has to be very sensitive to the politics and culture of the country they are working in. Thanks for the great comment, Leona! Much appreciated!

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