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    Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: a very enthusiastic salesperson

    Hugo the Happy Seller

    Name: ______________________   Date: ____________

    Hugo works at a newsagent's counter. He sells newspapers, magazines, and snacks. He loves his job very much. Every morning, he arrives early. He puts all the newspapers in neat rows. He smiles at every customer who comes in. His counter is always very tidy. Hugo knows where everything is. He can find any magazine very quickly. He is always happy to help people. The shop is small but very busy. Many people come in every day. Hugo greets every single person. He never forgets a friendly face. One day, a woman came into the shop. Her name was Sara. She only wanted to buy one newspaper.

    Hugo smiled his biggest smile at her. "Good morning! Welcome to our shop!" he said. Sara picked up a newspaper. Then Hugo pointed to the magazines. "These magazines are very good today!" he said. Sara looked at them. Hugo picked up a chocolate bar. "This chocolate is delicious! It is on special offer!" he told her. Sara put the chocolate in her basket. Then Hugo showed her some chewing gum. "This gum is very popular! Everyone buys it!" he said. Sara looked a little surprised. She put the gum in her basket too. Sara walked to the counter with a very full basket.

    She only came in for one newspaper. But now she had lots of things. Hugo put everything in a bag for her. He was still smiling. "Thank you so much for shopping with us today!" he said. Sara laughed a little. "I only wanted a newspaper," she said. Hugo nodded. "Yes, but you found so many great things too!" he said. Sara smiled and shook her head. She paid for everything and picked up her bag. It was quite heavy now. "See you tomorrow!" Hugo called out loudly. Sara walked out of the shop. She was smiling too.

    Key vocabulary

    newsagent (noun)a shop or person that sells newspapers, magazines, and small items“Hugo works at a newsagent's counter every day.”
    counter (noun)a long flat surface in a shop where you pay for things“Sara put her newspaper on the counter.”
    tidy (adjective)neat and in good order“Hugo keeps his counter very tidy.”
    greet (verb)to say hello to someone when you see them“Hugo greets every customer with a big smile.”
    special offer (noun phrase)a product sold at a lower price than usual for a short time“The chocolate bar was on special offer today.”
    popular (adjective)liked or bought by many people“Hugo said the chewing gum was very popular.”
    surprised (adjective)feeling something you did not expect“Sara looked surprised when Hugo showed her more things to buy.”
    basket (noun)a container used for carrying items when shopping“Sara put the chocolate bar in her basket.”

    Useful phrases

    • on special offer — available at a lower price than usual“Hugo told Sara the chocolate was on special offer.”
    • greet every customer — to say hello to each person who comes into the shop“Hugo greets every customer with a big smile.”
    • in neat rows — arranged in straight, tidy lines“Hugo puts all the newspapers in neat rows every morning.”
    • walked to the counter — moved towards the place where you pay“Sara walked to the counter with a very full basket.”
    • shook her head — moved your head from side to side to show surprise or disbelief“Sara smiled and shook her head at Hugo.”
    • called out — said something loudly so that others can hear“"See you tomorrow!" Hugo called out loudly.”
    • quite heavy — more than a little heavy“Sara's bag was quite heavy when she left the shop.”
    • very full — containing a lot of things, almost too many“Sara had a very full basket when she went to pay.”

    Word search

    Find all 8 key words from the story. They can read forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally.

    ABCDEFGHIJKLMN
    1OLREFFOLAICEPS
    2LFDTYOWYWILALM
    3HDTJJIYPYTTAPJ
    4YEAGKQKLJNUNMU
    5TRALUPOPLESJXR
    6CESSPGEZLGWXBE
    7PWKLUYNOFAQUDT
    8TZSSDRRZKSZMDN
    9GYZIAJPYMWAYYU
    10LJTIRBBRBEWTTO
    11ZTSZIXBCINCESC
    12ZWWEAHWMZSEGWC
    13KKCWPZLHIREFXX
    14RQBZCHXUGCYDFJ

    Comprehension quiz

    1. Where does Hugo work?

      • A) At a supermarket
      • B) At a newsagent's counter
      • C) At a café
      • D) At a bookshop
    2. What does Hugo do every morning before customers arrive?

      • A) He drinks coffee
      • B) He puts newspapers in neat rows
      • C) He reads the newspapers
      • D) He counts the money
    3. Why did Sara come into the shop?

