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 very nervous. Today was an important day for him. He had a job interview at the community center. Omar wanted to work there as a receptionist. He looked in his wardrobe and picked his best clothes. He put on a clean white shirt and dark trousers. He brushed his hair carefully in front of the mirror. He ate a small breakfast because his stomach felt strange. His friend Leila called him on the phone. She said, "Good luck today, Omar! You will do great." Omar smiled and said, "Thank you, Leila. I hope so." He checked his bag and put his documents inside. He left his home and walked to the bus stop. The sun was bright, and the air felt fresh. Omar arrived at the community center twenty minutes early.
He walked through the front door and looked around. The building was large and clean. There were chairs along the wall in the waiting area. A woman at the front desk smiled at him. Omar said, "Hello, I am here for a job interview." The woman nodded and said, "Please sit down. Someone will come for you soon." Omar sat down and took a deep breath. He looked at his notes one more time. He practiced some answers in his head. After ten minutes, a tall man came to the waiting area. The man said, "Hello, Omar. My name is Mr. Tan. Please follow me." Omar stood up and shook his hand. They walked together to a small, quiet room. There was a table and two chairs inside the room. Mr.
Tan asked Omar many questions about his skills and experience. Omar spoke slowly and clearly. He said, "I am good with people, and I like to help others." Mr. Tan wrote some notes on a piece of paper. He asked, "Why do you want to work at this community center?" Omar answered, "I want to be part of a team that helps the local community." Mr. Tan smiled and nodded his head. He asked Omar a few more questions about his availability. Omar said he was free to work on weekdays and some weekends. The interview lasted about thirty minutes. At the end, Mr. Tan stood up and shook Omar's hand again. He said, "Thank you for coming, Omar. We will contact you next week." Omar said, "Thank you for your time." He walked out of the community center with a big smile. He felt proud of himself because he tried his best.
Key vocabulary
| nervous (adjective) | feeling worried or afraid about something“She felt nervous before the test.” |
| interview (noun) | a formal meeting where someone asks you questions, often for a job“He has an interview at ten o'clock.” |
| receptionist (noun) | a person who welcomes visitors at the front desk of a building“The receptionist answered the phone.” |
| documents (noun) | important papers with official information“Please bring your documents to the meeting.” |
| arrived (verb) | reached a place after traveling“We arrived at the station on time.” |
| breath (noun) | the air that goes in and out of your body“He took a deep breath to calm down.” |
| experience (noun) | knowledge or skill from doing something before“She has two years of experience in teaching.” |
| skills (noun) | things you can do well“Reading and writing are important skills.” |
| availability (noun) | the times when you are free to do something“The manager asked about her availability.” |
| proud (adjective) | feeling happy about something you did well“She was proud of her good results.” |
Useful phrases
- Good luck — something you say to wish someone well before they do something“"Good luck with your exam tomorrow!"”
- sit down — to take a seat“"Please sit down and wait here."”
- took a deep breath — breathed in slowly to feel calm“She took a deep breath before she started speaking.”
- shook his hand — held and moved someone's hand up and down as a greeting“Omar shook his hand and said hello.”
- be part of — to belong to or be included in something“I want to be part of this team.”
- tried his best — made the greatest effort possible“He did not win, but he tried his best.”
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | B | Z | N | U | T | N | F | V | V | E | E | J | J |
| 2 | L | R | Y | J | E | K | S | X | P | X | E | H | Y | T |
| 3 | Z | E | Y | T | U | R | J | K | P | F | F | M | S | P |
| 4 | I | A | A | X | I | E | V | E | I | W | Q | I | T | I |
| 5 | V | T | W | J | T | L | R | O | U | L | N | W | A | N |
| 6 | D | H | J | D | W | I | I | K | U | O | L | W | L | T |
| 7 | U | O | A | I | E | Z | O | B | I | S | M | S | F | E |
| 8 | H | R | C | N | I | N | K | T | A | W | J | S | G | R |
| 9 | Q | P | C | U | X | O | P | Z | U | L | H | S | C | V |
| 10 | D | E | X | A | M | E | D | P | Q | L | I | L | Z | I |
| 11 | F | N | R | I | C | E | W | U | R | H | A | A | T | E |
| 12 | A | Q | H | E | B | C | N | L | E | O | H | E | V | W |
| 13 | H | Z | R | E | P | N | I | T | X | G | U | Z | M | A |
| 14 | A | R | R | I | V | E | D | V | S | T | U | D | W | X |
Comprehension quiz
Where did Omar have his job interview?
- A) At a community center
- B) At an office building
- C) At a school
- D) At a hospital
What job did Omar want?
- A) Teacher
- B) Manager
- C) Receptionist
- D) Cleaner
What does the word 'nervous' mean in the story?
- A) Feeling happy and relaxed
- B) Feeling tired and sleepy
- C) Feeling worried or afraid
- D) Feeling angry and upset
Who called Omar before the interview?
- A) His friend Leila
- B) His mother
- C) The receptionist
- D) Mr. Tan
Omar arrived at the community center late.
- A) False
- B) True
- C) Not mentioned
- D) Not stated
What does 'documents' mean in the story?
- A) Food for lunch
- B) Clothing items
- C) Important official papers
- D) Books to read
How long did the interview last?
- A) About ten minutes
- B) About one hour
- C) About thirty minutes
- D) About twenty minutes
Omar said he could work on weekdays and some weekends.
- A) False
- B) Not stated
- C) True
- D) Not mentioned
What does 'proud' mean in the story?
- A) Feeling sad about a mistake
- B) Feeling happy about something you did well
- C) Feeling confused about a question
- D) Feeling bored with nothing to do
Mr. Tan offered Omar the job immediately.
- A) False
- B) Not stated
- C) Not mentioned
- D) True
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. A 2. C 3. C 4. A 5. A 6. C 7. C 8. C 9. B 10. A
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.
arrived: A14 → · availability: N13 ↖ · breath: B1 ↓ · documents: A6 ↘ · experience: K1 ↙ · interview: N4 ↓ · nervous: D1 ↘ · proud: H10 ↘ · receptionist: C13 ↗ · skills: G2 ↘