Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: a job interview
Omar's Big Day
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Omar wakes up early in the morning. He has a job interview today. He feels nervous but happy. The interview is at the community center. Omar puts on his best clothes. He wants to look smart and clean. He eats a small breakfast. He drinks a glass of water. He checks his bag. He has his papers inside. He looks in the mirror and smiles. "I can do this," he says to himself. He leaves his home and walks to the community center. It is a sunny day and the walk is short. Omar arrives at the community center. He opens the door and goes inside. A woman sits at a desk near the door.
"Good morning," she says. "Good morning," Omar says. "My name is Omar. I have an interview today." The woman smiles. "Please take a seat," she says. "Someone will call you soon." Omar sits down on a chair. He waits quietly. He looks around the room. The room is clean and bright. There are some people near him. They wait too. Omar takes a deep breath. He feels a little better now. A man comes out of a room and calls Omar's name. "Hello, Omar. Please come in," the man says. Omar stands up and walks into the room.
The man's name is Mr. Hassan. He asks Omar some questions. "Why do you want this job?" he asks. "I like to help people," Omar says. "I work hard and I learn fast." Mr. Hassan writes some notes. He nods his head. "That is very good," he says. They talk for about twenty minutes. At the end, Mr. Hassan stands up. "Thank you, Omar. We will contact you soon," he says. Omar shakes his hand and says thank you. He walks out of the community center with a big smile.
Key vocabulary
| interview (noun) | a meeting where someone is asked questions to see if they are right for a job“Omar has a job interview at the community center.” |
| nervous (adjective) | feeling worried or a little scared about something“Omar feels nervous before his interview.” |
| arrive (verb) | to reach a place“Omar arrives at the community center on time.” |
| seat (noun) | a chair or place where you can sit“The woman asks Omar to take a seat.” |
| breath (noun) | the air that goes in and out of your body“Omar takes a deep breath to feel calm.” |
| question (noun) | something you ask when you want to know an answer“Mr. Hassan asks Omar some questions about the job.” |
| contact (verb) | to call or write to someone“Mr. Hassan says he will contact Omar soon.” |
| smart (adjective) | wearing neat, clean, and tidy clothes“Omar puts on his best clothes to look smart.” |
Useful phrases
- take a seat — to sit down“The woman at the desk says, "Please take a seat."”
- take a deep breath — to breathe in slowly to feel calm“Omar takes a deep breath before his interview.”
- I can do this — words you say to feel strong and ready“Omar looks in the mirror and says, "I can do this."”
- work hard — to put a lot of effort into your job or task“Omar tells Mr. Hassan, "I work hard and I learn fast."”
- come in — to enter a room“Mr. Hassan opens the door and says, "Please come in."”
- shake someone's hand — to hold and move someone's hand as a greeting or goodbye“Omar shakes Mr. Hassan's hand at the end of the interview.”
- we will contact you soon — used to tell someone you will call or write to them later“Mr. Hassan says, "Thank you, Omar. We will contact you soon."”
- look around — to turn and see different things in a place“Omar looks around the room while he waits.”
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 | T | Y | X | X | Q | R | E | R | T | B | D |
| 2 | R | E | V | I | R | R | A | C | G | N | C |
| 3 | A | N | V | H | F | I | A | C | H | I | B |
| 4 | M | A | H | C | T | T | Z | N | N | U | J |
| 5 | S | Y | Y | N | N | A | O | T | V | V | L |
| 6 | E | J | X | O | E | I | E | T | W | T | Z |
| 7 | M | E | C | Q | T | R | A | R | S | E | W |
| 8 | G | B | L | S | V | Z | V | A | B | D | O |
| 9 | Z | S | E | I | U | S | P | O | K | O | B |
| 10 | D | U | E | P | W | M | E | J | U | L | X |
| 11 | Q | W | I | T | T | A | E | S | M | S | I |
Comprehension quiz
Where is Omar's interview?
- A) At a hospital
- B) At a community center
- C) At a shop
- D) At a school
How does Omar feel when he wakes up?
- A) Angry and tired
- B) Sad and bored
- C) Nervous but happy
- D) Sick and scared
What does Omar check before he leaves home?
- A) His keys
- B) His shoes
- C) His bag
- D) His phone
Who does Omar speak to first at the community center?
- A) A security guard
- B) Another job applicant
- C) Mr. Hassan
- D) A woman at a desk
What does Omar do to feel calm while he waits?
- A) He takes a deep breath
- B) He calls a friend
- C) He drinks some water
- D) He reads a book
What is the interviewer's name?
- A) Mr. Omar
- B) Mr. Ali
- C) Mr. Ahmed
- D) Mr. Hassan
What does Omar say when Mr. Hassan asks why he wants the job?
- A) "I have no other job."
- B) "I live near here."
- C) "I like to help people."
- D) "I need the money."
The word 'nervous' means feeling worried or a little scared. True or false?
- A) True
- B) Not mentioned
- C) Not stated
- D) False
How long does the interview last?
- A) About one hour
- B) About twenty minutes
- C) About thirty minutes
- D) About ten minutes
How does Omar feel when he leaves the community center?
- A) Happy, with a big smile
- B) Sad and worried
- C) Confused and quiet
- D) Tired and angry
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. B 2. C 3. C 4. D 5. A 6. D 7. C 8. A 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.
arrive: G2 ← · breath: I8 ↖ · contact: C7 ↗ · interview: J3 ↙ · nervous: D5 ↘ · question: A11 ↗ · seat: H11 ← · smart: A5 ↑