Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: helping someone who is upset
Kai and the Crying Girl
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Kai is at the railway platform. He has a big bag with him. He is waiting for his train. The platform is busy. Many people are standing and walking. Kai looks at the board. His train is on time. He feels happy about that. Then he sees a girl near the wall. She is sitting on a bench. She has her hands over her face. Her shoulders are moving up and down. Kai thinks she is crying. He feels worried for her. He does not know her.
Kai walks slowly to the bench. He stops near the girl. He says, "Excuse me, are you okay?" The girl looks up. Her eyes are red. She says, "No, I missed my train." Kai sits down next to her. He says, "Oh, that is not good. I am sorry." The girl says, "My name is Lena." Kai says, "Hi Lena, I am Kai. Can I help you?" Lena says, "I do not know what to do." Kai says, "Let us look at the board together." They both stand up and walk to the big board. Kai points at the screen. He says, "Look! There is another train in twenty minutes." Lena looks at the board. She wipes her eyes. Lena says, "Really? I did not see that!" She smiles a little. Kai says, "Yes!
You are going to be okay." Lena takes a deep breath. She says, "Thank you so much, Kai." Kai smiles and says, "No problem at all." They walk back to the bench together. They sit and wait. Kai talks to Lena. He asks her easy questions. She starts to feel better. She laughs a little. Soon, they hear an announcement. The next train is coming. Lena picks up her bag. She says, "You are very kind, Kai. Thank you again!" Kai waves and says, "Have a good trip, Lena!" He watches her get on the train. He feels warm inside. It is good to help people.
Key vocabulary
| platform (noun) | the area beside the railway track where people wait for a train“Kai waited on the platform for his train.” |
| bench (noun) | a long seat for more than one person, often found outdoors or in public places“The girl was sitting on a bench near the wall.” |
| missed (verb (past simple)) | arrived too late for something, such as a train or bus“Lena missed her train because she was late.” |
| announcement (noun) | an official message spoken out loud in a public place“They heard an announcement that the next train was coming.” |
| worried (adjective) | feeling nervous or unhappy because you think something bad might happen“Kai felt worried when he saw the girl crying.” |
| wipes (verb) | to rub something to remove liquid, dirt, or tears from a surface“Lena wipes her eyes after she stops crying.” |
| breath (noun) | the air that goes in and out of your body when you breathe“Lena takes a deep breath to feel calm.” |
| kind (adjective) | friendly, generous, and caring towards other people“Lena says Kai is very kind because he helped her.” |
Useful phrases
- on time — arriving or happening at the correct or expected time“Kai's train was on time, so he was happy.”
- Excuse me — a polite expression used to get someone's attention“Kai says, "Excuse me, are you okay?" to the girl.”
- I am sorry — words used to show sympathy or to apologize“Kai says, "I am sorry" when he hears Lena missed her train.”
- No problem at all — a friendly way to say that something was easy or that you are happy to help“When Lena thanks Kai, he says, "No problem at all."”
- take a deep breath — to breathe in slowly and deeply to help yourself feel calm“Lena takes a deep breath when she starts to feel better.”
- Let us look together — an invitation to do something as a group or pair“Kai says, "Let us look at the board together" to help Lena.”
- Have a good trip — a friendly wish for someone who is about to travel“Kai says, "Have a good trip, Lena!" before she gets on the train.”
- feel warm inside — to have a happy, positive feeling because of something good you did“Kai feels warm inside after he helps Lena.”
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | X | A | P | S | M | R | J | E | L | P | X | O | H | R |
| 2 | L | R | N | B | G | E | M | S | Z | W | T | T | X | U |
| 3 | M | B | X | N | O | L | E | R | O | Z | A | E | Z | S |
| 4 | D | Q | T | G | O | P | G | R | O | E | U | W | X | K |
| 5 | E | A | B | B | I | U | R | Z | R | F | T | P | R | Q |
| 6 | S | L | H | W | N | I | N | B | Y | N | T | Q | J | G |
| 7 | S | T | Y | C | E | D | J | C | D | E | T | A | F | S |
| 8 | I | F | E | D | C | Q | K | E | E | T | N | W | L | W |
| 9 | M | Q | G | I | B | E | N | C | H | M | X | L | A | P |
| 10 | J | F | Q | V | G | O | H | L | N | L | E | M | O | S |
| 11 | E | Y | T | U | P | F | S | N | L | R | P | N | A | C |
| 12 | S | K | I | N | D | U | E | S | S | B | S | K | T | Q |
| 13 | N | P | H | P | G | W | S | P | N | W | R | G | J | E |
| 14 | A | M | J | F | S | R | J | A | R | Z | L | D | U | A |
Comprehension quiz
Where does the story happen?
- A) In a park
- B) On a railway platform
- C) In a shop
- D) At an airport
Why is Lena upset at the start?
- A) She lost her bag
- B) She missed her train
- C) She cannot find her ticket
- D) She is feeling sick
What does Kai say first to Lena?
- A) "Hello, my name is Kai."
- B) "Do you need help with your bag?"
- C) "Can I sit here?"
- D) "Excuse me, are you okay?"
How long until the next train when Kai looks at the board?
- A) One hour
- B) Thirty minutes
- C) Ten minutes
- D) Twenty minutes
In the story, "missed" means:
- A) Broke something
- B) Arrived too late for something
- C) Lost something
- D) Forgot something
What does Lena do when she sees there is another train?
- A) She cries more
- B) She calls someone
- C) She runs to the train
- D) She smiles a little
Kai knows Lena before the story begins. True or False?
- A) Not stated
- B) True
- C) False
- D) Not mentioned
What does "worried" mean in this story?
- A) Feeling angry
- B) Feeling excited
- C) Feeling nervous or unhappy about something
- D) Feeling tired
What does Kai do while they wait for the next train?
- A) He sleeps on the bench
- B) He talks to Lena and asks her easy questions
- C) He buys food
- D) He reads a book
How does Kai feel at the end of the story?
- A) Tired and sad
- B) Warm inside because he helped someone
- C) Bored and unhappy
- D) Angry that he missed his train
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. B 2. B 3. D 4. D 5. B 6. D 7. C 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.
announcement: B1 ↘ · bench: E9 → · breath: H6 ↗ · kind: B12 → · missed: A9 ↑ · platform: N9 ↖ · wipes: D6 ↗ · worried: J2 ↙