Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: trying something for the first time
Anne's First Day at the Bank
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Anne woke up early. She felt nervous. Today was a special day. It was her first time at a bank. She had some money to put in a new account. She did not know what to do. She put on her coat. She picked up her bag. She walked to the bank. The bank was on a busy street. It had big glass doors. Anne stopped outside. She took a deep breath. She pushed open the door and went inside.
The bank was quiet and clean. There were many people inside. Some people sat in chairs. Other people stood in a line. Anne looked around. She did not know where to go. A man at the door smiled at her. He said, "Good morning! Can I help you?" Anne said, "Yes, please. I want to open a new account." The man said, "Please take a number and wait in line." Anne took a small piece of paper with a number on it. She sat down in a chair. She waited. She looked at the other people. They all looked calm.
Anne tried to feel calm too. After a few minutes, a woman called her number. Anne walked to the desk. The woman smiled and said, "Hello! How can I help you today?" Anne said, "I want to open a new account, please." The woman said, "Of course! I need to see your identification." Anne gave her the documents. The woman typed on her computer. She asked Anne some questions. Anne answered them slowly and carefully. The woman said, "Everything is ready. Your account is now open!" Anne felt very happy. She said, "Thank you so much!" She walked out of the bank. She smiled all the way home. It was not so hard after all.
Key vocabulary
| nervous (adjective) | feeling worried or a little afraid about something“Anne felt nervous before she went into the bank.” |
| account (noun) | a service at a bank where you keep your money“She wanted to open a new account at the bank.” |
| line (noun) | a group of people standing one behind the other, waiting for something“Anne stood in a line and waited for her turn.” |
| identification (noun) | an official document that shows who you are“The woman at the desk asked to see Anne's identification.” |
| document (noun) | an official piece of paper with important information“Anne gave her documents to the woman at the bank.” |
| calm (adjective) | relaxed and not worried or excited“The other people in the bank looked calm.” |
| desk (noun) | a table where someone works, often in an office or bank“Anne walked to the desk to speak to the bank worker.” |
| breath (noun) | the air that goes in and out of your body“Anne took a deep breath before she went inside.” |
Useful phrases
- take a deep breath — to breathe in slowly to help yourself feel calmer“Anne took a deep breath before she walked into the bank.”
- open an account — to start a new bank account for the first time“Anne went to the bank to open a new account.”
- take a number — to get a piece of paper with a number so you know when it is your turn“The man told Anne to take a number and wait.”
- wait in line — to stand in a line of people until it is your turn“Anne had to wait in line at the bank.”
- How can I help you? — a polite question used to ask what someone needs“The woman at the desk said, "How can I help you today?"”
- of course — used to say yes in a polite and friendly way“The bank worker said, "Of course!" when Anne asked for help.”
- after all — used to say something was not as difficult as expected“Going to the bank was not so hard after all.”
- all the way — for the whole distance or journey“Anne smiled all the way home after visiting the bank.”
Word search
Find all 8 key words from the story. They can read forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | I | C | S | P | F | G | N | Z | P | D | N | X | H | M |
| 2 | I | D | V | B | R | C | E | S | M | H | E | S | X | C | N |
| 3 | K | C | E | F | M | C | I | Y | T | T | F | N | P | R | T |
| 4 | K | L | A | N | Q | V | M | L | P | N | J | H | G | I | R |
| 5 | M | O | D | L | T | G | B | R | E | A | T | H | Y | B | X |
| 6 | S | H | Q | M | M | I | X | Z | R | N | B | O | I | P | P |
| 7 | U | A | J | O | D | W | F | P | R | O | C | N | T | N | V |
| 8 | O | U | C | N | C | D | R | I | N | Z | Z | A | E | L | K |
| 9 | V | G | J | C | Y | Q | Q | D | C | O | W | N | G | X | Z |
| 10 | R | K | Q | N | O | A | G | B | P | A | I | N | Q | U | O |
| 11 | E | S | A | B | U | U | M | H | H | L | T | F | P | D | N |
| 12 | N | E | A | N | O | U | N | G | Y | R | K | I | T | R | R |
| 13 | B | D | B | T | H | S | M | T | J | A | F | N | O | W | Q |
| 14 | X | F | S | U | W | T | N | E | M | U | C | O | D | N | N |
| 15 | C | L | V | L | Z | K | U | Y | Q | V | C | U | I | J | G |
Comprehension quiz
Why did Anne go to the bank?
- A) To open a new account
- B) To pay a bill
- C) To meet a friend
- D) To change her money
How did Anne feel before she went inside the bank?
- A) Nervous
- B) Happy
- C) Tired
- D) Angry
What did the man at the door tell Anne to do?
- A) Fill in a form
- B) Sit down and wait
- C) Go to the desk
- D) Take a number and wait in line
What does the word 'calm' mean?
- A) Tired and bored
- B) Relaxed and not worried
- C) Busy and stressed
- D) Excited and happy
What did the bank worker ask Anne to show?
- A) Her phone
- B) Her identification
- C) Her bag
- D) Her money
Anne had been to the bank many times before. True or False?
- A) Not mentioned
- B) False
- C) Not stated
- D) True
What does 'open an account' mean?
- A) To close a bank account
- B) To take money out of the bank
- C) To check your balance
- D) To start a new bank account
How did Anne feel when she left the bank?
- A) Happy
- B) Sad
- C) Nervous
- D) Angry
What did the bank worker use to process Anne's information?
- A) A printer
- B) A computer
- C) A notebook
- D) A telephone
Anne walked to the bank. True or False?
- A) False
- B) Not mentioned
- C) Not stated
- D) True
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. A 2. A 3. D 4. B 5. B 6. B 7. D 8. A 9. B 10. D
Word search answer key (A2 (Elementary))
Columns are lettered from the left, rows numbered from the top. The arrow shows the reading direction from the word's first letter.
account: B7 ↘ · breath: G5 → · calm: B3 ↘ · desk: B13 ↑ · document: M14 ← · identification: A1 ↘ · line: J11 ↗ · nervous: A12 ↑