Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: trying to open a door that says push when you pulled

Soren and the Difficult Door

Name: ______________________ Date: ____________

Soren works in a big office building. He starts work early every morning. Today, he is very hungry. It is lunchtime, and he wants to eat. The staff canteen is on the second floor. Soren walks up the stairs. He is happy because lunch smells very good. He can smell soup and fresh bread. There are many people in the corridor. Everyone is going to the canteen too. Soren reaches the canteen door. The door is large and heavy. It has a big silver handle. Soren puts his hand on the handle. He pulls the door hard. The door does not open.

Soren pulls again. It still does not open. He pulls a third time, very hard. His bag falls off his shoulder. A woman behind him starts to laugh quietly. Soren feels a little embarrassed. His face turns red. He looks at the door again. There is a small sign on the door. The sign says "PUSH" in big black letters. Soren did not see the sign before. He shakes his head and smiles. He pushes the door with his hand. The door opens easily. It was simple all along. Soren laughs at himself.

Soren walks into the canteen. It is warm and bright inside. There are long tables and many chairs. The smell of food is even stronger now. A colleague named Petra is sitting near the door. She saw everything from inside. "Did you have trouble with the door, Soren?" she asks. Soren laughs and sits down next to her. "I pulled the door, but the sign says push," he says. "I feel so silly!" Petra smiles kindly. "Don't worry," she says. "It happens to everyone." Soren gets his lunch from the counter. He sits back down and eats his soup. He is happy and relaxed now. He does not think about the door anymore.

Key vocabulary

canteen (noun)	a place in a building where people can buy and eat meals“Soren goes to the staff canteen every day at lunchtime.”
handle (noun)	the part of a door or object that you hold to open or carry it“He puts his hand on the door handle and pulls.”
pull (verb)	to move something towards you by using force“Soren pulls the door, but it does not open.”
push (verb)	to move something away from you by using force“The sign on the door says you must push it to open it.”
sign (noun)	a piece of writing that gives information or an instruction“There is a sign on the door that says "PUSH".”
embarrassed (adjective)	feeling shy or ashamed because of something you did“Soren feels embarrassed when the woman behind him laughs.”
corridor (noun)	a long passage in a building with doors on each side“Many people walk through the corridor on their way to the canteen.”
colleague (noun)	a person you work with“His colleague Petra is already sitting in the canteen.”

Useful phrases

all along — from the beginning; the whole time“The answer was simple all along — he just needed to push the door.”
feel silly — to feel embarrassed or foolish about something you did“Soren says, "I feel so silly!" after he reads the sign.”
don't worry — used to tell someone not to feel upset or embarrassed“"Don't worry," says Petra. "It happens to everyone."”
it happens to everyone — used to comfort someone by saying that their mistake is very common“Petra smiles and says, "It happens to everyone," to make Soren feel better.”
laugh at yourself — to find your own mistakes or problems funny“Soren laughs at himself when he finally opens the door.”
shake your head — to move your head from side to side, often to show disbelief or amusement“Soren shakes his head when he sees the "PUSH" sign.”
all along — used to say that something was true or simple from the start“The door was easy to open all along — you just had to push it.”
have trouble with — to have difficulty doing something“"Did you have trouble with the door, Soren?" asks Petra.”

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
1	E	N	H	S	U	P	H	M	C	T	W	H	Y
2	Z	P	J	K	Z	N	O	A	D	L	G	J	L
3	L	D	O	G	Y	S	N	V	Y	J	O	Z	N
4	U	I	Q	I	S	T	P	S	T	J	K	Z	N
5	A	L	K	Z	E	U	M	I	V	C	U	Z	V
6	R	A	U	E	L	R	C	G	Y	V	P	V	G
7	R	J	N	L	A	S	M	N	N	K	B	I	Y
8	X	E	E	U	G	A	E	L	L	O	C	F	K
9	D	D	E	Z	I	A	D	B	P	W	X	Q	C
10	E	M	B	A	R	R	A	S	S	E	D	X	J
11	P	M	X	U	X	H	N	I	U	X	R	P	L
12	K	C	O	R	R	I	D	O	R	K	F	Q	W
13	Y	A	Y	S	E	L	D	N	A	H	H	O	Y

