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    A Surprise at the Petrol Station

    receiving unexpected feedbacka petrol stationCEFR A2
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    Tap an underlined word to see what it means.

    Yusuf worked at a petrol station. He started his job three months ago. Every day, he helped fill their cars with petrol. He also cleaned the windows and checked the oil. Yusuf always smiled at the . He said hello to every person. He tried to be and kind. Some were friendly. Other were quiet and busy. Yusuf did not mind. He liked his simple job. He worked hard every day. He wanted to do a good job. His manager was a tall woman called Mrs. Lin. She was usually quiet and . One Tuesday morning, Yusuf was cleaning the petrol pumps.

    A car arrived and a man got out. Yusuf walked over to help him. "Good morning! How can I help you?" he asked. The man looked at Yusuf and smiled. "Are you Yusuf?" the man asked. Yusuf was . He did not know this man. "Yes, I am Yusuf," he said. The man said, "I come here every week. You always help me. I wrote a to your manager about you." Yusuf did not understand. He felt a little . "Was there a problem?" he asked. The man laughed. "No! I told her you are the best worker here." Yusuf's eyes opened wide.

    He did not this. Later that day, Mrs. Lin called Yusuf into the small office. Yusuf walked in slowly. He was still a little nervous. "Yusuf, sit down please," she said. He sat down on the chair. "I received a from a ," Mrs. Lin said. Yusuf waited quietly. "The said very nice things about you." Yusuf smiled. He felt happy and . "You are doing a great job, Yusuf," she said. "Thank you for your hard work." Yusuf thanked her and walked back outside. He felt different now. He knew that small actions can mean a lot to other people. He continued his work with an even bigger smile.

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    Key Vocabulary

    How to use these cards
    1. Read each word and its meaning.
    2. Tap “Cover the meanings”, then tap a card to check yourself.
    3. Tap “Quick quiz” for a short test. Tap “I know this” on cards you have learned.
    customer
    /ˈkʌs.tə.mər/
    noun

    a person who buys something or uses a service

    "The customer paid for the petrol."

    polite
    /pəˈlaɪt/
    adjective

    having good manners and being respectful to others

    "Yusuf was always polite to everyone."

    serious
    /ˈsɪə.ri.əs/
    adjective

    not laughing or joking; showing deep thought

    "Mrs. Lin looked serious when she talked."

    surprised
    /səˈpraɪzd/
    adjective

    feeling shock because something unexpected happened

    "Yusuf was surprised to hear his name."

    worried
    /ˈwʌr.id/
    adjective

    feeling nervous or afraid about something

    "He felt worried about the message."

    proud
    /praʊd/
    adjective

    feeling happy about something you have done well

    "Yusuf felt proud of his work."

    message
    /ˈmes.ɪdʒ/
    noun

    a piece of written or spoken information sent to someone

    "The customer wrote a message to the manager."

    expect
    /ɪkˈspekt/
    verb

    to think something will happen

    "He did not expect the good news."

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    Useful Phrases

    How to use these cards
    1. Read each phrase and its meaning.
    2. Tap “Cover the meanings”, then tap a card to check yourself.
    3. Tap “Quick quiz” for a short test. Tap “I know this” on cards you have learned.

    fill up

    to put petrol or fuel into a car until it is full

    "He helped the customer fill up the car."

    good morning

    a greeting used when you see someone in the morning

    ""Good morning! How can I help you?" he said."

    sit down

    to take a seat

    "Mrs. Lin asked Yusuf to sit down."

    hard work

    a lot of effort and energy used to do something

    "She thanked him for his hard work."

    a great job

    very good work

    ""You are doing a great job," she said."

    walk over

    to move towards someone or something on foot

    "Yusuf walked over to help the man."

    open wide

    to become very open, often showing surprise

    "His eyes opened wide when he heard the news."

    mean a lot

    to be very important or valuable to someone

    "Small actions can mean a lot to other people."

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