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Alicia works in a tall office building. She goes to work every day by . The is fast and easy. One Monday morning, Alicia gets into the . She the button for the tenth floor. The doors close. The starts to move. Then, , everything stops. The lights go off. The is dark and quiet. Alicia feels a little scared. She does not know what happens. She stands very still. She waits for a moment. Then she takes a deep breath. "Okay," she says to herself. "Stay calm." Alicia looks around the . She cannot see anything.
It is very dark. She takes out her phone. The phone has a small light. She turns the light on. Now she can see a little. She looks for a button on the wall. She finds an button. It is red and round. She it. A loud starts. Then a voice speaks through a small speaker. "Hello, this is building . Can you hear me?" Alicia answers quickly. "Yes! I am in the . The power is off. I am on my own." The voice says, "Please don't worry. We can hear you. Help is coming soon."
Alicia sits down on the floor of the . She feels nervous but she tries to stay calm. She sends a message to her boss. "I am in the . There is a . I will be late." Her boss replies fast. "Don't worry, Alicia. We know about the . Take your time." After about twenty minutes, the lights come back on. The starts to move again. It goes up slowly. The doors open on the tenth floor. A man from is waiting there. "Are you okay?" he asks. "Yes, thank you," says Alicia. She walks into the office. Her hands are still shaking a little. But she smiles. She is very happy to be out of the .
a machine inside a building that carries people up and down between floors
"Alicia takes the lift to the tenth floor every morning."
to push something with your finger
"She presses the button to close the doors."
happening quickly and without warning
"Suddenly, the lights go off and the room is dark."
a serious and dangerous situation that needs fast action
"She finds the emergency button on the wall of the lift."
people or a system that keeps a place safe
"Building security answers when she presses the alarm."
a loud sound or signal that warns people about danger
"A loud alarm starts when she presses the red button."
not able to move or get out of a place
"Alicia is stuck in the lift for twenty minutes."
a time when the electricity stops working in a building or area
"The power cut makes all the lights go off."
stay calm
to keep yourself relaxed and not panic in a difficult situation
"Alicia tells herself to stay calm when the lift stops."
take a deep breath
to breathe in slowly and deeply to help yourself feel less nervous
"She takes a deep breath before pressing the emergency button."
on my own
alone, without other people
""I am on my own," Alicia tells security through the speaker."
help is coming
someone will arrive soon to help you
"The security voice says, "Help is coming soon.""
take your time
do not rush; go at a comfortable speed
"Her boss says, "Take your time," when he hears about the power cut."
come back on
to start working again after stopping (used for lights or electricity)
"After twenty minutes, the lights come back on in the lift."
be late
to arrive after the expected or agreed time
"Alicia tells her boss she will be late because of the power cut."
find out
to get information or learn the truth about something
"She wants to find out why the lift has stopped."
Finished the A2 version? Challenge yourself with the B1 intermediate story.
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