Comprehension quiz

Where does Soren want to go at lunchtime?
- A) His office
- B) The stairs
- C) The staff canteen
- D) The library
What does Soren do first when he reaches the door?
- A) He pulls the door.
- B) He asks for help.
- C) He reads the sign.
- D) He pushes the door.
What does the sign on the door say?
- A) PULL
- B) OPEN
- C) STOP
- D) PUSH
How does Soren feel when the woman behind him laughs?
- A) Happy
- B) Surprised
- C) Embarrassed
- D) Angry
What is the meaning of "embarrassed" in this story?
- A) Feeling proud of something you did
- B) Feeling shy or ashamed because of a mistake
- C) Feeling very hungry
- D) Feeling excited about lunch
Who is Petra?
- A) Soren's manager
- B) A stranger in the corridor
- C) A colleague of Soren's
- D) The canteen cook
What does Soren eat for lunch?
- A) Fresh bread
- B) Soup
- C) Rice
- D) A sandwich
Soren reads the "PUSH" sign before he tries to open the door. True or False?
- A) Not mentioned
- B) Not stated
- C) False
- D) True
What does the phrase "it happens to everyone" mean?
- A) The mistake is dangerous.
- B) Only some people make this mistake.
- C) Everyone is laughing at Soren.
- D) The mistake is very common and normal.
How does Soren feel at the end of the story?
- A) Angry and upset
- B) Embarrassed and quiet
- C) Happy and relaxed
- D) Tired and hungry

Answer key (A2 (Elementary))

1. C 2. A 3. D 4. C 5. B 6. C 7. B 8. C 9. D 10. C

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.

canteen: I1 ↙ · colleague: K8 ← · corridor: B12 → · embarrassed: A10 → · handle: J13 ← · pull: G4 ↙ · push: F1 ← · sign: H4 ↓

Free Daily English · Level B1 (Intermediate) · Topic: trying to open a door that says push when you pulled

Soren and the Sign He Never Noticed

Name: ______________________ Date: ____________

Soren had been looking forward to his lunch break all morning. The staff canteen on the second floor was always lively at midday, filled with the warm, comforting smell of freshly prepared food. As he approached the entrance, he noticed a small queue forming behind him and felt a gentle pressure to move quickly. He gripped the large silver handle firmly, braced himself, and pulled. Nothing happened. He pulled again, this time with considerably more force, his bag swinging awkwardly off his shoulder.

A stifled laugh escaped from someone behind him, and Soren felt his confidence beginning to slip. It was only when he paused and actually looked at the door that he noticed the small rectangular sign fixed just above the handle. In plain, bold letters, it read "PUSH." Soren let out a quiet groan, realizing he had been fighting a door that was never designed to be pulled in the first place. He pressed his palm flat against the smooth surface, gave a gentle push, and the door swung open without the slightest resistance. Shaking his head slowly and smiling to himself, he stepped through, wondering how many times in life he had struggled simply because he had not stopped to read the instructions. Inside, the canteen was warm and buzzing with conversation.

His colleague Petra was already seated near the entrance, and from her barely suppressed smile, it was clear she had witnessed the whole performance. "Tough morning, Soren?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You could say that," he replied, setting his bag down and sliding into the seat across from her. "I spent about a minute wrestling with a door that just needed a push." Petra laughed openly this time. "Honestly, that sign is far too small," she said, in a generous attempt to spare him further embarrassment. Soren collected his soup from the counter, returned to the table, and found that, by the time he had eaten the first spoonful, the whole episode had already started to feel funny.

