Daily Story·

    Cian Falls Asleep at Lunch

    someone falling asleep somewhere unexpecteda school canteenCEFR A2
    0:00 / 0:00

    Click any sentence to jump to that moment

    Speed
    📖

    Story

    Tap an underlined word to see what it means.

    Cian was a student at a big school. He had many classes every day. He woke up very early that morning. He did not sleep well the night before. He felt very tired at breakfast. He ate a small piece of bread. He drank a glass of water. Then he walked to school with his bag. His first class was math. His second class was science. Both classes were long and difficult. Cian tried hard to listen to his teachers. But his eyes felt very . He many times in class. At lunchtime, Cian went to the school .

    The was loud and full of students. Cian got a and some food. He chose rice, vegetables, and a bread roll. He sat down at a table near the window. His friend Mia sat next to him. "You look very tired today," said Mia. "I am very tired," said Cian. "I could not sleep last night." He started to eat his lunch slowly. The food was warm and good. The was warm too. The noise around him felt far away. His head began to feel . He put his head down on his arms. Cian fell asleep at the table. His mouth was open a little.

    He quietly. Some students started to laugh. Mia looked at him and smiled. A dinner lady came to the table. "Is he okay?" she asked Mia. "Yes, he is just very tired," said Mia. The dinner lady nodded and walked away. Cian slept for about ten minutes. Then the rang loudly. Cian lifted his head quickly. He looked around the . His face was red. "Did I fall asleep?" he asked. "Yes, you did," said Mia, and she laughed. Cian smiled and picked up his fork to finish his lunch.

    🔑

    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.
    canteen
    /kænˈtiːn/
    noun

    a place in a school or workplace where people can buy and eat food

    "Cian went to the school canteen to get his lunch."

    tray
    /treɪ/
    noun

    a flat object used to carry food and drinks

    "He picked up a tray and put his food on it."

    yawn
    /jɔːn/
    verb

    to open your mouth wide because you are tired or bored

    "Cian yawned many times during his morning classes."

    snore
    /snɔː/
    verb

    to make a loud or quiet noise while sleeping

    "He snored quietly at the lunch table."

    heavy
    /ˈhev.i/
    adjective

    here it means feeling hard to keep open (about eyes) or hard to hold up (about the head)

    "His eyes felt heavy because he was so tired."

    nearby
    /ˌnɪəˈbaɪ/
    adverb

    not far away; close to a place

    "Students nearby started to laugh when they saw Cian sleeping."

    nod
    /nɒd/
    verb

    to move your head up and down to show you agree or understand

    "The dinner lady nodded and walked away."

    bell
    /bel/
    noun

    a device that makes a loud ringing sound, often used in schools to mark the time

    "The bell rang and Cian woke up quickly."

    💬

    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.

    fall asleep

    to begin sleeping, often without planning to

    "Cian was so tired that he fell asleep at the lunch table."

    the night before

    the evening or night that happened before today or another day

    "He did not sleep well the night before."

    feel far away

    to feel distant or not real, often because you are tired or not concentrating

    "The noise in the canteen felt far away as Cian got sleepy."

    put your head down

    to lower your head, often onto your arms or a surface, to rest

    "He put his head down on his arms and fell asleep."

    wake up

    to stop sleeping and become conscious

    "Cian woke up quickly when the bell rang."

    look around

    to turn and look at different things in a place

    "He looked around the canteen and felt confused."

    sit next to

    to take a seat beside someone

    "Mia sat next to Cian at the lunch table."

    pick up

    to lift something from a surface using your hand

    "Cian picked up his fork to finish his lunch."

    1 Story→→

    Finished the A2 version? Challenge yourself with the B1 intermediate story.

    Get tomorrow's story in your inbox

    One short story every morning at your level, with audio, key words and a quiz. Free. Unsubscribe any time.

    Your level

    We'll email you once to confirm. We only use your address to send the daily story. See our privacy policy.

    More stories to read