Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: a very important item going missing right before you need it
Kirra and the Missing Wrench
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Kirra works in a repair workshop. She fixes things every day. She fixes bicycles, tools, and small machines. Kirra loves her job. She is very good at it. People bring broken things to her workshop. Kirra always knows what to do. She has a lot of tools. She keeps them on a big shelf. Every tool has its own place. Kirra is very careful with her tools. She always puts them back after she uses them. Her favorite tool is a wrench. It is a big, heavy, silver wrench. She uses it almost every day. One morning, a man comes to the workshop. He has a broken machine. It is a very important machine. He needs it for work. "Please fix it today," he says.
"I need it this afternoon." Kirra looks at the machine. She knows the problem. She needs her big wrench to fix it. She goes to the shelf. But the wrench is not there. She looks again. It is not on the shelf. She looks on the table. It is not on the table. She looks under the table. It is not there. Kirra starts to feel worried. She looks everywhere in the workshop. She cannot find the wrench. Kirra thinks hard. She tries to remember. Did she use the wrench yesterday? Yes, she did. She used it to fix a bicycle. Did she put it back?
She is not sure. She looks near the bicycle. She moves some boxes. And then she sees it! The wrench is behind a big box. She picks it up. "I found it!" she says. She feels very happy. She goes back to the machine. She uses the wrench. She fixes the machine quickly. The man comes back in the afternoon. "Thank you so much," he says. Kirra smiles. "No problem," she says. It was a busy and stressful morning. But everything is okay now. Kirra puts the wrench back on the shelf. She will be more careful next time.
Key vocabulary
| workshop (noun) | a room or building where things are made or repaired“Kirra spends every day working in her repair workshop.” |
| wrench (noun) | a metal tool used for turning nuts and bolts“She needs the wrench to tighten the bolts on the machine.” |
| shelf (noun) | a flat board fixed to a wall or inside a cupboard, used to store things“Kirra keeps all her tools on a shelf in the workshop.” |
| broken (adjective) | damaged and not working correctly“The man brings a broken machine to the workshop.” |
| worried (adjective) | feeling nervous or unhappy because you think something bad might happen“Kirra feels worried when she cannot find her wrench.” |
| fix (verb) | to repair something that is broken or not working“It is Kirra's job to fix broken tools and machines.” |
| remember (verb) | to bring something from the past back into your mind“Kirra tries to remember where she put her wrench.” |
| stressful (adjective) | causing a lot of worry or pressure“It was a stressful morning because Kirra could not find her tool.” |
Useful phrases
- put something back — to return something to the place where it was before“Always put your tools back after you use them.”
- look everywhere — to search in all possible places“She looks everywhere in the workshop but cannot find the wrench.”
- think hard — to concentrate and try very seriously to remember or solve something“Kirra thinks hard and tries to remember where she used the wrench.”
- I found it — an expression used when you have successfully located something you were looking for“She moves the box and says, "I found it!"”
- No problem — a friendly way to say you are happy to help or that something was easy“When the man thanks Kirra, she says, "No problem."”
- be good at something — to have a skill or ability to do something well“Kirra is very good at fixing machines and bicycles.”
- Thank you so much — a warm and polite way to express strong gratitude“The man says, "Thank you so much," when he gets his machine back.”
- next time — on the following occasion when the same situation happens“Kirra will be more careful with her tools next time.”
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | E | I | R | R | O | W | F | U | U | K |
| 2 | X | L | X | R | L | K | F | Y | C | H | E |
| 3 | S | T | R | E | S | S | F | U | L | S | T |
| 4 | V | R | W | M | U | A | B | F | B | D | Z |
| 5 | Z | K | O | E | Y | I | O | I | B | B | L |
| 6 | H | U | R | M | B | H | W | X | J | M | G |
| 7 | K | M | K | B | A | R | C | C | I | J | F |
| 8 | F | Q | S | E | V | C | O | N | D | L | W |
| 9 | O | L | H | R | Q | C | A | K | E | L | Y |
| 10 | D | C | O | W | P | T | S | H | E | R | K |
| 11 | W | A | P | Z | B | J | S | J | D | N | W |
Comprehension quiz
What is Kirra's job?
- A) She builds bicycles in a factory.
- B) She teaches people to use machines.
- C) She fixes things in a repair workshop.
- D) She sells tools in a shop.
What is Kirra's favorite tool?
- A) A drill
- B) A screwdriver
- C) A hammer
- D) A wrench
Why does the man come to the workshop?
- A) He wants to learn how to fix things.
- B) He has a broken machine that he needs for work.
- C) He wants to buy a new tool.
- D) He wants to return a wrench.
Where does Kirra usually keep her tools?
- A) In a bag under the table
- B) On a big shelf
- C) On the floor near the door
- D) Inside a box
Where does Kirra find the wrench?
- A) Behind a big box
- B) Under a bicycle
- C) On the table
- D) On the shelf
What does "worried" mean in this story?
- A) Feeling nervous because something might be wrong
- B) Feeling tired after working
- C) Feeling happy and excited
- D) Feeling angry at someone
When did Kirra last use the wrench before the man arrived?
- A) A week before
- B) The previous day to fix a bicycle
- C) That same morning
- D) She cannot remember using it at all.
Kirra always puts her tools back in their place. True or False?
- A) True
- B) Not stated
- C) False
- D) Not mentioned
Which word means "damaged and not working correctly"?
- A) Stressful
- B) Heavy
- C) Worried
- D) Broken
How does Kirra feel at the end of the story?
- A) Angry and tired
- B) Sad and confused
- C) Bored and lonely
- D) Happy and relieved
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. C 2. D 3. B 4. B 5. A 6. A 7. B 8. A 9. D 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.
broken: E6 ↘ · fix: H4 ↓ · remember: D2 ↓ · shelf: G11 ↗ · stressful: A3 → · workshop: C4 ↓ · worried: G1 ← · wrench: K11 ↖