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    Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: an unexpected change of plans

    Fatima's Day at the Library

    Name: ______________________   Date: ____________

    Fatima walked into the library on a quiet morning. She had a big plan for the day. She wanted to study for her important exam. She carried her books and her notebook in a heavy bag. She found her favorite table near the window. She put her things on the table and sat down. She opened her book and started to read. The library was very peaceful. There were only a few other people there. Fatima smiled because she liked this calm place.

    She was ready to study for many hours. Everything seemed perfect. After one hour, a librarian walked to Fatima's table. The librarian looked worried. She said, "Excuse me, I have some bad news." Fatima looked up from her book. The librarian said, "We have a problem with the water pipes. We need to close the library today." Fatima was very surprised. She said, "Oh no, I really need to study here today." The librarian said, "I am sorry, but everyone must leave in thirty minutes." Fatima felt disappointed. She did not know what to do. Her plan was ruined.

    Fatima packed her books slowly and walked outside. She sat on a bench near the library entrance. Then she saw a girl from her class named Sonia. Sonia said, "Hi Fatima, why do you look so sad?" Fatima explained the problem. Sonia smiled and said, "Come to my house, we can study together!" Fatima was happy to hear this. They walked to Sonia's house and studied all afternoon. They helped each other with difficult questions. Fatima learned even more than she expected. She said, "Sometimes a change of plans is a good thing." It was a great day after all.

    Key vocabulary

    library (noun)a building where you can read or borrow books“I go to the library every week to borrow new books.”
    exam (noun)an important test at school or university“She studied very hard for her final exam.”
    peaceful (adjective)quiet and calm, without noise or problems“The park was very peaceful in the early morning.”
    librarian (noun)a person who works in a library“The librarian helped me find the right book.”
    worried (adjective)feeling nervous or unhappy about something“He looked worried because he lost his phone.”
    surprised (adjective)feeling shock because something unexpected happened“She was surprised when she saw the gift.”
    disappointed (adjective)feeling sad because something did not happen as you wanted“He was disappointed because the shop was closed.”
    ruined (adjective)completely spoiled or destroyed“The rain ruined our picnic in the park.”
    explain (verb)to tell someone about something so they understand it“Can you explain the answer to me, please?”
    expected (verb)thought something would happen in a certain way“The test was easier than I expected.”

    Useful phrases

    • change of plans — when something different happens instead of what you planned“There was a change of plans, so we stayed home.”
    • bad news — information about something unpleasant or sad“I have some bad news — the trip is canceled.”
    • look up — to raise your eyes to see something“She looked up from her phone and smiled.”
    • after all — used to say something happened despite problems“The weather was fine, so we had a good day after all.”
    • oh no — an expression showing surprise or worry“Oh no, I forgot my keys at home!”
    • each other — one person and another person doing the same thing“They helped each other with their homework.”

    Word search

    Find all 10 key words from the story. They can read forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally.

    ABCDEFGHIJKLMN
    1DDNAWYUABTPJJF
    2DEENAIRARBILIR
    3LFNTTRBIIVEZDY
    4UEDICDHDEZLILM
    5FXWEUESYAGSELT
    6EAFHSRPGPACXZG
    7CMTYAIFXPYPPZC
    8AIDSRPRPEQJLLL
    9EVTEJAOPUBNAHM
    10PTQXIIRERJXICC
    11PFOJNRLBTUHNWH
    12OFTTFZRXIGSKZG
    13QDEXMYMOOLOEME
    14BDQMPUALWPDQON

    Comprehension quiz

    1. Why did Fatima go to the library?

      • A) To talk to the librarian
      • B) To borrow a book
      • C) To study for an exam
      • D) To meet her friend
    2. What does the word 'peaceful' mean in the story?

      • A) Big and empty
      • B) Quiet and calm
      • C) Dark and cold
      • D) Noisy and busy
    3. Why did the library need to close?

      • A) The librarian was sick
      • B) There was a fire
      • C) It was a day off
      • D) There was a problem with the water pipes
    4. Fatima was happy when she heard the library was closing.

