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    Ibrahim and the Wonky Wheel

    a trolley with a wonky wheel in a supermarketa park benchCEFR A2
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    Ibrahim went to the supermarket on a sunny morning. He needed to buy food for the week. He walked inside and took a from the line near the door. The looked normal at first. He put his hands on the handle and started to push. Then he heard a strange noise. One of the was not working well. It was a . The moved to the left all the time. Ibrahim tried to push it straight, but it was very difficult. He used a lot of energy to keep it on the right path. Other shoppers looked at him and smiled. The noise from the was loud and annoying. Ibrahim felt a little .

    He thought about getting a different , but the shop was very busy. Ibrahim decided to keep the . He pushed it slowly down the first . He put bread, rice, and some vegetables inside it. Every time he turned a corner, the made a loud sound. A shop worker walked past him. Ibrahim said, "Excuse me, this has a bad ." The worker looked at the and said, "I am sorry. All the other are in use right now." Ibrahim sighed and said, "That is okay. I will ." He continued shopping and filled the with more items. The became heavier and harder to push. He bumped into a shelf once, but nothing fell down. He paid for his food at the checkout and carried the bags outside. He was very tired from fighting with the . He needed to sit down and rest.

    Ibrahim walked to a park bench near the supermarket. He sat down and put his shopping bags on the ground. He took a deep breath and relaxed. A woman was sitting on the other end of the bench. She had shopping bags too. She looked at Ibrahim and said, "You look tired." Ibrahim laughed and said, "I had a with a . It was a real ." The woman smiled and said, "I know that feeling. It happened to me last week." They both laughed together. Ibrahim said, "Next time, I will check the before I start shopping." The woman nodded and said, "That is a very good idea." Ibrahim sat on the bench for ten more minutes. He felt better after the rest. Then he picked up his bags and walked home with a smile on his face. It was a small problem, but it made a funny story.

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    Key Vocabulary

    trolley
    /ˈtrɒl.i/
    noun

    a metal cart with wheels that you use to carry things in a supermarket

    "I put all my food in the trolley."

    wonky
    /ˈwɒŋ.ki/
    adjective

    not straight or not working correctly; shaky or unsteady

    "The table is a bit wonky because one leg is shorter."

    wheel
    /wiːl/
    noun

    a round object that turns and helps something move

    "The wheel on my suitcase is broken."

    aisle
    /aɪl/
    noun

    a long space between rows of shelves in a shop

    "The milk is in the last aisle on the right."

    squeaky
    /ˈskwiː.ki/
    adjective

    making a short, high sound

    "My new shoes are very squeaky on the floor."

    embarrassed
    /ɪmˈbær.əst/
    adjective

    feeling uncomfortable because other people are watching you

    "She felt embarrassed when she dropped her phone in the meeting."

    manage
    /ˈmæn.ɪdʒ/
    verb

    to succeed in doing something difficult

    "It was hard, but I managed to finish the work on time."

    struggle
    /ˈstrʌɡ.l̩/
    noun

    something that is very difficult to do

    "Walking in the strong wind was a real struggle."

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    Useful Phrases

    at first

    in the beginning, before something changed

    "The job was easy at first, but then it became harder."

    all the time

    continuously; without stopping

    "The dog barks all the time when strangers walk past."

    right now

    at this moment

    "I am busy right now, but I can help you later."

    bumped into

    hit something accidentally

    "I bumped into the door because I was not looking."

    took a deep breath

    breathed in slowly to feel calm or relaxed

    "She took a deep breath before she started speaking."

    I will manage

    I will find a way to do it even if it is hard

    "The bag is heavy, but I will manage."

    I know that feeling

    I have experienced the same thing before

    "You are tired after work? I know that feeling."

    a good idea

    a smart or sensible plan

    "Taking an umbrella today is a good idea."

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