Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: getting the wrong order at a cafe
Marco's Wrong Order
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Marco loved books. He went to a quiet bookshop every Saturday morning. The bookshop had a small café inside. Marco always felt happy there. He liked the smell of coffee and old books. He walked in and looked around. There were many books on the shelves. He picked up a book about animals. Then he went to the café counter. A young woman was working there. She had a big smile. Marco smiled back at her. He was ready to order his drink. He felt relaxed and calm. Marco looked at the menu on the wall.
He wanted a hot chocolate. It was his favorite drink. He read the menu carefully. "I would like a hot chocolate, please," he said. The woman wrote something on a small piece of paper. "Of course!" she said. Marco went to a table near the window. He put his book on the table. He sat down in a soft chair. He opened his book and started to read. A few minutes later, the woman brought a drink to his table. Marco looked at the cup. The drink was not hot chocolate. It was a cup of green tea. Marco was surprised.
He did not want green tea. He looked at the cup again. He thought about what to do. He did not want to be rude. He stood up and walked back to the counter. "Excuse me," he said politely. "I ordered a hot chocolate, but I got green tea." The woman looked at her paper. Her face turned red. "I am so sorry!" she said. "I wrote the wrong thing." She quickly made a new drink for Marco. This time it was the right drink. Marco smiled and said, "No problem at all!" He went back to his table. He drank his hot chocolate. It was warm and sweet. He read his book and felt very happy.
Key vocabulary
| counter (noun) | a long flat surface in a shop or café where you order or pay“Marco walked to the counter to order his drink.” |
| menu (noun) | a list of food and drinks that you can order“He read the menu carefully before he ordered.” |
| politely (adverb) | in a kind and respectful way“Marco spoke politely to the woman at the counter.” |
| surprised (adjective) | feeling something you did not expect“Marco was surprised when he saw the wrong drink.” |
| ordered (verb) | asked for food or a drink in a café or restaurant“He ordered a hot chocolate at the café.” |
| rude (adjective) | not polite or kind to other people“Marco did not want to be rude to the woman.” |
| shelf (noun) | a flat board fixed to a wall or inside a cupboard, used for storing things“There were many books on the shelves in the bookshop.” |
| relaxed (adjective) | calm and not worried or tense“Marco felt relaxed sitting in the soft chair with his book.” |
Useful phrases
- I would like... — a polite way to say what you want to order or have“"I would like a hot chocolate, please," said Marco.”
- Excuse me — used to get someone's attention politely“"Excuse me," Marco said when he went back to the counter.”
- No problem at all — used to say you are not angry or upset about something“Marco smiled and said, "No problem at all!"”
- I am so sorry — a strong way to say you feel bad about a mistake“"I am so sorry!" the woman said when she made the wrong drink.”
- looked at — turned your eyes toward something to see it“Marco looked at the cup and saw it was green tea.”
- felt happy — had a feeling of joy or pleasure“Marco felt happy sitting in the bookshop café.”
- walked back to — returned somewhere on foot“He walked back to the counter to tell the woman about the mistake.”
- this time — on this particular occasion, especially after something went wrong before“She made a new drink, and this time it was the right one.”
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | K | A | E | U | N | R | E | P | R | G | V |
| 2 | Q | W | S | Q | M | D | K | O | C | Y | D |
| 3 | O | R | D | C | U | Z | A | L | D | Q | N |
| 4 | A | D | E | R | F | V | F | I | E | R | A |
| 5 | F | D | E | T | T | N | M | T | S | V | B |
| 6 | L | H | E | X | N | D | S | E | I | Z | I |
| 7 | E | X | H | R | A | U | A | L | R | P | H |
| 8 | H | L | W | M | E | L | O | Y | P | W | R |
| 9 | S | W | E | S | M | D | E | C | R | N | W |
| 10 | I | N | J | I | B | J | R | R | U | U | Q |
| 11 | U | N | M | D | W | F | I | O | S | U | O |
Comprehension quiz
Where does Marco like to go every Saturday morning?
- A) A quiet bookshop
- B) A busy restaurant
- C) A large supermarket
- D) A sports center
What drink did Marco order?
- A) Coffee
- B) Green tea
- C) Orange juice
- D) Hot chocolate
What drink did Marco receive?
- A) Coffee
- B) Hot chocolate
- C) Green tea
- D) Lemonade
Where did Marco sit in the café?
- A) On the floor
- B) At a table near the window
- C) Near the bookshelf
- D) At the counter
Why did Marco not want to be rude?
- A) He wanted to be polite to the woman
- B) He was tired
- C) He did not speak the language
- D) He liked green tea
What does the word 'politely' mean in the story?
- A) In a kind and respectful way
- B) In a loud way
- C) In an angry way
- D) In a fast way
What did the woman say when she realized her mistake?
- A) "No problem at all!"
- B) "I am so sorry!"
- C) "I do not understand."
- D) "Please wait a moment."
Marco picked up a book about animals before he ordered his drink.
- A) Not stated
- B) False
- C) Not mentioned
- D) True
The bookshop café was very noisy and busy.
- A) Not mentioned
- B) False
- C) Not stated
- D) True
What does the word 'counter' mean?
- A) A soft chair
- B) A window in a café
- C) A type of book
- D) A long flat surface where you order or pay
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. A 2. D 3. C 4. B 5. A 6. A 7. B 8. D 9. B 10. D
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.
counter: H9 ↖ · menu: D8 ↙ · ordered: H11 ↖ · politely: H1 ↓ · relaxed: H10 ↖ · rude: D4 ↗ · shelf: A9 ↑ · surprised: I11 ↑