Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: someone falling asleep somewhere unexpected
Cian Falls Asleep at Lunch
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
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 heavy. He yawned many times in class. At lunchtime, Cian went to the school canteen.
The canteen was loud and full of students. Cian got a tray 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 canteen was warm too. The noise around him felt far away. His head began to feel heavy. He put his head down on his arms. Cian fell asleep at the table. His mouth was open a little.
He snored quietly. Some students nearby 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 bell rang loudly. Cian lifted his head quickly. He looked around the canteen. 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
| canteen (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 (noun) | a flat object used to carry food and drinks“He picked up a tray and put his food on it.” |
| yawn (verb) | to open your mouth wide because you are tired or bored“Cian yawned many times during his morning classes.” |
| snore (verb) | to make a loud or quiet noise while sleeping“He snored quietly at the lunch table.” |
| heavy (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 (adverb) | not far away; close to a place“Students nearby started to laugh when they saw Cian sleeping.” |
| nod (verb) | to move your head up and down to show you agree or understand“The dinner lady nodded and walked away.” |
| bell (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
- 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.”
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Q | Y | C | D | D | V | J | X | Z | K |
| 2 | G | A | Q | L | O | O | N | U | R | O |
| 3 | U | R | B | D | Z | N | A | N | U | R |
| 4 | Y | T | H | U | D | L | K | H | N | T |
| 5 | H | B | J | V | N | A | E | K | E | D |
| 6 | F | I | R | W | U | A | F | U | E | N |
| 7 | Q | S | A | A | V | O | L | S | T | X |
| 8 | H | Y | J | Y | E | J | L | C | N | T |
| 9 | X | T | C | E | H | N | E | K | A | V |
| 10 | N | E | R | O | N | S | B | P | C | I |
Comprehension quiz
Where did Cian fall asleep?
- A) In his math class
- B) On the school bus
- C) In the school canteen
- D) In the library
Why was Cian tired?
- A) He woke up very late
- B) He did not eat breakfast
- C) He did not sleep well the night before
- D) He ran to school
What did Cian eat for lunch?
- A) Soup and a sandwich
- B) Rice, vegetables, and a bread roll
- C) Pasta and salad
- D) A bread roll and water
Who sat next to Cian in the canteen?
- A) His friend Mia
- B) His teacher
- C) A dinner lady
- D) A boy named Tom
What does the word 'yawn' mean?
- A) To look around a room
- B) To open your mouth wide because you are tired
- C) To laugh quietly
- D) To eat quickly
How long did Cian sleep at the table?
- A) About five minutes
- B) About one hour
- C) About ten minutes
- D) About twenty minutes
What woke Cian up?
- A) A student dropped a tray
- B) The bell rang loudly
- C) The dinner lady shouted
- D) Mia shook his arm
Cian's face was red when he woke up. True or False?
- A) Not stated
- B) True
- C) False
- D) Not mentioned
What does 'nearby' mean in the sentence 'Some students nearby started to laugh'?
- A) Close to that place
- B) Outside the room
- C) Far away
- D) Standing up
The dinner lady was angry when she saw Cian sleeping. True or False?
- A) False
- B) Not mentioned
- C) True
- D) Not stated
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. C 2. C 3. B 4. A 5. B 6. C 7. B 8. B 9. A 10. A
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.
bell: G10 ↑ · canteen: I10 ↑ · heavy: H4 ↙ · nearby: F9 ↖ · nod: F3 ↖ · snore: F10 ← · tray: B4 ↑ · yawn: B8 ↗