      • A) Not mentioned
      • B) Not stated
      • C) False
      • D) True
    5. What does the word 'disappointed' mean?

      • A) Feeling angry at someone
      • B) Feeling excited about something
      • C) Feeling tired after work
      • D) Feeling sad because something did not happen as you wanted
    6. Where did Fatima sit after she left the library?

      • A) On the grass
      • B) At a café
      • C) On a bench near the entrance
      • D) In her car
    7. Sonia was Fatima's teacher.

      • A) Not stated
      • B) False
      • C) True
      • D) Not mentioned
    8. What does 'change of plans' mean in the story?

      • A) When something different happens instead of what you planned
      • B) Making a new plan for the future
      • C) Planning a trip with friends
      • D) Changing your mind about food
    9. How did Fatima feel at the end of the story?

      • A) Tired
      • B) Sad
      • C) Happy
      • D) Angry
    10. Fatima studied alone at Sonia's house.

      • A) Not stated
      • B) Not mentioned
      • C) False
      • D) True

    Answer key (A2 (Elementary))

    1. C 2. B 3. D 4. C 5. D 6. C 7. B 8. A 9. C 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.

    disappointed: M3 ↙ · exam: B4 ↓ · expected: I8 ↖ · explain: L5 ↓ · librarian: L2 ← · library: J13 ↖ · peaceful: A10 ↑ · ruined: F6 ↖ · surprised: K12 ↖ · worried: I14 ↖

    Free Daily English · Level B1 (Intermediate) · Topic: an unexpected change of plans

    The Unexpected Turn in Fatima's Day

    Name: ______________________   Date: ____________

    Fatima had been looking forward to spending the entire afternoon at the city library, where she planned to work on her research project that was due the following week. She had reserved a quiet study room in advance, packed her laptop and reference materials, and even prepared a detailed schedule for the day. When she arrived, the library was calm and nearly empty, which suited her perfectly. She settled into the study room, spread her notes across the table, and began organizing her thoughts. Everything was going smoothly, and she felt confident that she would make significant progress. Within the first hour, she had already outlined two major sections of her project. It seemed like the ideal study session she had been hoping for.

    However, just as Fatima was getting into a productive rhythm, a librarian knocked on the door of her study room and delivered some unexpected news. "I'm afraid we've discovered a serious issue with the building's electrical system," the librarian explained apologetically. "For safety reasons, we'll need to evacuate the entire building within the next twenty minutes." Fatima stared at the librarian in disbelief, unable to process what she had just heard. She had specifically chosen this day because she had no other commitments, and finding another quiet space on such short notice seemed impossible. As she reluctantly gathered her belongings, she felt a wave of frustration wash over her. All her careful planning had been undone in an instant, and she wasn't sure how to salvage the rest of her day. Standing outside the library with her bag over her shoulder, Fatima noticed another student she recognized from her study group — a woman named Priya who looked equally frustrated.

    "Well, this certainly wasn't part of my plan either," Priya said with a slight laugh, gesturing at the closed doors behind them. They started talking and quickly realized they were both working on similar projects with overlapping deadlines. Priya suggested they head to a nearby community center that had a free workspace with reliable internet access. To Fatima's surprise, the change of setting turned out to be refreshing, and collaborating with Priya brought new perspectives she hadn't considered before. By the end of the afternoon, Fatima had not only completed more than she had originally planned but had also gained a valuable study partner. "Sometimes," she reflected on her way home, "the best opportunities come from the plans that fall apart."

    Key vocabulary

    research (noun)careful study of a subject to discover new facts or information“She spent months doing research for her final project.”
    reference (adjective)used for looking up information or facts“He brought several reference books to help with his essay.”
    productive (adjective)achieving a lot of useful work or results“It was a very productive meeting — we made all our decisions.”
    evacuate (verb)to leave a building or area because it is dangerous“The firefighters asked everyone to evacuate the building immediately.”
    disbelief (noun)a feeling of not being able to believe something“She stared at the broken window in disbelief.”
    reluctantly (adverb)in a way that shows you do not want to do something“He reluctantly agreed to help even though he was very tired.”
    frustration (noun)a feeling of annoyance because you cannot do what you want“She couldn't hide her frustration when the computer crashed again.”
    salvage (verb)to save something from a bad situation“They managed to salvage some of the damaged furniture.”
    overlapping (adjective)covering or sharing part of the same area, time, or topic“Our schedules are overlapping, so we can meet during lunch.”
    perspective (noun)a particular way of thinking about something“Talking to different people gave her a fresh perspective on the problem.”

