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    Miriam Waits in the Courtyard

    a very long queue moving very slowlya quiet courtyardCEFR A2
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    Miriam arrived at the early in the morning. The sun was already warm. She looked around and saw a long . Many people were standing in a line. The went all the way across the . Miriam joined the back of the . She smiled at the woman in front of her. The woman smiled back. Miriam looked at the front of the . It was very far away. She could not see the front clearly. There were tall trees on both sides of the . The from the trees felt nice. Miriam took a deep breath and waited. The moved very .

    Miriam took one small step every few minutes. She looked at her bag and checked her things. Then she looked at the again. It still looked very long. A small boy near her was playing with a toy. His mother told him to be quiet. Miriam watched a bird land on a stone wall. The bird flew away quickly. Some people in the talked to each other. Others looked at their phones. Miriam did not have her phone with her. She felt a little bored. She counted the people in front of her. There were more than thirty people. She quietly.

    After a long time, the began to move a little faster. Miriam felt happy. She was getting closer to the front. She could now see a small table at the front. A man was sitting at the table. He was helping each person one by one. Miriam waited for her turn. Finally, she the front. The man looked up and said, "Good morning. How can I help you?" Miriam smiled and said, "Good morning. I have been waiting for a long time!" The man laughed and said, "I know. Thank you for your ." Miriam got what she needed and walked away. She felt very . The looked beautiful in the afternoon light. She was glad the long wait was over.

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    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.
    queue
    /kjuː/
    noun

    a line of people waiting for something

    "Miriam joined the back of the queue in the courtyard."

    courtyard
    /ˈkɔːt.jɑːd/
    noun

    an open area with walls or buildings around it

    "The courtyard was quiet and had tall trees on both sides."

    shade
    /ʃeɪd/
    noun

    a cool, dark area protected from the sun

    "The shade from the trees made the wait more comfortable."

    slowly
    /ˈsləʊ.li/
    adverb

    not quickly; at a low speed

    "The queue moved very slowly, so Miriam waited a long time."

    sighed
    /saɪd/
    verb

    breathed out slowly to show tiredness or sadness

    "Miriam sighed quietly when she saw how long the queue was."

    patience
    /ˈpeɪ.ʃəns/
    noun

    the ability to wait calmly without getting angry

    "The man thanked Miriam for her patience."

    relieved
    /rɪˈliːvd/
    adjective

    feeling happy because something difficult or worrying has ended

    "Miriam felt very relieved when she finally reached the front."

    reached
    /riːtʃt/
    verb

    arrived at a place after some time or effort

    "After a long wait, Miriam reached the front of the queue."

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    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.

    join the back of the queue

    to go to the end of a line of waiting people

    "Miriam joined the back of the queue and waited patiently."

    take a deep breath

    to breathe in slowly and deeply, often to feel calm

    "Miriam took a deep breath and decided to wait."

    one by one

    separately, in a line or order, one at a time

    "The man at the table helped each person one by one."

    wait for your turn

    to stay in a queue until it is your time

    "Miriam waited patiently for her turn at the front."

    How can I help you?

    a polite question asking what someone needs

    "The man smiled and said, "How can I help you?""

    get closer to

    to move nearer to something or someone

    "As the queue moved, Miriam got closer to the front."

    look around

    to turn your head to see what is nearby

    "Miriam looked around the courtyard when she first arrived."

    feel a little bored

    to have a slight feeling that nothing interesting is happening

    "Without her phone, Miriam started to feel a little bored."

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