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    Elena's Mistake

    dealing with a mistake at worka small shopCEFR A2
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    Elena worked in a small shop. The shop sold clothes and bags. She started the job two months ago. She liked her work very much. Her boss was a kind woman called Mrs. Hana. Elena opened the shop every morning at nine o'clock. She cleaned the shelves and put new items on display. She helped find what they needed. She smiled at everyone who came in. Elena was always careful with her work. She counted the money in the every evening. She wrote down all the sales in a notebook. She wanted to do a good job. She was happy to work there. Her days were usually calm and easy. One busy morning, a came to buy three bags.

    Elena was in a hurry. She typed the wrong price into the . She the too little money. The paid and left the shop quickly. Elena did not her at first. Later, she checked the notebook and saw the numbers were wrong. She felt very . Her hands started to shake a little. She thought Mrs. Hana would be angry. She thought about hiding the . But she knew that was not right. She took a deep breath. She decided to tell the truth. She walked slowly to the back of the shop. Elena found Mrs. Hana in the small office.

    She said, "Mrs. Hana, I made a today." Her voice was quiet and nervous. She the problem with the price. Mrs. Hana listened carefully. She did not shout or look angry. She said, "Thank you for telling me, Elena." She said, "Everyone makes sometimes." Mrs. Hana showed Elena how to fix the in the notebook. Elena felt much better after that. She learned to check prices twice before pressing the button. She was more careful from that day. She understood that is very important. Mrs. Hana trusted Elena even more after that. Elena smiled and went back to work with .

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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.
    mistake
    /mɪˈsteɪk/
    noun

    something that is wrong or not correct

    "I made a mistake on the test."

    register
    /ˈredʒ.ɪ.stə/
    noun

    a machine in a shop that keeps money and records sales

    "She put the money into the register."

    customer
    /ˈkʌs.tə.mə/
    noun

    a person who buys things from a shop

    "The customer asked for a bigger size."

    charge
    /tʃɑːdʒ/
    verb

    to ask someone to pay a certain amount of money

    "They charged me too much for the shirt."

    notice
    /ˈnəʊ.tɪs/
    verb

    to see or become aware of something

    "Did you notice the new sign on the door?"

    worried
    /ˈwʌr.id/
    adjective

    feeling nervous or afraid about something

    "She was worried about the exam."

    honesty
    /ˈɒn.ɪ.sti/
    noun

    the quality of being truthful and not hiding things

    "Honesty is important in a friendship."

    confidence
    /ˈkɒn.fɪ.dəns/
    noun

    the feeling that you can do things well

    "He spoke with confidence in front of the class."

    explain
    /ɪkˈspleɪn/
    verb

    to tell someone about something so they understand it

    "Can you explain this word to me?"

    error
    /ˈer.ə/
    noun

    a mistake, something that is not correct

    "There is an error in this document."

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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.

    in a hurry

    doing things quickly because you do not have much time

    "I was in a hurry, so I forgot my keys."

    at first

    in the beginning, before something changed

    "At first, I did not like the food, but then I loved it."

    take a deep breath

    to breathe in slowly to feel calm

    "Before the interview, she took a deep breath."

    tell the truth

    to say what really happened, to be honest

    "It is always better to tell the truth."

    from that day

    starting at that moment and continuing after

    "From that day, he always wore a helmet on his bike."

    went back to

    returned to a place or activity

    "After lunch, she went back to her desk."

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