      • A) To buy some chewing gum
      • B) To buy one newspaper
      • C) To buy some chocolate
      • D) To buy a magazine
    4. What did Hugo say about the chocolate bar?

      • A) It was very expensive
      • B) It was on special offer
      • C) It was his favorite
      • D) It was very old
    5. In the story, the word 'tidy' means:

      • A) Very busy
      • B) Neat and in good order
      • C) Old and dirty
      • D) Small and dark
    6. Hugo said the chewing gum was very popular. What does 'popular' mean?

      • A) New in the shop
      • B) Very sweet
      • C) Very cheap
      • D) Liked or bought by many people
    7. How did Sara feel when Hugo kept showing her things to buy?

      • A) Surprised
      • B) Bored
      • C) Sad
      • D) Angry
    8. What did Sara say at the counter?

      • A) "I will come back tomorrow."
      • B) "This shop is very nice."
      • C) "I only wanted a newspaper."
      • D) "I want more chocolate!"
    9. Hugo was unhappy when Sara left the shop. True or False?

      • A) True
      • B) False
      • C) Not mentioned
      • D) Not stated
    10. What did Sara do at the end of the story?

      • A) She gave Hugo a newspaper
      • B) She walked out smiling
      • C) She dropped her bag
      • D) She came back into the shop

    Answer key (A2 (Elementary))

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

    basket: F10 ↖ · counter: N11 ↑ · greet: I14 ↗ · newsagent: J11 ↑ · popular: H5 ← · special offer: N1 ← · surprised: D6 ↘ · tidy: C10 ↗

    Free Daily English · Level B1 (Intermediate) · Topic: a very enthusiastic salesperson

    Hugo's Unstoppable Sales Charm

    Name: ______________________   Date: ____________

    Hugo has worked behind the newsagent's counter for three years, and in that time he has developed a talent that is impossible to ignore. Every morning, he arranges the newspapers in precise rows, restocks the magazine shelves with careful attention, and positions the snacks and confectionery exactly where passing eyes are most likely to land. He greets each customer with the kind of warm, unhesitating enthusiasm that makes people feel like the most welcome visitors in the world. His colleagues often joke that Hugo could sell a newspaper to someone who cannot read, and most of them quietly believe it. The counter itself is a masterpiece of organization, with every item labeled, faced, and placed according to Hugo's own system. Regulars know to expect a cheerful recommendation along with their change, and they usually leave with more than they planned to buy. On a quiet Tuesday afternoon, a woman named Sara pushed open the door and approached the counter with the focused look of someone who knew exactly what she wanted.

    She asked for one newspaper, placed her money on the counter, and was just reaching for the paper when Hugo leaned forward with a bright, irresistible smile. "I couldn't help noticing you picked up the morning edition," he said, "but have you seen today's lifestyle magazine? It has a brilliant feature that goes perfectly with that paper." Before Sara could reply, he had already placed a magazine beside her newspaper. Then, with practiced ease, he gestured towards a display of chocolate bars. "These just came in this morning," he added, "and they're already flying off the shelf." Sara, who had intended to spend very little, found herself nodding along despite her better judgment. By the time Sara reached the counter to pay, her arms were full and her expression was caught somewhere between amusement and disbelief. She set everything down and looked at Hugo, who was already bagging her items with the cheerful efficiency of someone who had expected this outcome all along.

    "I genuinely only came in for a newspaper," she said, laughing quietly. Hugo nodded with complete sincerity. "And you found so much more besides," he replied, as though this were the most natural thing in the world. Sara shook her head slowly, paid for everything without further argument, and picked up her surprisingly heavy bag. As she made her way to the door, Hugo called after her with the same boundless energy he had started with: "See you tomorrow, Sara!" She paused, turned back, and smiled. She had a feeling he was probably right.

    Key vocabulary

    confectionery (noun)sweets, chocolates, and other sweet food items sold in a shop“Hugo arranged the confectionery neatly near the front of the counter.”
    enthusiasm (noun)a strong feeling of excitement and eagerness about something“Hugo greeted every customer with genuine enthusiasm.”
    irresistible (adjective)too attractive or convincing to be refused or ignored“Hugo leaned forward with an irresistible smile.”
    sincerity (noun)the quality of being genuine, honest, and meaning what you say“Hugo nodded with complete sincerity when Sara spoke to him.”
    efficiency (noun)the ability to do something well and quickly without wasting time or effort“Hugo bagged Sara's items with the cheerful efficiency of an expert.”
    practiced (adjective)skilled because of doing something many times before“With practiced ease, Hugo gestured towards the display of chocolate bars.”
    amusement (noun)the feeling of finding something funny or entertaining“Sara's expression was caught between amusement and disbelief.”
    boundless (adjective)having no limits; appearing to go on forever“Hugo called after Sara with the same boundless energy as before.”

