Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: arriving somewhere too early
Felix Arrives Too Early
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Felix woke up very early on Saturday morning. He was excited because he planned to meet his friend Sara at the food court. They wanted to eat lunch together at twelve o'clock. Felix looked at his clock. It was only nine in the morning. He thought about this for a moment. Then he decided to leave his house early. He did not want to be late. He put on his shoes and picked up his bag. He walked to the bus stop near his house. The bus came quickly. Felix got on the bus and sat down. He looked out of the window during the ride. The streets were quiet and calm. After fifteen minutes, the bus stopped near the food court. Felix walked into the food court and looked around. Most of the food stalls were closed. The lights were off in many of them.
Only one small coffee stall was open. A woman behind the counter smiled at him. "Good morning! You are here very early," she said. Felix looked at his watch. It was only half past nine. He was two and a half hours early. "Oh no," he said quietly to himself. He felt a little silly. He sat down at an empty table. The chairs were cold. The food court was very big and very empty. He could hear his own footsteps on the floor. He took out his phone and sent a message to Sara. "I am already at the food court," he wrote. Sara replied quickly. "Already? It is so early!
You have a long wait," she wrote. Felix laughed at himself. He walked to the coffee stall and bought a small drink. "Is it always this quiet in the morning?" he asked the woman. "Yes, people usually come after eleven," she answered. Felix sat down again and waited. He played games on his phone. He watched the stalls open one by one. Slowly, more people started to arrive. The food court became noisy and busy. Finally, Sara arrived at twelve o'clock. "Hello, Felix! How long were you here?" she asked with a big smile. "A very long time," Felix said. They both laughed. "Next time, I will not come so early," Felix said.
Key vocabulary
| excited (adjective) | feeling very happy and full of energy about something“She was excited about her birthday party.” |
| stall (noun) | a small shop or counter that sells food or goods, often in a market or food court“We bought some fruit from a stall at the market.” |
| counter (noun) | a long flat surface where food or drinks are served“The woman placed the coffee on the counter.” |
| empty (adjective) | having nothing or nobody inside“The room was empty because everyone had left.” |
| quietly (adverb) | in a way that makes little or no noise“He closed the door quietly so nobody heard him.” |
| reply (verb) | to give an answer to someone“She did not reply to my message.” |
| footsteps (noun) | the sounds made when someone walks“I heard footsteps behind me in the dark street.” |
| silly (adjective) | not serious or sensible; a little foolish“I felt silly when I forgot my friend's name.” |
Useful phrases
- looked around — turned to see what was in the area“She walked into the room and looked around.”
- sat down — moved from standing to sitting“He was tired, so he sat down on the bench.”
- one by one — happening one at a time, not all together“The students entered the room one by one.”
- a long wait — a situation where you must wait for a long time“There was a long wait at the bus stop.”
- laughed at himself — found something funny about his own mistake“He laughed at himself when he wore different socks.”
- how long — used to ask about the amount of time“How long did you wait for the bus?”
- oh no — an expression of surprise or disappointment“Oh no, I forgot my keys at home!”
- next time — on the following occasion when something happens again“Next time, I will bring an umbrella.”
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 | W | S | F | P | Y | O | F | R | A | Y |
| 2 | E | S | M | T | H | H | L | N | Y | P | T |
| 3 | I | S | Q | M | A | A | H | P | J | D | P |
| 4 | E | R | U | N | V | L | J | J | E | L | M |
| 5 | X | I | I | K | X | X | L | S | U | R | E |
| 6 | C | E | E | E | C | O | U | N | T | E | R |
| 7 | I | U | T | Z | N | Y | L | L | I | S | G |
| 8 | T | M | L | T | U | V | N | U | O | N | L |
| 9 | E | G | Y | R | Q | B | W | D | C | C | G |
| 10 | D | F | O | O | T | S | T | E | P | S | R |
| 11 | W | R | A | N | E | S | J | U | S | A | F |
Comprehension quiz
Why did Felix go to the food court?
- A) To buy new shoes
- B) To look for a new phone
- C) To work at a coffee stall
- D) To meet his friend Sara for lunch
What time were Felix and Sara supposed to meet?
- A) Twelve o'clock
- B) Eleven o'clock
- C) Half past nine
- D) Nine o'clock
What does the word 'empty' mean in the story?
- A) Full of food
- B) Having nothing or nobody inside
- C) Dark and scary
- D) Very noisy and crowded
Felix took a taxi to the food court.
- A) True
- B) False
- C) Not stated
- D) Not mentioned
How many stalls were open when Felix arrived?
- A) Three
- B) One
- C) None
- D) All of them
What does 'reply' mean?
- A) To give an answer to someone
- B) To make a phone call
- C) To ask a question
- D) To send a photo
What did Felix do while he waited?
- A) He cooked food
- B) He read a book
- C) He slept on a chair
- D) He played games on his phone
The woman at the coffee stall said people usually come after eleven.
- A) Not stated
- B) Not mentioned
- C) False
- D) True
In the story, 'silly' means:
- A) Angry and upset
- B) A little foolish or not sensible
- C) Extremely tired
- D) Very clever
Felix said he would come early again next time.
- A) True
- B) False
- C) Not stated
- D) Not mentioned
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. D 2. A 3. B 4. B 5. B 6. A 7. D 8. D 9. B 10. B
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.
counter: E6 → · empty: K5 ↑ · excited: A4 ↓ · footsteps: B10 → · quietly: C3 ↓ · reply: J5 ↖ · silly: J7 ← · stall: C1 ↘