Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: handling conflicting information from two people
Rashid Asks for Help
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Rashid was at the bus station. He was sitting in the waiting room. He had a big bag next to him. He wanted to take a bus to the city. He did not know which bus to take. He looked at the board on the wall. The board had a lot of numbers and times. He could not understand it. He felt a little worried. A man was sitting near him. The man looked friendly. Rashid walked over to him. "Excuse me," said Rashid. "Which bus goes to the city center?" The man smiled and said, "You need bus number five." Rashid said, "Thank you very much." Rashid went back to his seat. He felt better now. He put his ticket in his pocket. He waited for a few minutes.
Then an old woman sat down next to him. She had a small bag and a newspaper. She looked at Rashid and smiled. Rashid smiled back. "Are you waiting for the bus to the city?" she asked. "Yes," said Rashid. "I am taking bus number five." The woman shook her head. "No, no," she said. "Bus number five does not go to the city center. You need bus number nine." Rashid looked surprised. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Yes, I am sure," said the woman. Rashid did not know what to think. The man said number five. The woman said number nine. He felt confused. Rashid stood up. He decided to find the right answer.
He walked to the information desk. A young worker was standing there. "Hello," said Rashid. "I need some help, please." The worker said, "Of course! How can I help you?" Rashid explained his problem. "One person told me bus number five. Another person told me bus number nine. I do not know which one is correct." The worker checked the computer. "Bus number five goes to the north part of the city," she said. "Bus number nine goes to the city center." Rashid laughed a little. "So the woman was right!" he said. "Yes," said the worker, "but the man was not wrong. He just did not understand where you wanted to go." Rashid thanked the worker. He went back to the waiting room. He sat down and waited for bus number nine. When the bus arrived, he got on and found a seat. He felt happy and ready for his trip.
Key vocabulary
| waiting room (noun) | a room where people sit and wait, for example at a station“Rashid sat in the waiting room at the bus station.” |
| confused (adjective) | not able to think clearly or understand something“Rashid felt confused because two people gave him different answers.” |
| board (noun) | a flat surface on a wall that shows information“He looked at the board to find the bus times.” |
| explain (verb) | to tell someone about something so they can understand it“Rashid explained his problem to the worker at the desk.” |
| correct (adjective) | right; without any mistakes“He wanted to find the correct bus number.” |
| information desk (noun) | a place at a station or building where you can ask for help“Rashid walked to the information desk to ask for help.” |
| surprised (adjective) | feeling something you did not expect“Rashid looked surprised when the woman gave him different information.” |
| worried (adjective) | feeling nervous or unhappy because you are not sure about something“He felt a little worried because he could not read the board.” |
Useful phrases
- Excuse me — used to politely get someone's attention“"Excuse me," said Rashid. "Which bus goes to the city center?"”
- How can I help you? — a polite question asking what someone needs“The worker at the desk said, "How can I help you?"”
- Are you sure? — used to check if someone is certain about what they said“"Are you sure?" Rashid asked the woman.”
- I don't know what to think — used when you feel confused and cannot decide something“Rashid did not know what to think after he heard two different answers.”
- find the right answer — to discover the correct information“Rashid decided to find the right answer by going to the information desk.”
- shook her head — moved her head from side to side to show disagreement“The woman shook her head and said bus number five was wrong.”
- Of course! — used to say yes in a friendly and willing way“"Of course! How can I help you?" said the worker.”
- ready for — prepared and able to do something“Rashid felt happy and ready for his trip.”
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 | L | M | N | O | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | Y | O | S | O | V | M | U | W | N | N | D | I | R | H |
| 2 | D | N | B | H | K | Z | O | U | N | O | R | H | B | O | A |
| 3 | U | R | F | J | V | F | K | A | Y | A | R | I | F | R | L |
| 4 | Q | L | W | O | O | K | I | O | O | S | N | R | C | X | R |
| 5 | H | E | W | K | R | Z | G | B | T | O | V | X | I | V | D |
| 6 | Z | L | I | A | B | M | Y | O | Y | G | Y | H | Z | E | P |
| 7 | Q | O | T | H | I | I | A | N | X | D | E | E | X | I | D |
| 8 | F | M | C | T | J | T | C | T | I | Q | E | C | Q | D | V |
| 9 | A | B | E | V | R | E | I | O | I | A | U | I | B | A | S |
| 10 | O | Y | R | F | J | S | E | N | N | O | L | T | O | C | Q |
| 11 | O | O | R | C | B | A | G | U | G | F | N | P | V | Q | H |
| 12 | O | C | O | B | J | F | G | N | O | R | U | D | X | F | A |
| 13 | N | N | C | W | Y | R | L | F | Q | L | O | S | E | E | W |
| 14 | C | S | U | R | P | R | I | S | E | D | Z | O | E | S | S |
| 15 | I | J | T | S | L | R | X | Y | V | V | X | N | M | D | K |
Comprehension quiz
Where was Rashid at the start of the story?
- A) At an airport
- B) At a bus station waiting room
- C) At a hotel
- D) At a train station
What did the man tell Rashid?
- A) Take bus number nine
- B) Take bus number five
- C) Take bus number two
- D) Take bus number one
What did the old woman tell Rashid?
- A) Bus number five goes to the city center
- B) Bus number nine goes to the city center
- C) Bus number two goes to the city center
- D) Bus number five is the right bus
Why did Rashid feel confused?
- A) The bus was very late
- B) Two people gave him different bus numbers
- C) He could not find the information desk
- D) He lost his ticket
What does the word 'confused' mean in this story?
- A) Very happy and excited
- B) Angry at someone
- C) Not able to think clearly because of different information
- D) Tired after a long journey
Where did Rashid go to find the correct answer?
- A) He asked the old woman again
- B) He went to the information desk
- C) He called a friend
- D) He looked at the board again
What does 'information desk' mean?
- A) A place where you eat food
- B) A desk where you buy tickets
- C) A desk where you leave your bags
- D) A place where you can ask for help and get information
The man gave Rashid the wrong bus number on purpose. True or False?
- A) True
- B) Not stated
- C) False
- D) Not mentioned
Which bus goes to the city center?
- A) Bus number two
- B) Bus number nine
- C) Bus number one
- D) Bus number five
How did Rashid feel at the end of the story?
- A) Happy and ready for his trip
- B) Tired and confused
- C) Worried and sad
- D) Angry at the worker
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. B 2. B 3. B 4. B 5. C 6. B 7. D 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.
board: H5 ↗ · confused: G8 ↘ · correct: C13 ↑ · explain: N13 ↖ · information desk: A1 ↘ · surprised: B14 → · waiting room: C5 ↘ · worried: I1 ↘