Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: lost luggage at the airport
Ibrahim's Lost Bag at the Airport
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Ibrahim lands at the airport after a long flight. He is tired, but he feels happy because he is finally here. He walks to the baggage claim area. He watches the bags go around on the belt. He waits for his big blue suitcase. One bag comes. Then another bag comes. Then another. But Ibrahim does not see his suitcase. He waits and waits. The belt stops moving. All the other passengers pick up their bags and leave. Ibrahim looks around. His suitcase is not there. He feels worried. He checks his ticket. He checks his tag number. His bag is definitely missing.
Ibrahim walks to the lost luggage desk. A woman is sitting behind the counter. She smiles at him. "Hello," she says. "Can I help you?" Ibrahim says, "Yes, please. My bag is not on the belt. I cannot find it." The woman says, "I am sorry to hear that. Do you have your baggage tag?" Ibrahim says, "Yes, I have it here." He gives her the small paper tag. The woman types on her computer. She looks at the screen for a moment. "I can see your bag in the system," she says. "It did not come on your flight. It stayed at the other airport." Ibrahim feels sad. He also feels a little angry. But he stays calm and polite. "What happens next?" he asks. The woman says, "We will send your bag to your address. It will arrive in one or two days." Ibrahim fills in a form with his name, his phone number, and his address.
The woman gives him a reference number. "Call us if you have any questions," she says. Ibrahim walks out of the airport. He sits down on a bench in a small park near the exit. He puts his carry-on bag on the ground. He takes out his phone and calls his friend. "My bag is lost," he says. "It will come in two days." His friend says, "That is terrible! Do you need anything?" Ibrahim says, "I need a toothbrush and some clean clothes." His friend laughs and says, "I can help with that!" Ibrahim smiles a little. He looks at the trees and the sky. He thinks about his suitcase somewhere far away. He feels better because his friend is kind. He writes down the reference number in his phone. He does not want to lose it. He knows he needs to buy a few small things today. He also knows his bag will come back. He takes a deep breath. Everything will be okay.
Key vocabulary
| baggage (noun) | bags and suitcases that you take when you travel“Ibrahim waited at the baggage claim area for his suitcase.” |
| suitcase (noun) | a large bag with a hard or soft side that you use for travel“His big blue suitcase was not on the belt.” |
| belt (noun) | a moving surface at an airport that carries bags for passengers to collect“She watched her bag come around on the belt.” |
| missing (adjective) | not where it should be; lost“His bag was missing after the flight.” |
| counter (noun) | a long flat surface where people are served in an office or store“He walked to the counter at the lost luggage desk.” |
| reference number (noun) | a number given to help find or track something“The woman gave Ibrahim a reference number for his lost bag.” |
| calm (adjective) | not angry or upset; quiet and controlled“Ibrahim stayed calm even though he was worried.” |
| carry-on (noun) | a small bag that you take onto a plane with you“He put his carry-on bag on the ground near the bench.” |
Useful phrases
- baggage claim — the area in an airport where passengers collect their bags after a flight“Ibrahim went straight to baggage claim after landing.”
- lost luggage desk — a place at an airport where you report a missing bag“He walked to the lost luggage desk to ask for help.”
- fill in a form — to write information on an official paper or document“Ibrahim filled in a form with his name and address.”
- stay calm — to keep control of your feelings and not get upset“Even though his bag was lost, he tried to stay calm.”
- I cannot find it — used to say that something is not where you expect it to be“"My bag is on the belt, but I cannot find it," he said.”
- arrive in one or two days — to get to a place after a short time“The woman said the bag would arrive in one or two days.”
- take a deep breath — to breathe in slowly to help you feel more relaxed“Ibrahim took a deep breath and felt a little better.”
- call us if you have any questions — an invitation to contact someone for more help“"Call us if you have any questions," the woman said with a smile.”
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 | N | O | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | R | O | U | R | P | F | Y | G | S | K | C | Q | O | J | Y |
| 2 | C | E | Y | L | E | H | Q | P | X | N | E | C | A | F | Q |
| 3 | B | M | F | R | U | T | J | Z | G | V | G | Z | L | G | S |
| 4 | X | T | B | E | O | X | N | K | I | V | A | P | I | Q | A |
| 5 | Q | G | Y | F | R | O | I | U | P | L | G | T | M | M | H |
| 6 | I | U | T | G | C | E | K | B | O | C | G | L | K | Y | H |
| 7 | P | B | C | L | G | Z | N | L | E | C | A | X | G | X | E |
| 8 | L | W | S | G | E | R | V | C | A | R | B | E | O | Y | E |
| 9 | K | N | U | C | T | B | C | L | E | T | Y | G | F | M | R |
| 10 | Z | Y | H | Y | G | K | M | O | C | N | D | O | F | D | W |
| 11 | S | G | E | S | A | C | T | I | U | S | U | W | Q | A | Y |
| 12 | D | B | R | Z | G | N | I | S | S | I | M | M | N | P | F |
| 13 | M | I | A | K | X | N | O | Y | R | R | A | C | B | G | R |
| 14 | A | F | K | J | A | G | O | V | D | J | Y | J | P | E | P |
| 15 | L | Q | M | D | V | J | Z | P | Q | B | G | S | E | U | R |
Comprehension quiz
Where does Ibrahim wait for his bag?
- A) At the check-in desk
- B) At the baggage claim area
- C) At the exit door
- D) At the park bench
What color is Ibrahim's suitcase?
- A) Red
- B) Black
- C) Blue
- D) Green
What does the woman at the desk ask Ibrahim to give her?
- A) His passport
- B) His ticket
- C) His phone number
- D) His baggage tag
Why did Ibrahim's bag not arrive?
- A) It stayed at the other airport
- B) It was too heavy for the plane
- C) It was lost on the belt
- D) Another passenger took it
How long will it take for Ibrahim's bag to arrive?
- A) One hour
- B) One week
- C) Three days
- D) One or two days
What does Ibrahim write down in his phone?
- A) His friend's address
- B) The flight number
- C) The reference number
- D) The woman's name
Where does Ibrahim sit after leaving the airport?
- A) In a café
- B) On a chair inside the airport
- C) In a taxi
- D) On a park bench
What does Ibrahim say he needs?
- A) A phone and a charger
- B) A toothbrush and some clean clothes
- C) A new suitcase and a ticket
- D) Money and food
Ibrahim stays calm and polite at the lost luggage desk. Is this true or false?
- A) False
- B) Not mentioned
- C) True
- D) Not stated
What does the word 'missing' mean in this story?
- A) Broken
- B) Very old
- C) Too heavy
- D) Not where it should be
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. B 2. C 3. D 4. A 5. D 6. C 7. D 8. B 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.
baggage: K8 ↑ · belt: F9 ↖ · calm: J7 ↙ · carry-on: L13 ← · counter: J7 ↖ · missing: K12 ← · reference number: A1 ↘ · suitcase: J11 ←