    Useful phrases

    • flying off the shelf — selling very quickly and in large quantities“Hugo told Sara the chocolate bars were already flying off the shelf.”
    • against her better judgment — doing something even though you think it may not be a good idea“Sara found herself nodding along despite her better judgment.”
    • had expected this outcome all along — had known from the beginning that this would happen“Hugo bagged her items as though he had expected this outcome all along.”
    • leaned forward — moved the top part of your body towards something or someone“Hugo leaned forward with a bright, irresistible smile.”
    • so much more besides — many additional things on top of what was originally intended“"You found so much more besides," Hugo said warmly.”
    • without further argument — without continuing to protest or disagree“Sara paid for everything without further argument.”
    • made her way to — walked or traveled towards a particular place“Sara made her way to the door with her heavy bag.”
    • I couldn't help noticing — used to politely say that you noticed something, often to start a conversation“"I couldn't help noticing you picked up the morning edition," said Hugo.”

    Word search

    Find all 8 key words from the story. They can read forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally.

    ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO
    1SPDJAMUSEMENTVA
    2VZSRAVIXFMLEYJC
    3CNCPJQEHSMLLZYY
    4GESVRQJACBTWRPT
    5PKEMIAIAIBGEXRI
    6KPFYNSCTDLFVTTR
    7MVGNUTSTBFJRVXE
    8QBMHDIQIIDUBKYC
    9OJTUSJECHCTMRUN
    10BNBENIINPYEDNSI
    11EBRQPEYQYHTDFUS
    12ARCONFECTIONERY
    13IVVCBOUNDLESSUC
    14OMYFKNCFJQNYGJF
    15IWZHWJMUEBTAJOJ

    Comprehension quiz

    1. How long has Hugo worked at the newsagent's counter?

      • A) One year
      • B) Two years
      • C) Three years
      • D) Five years
    2. What does Hugo do with the snacks and confectionery each morning?

      • A) He positions them where passing eyes will notice them
      • B) He puts them in a back room
      • C) He counts them and writes a list
      • D) He places them behind the counter
    3. In the story, the word 'irresistible' most closely means:

      • A) Frightening and powerful
      • B) Too convincing or attractive to refuse
      • C) Quiet and calm
      • D) Polite and well-mannered
    4. What was Sara's original intention when she entered the shop?

      • A) To browse the magazine section
      • B) To buy a newspaper and some chocolate
      • C) To spend as little as possible and buy one newspaper
      • D) To ask Hugo for a recommendation
    5. What reason did Hugo give Sara for recommending the lifestyle magazine?

      • A) It was his personal favorite
      • B) It was the last one in the shop
      • C) It was on a special reduced price
      • D) It had a feature that went perfectly with her newspaper
    6. Hugo's colleagues think he is an average salesperson. True or False?

      • A) True
      • B) Not mentioned
      • C) Not stated
      • D) False
    7. In the story, 'boundless energy' means Hugo's energy was:

      • A) Calm and quiet
      • B) Forced and artificial
      • C) Without any limit
      • D) Slowly fading
    8. How did Sara feel when she put her items on the counter to pay?

      • A) Embarrassed and upset
      • B) Completely calm and unsurprised
      • C) Both amused and disbelieving
      • D) Angry and frustrated
    9. Sara left the shop before Hugo could say goodbye to her. True or False?

      • A) True
      • B) False
      • C) Not mentioned
      • D) Not stated
    10. What does the final sentence suggest about Sara?

      • A) She decided to complain about Hugo
      • B) She thought she would probably come back to the shop
      • C) She felt she had wasted her money
      • D) She was annoyed and planned not to return

    Answer key (B1 (Intermediate))

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

    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.

    amusement: E1 → · boundless: E13 → · confectionery: C12 → · efficiency: L5 ↙ · enthusiasm: A11 ↗ · irresistible: A13 ↗ · practiced: D3 ↘ · sincerity: O11 ↑

    Free Daily English · www.freedailyenglish.com/stories/hugo-the-happy-seller-2026-06-25