Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: dealing with a problem at work
Hassan Fixes the Problem
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Hassan worked at the front desk of a big hotel. He liked his job very much. Every morning, he arrived early and put on his uniform. He smiled at every guest. He helped people find their rooms. He answered the phone many times each day. One Tuesday morning, something bad happened. The computer system stopped working. Hassan could not check in any new guests. The line of guests in the lobby grew very long. People looked tired and unhappy.
Hassan felt very worried. A tall woman at the front of the line said, "I have been waiting for thirty minutes!" Another guest said, "I need my room now. I am very tired." Hassan took a deep breath. He said, "I am very sorry. We have a problem with our computer. I will help you as fast as I can." He found a notebook and a pen behind the desk. He wrote down each guest's name by hand. He gave each person a room key from the key box. It was slow work, but he stayed calm. He also asked his colleague to bring water and juice for the waiting guests. The guests were a little happier after that.
Hassan called the technology team right away. They came to the lobby in twenty minutes. They fixed the computer in about one hour. After that, Hassan entered all the information from his notebook into the computer. His manager came to see him later. She said, "You did a great job today, Hassan." Hassan smiled and said, "Thank you. I just wanted to help the guests." He learned something important that day. Problems can happen at any time. The best thing to do is stay calm and find a solution. Hassan felt proud of himself when he went home that evening.
Key vocabulary
| front desk (noun) | the place in a hotel where guests check in and get help“Please go to the front desk to get your room key.” |
| uniform (noun) | special clothes you wear for work“Hassan put on his uniform before starting work.” |
| guest (noun) | a person who stays at a hotel“The guest asked for an extra pillow.” |
| check in (verb) | to register and get a room at a hotel“We need to check in before we can go to our room.” |
| lobby (noun) | the large open area inside the entrance of a hotel“There were comfortable chairs in the lobby.” |
| worried (adjective) | feeling nervous or afraid about something“Hassan felt worried when the computer stopped working.” |
| calm (adjective) | not excited or angry; quiet and relaxed“He stayed calm even when the guests were upset.” |
| colleague (noun) | a person you work with“Hassan asked his colleague to help him.” |
| solution (noun) | a way to fix a problem“Writing names by hand was a good solution.” |
| proud (adjective) | feeling happy about something good you did“Hassan felt proud of himself for helping the guests.” |
Useful phrases
- took a deep breath — breathed in slowly to become calm“Before speaking to the angry guest, Hassan took a deep breath.”
- right away — immediately; without waiting“Hassan called for help right away.”
- by hand — without using a machine or computer“He wrote all the names by hand.”
- as fast as I can — at the quickest speed possible“"I will finish this as fast as I can," said Hassan.”
- did a great job — performed work very well“The manager told Hassan he did a great job.”
Word search
Find all 10 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 | R | D | C | M | L | A | C | F | C | X | C |
| 2 | F | Z | E | L | O | B | B | Y | O | V | A |
| 3 | L | R | J | I | J | A | T | F | L | Z | T |
| 4 | C | P | O | F | R | M | G | S | L | S | S |
| 5 | C | H | R | N | W | R | O | Y | E | B | H |
| 6 | B | J | E | O | T | L | O | U | A | S | R |
| 7 | V | D | C | C | U | D | G | W | G | S | B |
| 8 | U | I | Q | T | K | D | E | R | U | D | U |
| 9 | H | E | I | A | U | I | W | S | E | K | Q |
| 10 | D | O | V | Z | Y | V | N | R | K | J | C |
| 11 | N | Z | M | R | O | F | I | N | U | L | U |
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.
calm: G1 ← · check in: A4 ↘ · colleague: I1 ↓ · front desk: A2 ↘ · guest: G7 ↗ · lobby: D2 → · proud: B4 ↘ · solution: H4 ↙ · uniform: I11 ← · worried: H7 ↖