Key vocabulary

braced (verb (past simple))	prepared your body for something by making it firm or tense“He braced himself and pulled the door as hard as he could.”
stifled (adjective)	held back or suppressed so that it is not fully heard or seen“A stifled laugh escaped from the person standing behind Soren.”
resistance (noun)	a force that works against movement or action“The door swung open without the slightest resistance once he pushed it.”
rectangular (adjective)	having the shape of a rectangle, with four straight sides and four right angles“He noticed a small rectangular sign fixed just above the handle.”
episode (noun)	an event or short period of time that is memorable or distinct“By the time he finished his soup, the whole episode felt funny.”
suppress (verb)	to stop yourself from showing or expressing a feeling“Petra could not suppress her smile when she saw what happened.”
considerably (adverb)	by a large amount; significantly“He pulled again, this time with considerably more force than before.”
generous (adjective)	showing kindness, especially by trying to make someone feel better“It was a generous attempt by Petra to spare Soren further embarrassment.”

Useful phrases

look forward to something — to feel excited or pleased about something that is going to happen“Soren had been looking forward to his lunch break all morning.”
in the first place — from the beginning; used to refer to the original situation“He had been fighting a door that was never designed to be pulled in the first place.”
let out a groan — to make a low sound expressing frustration or disappointment“Soren let out a quiet groan when he finally noticed the "PUSH" sign.”
witness the whole performance — to watch an embarrassing or amusing event from start to finish“Petra had witnessed the whole performance from inside the canteen.”
you could say that — an informal way of agreeing with something, often with mild understatement“"Tough morning, Soren?" "You could say that," he replied with a smile.”
spare someone embarrassment — to help someone avoid feeling ashamed or awkward“Petra said the sign was too small in a generous attempt to spare him further embarrassment.”
stop to read the instructions — to pause and pay attention to directions before acting“He wondered how many times he had struggled by not stopping to read the instructions.”
by the time — used to say that something has happened before or at the same moment as another event“By the time he had eaten his soup, the whole episode had started to feel funny.”

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	S	S	R	E	F	B	W	Y	N	X	R	O	N	T
2	A	C	U	O	D	C	B	R	L	E	D	B	S	H
3	I	T	Y	P	F	O	D	D	C	U	E	B	U	X
4	A	I	R	A	P	J	S	T	X	Z	L	R	L	G
5	X	W	D	F	B	R	A	I	C	I	F	A	N	E
6	L	P	N	X	I	N	E	P	P	H	I	C	N	N
7	S	M	G	Q	G	L	Y	S	W	E	T	E	S	E
8	L	E	Y	U	A	K	I	D	S	R	S	D	C	R
9	M	Y	L	B	A	R	E	D	I	S	N	O	C	O
10	D	A	L	P	D	F	E	O	D	S	Q	Y	R	U
11	R	V	D	B	J	Y	B	O	B	P	C	S	F	S
12	G	Y	R	B	H	R	H	M	L	C	W	Q	Q	J
13	H	M	N	E	C	N	A	T	S	I	S	E	R	Z
14	Q	W	S	R	X	J	Q	A	D	A	M	J	K	T

