Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: asking for a refund at a store
Sakura Asks for a Refund at the Night Market
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Sakura went to the night market on Saturday evening. She loved the bright lights and the smell of food. There were many stalls selling clothes, food, and small gifts. Sakura stopped at a stall that sold bags. She saw a small blue bag and thought it was very nice. The price was good, so she decided to buy it. She paid for the bag and put it in her hand. She was very happy. She walked around the market and looked at other stalls. Then she stopped under a light to look at the bag again. She noticed something wrong. There was a broken zipper on the side of the bag. She pulled the zipper, but it did not move. She tried again, but it was stuck. She felt disappointed. She wanted to go back to the stall and get her money back. Sakura walked back to the stall.
The sales clerk was a young woman with a friendly face. "Excuse me," said Sakura. "I just bought this bag, but the zipper is broken." The sales clerk took the bag and looked at it. "I'm sorry about that," she said. "Can I see your receipt?" Sakura opened her purse and found the receipt. She gave it to the sales clerk. The sales clerk looked at the receipt and nodded. "Yes, you bought this a few minutes ago," she said. "Would you like a new bag or your money back?" Sakura thought for a moment. She looked at the other bags on the table. There were no more blue bags. "I would like my money back, please," said Sakura. "Of course," said the sales clerk. "I'm really sorry for the trouble." She opened the cash box and counted out the money. She gave it to Sakura with a smile. Sakura took the money and said "thank you." Sakura felt much better after she got her refund.
She put the money back in her purse. The sales clerk was very polite, and Sakura was happy with how the situation went. She walked back into the market and enjoyed the rest of her evening. She tried some food at another stall. It was hot and delicious. She also saw a small red bag at a different stall. She looked at the zipper carefully this time. It worked perfectly. She smiled and decided to buy it. The new bag was good quality. She paid for it and put her things inside. The night market was busy and fun. Sakura walked home slowly and felt satisfied. It was a good evening in the end. She knew now that it was always okay to ask for a refund when something was wrong.
Key vocabulary
| refund (noun) | money that is given back to you when you return something you bought“Sakura asked for a refund because the bag was broken.” |
| stall (noun) | a small table or stand where things are sold, often at a market“She stopped at a stall that sold bags and clothes.” |
| zipper (noun) | a fastener with two rows of small teeth used to open and close bags or clothes“The zipper on the bag was broken and would not move.” |
| receipt (noun) | a piece of paper that shows you have paid for something“The sales clerk asked Sakura to show her receipt.” |
| disappointed (adjective) | feeling sad because something was not as good as you hoped“Sakura felt disappointed when she saw the broken zipper.” |
| polite (adjective) | behaving in a way that is respectful and kind to others“The sales clerk was very polite and apologized right away.” |
| quality (noun) | how good or bad something is“The new bag was good quality, so Sakura was happy to buy it.” |
| satisfied (adjective) | pleased because something happened the way you wanted“Sakura walked home feeling satisfied after a good evening.” |
Useful phrases
- ask for a refund — to request your money back after buying something“She decided to ask for a refund because the zipper was broken.”
- I just bought this — used to say you purchased something very recently“"I just bought this bag, but there is a problem with it."”
- Can I see your receipt? — a request to show proof of purchase“The sales clerk said, "Can I see your receipt?"”
- I'm sorry for the trouble — an apology for causing problems or inconvenience“"I'm really sorry for the trouble," said the sales clerk.”
- Would you like ... or ...? — used to offer someone a choice between two options“"Would you like a new bag or your money back?"”
- get your money back — to receive a refund after returning a product“Sakura wanted to get her money back for the broken bag.”
- in the end — used to say what finally happened after a situation“It was a good evening in the end, even with the broken bag.”
- look at ... carefully — to examine something closely and with attention“She looked at the zipper carefully before buying the new bag.”
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | X | X | E | F | J | B | B | L | S | H | I | U | X | I |
| 2 | Y | R | T | J | Z | D | F | T | Y | Z | M | Y | K | X |
| 3 | Q | U | M | H | L | Q | A | C | Y | I | S | C | P | O |
| 4 | Z | Z | L | B | Y | L | X | E | T | P | X | N | S | Z |
| 5 | G | A | M | P | L | T | X | T | T | P | B | N | L | L |
| 6 | K | Y | O | O | K | X | E | P | F | E | C | L | N | H |
| 7 | E | R | E | F | U | N | D | I | M | R | H | D | V | V |
| 8 | L | A | C | P | O | J | Q | E | E | O | L | N | C | W |
| 9 | L | F | M | U | Z | R | N | C | J | T | A | V | K | F |
| 10 | S | A | T | I | S | F | I | E | D | Q | I | C | O | P |
| 11 | A | B | P | K | W | R | Y | R | K | F | A | L | Z | L |
| 12 | Q | U | A | L | I | T | Y | W | V | K | H | I | O | I |
| 13 | D | E | T | N | I | O | P | P | A | S | I | D | Z | P |
| 14 | H | M | X | D | T | A | R | G | D | M | Z | U | W | P |
Comprehension quiz
Where did Sakura go on Saturday evening?
- A) A shopping mall
- B) A night market
- C) A grocery store
- D) A restaurant
What did Sakura buy at the stall?
- A) A black bag
- B) A blue bag
- C) A red bag
- D) A green bag
What was wrong with the bag?
- A) The bag was too small
- B) The handle was torn
- C) The color was wrong
- D) The zipper was broken
What did the sales clerk ask Sakura to show?
- A) Her ID
- B) Her phone
- C) Her purse
- D) Her receipt
Why didn't Sakura choose a new bag?
- A) The new bags were too expensive
- B) There were no more blue bags
- C) The sales clerk didn't offer one
- D) She didn't like the other colors
The word "disappointed" means feeling sad because something was not as good as you hoped. True or false?
- A) Not stated
- B) Not mentioned
- C) False
- D) True
What did Sakura check carefully before buying the second bag?
- A) The zipper
- B) The size
- C) The color
- D) The price
How did the sales clerk behave when Sakura returned the bag?
- A) She asked Sakura to come back later
- B) She ignored Sakura
- C) She was polite and apologized
- D) She was rude and unhelpful
A "stall" is a large store inside a shopping center. True or false?
- A) Not stated
- B) False
- C) True
- D) Not mentioned
How did Sakura feel at the end of the evening?
- A) Worried
- B) Satisfied
- C) Bored
- D) Angry
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. B 2. B 3. D 4. D 5. B 6. D 7. A 8. C 9. B 10. B
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.
disappointed: L13 ← · polite: N13 ↖ · quality: A12 → · receipt: H11 ↑ · refund: B7 → · satisfied: A10 → · stall: I1 ↙ · zipper: J2 ↓