Daily Story·

    Hassan and the Broken Lift

    dealing with a problem at worka hotel lobbyCEFR A2
    0:00 / 0:00

    Click any sentence to jump to that moment

    Speed
    📖

    Story

    Tap an underlined word to see what it means.

    Hassan works at a big hotel. He is the at the front desk. He starts work early every morning. The hotel is very busy today. There are many in the . Hassan smiles and says hello to everyone. He likes his job very much. Suddenly, a walks up to the desk. Her name is Maria. She looks . She says, "Excuse me, the lift is not working." Hassan listens carefully. He says, "I am very sorry. I will fix this problem now." Maria says, "Thank you. I have heavy bags." Hassan nods and picks up the phone. Hassan calls the team.

    He says, "Please come to the . The lift is ." The team arrives quickly. They look at the lift. They say, "This will take one hour to fix." Hassan thanks them. He goes back to the front desk. Maria is still waiting. Hassan says, "I am sorry, Maria. The lift will be ready in one hour." Maria frowns. She says, "One hour is a long time." Hassan thinks fast. He says, "Please wait in our café. I will bring your bags to your room." Maria smiles. She says, "That is very kind. Thank you." Hassan asks a to carry Maria's bags. His is called Sam.

    Sam takes the bags upstairs. Hassan goes back to the front desk. More come in from outside. Hassan all of them. He helps them with their questions. One hour later, the team comes back. They say, "The lift is working now." Hassan is happy. He walks to the café. He says, "Maria, the lift is ready now." Maria stands up. She says, "You were so helpful today, Hassan." Hassan smiles. He says, "It is my job to help you." Maria goes to her room. Hassan goes back to work. It is a good day.

    🔑

    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.
    manager
    /ˈmæn.ɪ.dʒə/
    noun

    a person who is in charge of a place or a group of workers

    "Hassan is the manager at the front desk of the hotel."

    lobby
    /ˈlɒb.i/
    noun

    the large entrance area inside a hotel or building

    "Many guests were standing in the hotel lobby."

    broken
    /ˈbrəʊ.kən/
    adjective

    not working; damaged

    "Maria said the lift was broken."

    maintenance
    /ˈmeɪn.tən.əns/
    noun

    the work of keeping something in good condition and fixing it when it stops working

    "Hassan called the maintenance team to fix the lift."

    colleague
    /ˈkɒl.iːɡ/
    noun

    a person you work with

    "Hassan asked his colleague Sam to carry the bags."

    guest
    /ɡest/
    noun

    a person who is staying at a hotel

    "The guest told Hassan that the lift was not working."

    greet
    /ɡriːt/
    verb

    to say hello to someone when they arrive

    "Hassan greeted all the guests who came into the hotel."

    worried
    /ˈwʌr.id/
    adjective

    feeling unhappy because you think something bad might happen

    "Maria looked worried when the lift stopped working."

    💬

    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.

    fix a problem

    to solve something that is not working correctly

    "Hassan said he would fix the problem with the lift right away."

    think fast

    to quickly find a good solution when something goes wrong

    "Hassan had to think fast when Maria said one hour was too long."

    walk up to

    to approach someone or something by walking towards them

    "Maria walked up to the front desk to report the broken lift."

    pick up the phone

    to take the telephone and make a call

    "Hassan picked up the phone to call the maintenance team."

    take one hour

    to need one hour to finish something

    "The maintenance team said the repair would take one hour."

    It is my job to

    used to say that helping is a normal and expected part of your work

    "Hassan said, "It is my job to help you," when Maria thanked him."

    come back

    to return to a place

    "The maintenance team came back one hour later to say the lift was fixed."

    right away

    immediately; without waiting

    "Hassan said he would deal with the problem right away."

    1 Story→→

    Finished the A2 version? Challenge yourself with the B1 intermediate story.

    Get tomorrow's story in your inbox

    One short story every morning at your level, with audio, key words and a quiz. Free. Unsubscribe any time.

    Your level

    We'll email you once to confirm. We only use your address to send the daily story. See our privacy policy.

    More stories to read