Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: trying something for the first time
Isla's First Day at the Bank
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Isla woke up early on a bright morning. She felt nervous but also excited. Today was a special day for her. She wanted to open her first bank account. She never did this before. Her older sister told her it was easy. But Isla was not sure about that. She put on her jacket and picked up her bag. She checked for her identification card. It was inside her bag. She also had some papers with her address on them. She walked to the bus stop and waited. The bus arrived after a few minutes. She got on the bus and sat near the window. She watched the buildings pass by and took a deep breath. Isla arrived at the bank and walked through the big glass doors.
The bank was very clean and quiet inside. There were many people sitting and waiting. Isla looked around and felt a little lost. She did not know where to go first. A friendly woman at the front desk smiled at her. "Hello, how can I help you today?" the woman asked. "I want to open a bank account, please," Isla said quietly. The woman gave her a number and asked her to sit down. "Someone will call your number soon," the woman explained. Isla sat in a comfortable chair and waited. She looked at the other people in the bank. Some people talked to the bank workers behind the counter. One man used a machine near the wall. Isla watched everything carefully because it was all new to her. After ten minutes, a man called her number. He smiled and said, "Please come this way." Isla followed him to a small desk.
He asked her some questions about her name and address. Isla answered all the questions slowly and carefully. He looked at her identification card and her papers. "Everything looks good," he said kindly. He typed some information into his computer. Then he gave Isla a new bank card. "This is your card. You can use it at any machine," he told her. Isla held the card and smiled. She felt very proud of herself. "Thank you so much for your help," she said. The man said, "You are welcome. It was nice to meet you." Isla walked out of the bank with a big smile on her face. She called her sister and said, "I did it! I opened my first bank account!"
Key vocabulary
| nervous (adjective) | feeling worried or a little afraid about something“She felt nervous before her first day at school.” |
| account (noun) | an arrangement with a bank to keep your money there“He put his money into his bank account.” |
| identification (noun) | a document that shows who you are“You need identification to open a bank account.” |
| counter (noun) | a long flat surface where workers help customers“The woman stood behind the counter and helped people.” |
| machine (noun) | a piece of equipment that does a particular job“She used the machine to get money from her account.” |
| proud (adjective) | feeling happy about something good you did“He was proud because he passed his exam.” |
| explain (verb) | to tell someone something in a way they can understand“The teacher explained the new words to the class.” |
| quietly (adverb) | in a way that makes little or no noise“She spoke quietly because the baby was sleeping.” |
| comfortable (adjective) | giving a nice and relaxed feeling“The chair was very comfortable.” |
| carefully (adverb) | with a lot of attention so you do not make a mistake“She wrote her name carefully on the form.” |
Useful phrases
- open an account — to start a new bank account“I went to the bank to open an account.”
- take a deep breath — to breathe in slowly to feel calm“She took a deep breath before she spoke.”
- look around — to turn your head to see what is near you“He looked around the room for an empty seat.”
- this way — in this direction; follow me“The man said, "Please come this way."”
- feel proud of yourself — to feel happy because you did something well“You should feel proud of yourself for finishing the race.”
- how can I help you — a polite way to ask someone what they need“The shop worker said, "How can I help you today?"”
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 | L | M | N | O | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | U | J | H | T | A | W | I | E | D | G | M | R | Q | C | N |
| 2 | N | P | B | C | E | M | M | I | V | J | E | S | O | F | Q |
| 3 | O | G | N | N | X | Q | N | E | W | T | T | M | X | L | L |
| 4 | I | E | E | I | E | E | R | F | N | J | F | I | P | S | E |
| 5 | T | Z | R | X | S | Q | W | U | I | O | E | L | R | L | X |
| 6 | A | B | V | X | H | C | O | R | R | M | R | M | B | Y | P |
| 7 | C | B | O | P | F | C | A | T | E | L | C | E | D | Q | L |
| 8 | I | T | U | Y | O | D | A | R | E | F | C | S | L | A | A |
| 9 | F | N | S | A | O | B | Y | M | E | K | I | U | C | E | I |
| 10 | I | U | X | G | L | L | B | C | A | F | P | Z | P | A | N |
| 11 | T | O | Q | E | D | U | O | R | P | C | U | O | R | T | B |
| 12 | N | C | P | P | C | K | C | P | N | W | H | L | C | S | C |
| 13 | E | C | K | I | M | Y | K | I | R | Q | L | I | L | U | W |
| 14 | D | A | J | Q | H | J | J | A | Z | L | C | A | N | Y | K |
| 15 | I | A | W | Q | U | I | E | T | L | Y | M | M | S | E | W |
Comprehension quiz
Why did Isla go to the bank?
- A) To get money from a machine
- B) To open her first bank account
- C) To talk to her sister
- D) To pay for something
What does the word 'nervous' mean in the story?
- A) Happy and excited
- B) Tired and sleepy
- C) Angry and upset
- D) Worried and a little afraid
What did Isla bring with her to the bank?
- A) Her phone and money
- B) Her sister and her papers
- C) Her identification card and papers with her address
- D) Her jacket and a book
True or False: Isla opened a bank account many times before.
- A) Not mentioned
- B) Not stated
- C) False
- D) True
What does 'counter' mean in the story?
- A) A small room in the bank
- B) A kind of machine
- C) A type of chair
- D) A long flat surface where workers help customers
Who helped Isla first when she entered the bank?
- A) A person using a machine
- B) Her older sister
- C) A man at a small desk
- D) A friendly woman at the front desk
What did the man give Isla at the end?
- A) A form to fill in
- B) Some money
- C) A new bank card
- D) A piece of paper
True or False: Isla called her sister after leaving the bank.
- A) Not mentioned
- B) False
- C) True
- D) Not stated
What does 'carefully' mean in the story?
- A) Very quickly
- B) With a lot of attention
- C) In a loud voice
- D) Without thinking
How did Isla feel after she opened her bank account?
- A) Tired and bored
- B) Angry and confused
- C) Proud and happy
- D) Nervous and lost
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. B 2. D 3. C 4. C 5. D 6. D 7. C 8. C 9. B 10. C
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.
account: B14 ↑ · carefully: F6 ↘ · comfortable: N1 ↙ · counter: F7 ↗ · explain: O4 ↓ · identification: A15 ↑ · machine: H9 ↘ · nervous: C3 ↓ · proud: I11 ← · quietly: D15 →