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    Ciro and the Loud Footsteps

    a misunderstanding with a neighbora clock tower stairwellCEFR A2
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    Tap an underlined word to see what it means.

    Ciro lives near a big clock tower. He likes the clock tower very much. Every morning, he walks up the stairs inside it. The stairs are old and made of stone. Ciro goes up the stairs to check the time on the big clock. He does this every day. One morning, Ciro starts to walk up the stairs. He hears a loud noise above him. Someone is walking very fast up the stairs. The are very loud. Ciro stops and listens. The noise gets louder and louder. Then a man comes down the stairs. The man's name is Otto. Otto is Ciro's . Ciro does not know Otto very well. Otto looks .

    He walks quickly past Ciro. He does not say hello. Ciro feels . He thinks, "What is wrong with Otto?" Ciro calls out to him. He says, "Good morning! Are you okay?" Otto stops. He turns around and looks at Ciro. Otto says, "You make too much noise every morning!" Ciro is very . He says, "I am sorry, but what noise?" Otto says, "Every morning, I hear loud on the stairs. It wakes me up!" Ciro thinks for a moment. Then he . He says, "Otto, I think it is the old door at the bottom of the stairs. The wind blows it and it makes a loud noise." Otto looks . He says, "Oh! I did not know that." Ciro and Otto walk down the stairs together. They look at the old door.

    It is not closed . The wind comes in and blows the door open and shut. Bang! Bang! Bang! Otto laughs. He says, "You are right! It is the door!" Ciro laughs too. He says, "I am sorry the noise woke you up." They find a small rock near the door. They use the rock to keep the door closed. The stops. Otto feels much better now. He says, "Thank you, Ciro. I am sorry I was with you." Ciro smiles and says, "It is okay. Now we both know the problem." After that day, Ciro and Otto say hello every morning. They are good now. They sometimes walk up the stairs together to look at the big clock.

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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.
    neighbor
    /ˈneɪ.bə/
    noun

    a person who lives very close to you

    "My neighbor always says hello in the morning."

    footsteps
    /ˈfʊt.steps/
    noun

    the sounds your feet make when you walk

    "I can hear footsteps on the stairs."

    confused
    /kənˈfjuːzd/
    adjective

    not able to understand something clearly

    "He was confused by the strange question."

    banging
    /ˈbæŋ.ɪŋ/
    noun

    a loud hitting noise

    "There was a banging noise coming from the door."

    properly
    /ˈprɒp.ə.li/
    adverb

    in the right or correct way

    "Please close the window properly."

    angry
    /ˈæŋ.ɡri/
    adjective

    feeling strong displeasure or annoyance

    "She was angry because she missed the bus."

    surprised
    /səˈpraɪzd/
    adjective

    feeling something unexpected happened

    "He was surprised to see the door open."

    understand
    /ˌʌn.dəˈstænd/
    verb

    to know the meaning of something

    "Now I understand why the clock stopped."

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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.

    calls out to

    shouts or speaks loudly to get someone's attention

    "She calls out to her friend across the street."

    for a moment

    for a short time

    "He thinks for a moment before he answers."

    what is wrong with

    used to ask why someone seems upset or strange

    "What is wrong with him today? He looks sad."

    wakes me up

    causes someone to stop sleeping

    "The loud music wakes me up every night."

    too much

    more than is needed or wanted

    "You are making too much noise in the library."

    I am sorry

    used to apologize or show sympathy

    "I am sorry, I did not see you there."

    you are right

    used to agree that someone said something correct

    "You are right, the door is broken."

    after that day

    from that time onwards

    "After that day, they always walked home together."

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