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    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.

    ABCDEFGHIJKLMN
    1BOLTWDDHPROUDQ
    2NSIWUDEUUFGSCI
    3NINEFAHKPWEYDT
    4PMNCTEOUOMFFDJ
    5OVTSWURLBOJVWQ
    6LAIATMXASYRNRS
    7EAFJYRRHRDRCRF
    8EUBFRRUBPVRWOJ
    9YWWOAUSCLXSTVY
    10UHESYULATFMVJC
    11WOSHEWPVMIHDMY
    12AEBDLQQZSVOKFG
    13DXEMABBNOEPNUD
    14OLPLLATSHXSPSQ

    Comprehension quiz

    1. 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
    2. 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.
    3. 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
    4. 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.
    5. 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
    6. How did Luisa feel when people looked at her after she dropped the board?

      • A) Angry
      • B) Bored
      • C) Excited
      • D) Embarrassed
    7. 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
    8. 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
    9. True or False: The stall fell down at the end of the story.

      • A) Not mentioned
      • B) Not stated
      • C) False
      • D) True
    10. 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 ←

    Free Daily English · Level B1 (Intermediate) · Topic: trying to assemble something with no instructions

    Luisa's Market Stall Challenge

    Name: ______________________   Date: ____________

    When Luisa arrived at the market early one morning, she was carrying a large flat-pack box that contained the parts for her new food stall. She set the box down, opened it carefully, and began to spread the pieces across the ground: steel poles of different lengths, thick wooden boards, and a small bag of nuts and bolts. She searched the box twice for an instruction leaflet, but there was nothing. Luisa stood back, placed her hands on her hips, and studied the collection of parts in front of her. "There has to be a logical way to do this," she said quietly to herself. She decided to sort the pieces by size before attempting anything else, reasoning that some kind of order would help her figure out the structure.

    Her first attempt at connecting the poles ended quickly when she realized she had joined two sections that were clearly meant for opposite ends of the frame. She pulled them apart, rotated one of the poles, and tried again, this time with more success. As she was struggling to lift one of the heavier boards into position, it slipped from her hands and landed on the ground with a sharp bang, drawing glances from the other sellers nearby. A young man named Marco, who was setting up his own stall a few meters away, jogged over with a grin. "It looks like you could use another pair of hands," he said. Luisa laughed with relief and replied, "I absolutely could.

    I have no idea what I'm doing." Together they studied the structure carefully, and Marco suggested that the two tallest poles were probably the main uprights, which turned out to be exactly right. With Marco's help, the remaining pieces came together much more quickly, though the finished stall leaned slightly to the left no matter how many times they adjusted the bolts. Luisa decided she could live with it, propping the frame against a nearby post to keep it steady. She arranged her produce neatly along the wooden boards: fresh fruit in round baskets, small loaves of bread wrapped in paper, and portions of rice in sealed containers. Within minutes of opening, a small queue of customers had formed in front of the stall. As Luisa handed over her first sale of the day, she glanced at Marco and said, "I never thought a box with no instructions could lead to such a good morning." Marco smiled and replied, "Sometimes not knowing what you're doing is the best way to learn."

    Key vocabulary

    flat-pack (adjective)describing furniture or equipment sold in pieces that you assemble yourself“She struggled to carry the flat-pack box across the market.”
    leaflet (noun)a small printed sheet of paper giving information or instructions“She searched the box for an instruction leaflet, but found nothing.”
    assemble (verb)to fit the parts of something together to build it“It took them over an hour to assemble the stall correctly.”
    upright (noun)a vertical pole or post that supports a structure“Marco suggested that the tallest poles were the main uprights.”
    reasoning (noun)the process of thinking logically to reach a conclusion“Her reasoning was that sorting the pieces first would make the job easier.”
    rotate (verb)to turn something around a central point“She rotated one of the poles and the two sections clicked into place.”
    prop (verb)to support something by leaning it against another object“She propped the frame against a post to stop it from falling.”
    queue (noun)a line of people waiting for something“A short queue of customers formed in front of her stall.”

