Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: arriving somewhere in completely the wrong clothes
Farida and the Cold Mountain
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Farida wanted to visit a mountain hut. She saw a photo of it online. It looked warm and beautiful. She was very excited. She packed her bag the night before. She put in a summer dress, sandals, and a small bag. She also packed sunglasses and a thin scarf. She did not pack a coat. She did not pack boots. She thought the mountain was not very high. She looked at the photo again. The hut had flowers outside. It looked like a warm, sunny day. Farida smiled and went to bed. The next morning, Farida took a bus to the mountain. The bus went up and up. Farida looked out of the window. The trees got smaller.
The sky got gray. She felt cold on the bus. She arrived at the mountain hut. She got off the bus. The wind was very strong. There was snow on the ground. Farida looked at her sandals. She looked at her summer dress. She was very cold. Her hands were red. A man came out of the hut. He looked at Farida. He looked very surprised. "Are you okay?" he said. "I am very cold!" said Farida. The man's name was Tomas. He worked at the hut. He brought Farida inside.
The hut was warm. There was a big fire. Tomas gave her a thick jumper and some warm socks. "Thank you," said Farida. "You are very kind." She sat near the fire. She drank hot tea. She felt better slowly. Other people in the hut looked at her dress and smiled. Farida laughed too. "I did not check the weather!" she said. "Next time, I will bring a coat!" Tomas laughed. "Yes," he said. "The mountain is always cold." Farida looked out of the window at the snow. She was warm now. She was happy. It was a good day.
Key vocabulary
| hut (noun) | a small, simple building, often in nature“The mountain hut had a warm fire inside.” |
| sandals (noun) | open shoes worn in warm weather“She wore sandals, but the ground was cold and wet.” |
| packed (verb (past simple)) | put things into a bag before traveling“She packed her bag the night before the trip.” |
| excited (adjective) | feeling very happy and eager about something“Farida was excited to visit the mountain hut.” |
| arrived (verb (past simple)) | got to a place after traveling“She arrived at the hut after a long bus ride.” |
| surprised (adjective) | feeling shock because something is unexpected“Tomas looked surprised when he saw her summer dress.” |
| jumper (noun) | a warm piece of clothing you wear over your top half“Tomas gave her a thick jumper to keep warm.” |
| weather (noun) | the temperature and conditions outside, such as rain or sun“She did not check the weather before the trip.” |
Useful phrases
- the night before — on the evening before a particular day or event“She packed her bag the night before the trip.”
- got off — left a bus, train, or other vehicle“She got off the bus at the mountain stop.”
- felt cold — experienced a feeling of being cold“She felt cold as soon as she stepped outside.”
- came out of — moved from inside a place to outside“A man came out of the hut and looked at her.”
- sat near — took a seat close to something“Farida sat near the fire to get warm.”
- felt better — started to feel more comfortable or less unwell“After drinking hot tea, she felt better slowly.”
- next time — on the following occasion when the same situation happens“Next time, I will bring a coat!”
- check the weather — look at a forecast to find out what the weather will be like“Always check the weather before you go to the mountains.”
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | D | F | H | T | D | B | I | M | Z | J |
| 2 | E | E | H | Q | R | J | G | N | I | W | C |
| 3 | V | S | K | H | S | E | U | V | U | O | T |
| 4 | I | I | E | C | X | L | H | M | W | V | Z |
| 5 | R | R | B | X | A | Y | A | T | P | U | V |
| 6 | R | P | O | P | C | P | F | D | A | E | V |
| 7 | A | R | T | U | H | I | O | C | N | E | R |
| 8 | Z | U | O | S | J | U | T | O | P | A | W |
| 9 | A | S | P | U | Q | U | R | E | P | V | S |
| 10 | G | B | E | B | A | I | S | Q | D | H | L |
| 11 | S | U | W | Y | D | X | V | C | L | D | B |
Comprehension quiz
What did Farida pack in her bag?
- A) A raincoat and umbrella
- B) A jumper and thick socks
- C) A summer dress and sandals
- D) A coat and boots
How did Farida travel to the mountain?
- A) By car
- B) By train
- C) By bus
- D) On foot
What was the weather like at the mountain hut?
- A) Windy with snow on the ground
- B) Rainy and foggy
- C) Warm and cloudy
- D) Hot and sunny
Why did Tomas look surprised?
- A) Because Farida was wearing summer clothes in the snow
- B) Because Farida did not speak to him
- C) Because Farida was very tall
- D) Because Farida was carrying a big bag
What did Tomas give Farida to help her feel warm?
- A) A thick jumper and warm socks
- B) A blanket and a scarf
- C) A hat and gloves
- D) A coat and boots
What does the word 'packed' mean in this story?
- A) Put things into a bag before traveling
- B) Bought new clothes
- C) Looked at photos online
- D) Checked the weather forecast
What did Farida drink to feel better?
- A) Warm soup
- B) Hot chocolate
- C) Hot tea
- D) Cold water
Farida checked the weather before her trip. True or false?
- A) False
- B) True
- C) Not stated
- D) Not mentioned
What does 'surprised' mean?
- A) Feeling angry about a problem
- B) Feeling shock because something is unexpected
- C) Feeling very happy about good news
- D) Feeling tired after a long journey
At the end of the story, how did Farida feel?
- A) Embarrassed and angry
- B) Tired and hungry
- C) Warm and happy
- D) Cold and unhappy
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. C 2. C 3. A 4. A 5. A 6. A 7. C 8. A 9. B 10. C
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.
arrived: A7 ↑ · excited: C4 ↘ · hut: E7 ← · jumper: F2 ↘ · packed: F6 ↖ · sandals: K9 ↖ · surprised: B9 ↑ · weather: K8 ↖