Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: trying to assemble something with no instructions
Luisa Builds a Stall
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Luisa had a big box. The box had many parts inside. She wanted to build a food stall at the market. She looked at the box. There were no instructions. She did not know what to do. She opened the box and took out all the parts. There were long metal poles. There were short wooden boards. There were small nuts and bolts. She put them all on the ground. She looked at them for a long time. She felt a little worried. She said, "I can do this." She took a deep breath. She picked up the first pole. Luisa tried to put two poles together.
They did not fit. She tried again. They still did not fit. She turned one pole around. It fitted! She felt happy. Then she tried to put a board on top. It was too heavy. She dropped it. It made a loud noise. People at the market looked at her. She felt embarrassed. A boy walked over. He said, "Do you need help?" She said, "Yes, please!" His name was Marco. He was strong. He helped her lift the board.
Marco and Luisa worked together. They put all the poles in the right places. They fixed all the boards. They used the nuts and bolts. It took a long time. The stall looked a little crooked. But it did not fall down. Luisa put her food on the stall. She had fruit and bread and rice. The stall was open. People came to buy food. Luisa smiled. She said, "Thank you, Marco." Marco said, "No problem!" It was a good day at the market. Luisa was tired but happy. She was very proud of her stall.
Key vocabulary
| stall (noun) | a small shop or table where things are sold, often outside“Luisa set up her stall at the market.” |
| instructions (noun) | a set of steps that tell you how to do something“The box had no instructions, so she did not know where to start.” |
| pole (noun) | a long, thin, straight piece of metal or wood“She picked up a long metal pole from the ground.” |
| bolt (noun) | a small metal pin used to hold things together“She used a bolt to fix the two pieces together.” |
| embarrassed (adjective) | feeling uncomfortable because people are watching you make a mistake“She felt embarrassed when she dropped the board.” |
| crooked (adjective) | not straight; bent to one side“The stall looked a little crooked, but it did not fall.” |
| proud (adjective) | feeling pleased and happy about something you have done“Luisa was very proud of her stall.” |
| fit (verb) | to go together correctly in the right place“She turned the pole around and it fitted perfectly.” |
Useful phrases
- take a deep breath — to breathe in slowly to feel calm before doing something difficult“She took a deep breath before she started to build the stall.”
- on the ground — on the floor or surface below your feet“She put all the parts on the ground so she could see them.”
- work together — to do a task with another person at the same time“Marco and Luisa worked together to build the stall.”
- in the right place — in the correct position where something should be“They put all the poles in the right places.”
- too heavy — more weight than a person can easily carry or lift“The board was too heavy for Luisa to lift alone.”
- No problem! — a friendly way to say you are happy to help and it was not difficult“Marco said, "No problem!" when Luisa thanked him.”
- walk over — to move toward someone by walking“A boy walked over when he saw Luisa needed help.”
- try again — to do something a second time after it did not work the first time“The poles did not fit, so she tried again.”
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 | B | O | L | T | W | D | D | H | P | R | O | U | D | Q |
| 2 | N | S | I | W | U | D | E | U | U | F | G | S | C | I |
| 3 | N | I | N | E | F | A | H | K | P | W | E | Y | D | T |
| 4 | P | M | N | C | T | E | O | U | O | M | F | F | D | J |
| 5 | O | V | T | S | W | U | R | L | B | O | J | V | W | Q |
| 6 | L | A | I | A | T | M | X | A | S | Y | R | N | R | S |
| 7 | E | A | F | J | Y | R | R | H | R | D | R | C | R | F |
| 8 | E | U | B | F | R | R | U | B | P | V | R | W | O | J |
| 9 | Y | W | W | O | A | U | S | C | L | X | S | T | V | Y |
| 10 | U | H | E | S | Y | U | L | A | T | F | M | V | J | C |
| 11 | W | O | S | H | E | W | P | V | M | I | H | D | M | Y |
| 12 | A | E | B | D | L | Q | Q | Z | S | V | O | K | F | G |
| 13 | D | X | E | M | A | B | B | N | O | E | P | N | U | D |
| 14 | O | L | P | L | L | A | T | S | H | X | S | P | S | Q |
Comprehension quiz
What did Luisa want to build at the market?
- A) A house
- B) A food stall
- C) A table and chairs
- D) A small shop
Why did Luisa not know what to do at first?
- A) The box was empty.
- B) She had no tools.
- C) There were no instructions.
- D) The parts were broken.
What did Luisa find inside the box?
- A) Food and drinks
- B) Metal poles, wooden boards, nuts and bolts
- C) Paper and string
- D) Bricks and sand
Why did the poles fit together in the end?
- A) She cut the pole shorter.
- B) She turned one pole around.
- C) She used a bolt to join them.
- D) Marco helped her push them.
In the story, what does the word 'crooked' mean?
- A) Too tall to reach
- B) Perfectly clean and new
- C) Not straight; bent to one side
- D) Very strong and heavy
How did Luisa feel when people looked at her after she dropped the board?
- A) Angry
- B) Bored
- C) Excited
- D) Embarrassed
Who was Marco?
- A) A boy who helped Luisa build her stall
- B) A market seller who sold fruit
- C) Luisa's brother
- D) The owner of the market
What food did Luisa sell at her stall?
- A) Cheese, bread and drinks
- B) Rice, fish and noodles
- C) Fruit, bread and rice
- D) Bread, soup and vegetables
True or False: The stall fell down at the end of the story.
- A) Not mentioned
- B) Not stated
- C) False
- D) True
Which word best describes how Luisa felt at the end of the story?
- A) Angry and tired
- B) Tired but happy
- C) Worried and sad
- D) Bored and hungry
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. B 2. C 3. B 4. B 5. C 6. D 7. A 8. C 9. C 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.
bolt: A1 → · crooked: L7 ↖ · embarrassed: K3 ↙ · fit: C7 ↑ · instructions: B3 ↘ · pole: A4 ↓ · proud: I1 → · stall: H14 ←