    Useful phrases

    • on short notice — with very little time to prepare or react“She had to arrange a meeting on short notice because of the emergency.”
    • fall apart — to fail or stop working as planned“Our travel plans fell apart when the flight was canceled.”
    • wash over someone — when a strong feeling suddenly affects someone“A sense of relief washed over him when he heard the good news.”
    • get into a rhythm — to start working smoothly and steadily“Once I got into a rhythm, I finished the report quickly.”
    • turn out — to have a particular result, often unexpected“The party turned out to be much more fun than I expected.”
    • in an instant — very quickly, happening suddenly“The sky changed from blue to gray in an instant.”

    Word search

    Find all 10 key words from the story. They can read forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally.

    ABCDEFGHIJKLM
    1FYVNTUIHRHOLL
    2ETAUCAVECVZNV
    3UKZEPWFRELYON
    4KXSWEEARILEIZ
    5GUFFRELRTFJTS
    6OIYESALNTMLAU
    7XWNEPKANVPWRS
    8VCRPETTKGOKTA
    9EVITCUDORPTSL
    10YNAUTSEXXTQUV
    11GZLLIJSSYFWRA
    12YEVBVLWXNRUFG
    13RZZFEILEBSIDE

    Comprehension quiz

    1. What was Fatima's original plan for the afternoon?

      • A) To return some overdue library books
      • B) To meet a friend for a group study session
      • C) To work on her research project in a reserved study room
      • D) To attend a class at the library
    2. What does the word 'productive' mean as used in the story?

      • A) Creative and artistic
      • B) Slow and difficult
      • C) Achieving a lot of useful work
      • D) Relaxing and enjoyable
    3. Why did the library need to be evacuated?

      • A) The building was scheduled for renovation
      • B) There was a flood in the basement
      • C) A fire alarm went off by accident
      • D) There was a serious issue with the electrical system
    4. Fatima felt calm and relaxed when she heard the library was closing.

      • A) Not stated
      • B) Not mentioned
      • C) False
      • D) True
    5. What does the phrase 'on short notice' mean?

      • A) With very little time to prepare
      • B) After a long wait
      • C) With a written message
      • D) Without telling anyone
    6. How did Fatima know Priya?

      • A) They had never met before
      • B) They worked at the same place
      • C) They were in the same study group
      • D) They were neighbors
    7. Priya suggested they go to a café to continue working.

      • A) Not stated
      • B) Not mentioned
      • C) False
      • D) True
    8. What does the word 'salvage' mean in the context of the story?

      • A) To organize things neatly
      • B) To save something from a bad situation
      • C) To throw something away
      • D) To buy something new
    9. What unexpected benefit did Fatima gain from the change of plans?

      • A) She decided to change her research topic
      • B) She found a better library nearby
      • C) She gained a valuable study partner and new perspectives
      • D) She got extra time off from her project
    10. Fatima completed less work than she originally planned by the end of the day.

      • A) Not stated
      • B) True
      • C) False
      • D) Not mentioned

    Answer key (B1 (Intermediate))

    1. C 2. C 3. D 4. C 5. A 6. C 7. C 8. B 9. C 10. C

    Word search answer key (B1 (Intermediate))

    Columns are lettered from the left, rows numbered from the top. The arrow shows the reading direction from the word's first letter.

    disbelief: L13 ← · evacuate: H2 ← · frustration: L12 ↑ · overlapping: K1 ↙ · perspective: E3 ↓ · productive: J9 ← · reference: I1 ↙ · reluctantly: A13 ↗ · research: C8 ↗ · salvage: M7 ↓

    Free Daily English · www.freedailyenglish.com/stories/fatimas-day-at-the-library-2026-04-14