1 00:00:03,569 --> 00:00:09,150 Hello, and welcome to Extensive Reading. Today, we're going to listen and read along to The 2 00:00:09,150 --> 00:00:17,809 Picture of Dorian Gray, written by Oscar Wilde. Many years ago, there lived a young man named 3 00:00:17,809 --> 00:00:23,769 Dorian Gray. He was a handsome and pleasant young man, and he was always very kind to people. 4 00:00:24,690 --> 00:00:31,170 Dorian Gray loved art and beautiful things, and he wanted a picture of himself. So, one day, 5 00:00:31,170 --> 00:00:39,439 he visited a friend of his called Basil Hallward. Basil was a talented artist, and Dorian asked him 6 00:00:39,439 --> 00:00:46,159 to paint his portrait. Basil agreed, and every day, Dorian went to his art studio and sat while 7 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:52,039 Basil painted him. One day, when Dorian was at the studio, he met one of Basil's friends. 8 00:00:53,579 --> 00:01:00,299 The friend's name was Henry Wotton. While Basil painted, Henry talked to Dorian. He told him about 9 00:01:00,299 --> 00:01:05,819 beauty and youth. He said that these qualities were the most important things in the world. 10 00:01:06,579 --> 00:01:12,700 He said that they were more important than kindness, intelligence, gentleness, and patience. 11 00:01:13,599 --> 00:01:19,439 Dorian listened very carefully, and soon he started to believe that this was true. 12 00:01:21,019 --> 00:01:26,120 At last, the portrait was finished. It was a wonderful painting and one of Basil's best 13 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:33,239 works of art. Dorian stared at the picture for a long time. At first, he felt very happy. He saw a 14 00:01:33,239 --> 00:01:41,379 handsome young man with a kind and intelligent face. But after a while, Dorian started to feel 15 00:01:41,379 --> 00:01:48,299 sad. He remembered Henry's words and knew that one day, he wouldn't be handsome and he wouldn't 16 00:01:48,299 --> 00:01:57,700 be young. One day, he would be old and gray. I wish, said Dorian suddenly. I wish that I could 17 00:01:57,700 --> 00:02:02,379 always stay young and that the picture would get old. Henry laughed when he heard this, but Basil 18 00:02:02,379 --> 00:02:08,479 was very angry. Don't talk like that, said Basil. That's a terrible thing to say. Many things are 19 00:02:08,479 --> 00:02:14,860 more important than youth and beauty. Dorian didn't believe Basil. He just felt sad because 20 00:02:14,860 --> 00:02:21,819 he was going to be old one day. Dorian took his portrait home, but now life was different. 21 00:02:22,759 --> 00:02:32,539 He didn't see Basil for a long time. He met Henry and his friends instead. They talked and went to 22 00:02:32,539 --> 00:02:41,479 theaters and to restaurants. Slowly, Dorian started to change. He became hard and cruel. 23 00:02:42,199 --> 00:02:49,909 He didn't think about other people's feelings. He only thought about himself. One day, he looked at 24 00:02:49,909 --> 00:02:56,650 his portrait and thought, there was something different about it. What was it? He looked more 25 00:02:56,650 --> 00:03:03,870 closely. The face had changed. The mouth looked unkind. It was strange. Dorian picked up a mirror 26 00:03:03,870 --> 00:03:09,830 and looked at his own face. Then he looked back at the portrait. It was true. The portrait was 27 00:03:09,830 --> 00:03:16,930 different. Suddenly, Dorian remembered that he had wished to stay young while the picture grew old. 28 00:03:16,930 --> 00:03:24,189 It seemed impossible, but his wish had come true. Dorian covered the picture. He didn't want to 29 00:03:24,189 --> 00:03:31,310 think about this terrible thing. One day, Basil visited him at home. They talked for a while and 30 00:03:31,310 --> 00:03:36,830 then Basil said, I want to borrow your portrait. I want to put it in an exhibition in an art gallery. 31 00:03:37,729 --> 00:03:44,349 I'm sorry, Basil, Dorian said quickly and quietly, but I can't give it to you. Basil looked at him 32 00:03:44,349 --> 00:03:52,530 strangely. You've changed, Dorian. You used to be a kind man. Now you are cold and selfish. 33 00:03:54,110 --> 00:04:00,349 When Basil had gone, Dorian took the portrait and put it in a small room. He locked the door 34 00:04:00,349 --> 00:04:07,250 and put the key in his pocket. No one can ever see this portrait, he said to himself. 35 00:04:09,430 --> 00:04:15,229 And so the years passed and Dorian still looked young and handsome. He enjoyed his life, 36 00:04:15,229 --> 00:04:20,430 but he didn't care about anyone but himself. Behind the locked door of the little room, 37 00:04:20,910 --> 00:04:27,949 the picture of Dorian Gray grew older and uglier. The face showed the truth about Dorian's bad life. 38 00:04:29,610 --> 00:04:34,730 Sometimes, Dorian went and looked at the picture, and he thought how terrible he had become. 39 00:04:35,589 --> 00:04:42,290 He hated the picture, and he hated his life. At last, Dorian decided to be good again. 40 00:04:42,290 --> 00:04:53,060 he thought that if he was good the picture would change back again but it was too late for Dorian 41 00:04:53,060 --> 00:05:04,500 Gray to change he died and when he died he became old and ugly and his portrait suddenly changed 42 00:05:04,500 --> 00:05:14,800 back to look as handsome and young as it was at the beginning thank you for joining us as we read 43 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:20,879 The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. We hope you enjoyed this spooky story about Dorian, 44 00:05:21,180 --> 00:05:23,480 Basil, and Henry. Until next time!