Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: a job interview
Omar's Big Day
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Omar woke up early in the morning. He was very excited but also a little nervous. Today he had a job interview at the community center. He wanted to work as a receptionist there. He put on his best clothes and looked in the mirror. He brushed his hair carefully. He ate a small breakfast because his stomach felt strange. He checked his bag for his papers. He had his identification and his work history printed on clean paper. He left his home and walked to the bus stop. The bus arrived on time.
Omar smiled and said to himself, "I am ready for this." Omar arrived at the community center twenty minutes early. The building was large and clean. He walked inside and spoke to a woman at the front desk. "Hello, my name is Omar. I am here for a job interview," he said. The woman smiled and said, "Please sit down and wait here." Omar sat on a chair in the waiting area. He looked around the room and saw pictures on the walls. Other people were sitting and waiting too. He took a deep breath and tried to feel calm. After ten minutes, a man came out and said, "Omar, please come with me." Omar stood up and followed the man into a small office.
The man introduced himself. "My name is Mr. Hasan. I will ask you some questions today," he said. Omar nodded and said, "Thank you for this opportunity." Mr. Hasan asked, "Why do you want to work here?" Omar answered, "I like helping people, and I am good at talking to others." Mr. Hasan wrote some notes on his paper. He asked more questions about Omar's experience and skills. Omar answered each question clearly and politely. At the end, Mr. Hasan smiled and said, "We will call you next week." Omar shook his hand and said, "Thank you very much." He walked out of the community center feeling proud and hopeful.
Key vocabulary
| nervous (adjective) | feeling worried or a little afraid about something“She felt nervous before the test.” |
| interview (noun) | a formal meeting where someone asks you questions, usually for a job“He has an interview at nine o'clock.” |
| receptionist (noun) | a person who welcomes visitors and answers the phone at a workplace“The receptionist gave me a visitor badge.” |
| mirror (noun) | a piece of glass that shows your reflection“He looked in the mirror before leaving.” |
| identification (noun) | a document that shows who you are“You need identification to enter the building.” |
| opportunity (noun) | a chance to do something good or useful“This job is a great opportunity for me.” |
| experience (noun) | knowledge or skill you get from doing something“She has two years of experience in teaching.” |
| politely (adverb) | in a way that is respectful and kind“He politely asked for more time.” |
| calm (adjective) | not excited or worried; peaceful“Try to stay calm during the presentation.” |
| hopeful (adjective) | feeling that something good will happen“She was hopeful about getting the job.” |
Useful phrases
- put on — to dress yourself in a piece of clothing“She put on her jacket before going outside.”
- on time — not late; at the correct time“The train arrived on time today.”
- sit down — to move your body into a sitting position“Please sit down and make yourself comfortable.”
- take a deep breath — to breathe in slowly to feel calm“He took a deep breath before speaking.”
- shake someone's hand — to hold and move another person's hand up and down as a greeting“She shook his hand after the meeting.”
Word search
Find all 10 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 | O | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | T | R | I | J | M | G | E | N | C | A | L | M | A | P | L |
| 2 | M | S | P | U | B | W | R | S | W | G | Z | S | O | U | I |
| 3 | L | P | I | F | M | V | R | E | Q | E | N | P | F | D | Y |
| 4 | S | C | W | N | F | K | I | I | C | X | P | E | E | N | P |
| 5 | D | T | K | Y | O | V | Q | N | A | O | P | N | O | E | X |
| 6 | W | A | N | F | R | I | E | A | R | O | T | P | V | R | M |
| 7 | M | N | R | E | F | I | T | T | H | I | U | L | H | V | Z |
| 8 | Q | A | T | W | R | O | U | P | F | L | X | X | S | O | Y |
| 9 | Q | N | Y | E | D | N | W | I | E | I | Q | H | Y | U | L |
| 10 | I | E | P | Z | I | X | C | O | B | C | E | W | X | S | E |
| 11 | L | X | S | T | E | A | G | J | G | Q | E | F | C | N | T |
| 12 | E | Z | Y | W | T | D | C | X | B | R | W | R | Q | Y | I |
| 13 | H | E | J | I | B | R | O | R | R | I | M | S | U | E | L |
| 14 | Z | N | O | F | Y | E | R | N | C | V | U | G | H | Z | O |
| 15 | I | N | M | V | C | X | G | X | M | S | B | L | E | Q | P |
Comprehension quiz
What job did Omar want at the community center?
- A) Manager
- B) Cleaner
- C) Receptionist
- D) Teacher
How did Omar feel in the morning?
- A) Bored and sleepy
- B) Excited but nervous
- C) Sad and lonely
- D) Angry and tired
What does the word 'nervous' mean in the story?
- A) Feeling worried or a little afraid
- B) Feeling hungry
- C) Feeling happy
- D) Feeling tired
Omar arrived at the community center late.
- A) Not mentioned
- B) False
- C) True
- D) Not stated
Who interviewed Omar?
- A) Omar's friend
- B) The receptionist
- C) A woman at the desk
- D) Mr. Hasan
What does 'opportunity' mean in the story?
- A) A chance to do something good
- B) A problem to solve
- C) A question in an interview
- D) A type of job
How did Omar go to the community center?
- A) By bus
- B) On foot
- C) By bicycle
- D) By car
Omar said he was good at talking to others.
- A) True
- B) False
- C) Not mentioned
- D) Not stated
What did Mr. Hasan say at the end of the interview?
- A) The job starts today.
- B) Please come back tomorrow.
- C) We will call you next week.
- D) You did not get the job.
Omar had previous work experience.
- A) False
- B) True
- C) Not stated
- D) Not mentioned
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. C 2. B 3. A 4. B 5. D 6. A 7. A 8. A 9. C 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.
calm: I1 → · experience: A12 ↗ · hopeful: I7 ↗ · identification: O2 ↙ · interview: A10 ↗ · mirror: K13 ← · nervous: N4 ↓ · opportunity: M2 ↙ · politely: O15 ↑ · receptionist: L12 ↖