Comprehension quiz

Why was Soren in a hurry to enter the canteen?
- A) His colleague Petra was calling him.
- B) The canteen was about to close.
- C) He felt pressure from the queue forming behind him.
- D) He was late for a meeting.
What does the word "stifled" mean in the story?
- A) Nervous and shaking
- B) Rude and unkind
- C) Loud and uncontrolled
- D) Held back and not fully expressed
Where exactly was the "PUSH" sign located on the door?
- A) On the floor in front of the door
- B) Just above the handle
- C) On the wall next to the door
- D) At the bottom of the door
Soren needed a lot of force to open the door once he pushed it. True or False?
- A) Not mentioned
- B) False
- C) True
- D) Not stated
What does Soren reflect on after reading the sign?
- A) How often he struggles because he does not read instructions
- B) How much he dislikes the canteen
- C) How unhelpful the canteen staff are
- D) How heavy the door is
What does the phrase "spare someone embarrassment" mean?
- A) To laugh at someone's mistake
- B) To help someone avoid feeling ashamed
- C) To explain the instructions clearly
- D) To ignore someone's problem
How did Petra know what had happened to Soren?
- A) Another colleague told her.
- B) She had witnessed it from inside the canteen.
- C) Soren sent her a message.
- D) She heard a loud bang from the door.
What did Soren eat for lunch in the canteen?
- A) Fresh bread
- B) A sandwich
- C) Soup
- D) Rice
What does "considerably" mean as used in the story?
- A) Carefully and slowly
- B) By a large amount; significantly
- C) In a kind and thoughtful way
- D) Quietly and gently
Soren felt embarrassed about the door incident for the rest of the day. True or False?
- A) Not stated
- B) Not mentioned
- C) False
- D) True

Answer key (B1 (Intermediate))

1. C 2. D 3. B 4. B 5. A 6. B 7. B 8. C 9. B 10. C

Word search answer key (B1 (Intermediate))

Columns are lettered from the left, rows numbered from the top. The arrow shows the reading direction from the word's first letter.

braced: L3 ↓ · considerably: M9 ← · episode: J7 ↖ · generous: N4 ↓ · rectangular: K1 ↙ · resistance: M13 ← · stifled: K8 ↑ · suppress: B1 ↘

Free Daily English · www.freedailyenglish.com/stories/soren-and-the-difficult-door-2026-08-25

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M
1	E	N	H	S	U	P	H	M	C	T	W	H	Y
2	Z	P	J	K	Z	N	O	A	D	L	G	J	L
3	L	D	O	G	Y	S	N	V	Y	J	O	Z	N
4	U	I	Q	I	S	T	P	S	T	J	K	Z	N
5	A	L	K	Z	E	U	M	I	V	C	U	Z	V
6	R	A	U	E	L	R	C	G	Y	V	P	V	G
7	R	J	N	L	A	S	M	N	N	K	B	I	Y
8	X	E	E	U	G	A	E	L	L	O	C	F	K
9	D	D	E	Z	I	A	D	B	P	W	X	Q	C
10	E	M	B	A	R	R	A	S	S	E	D	X	J
11	P	M	X	U	X	H	N	I	U	X	R	P	L
12	K	C	O	R	R	I	D	O	R	K	F	Q	W
13	Y	A	Y	S	E	L	D	N	A	H	H	O	Y

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N
1	S	S	R	E	F	B	W	Y	N	X	R	O	N	T
2	A	C	U	O	D	C	B	R	L	E	D	B	S	H
3	I	T	Y	P	F	O	D	D	C	U	E	B	U	X
4	A	I	R	A	P	J	S	T	X	Z	L	R	L	G
5	X	W	D	F	B	R	A	I	C	I	F	A	N	E
6	L	P	N	X	I	N	E	P	P	H	I	C	N	N
7	S	M	G	Q	G	L	Y	S	W	E	T	E	S	E
8	L	E	Y	U	A	K	I	D	S	R	S	D	C	R
9	M	Y	L	B	A	R	E	D	I	S	N	O	C	O
10	D	A	L	P	D	F	E	O	D	S	Q	Y	R	U
11	R	V	D	B	J	Y	B	O	B	P	C	S	F	S
12	G	Y	R	B	H	R	H	M	L	C	W	Q	Q	J
13	H	M	N	E	C	N	A	T	S	I	S	E	R	Z
14	Q	W	S	R	X	J	Q	A	D	A	M	J	K	T

