Daily Story·

    Kofi's Unlucky Morning

    running into someone you hoped to avoida busy bus stopCEFR A2
    0:00 / 0:00

    Click any sentence to jump to that moment

    Speed
    📖

    Story

    Tap an underlined word to see what it means.

    Kofi walked to the bus stop. It was a busy morning. Many people were standing and waiting. Kofi needed to take the bus to work. He was a little tired. He did not sleep well the night before. He looked at his phone. The bus was coming in ten minutes. He stood near the back of the group. He did not want anyone to see him. He put on his sunglasses. He hoped to stay . He looked down at the ground. He took a deep breath. He just wanted a quiet morning. Then Kofi saw someone he knew. It was Marcus.

    Marcus was Kofi's old . Kofi did not like Marcus very much. Marcus always talked a lot. He never stopped talking. Kofi tried to move away slowly. He stepped behind a tall woman. He held his bag in front of his face. His heart was fast. He thought, "Please don't see me." But then Marcus turned around. Marcus smiled a big smile. "Kofi! Hey, Kofi!" Marcus called out . Kofi stopped walking. He could not hide now. He slowly and said, "Oh. Hi, Marcus." Marcus walked over quickly.

    He started talking right away. "I haven't seen you in so long!" he said. "How are you? How is your family? Do you still live in the same place?" Kofi answered each question . He said, "Yes, I'm fine, thank you." Marcus kept talking. The bus at last. Kofi felt very happy. "Sorry, Marcus, I have to go now," Kofi said. He got on the bus fast. He found a seat near the window. He sat down and closed his eyes. The bus moved away from the stop. Kofi smiled to himself. He was free.

    🔑

    Key Vocabulary

    How to use these cards
    1. Read each word and its meaning.
    2. Tap “Cover the meanings”, then tap a card to check yourself.
    3. Tap “Quick quiz” for a short test. Tap “I know this” on cards you have learned.
    invisible
    /ɪnˈvɪz.ɪ.bəl/
    adjective

    not able to be seen

    "Kofi put on his sunglasses because he wanted to feel invisible."

    neighbor
    /ˈneɪ.bə/
    noun

    a person who lives near you

    "Marcus was Kofi's old neighbor from his previous home."

    politely
    /pəˈlaɪt.li/
    adverb

    in a kind and respectful way

    "Kofi answered each question politely, even though he was unhappy."

    arrived
    /əˈraɪvd/
    verb

    came to a place

    "The bus arrived at last and Kofi felt relieved."

    beat
    /biːt/
    verb

    to make a regular sound or movement, like a heart

    "His heart was beating fast because he was nervous."

    waved
    /weɪvd/
    verb

    moved your hand to say hello or goodbye

    "Kofi waved slowly when Marcus called his name."

    loudly
    /ˈlaʊd.li/
    adverb

    with a lot of noise or volume

    "Marcus called out Kofi's name very loudly."

    finally
    /ˈfaɪ.nəl.i/
    adverb

    after a long time or at the end

    "The bus moved away and Kofi was finally free."

    💬

    Useful Phrases

    How to use these cards
    1. Read each phrase and its meaning.
    2. Tap “Cover the meanings”, then tap a card to check yourself.
    3. Tap “Quick quiz” for a short test. Tap “I know this” on cards you have learned.

    called out

    said something loudly to get someone's attention

    "Marcus called out Kofi's name across the busy bus stop."

    kept talking

    continued to talk without stopping

    "Marcus kept talking even though Kofi was not very interested."

    at last

    finally, after waiting a long time

    "The bus arrived at last and Kofi was very happy."

    right away

    immediately, without waiting

    "Marcus started talking right away when he saw Kofi."

    tried to move away

    made an effort to go to a different place

    "Kofi tried to move away slowly so Marcus would not see him."

    I have to go

    I need to leave now

    ""Sorry, I have to go now," Kofi said when the bus came."

    looked down

    directed your eyes towards the ground

    "Kofi looked down at the ground to avoid eye contact."

    smiled to himself

    felt happy quietly without showing it to others

    "Kofi smiled to himself as the bus drove away."

    1 Story→→

    Finished the A2 version? Challenge yourself with the B1 intermediate story.

    Get tomorrow's story in your inbox

    One short story every morning at your level, with audio, key words and a quiz. Free. Unsubscribe any time.

    Your level

    We'll email you once to confirm. We only use your address to send the daily story. See our privacy policy.

    More stories to read