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    Sorry for the Wait

    explaining a delay to someone waitinga shared kitchen in an apartment buildingCEFR A2
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    Emil lived in a big apartment building. There was a kitchen on the ground floor. Many people in the building used this kitchen. Emil liked to cook there on weekday evenings. One evening, Emil wanted to make soup for his , Tara. He told Tara the soup would be ready at seven o'clock. Tara was happy because she was very hungry. She said she would wait in her apartment. Emil went to the kitchen at six o'clock. He put his bag on the table. He opened the bag and took out . He had carrots, onions, and potatoes. He also had a big for the soup. He was excited to start cooking. He turned on the to wash the . But there was a problem.

    The water did not come out of the . Emil tried the other , but it did not work either. He looked under the sink. He saw a small note on the pipe. The note said the water was off until eight o'clock. Emil felt . He could not make soup without water. He looked at the clock on the wall. It was already ten past six. He sat down on a chair and thought about what to do. He picked up his phone. He wanted to call Tara, but he felt bad. He waited a few minutes. Then he decided to go and talk to her. He walked slowly upstairs to her apartment. Emil knocked on Tara's door.

    Tara opened it with a big smile. "Is the soup ready?" she asked. Emil shook his head. "I am sorry, Tara," he said. "The water in the kitchen is off tonight." Tara looked surprised. "Oh, that is a problem," she said. "The water comes back at eight o'clock," Emil explained. "So the soup will be late. It will be ready at about nine." Tara nodded slowly. "That is okay, Emil," she said. "Thank you for telling me." Emil smiled. "I am sorry for the ," he said. "I will bring the soup to you as soon as it is ready." Tara thanked him again and closed the door. Emil went back downstairs and waited in the kitchen.

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    Key Vocabulary

    How to use these cards
    1. Read each word and its meaning.
    2. Tap “Cover the meanings”, then tap a card to check yourself.
    3. Tap “Quick quiz” for a short test. Tap “I know this” on cards you have learned.
    shared
    /ʃeəd/
    adjective

    used by more than one person

    "The shared kitchen is on the ground floor."

    neighbor
    /ˈneɪ.bər/
    noun

    a person who lives near you

    "My neighbor is very friendly."

    vegetables
    /ˈvedʒ.tə.bəlz/
    noun

    plants that people eat, like carrots and onions

    "He washed the vegetables before cooking."

    tap
    /tæp/
    noun

    the thing you turn to get water from a pipe

    "She turned on the tap to fill the glass."

    worried
    /ˈwʌr.id/
    adjective

    feeling that something bad might happen

    "Emil felt worried about the delay."

    delay
    /dɪˈleɪ/
    noun

    when something happens later than planned

    "I am sorry for the delay."

    patiently
    /ˈpeɪ.ʃənt.li/
    adverb

    in a calm way, without getting angry about waiting

    "She waited patiently for the bus."

    pot
    /pɒt/
    noun

    a deep round container used for cooking

    "He put the big pot on the cooker."

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    Useful Phrases

    How to use these cards
    1. Read each phrase and its meaning.
    2. Tap “Cover the meanings”, then tap a card to check yourself.
    3. Tap “Quick quiz” for a short test. Tap “I know this” on cards you have learned.

    come out of

    to flow or move from inside something

    "No water came out of the tap."

    turn on

    to make something start working

    "He turned on the tap to get water."

    as soon as

    at the moment when something happens

    "I will call you as soon as I arrive."

    I am sorry for

    a polite way to apologize about something

    "I am sorry for the noise last night."

    think about

    to consider something in your mind

    "He sat down and thought about the problem."

    look at

    to direct your eyes towards something

    "She looked at the clock on the wall."

    talk to

    to have a conversation with someone

    "He decided to go and talk to his neighbor."

    wait for

    to stay until someone or something arrives or is ready

    "She waited for the soup to be ready."

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