Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: dealing with a problem at work
Hassan and the Broken Lift
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Hassan works at a big hotel. He is the manager at the front desk. He starts work early every morning. The hotel is very busy today. There are many guests in the lobby. Hassan smiles and says hello to everyone. He likes his job very much. Suddenly, a guest walks up to the desk. Her name is Maria. She looks worried. 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 maintenance team.
He says, "Please come to the lobby. The lift is broken." The maintenance 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 colleague to carry Maria's bags. His colleague is called Sam.
Sam takes the bags upstairs. Hassan goes back to the front desk. More guests come in from outside. Hassan greets all of them. He helps them with their questions. One hour later, the maintenance 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
| manager (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 (noun) | the large entrance area inside a hotel or building“Many guests were standing in the hotel lobby.” |
| broken (adjective) | not working; damaged“Maria said the lift was broken.” |
| maintenance (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 (noun) | a person you work with“Hassan asked his colleague Sam to carry the bags.” |
| guest (noun) | a person who is staying at a hotel“The guest told Hassan that the lift was not working.” |
| greet (verb) | to say hello to someone when they arrive“Hassan greeted all the guests who came into the hotel.” |
| worried (adjective) | feeling unhappy because you think something bad might happen“Maria looked worried when the lift stopped working.” |
Useful phrases
- 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.”
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 | L | M | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | X | C | V | D | S | K | A | D | M | K | K | A | C |
| 2 | Q | N | E | Z | S | B | P | T | Z | H | L | O | V |
| 3 | D | G | O | T | J | T | R | Z | X | Z | Y | F | P |
| 4 | G | E | E | C | N | A | N | E | T | N | I | A | M |
| 5 | T | O | I | Y | C | L | L | K | G | C | W | B | T |
| 6 | F | O | Q | R | Y | L | X | W | O | A | A | T | K |
| 7 | I | U | H | H | R | G | V | L | C | S | N | F | A |
| 8 | J | U | Q | J | R | O | L | X | W | T | L | A | Y |
| 9 | W | V | S | E | T | E | W | R | W | N | Z | W | M |
| 10 | L | T | E | P | A | K | O | Z | L | D | S | W | Z |
| 11 | K | T | F | G | T | G | T | S | E | U | G | Y | A |
| 12 | P | T | U | N | I | G | G | B | R | O | K | E | N |
| 13 | V | E | F | H | F | Y | F | Y | B | B | O | L | J |
Comprehension quiz
What is Hassan's job at the hotel?
- A) He is a chef.
- B) He is the front desk manager.
- C) He is a maintenance worker.
- D) He is a porter.
What problem does Maria tell Hassan about?
- A) Her room is too cold.
- B) The café is closed.
- C) The lift is not working.
- D) Her bags are lost.
How long does the maintenance team say the repair will take?
- A) All day
- B) One hour
- C) Two hours
- D) 30 minutes
What does Hassan offer Maria while she waits?
- A) A free room upgrade
- B) A phone to call her family
- C) A seat in the café
- D) A map of the hotel
Who carries Maria's bags to her room?
- A) The maintenance team
- B) Hassan
- C) Sam
- D) Maria herself
The word 'worried' means feeling happy and relaxed. Is this TRUE or FALSE?
- A) Not stated
- B) Not mentioned
- C) False
- D) True
What does 'colleague' mean in the story?
- A) A member of the maintenance team
- B) The hotel manager
- C) A person Hassan works with
- D) A guest staying at the hotel
Hassan greeted the guests who arrived at the hotel. TRUE or FALSE?
- A) Not stated
- B) False
- C) True
- D) Not mentioned
How does Hassan feel at the end of the story?
- A) Tired and angry
- B) Bored
- C) Happy
- D) Sad and worried
What does 'fix a problem' mean?
- A) To make something worse
- B) To ignore something that is wrong
- C) To call a guest on the phone
- D) To solve something that is not working correctly
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. B 2. C 3. B 4. C 5. C 6. C 7. C 8. C 9. C 10. D
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.
broken: H12 → · colleague: J5 ↙ · greet: F7 ↙ · guest: K11 ← · lobby: L13 ← · maintenance: M4 ← · manager: M9 ↖ · worried: G9 ↖