Click any sentence to jump to that moment
Tap an underlined word to see what it means.
Anne is new to the city. She needs to open a bank . She walks into a large bank on the main street. The bank is very busy. There are many people waiting in line. Anne looks around. She does not know where to go. She sees a big room with many desks. She also sees a door on the left side. She is not sure which way to walk. She feels a little . She takes a deep breath. She decides to ask someone for help. She walks up to a woman near the . "Excuse me," Anne says. "Can you help me?" The woman smiles at Anne.
"Of course!" she says. "What do you need?" "I want to open a new ," Anne says. "But I don't know where to go." The woman points to a desk near the window. "You need to go to the desk," she says. "It is over there, next to the big plant." Anne looks at the desk. She sees a that says '.' "Thank you so much," Anne says. The woman smiles again. "You're welcome. Good luck!" she says. Anne feels better now. She walks to the desk. A man is sitting there. He looks up and smiles at Anne. "Hello! How can I help you today?" he asks. "I would like to open a new , please," Anne says. The man nods.
"Of course. Please take a seat," he says. He points to a chair next to his desk. Anne sits down. The man asks Anne for her name and address. Anne answers all his questions. Then the man gives Anne a to fill out. Anne reads the carefully. She does not understand one question on the . She points to it and asks, "Excuse me, what does this mean?" The man it to her. Anne thanks him and finishes the . The man checks the . "Everything looks good," he says. Anne is very happy. She leaves the bank with a big smile on her face. She feels of herself for asking for help.
the door or opening where you go into a building
"Anne stood near the entrance of the bank and looked around."
feeling worried or a little afraid about something
"Anne felt nervous because she did not know where to go."
a place in a store or bank where staff help customers with their needs
"The woman told Anne to go to the customer service desk."
an arrangement with a bank to keep your money there
"Anne wanted to open a new bank account."
a piece of paper with spaces where you write information
"The man gave Anne a form to fill out."
to make something clear so someone can understand it
"The man explained the question that Anne did not understand."
a board or notice with words or pictures that gives information
"Anne saw a sign that said 'Customer Service' above the desk."
feeling pleased with yourself because you did something well
"Anne felt proud of herself for asking for help at the bank."
Excuse me
a polite way to get someone's attention or to say sorry for interrupting
""Excuse me," Anne said to the woman near the entrance."
Can you help me?
a way to ask someone to assist you with something
"Anne asked, "Can you help me?" because she did not know where to go."
over there
in that place, at a short distance away
""The customer service desk is over there, next to the big plant," the woman said."
take a seat
to sit down in a chair
""Please take a seat," the man said, and pointed to a chair."
fill out
to write the necessary information in the spaces on a form
"The man asked Anne to fill out a form with her details."
What does this mean?
a question used to ask someone to explain something you do not understand
"Anne pointed to the question and asked, "What does this mean?""
Thank you so much
a warm way to express strong gratitude
""Thank you so much," Anne said after the woman helped her."
How can I help you?
a polite question used by staff to ask what a customer needs
"The man at the desk looked up and said, "How can I help you today?""
Finished the A2 version? Challenge yourself with the B1 intermediate story.
One short story every morning at your level, with audio, key words and a quiz. Free. Unsubscribe any time.