    Useful phrases

    • place your hands on your hips — to stand with your hands resting on your hips, often showing thought or frustration“She placed her hands on her hips and studied the problem carefully.”
    • figure out — to understand or solve something through thinking“She hoped that sorting the pieces would help her figure out the structure.”
    • another pair of hands — an extra person to help with a physical task“Marco offered another pair of hands when he saw she was struggling.”
    • with relief — in a way that shows you are happy because a difficult situation has improved“Luisa laughed with relief when Marco offered to help.”
    • come together — to be completed successfully, often after effort“With Marco's help, the remaining pieces came together much more quickly.”
    • live with something — to accept a situation that is not perfect“The stall leaned slightly, but she decided she could live with it.”
    • draw glances — to attract quick, often curious looks from people nearby“The loud bang drew glances from the other sellers at the market.”
    • lead to — to cause or result in something“She never thought a box with no instructions could lead to such a good morning.”

    Word search

    Find all 8 key words from the story. They can read forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally.

    ABCDEFGHIJK
    1MIAKTDYPOIK
    2CDSFUEWUZUX
    3ERSNLKLOBEZ
    4UDEREAHFTIK
    5EZMAOHTAAHO
    6UZBOSHTPXEC
    7QELJGORSAVL
    8MLEIRONEKCZ
    9VPRCPWMIOXK
    10BPMYOAAENMF
    11UNRDBJXCLGT

    Comprehension quiz

    1. What was the first thing Luisa did when she could not find instructions?

      • A) She went to look for another box.
      • B) She sorted the pieces by size.
      • C) She read the instructions on the poles.
      • D) She asked Marco for help immediately.
    2. In the story, what does the word 'upright' refer to?

      • A) A horizontal board used for the floor
      • B) A bolt used to hold pieces together
      • C) A vertical pole that supports the structure
      • D) A bag of tools used for building
    3. Why did Luisa prop the frame against a nearby post?

      • A) Because it was leaning and she needed it to stay steady
      • B) Because Marco told her she had to
      • C) Because the bolts were missing
      • D) To make the stall look more attractive
    4. How did Marco first offer to help Luisa?

      • A) He said it looked like she could use another pair of hands.
      • B) He sent a message to someone to bring new parts.
      • C) He took the poles from her hands without asking.
      • D) He asked her if she had read the instructions.
    5. In the story, what does the phrase 'live with it' mean?

      • A) To fix a problem completely before moving on
      • B) To accept an imperfect situation and continue
      • C) To stay in the same place as something
      • D) To find a new solution to a problem
    6. What caused other sellers at the market to look at Luisa?

      • A) She called out for help loudly.
      • B) A board slipped from her hands and made a loud noise.
      • C) Her stall collapsed onto the ground.
      • D) She argued with Marco about the poles.
    7. True or False: Luisa had successfully built a stall like this before.

      • A) Not stated
      • B) False
      • C) True
      • D) Not mentioned
    8. Which word is closest in meaning to 'assemble' as used in this story?

      • A) Purchase
      • B) Build
      • C) Deliver
      • D) Decorate
    9. What did Luisa sell at her stall?

      • A) Cooked meals, soup, and cold drinks
      • B) Fresh fruit, bread, and portions of rice
      • C) Vegetables, cheese, and dried fruit
      • D) Sandwiches, pastries, and juice
    10. What was Marco's final comment to Luisa at the end of the story?

      • A) "Next time, make sure you check for instructions first."
      • B) "I think we should have sorted the parts by color."
      • C) "Sometimes not knowing what you're doing is the best way to learn."
      • D) "You should have bought a stall that was already built."

    Answer key (B1 (Intermediate))

    1. B 2. C 3. A 4. A 5. B 6. B 7. D 8. B 9. B 10. C

    Word search answer key (B1 (Intermediate))

    Columns are lettered from the left, rows numbered from the top. The arrow shows the reading direction from the word's first letter.

    assemble: C1 ↓ · flat-pack: D2 ↘ · leaflet: K7 ↖ · prop: H6 ↙ · queue: A7 ↑ · reasoning: B3 ↘ · rotate: E8 ↗ · upright: A11 ↗

    Free Daily English · www.freedailyenglish.com/stories/luisa-builds-a-stall-2026-06-28