Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: paying the bill at a restaurant
Kofi Pays the Bill at the Restaurant
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Kofi is sitting at a busy bus stop. He has just finished lunch at a small restaurant near the bus stop. He is happy because the food was very good. He had a bowl of soup and a plate of rice. He also had a glass of juice. Now he is waiting for his bus. He looks at his watch. The bus is not here yet. He has a few minutes. He decides to check his bag for his wallet. He opens his bag and looks inside. He finds his wallet quickly. He opens the wallet and looks at the money inside. He has some cash and one card. He feels ready to pay the bill. He stands up and walks back to the restaurant. Kofi goes inside the restaurant. He walks to the counter. A server is standing there.
"Excuse me," Kofi says. "I would like to pay my bill, please." The server smiles. "Of course," she says. "Your total is fourteen dollars." Kofi looks in his wallet. He only has ten dollars in cash. He feels a little worried. "Can I pay by card?" he asks. "Yes, you can," the server says. She gives him a small card reader. Kofi puts his card in the reader. He waits for a moment. The machine makes a short sound. "Your payment is done," the server says. Kofi smiles. "Thank you very much," he says. "The food was really great today." The server smiles again. "Thank you! Please come back soon," she says. Kofi walks back to the bus stop.
He feels good. He paid the bill and the server was very kind. He sits down on the bench again. He checks his phone. The bus is coming in three minutes. He puts his wallet back in his bag. He zips his bag closed. He looks down the street. He can see the bus in the distance. He stands up and gets ready. He thinks about the soup. It was warm and delicious. He thinks he will come back to the restaurant next week. The bus arrives. Kofi gets on. He finds a seat near the window. He is happy. It was a good lunch.
Key vocabulary
| bill (noun) | a piece of paper showing how much money you must pay for food or a service“The server brought the bill to the table after lunch.” |
| wallet (noun) | a small flat case for carrying money and cards“Kofi opened his wallet and took out some cash.” |
| cash (noun) | paper money and coins“She did not have enough cash, so she paid by card.” |
| total (noun) | the full amount of money to be paid“The total for the meal was fourteen dollars.” |
| server (noun) | a person who brings food and drinks to customers in a restaurant“The server asked if they were ready to order.” |
| card reader (noun) | a machine that reads a bank card to take payment“She held her card over the card reader to pay.” |
| payment (noun) | the act of giving money for something“The machine confirmed that the payment was complete.” |
| distance (noun) | a space or gap between two places or things“He could see the bus coming from a distance.” |
Useful phrases
- pay the bill — to give money for food or a service you have received“Kofi went back inside the restaurant to pay the bill.”
- Excuse me — a polite phrase used to get someone's attention“"Excuse me," Kofi said to the server at the counter.”
- pay by card — to use a bank card instead of cash to pay for something“He asked if he could pay by card because he had no cash.”
- come back soon — a friendly way to invite someone to return“"Thank you! Please come back soon," the server said.”
- check your bag — to look inside your bag to find something“She stopped to check her bag for her wallet before ordering.”
- in the distance — far away but able to be seen“Kofi could see the bus in the distance and stood up.”
- a few minutes — a short amount of time, usually two to five minutes“He had a few minutes before the bus arrived.”
- get ready — to prepare yourself for something that is about to happen“Kofi stood up and got ready as the bus came closer.”
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | V | F | C | T | B | I | L | L | J | S | S | E |
| 2 | Y | T | W | X | N | L | R | S | D | S | W | Z |
| 3 | H | E | U | T | A | E | H | S | A | C | A | O |
| 4 | X | A | C | T | M | B | M | T | W | O | L | S |
| 5 | C | R | O | N | C | S | U | Y | X | K | L | M |
| 6 | A | T | E | U | A | Y | S | N | A | O | E | W |
| 7 | B | Q | O | V | N | T | L | K | V | P | T | W |
| 8 | K | N | S | T | R | Q | S | P | J | E | B | O |
| 9 | S | R | Q | B | V | E | E | I | U | L | J | A |
| 10 | O | P | J | I | Z | Y | S | R | D | X | R | Q |
| 11 | I | R | C | A | R | D | R | E | A | D | E | R |
| 12 | O | R | S | F | B | I | U | Q | D | J | M | P |
Comprehension quiz
Where is Kofi sitting at the start of the story?
- A) At a park bench
- B) Inside the restaurant
- C) At a busy bus stop
- D) On the bus
What did Kofi eat for lunch?
- A) A sandwich and a salad
- B) A pizza and a soda
- C) A burger and fries
- D) A bowl of soup and a plate of rice
Why does Kofi feel worried when he hears the total?
- A) He lost his wallet
- B) He only has ten dollars in cash
- C) He left his card at home
- D) He forgot to bring his bag
How much does Kofi's meal cost?
- A) Ten dollars
- B) Fourteen dollars
- C) Sixteen dollars
- D) Twelve dollars
What does the server give Kofi to pay?
- A) A pen and a form
- B) A paper bill
- C) A small card reader
- D) A receipt
The word "total" in the story means ___.
- A) the name of the restaurant
- B) the food Kofi ordered
- C) the full amount of money to be paid
- D) the number of people at the table
How long does Kofi have to wait for the bus at the end of the story?
- A) Ten minutes
- B) Five minutes
- C) One minute
- D) Three minutes
Kofi plans to return to the restaurant next week. True or False?
- A) False
- B) True
- C) Not stated
- D) Not mentioned
What does Kofi do after paying the bill?
- A) He asks for a receipt
- B) He walks back to the bus stop
- C) He orders more food
- D) He calls a friend
The word "server" in the story means ___.
- A) a person who drives the bus
- B) a person who sells tickets
- C) a person who brings food to customers in a restaurant
- D) a person who repairs machines
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. C 2. D 3. B 4. B 5. C 6. C 7. D 8. B 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.
bill: E1 → · card reader: C11 → · cash: J3 ← · distance: I10 ↖ · payment: J7 ↖ · server: G10 ↖ · total: B6 ↗ · wallet: K2 ↓