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M
1	E	N	H	S	U	P	H	M	C	T	W	H	Y
2	Z	P	J	K	Z	N	O	A	D	L	G	J	L
3	L	D	O	G	Y	S	N	V	Y	J	O	Z	N
4	U	I	Q	I	S	T	P	S	T	J	K	Z	N
5	A	L	K	Z	E	U	M	I	V	C	U	Z	V
6	R	A	U	E	L	R	C	G	Y	V	P	V	G
7	R	J	N	L	A	S	M	N	N	K	B	I	Y
8	X	E	E	U	G	A	E	L	L	O	C	F	K
9	D	D	E	Z	I	A	D	B	P	W	X	Q	C
10	E	M	B	A	R	R	A	S	S	E	D	X	J
11	P	M	X	U	X	H	N	I	U	X	R	P	L
12	K	C	O	R	R	I	D	O	R	K	F	Q	W
13	Y	A	Y	S	E	L	D	N	A	H	H	O	Y

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N
1	S	S	R	E	F	B	W	Y	N	X	R	O	N	T
2	A	C	U	O	D	C	B	R	L	E	D	B	S	H
3	I	T	Y	P	F	O	D	D	C	U	E	B	U	X
4	A	I	R	A	P	J	S	T	X	Z	L	R	L	G
5	X	W	D	F	B	R	A	I	C	I	F	A	N	E
6	L	P	N	X	I	N	E	P	P	H	I	C	N	N
7	S	M	G	Q	G	L	Y	S	W	E	T	E	S	E
8	L	E	Y	U	A	K	I	D	S	R	S	D	C	R
9	M	Y	L	B	A	R	E	D	I	S	N	O	C	O
10	D	A	L	P	D	F	E	O	D	S	Q	Y	R	U
11	R	V	D	B	J	Y	B	O	B	P	C	S	F	S
12	G	Y	R	B	H	R	H	M	L	C	W	Q	Q	J
13	H	M	N	E	C	N	A	T	S	I	S	E	R	Z
14	Q	W	S	R	X	J	Q	A	D	A	M	J	K	T

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M
1	E	N	H	S	U	P	H	M	C	T	W	H	Y
2	Z	P	J	K	Z	N	O	A	D	L	G	J	L
3	L	D	O	G	Y	S	N	V	Y	J	O	Z	N
4	U	I	Q	I	S	T	P	S	T	J	K	Z	N
5	A	L	K	Z	E	U	M	I	V	C	U	Z	V
6	R	A	U	E	L	R	C	G	Y	V	P	V	G
7	R	J	N	L	A	S	M	N	N	K	B	I	Y
8	X	E	E	U	G	A	E	L	L	O	C	F	K
9	D	D	E	Z	I	A	D	B	P	W	X	Q	C
10	E	M	B	A	R	R	A	S	S	E	D	X	J
11	P	M	X	U	X	H	N	I	U	X	R	P	L
12	K	C	O	R	R	I	D	O	R	K	F	Q	W
13	Y	A	Y	S	E	L	D	N	A	H	H	O	Y

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N
1	S	S	R	E	F	B	W	Y	N	X	R	O	N	T
2	A	C	U	O	D	C	B	R	L	E	D	B	S	H
3	I	T	Y	P	F	O	D	D	C	U	E	B	U	X
4	A	I	R	A	P	J	S	T	X	Z	L	R	L	G
5	X	W	D	F	B	R	A	I	C	I	F	A	N	E
6	L	P	N	X	I	N	E	P	P	H	I	C	N	N
7	S	M	G	Q	G	L	Y	S	W	E	T	E	S	E
8	L	E	Y	U	A	K	I	D	S	R	S	D	C	R
9	M	Y	L	B	A	R	E	D	I	S	N	O	C	O
10	D	A	L	P	D	F	E	O	D	S	Q	Y	R	U
11	R	V	D	B	J	Y	B	O	B	P	C	S	F	S
12	G	Y	R	B	H	R	H	M	L	C	W	Q	Q	J
13	H	M	N	E	C	N	A	T	S	I	S	E	R	Z
14	Q	W	S	R	X	J	Q	A	D	A	M	J	K	T