Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: forgetting someone's name at a party
Luca Forgets a Name at the Breakfast Party
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Luca is at a party in a hotel breakfast room. The room is big and bright. There are long tables with white cloths. There is food on every table. Luca puts some eggs and bread on his plate. He walks to a table and sits down. Other guests are already sitting there. They are all talking and smiling. Luca feels happy. He likes meeting new people. He picks up his fork and starts to eat. A man next to him says, "Good morning! My name is David." Luca smiles and says, "Good morning! I am Luca. Nice to meet you." They shake hands and talk a little. After a few minutes, a woman walks over to the table. She smiles at Luca and David.
Luca knows her face. He spoke to her the night before at dinner. She was very friendly. She told him her name. But now Luca cannot remember it. He thinks hard. Is it Anna? Is it Maria? He is not sure. His face feels a little warm. David says, "Good morning! Come and sit with us." The woman sits down. She looks at Luca and says, "Good morning! Do you remember me? We talked last night." Luca nods and says, "Yes, of course! It is so nice to see you again." But he still does not remember her name. He feels a little embarrassed.
He drinks some coffee and tries to think. David starts to talk about the hotel breakfast. He says, "The food here is really good." The woman agrees and says, "Yes, I love the fresh fruit." Luca is happy because they are talking. He thinks of a plan. He says, "Sorry, I am really bad with names. Can you tell me your name again? I want to make sure I say it right." The woman laughs. She says, "Of course! My name is Sofia." Luca smiles and says, "Sofia! That is a beautiful name. I am sorry I forgot." Sofia says, "Do not worry. It happens to everyone." David laughs too. They all eat breakfast together. They talk and laugh for a long time. Luca feels much better. He says Sofia's name two more times so he does not forget again.
Key vocabulary
| guest (noun) | a person who is invited to a place or event“The guests at the hotel ate breakfast together.” |
| remember (verb) | to keep something in your mind or bring it back into your mind“Luca cannot remember the woman's name.” |
| embarrassed (adjective) | feeling uncomfortable or ashamed because of a mistake“He feels embarrassed because he forgot her name.” |
| friendly (adjective) | kind and pleasant to other people“Sofia was very friendly at dinner.” |
| nod (verb) | to move your head up and down to show you agree or understand“Luca nods when Sofia asks if he remembers her.” |
| fresh (adjective) | recently made or picked, not old or stale“Sofia loves the fresh fruit at the hotel breakfast.” |
| plan (noun) | an idea for how to do something“Luca thinks of a plan to find out Sofia's name.” |
| sure (adjective) | certain about something, having no doubt“Luca is not sure if her name is Anna or Maria.” |
Useful phrases
- nice to meet you — a polite thing to say when you meet someone for the first time“"Nice to meet you," Luca says to David.”
- shake hands — to hold and move someone's hand up and down as a greeting“Luca and David shake hands and start talking.”
- of course — used to say yes in a friendly or obvious way“"Of course! It is so nice to see you again," says Luca.”
- really bad with names — unable to remember people's names easily“Luca says, "I am really bad with names."”
- make sure — to check that something is correct or done“Luca wants to make sure he says Sofia's name right.”
- do not worry — used to tell someone not to feel bad about something“Sofia says, "Do not worry. It happens to everyone."”
- it happens to everyone — used to make someone feel better by saying their mistake is common“"It happens to everyone," Sofia says with a smile.”
- feel much better — to feel more comfortable or less worried than before“After Sofia laughs, Luca feels much better.”
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P | U | I | J | E | W | L | K | O | U | W | D | I |
| 2 | A | J | Q | G | R | J | E | E | J | H | E | U | X |
| 3 | S | J | Z | E | B | D | A | N | O | S | E | Y | V |
| 4 | W | L | H | H | N | U | N | Y | S | T | D | A | T |
| 5 | Q | B | Q | B | G | Y | L | A | O | P | U | R | B |
| 6 | D | T | D | P | U | D | R | O | H | V | G | E | T |
| 7 | Q | O | K | G | N | R | G | G | W | B | E | B | S |
| 8 | N | F | W | E | A | E | R | U | S | B | S | M | U |
| 9 | O | J | I | B | K | K | H | E | I | I | N | E | J |
| 10 | N | R | M | G | E | V | K | S | B | F | P | M | A |
| 11 | F | E | V | W | L | K | U | T | E | E | X | E | I |
| 12 | K | U | N | Q | C | X | U | I | F | R | S | R | P |
| 13 | A | S | P | L | A | N | A | M | D | B | F | M | X |
Comprehension quiz
Where does the party take place?
- A) In a conference room
- B) In a hotel lobby
- C) In a hotel breakfast room
- D) In a restaurant downtown
What is the name of the man who sits next to Luca?
- A) Omar
- B) Carlos
- C) David
- D) Marco
When did Luca talk to the woman before the breakfast party?
- A) At the pool
- B) In the elevator
- C) At dinner the night before
- D) In the parking lot
Why does Luca's face feel a little warm?
- A) He is angry
- B) He feels embarrassed
- C) The room is too hot
- D) He drank too much coffee
What is the meaning of the word 'embarrassed' in this story?
- A) Feeling uncomfortable because of a mistake
- B) Feeling comfortable and relaxed
- C) Feeling tired and sleepy
- D) Feeling very happy and excited
What does Luca say to find out the woman's name?
- A) He says he is bad with names and asks her to tell him again
- B) He checks his phone
- C) He reads her name tag
- D) He asks David to introduce her
What does Sofia say about the hotel food?
- A) She loves the bread
- B) She loves the eggs
- C) She loves the fresh fruit
- D) She loves the coffee
Luca says Sofia's name two more times at the end of the story.
- A) Not mentioned
- B) True
- C) Not stated
- D) False
What is the meaning of the word 'nod' as used in this story?
- A) To move your head up and down
- B) To shake your head from side to side
- C) To wave your hand
- D) To close your eyes
How does Sofia react when Luca admits he forgot her name?
- A) She ignores him
- B) She laughs and tells him her name
- C) She leaves the table
- D) She is angry
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. C 2. C 3. C 4. B 5. A 6. A 7. C 8. B 9. A 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.
embarrassed: B11 ↗ · fresh: K13 ↖ · friendly: A11 ↗ · guest: H7 ↓ · nod: A8 ↗ · plan: C13 → · remember: L12 ↑ · sure: I8 ←