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    Talia and the Spilled Drink

    a spilled drink at a crucial momenta building entrance lobbyCEFR A2
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    Talia walks into the of a tall building. She has a big cup of coffee in her hand. She is today. She has an important meeting on the fifth floor. She looks at her phone to check the time. She is ten minutes early. She feels happy about that. The is big and bright. There are many people walking around. Some people are talking. Some people are waiting by the lift. Talia walks slowly and carefully. She does not want to be late. She takes a deep breath and smiles. Then something goes wrong. A man opens the door very fast. He does not see Talia.

    He walks straight into her. The coffee flies out of her hand. It all over her white shirt. The cup falls to the floor with a loud noise. Everyone in the looks at her. Talia's face goes red. She feels very . The man says sorry many times. "I am so sorry!" he says. "Are you okay?" Talia looks down at her shirt. There is a big brown on it. She takes another deep breath. "It is okay," she says quietly. But she does not feel okay. Talia looks around the . She needs help. She sees a woman at the front desk.

    She walks over to her. "Excuse me," Talia says. "I have a problem." The woman looks at Talia's shirt. She understands . She gives Talia some paper towels. There is also a small shop near the lift. Talia goes to the shop. She buys a blue . She wraps it around her shoulders. Now the is not easy to see. Talia goes to the lift. She presses the button for the fifth floor. She stands up straight and feels a little better. The doors open. She walks in. She is still , but she is ready.

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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.
    lobby
    /ˈlɒb.i/
    noun

    the entrance hall of a large building

    "We waited for our friend in the lobby of the hotel."

    nervous
    /ˈnɜː.vəs/
    adjective

    feeling worried or frightened about something

    "She was nervous before her exam."

    spill
    /spɪl/
    verb

    to accidentally let liquid fall out of a container

    "He spilled water on the table."

    stain
    /steɪn/
    noun

    a mark left on something by a liquid or other substance

    "There was a coffee stain on my jacket."

    embarrassed
    /ɪmˈbær.əst/
    adjective

    feeling ashamed or uncomfortable because of something that happened

    "He felt embarrassed when he fell in front of everyone."

    immediately
    /ɪˈmiː.di.ət.li/
    adverb

    at once; without any delay

    "She immediately called for help."

    plain
    /pleɪn/
    adjective

    simple, with no pattern or decoration

    "He wore a plain white shirt to work."

    scarf
    /skɑːf/
    noun

    a piece of cloth worn around the neck or shoulders

    "She wore a red scarf to keep warm."

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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.

    goes wrong

    something does not happen the way it should

    "Everything goes wrong when I am in a hurry."

    straight into

    directly hitting or meeting something or someone

    "He walked straight into the door by mistake."

    take a deep breath

    to breathe in slowly and deeply, often to feel calmer

    "Before she spoke, she took a deep breath."

    look around

    to turn your eyes or body to see different parts of a place

    "She looked around the room for her keys."

    Excuse me

    a polite phrase used to get someone's attention

    ""Excuse me, do you know where the lift is?""

    I have a problem

    a phrase used to tell someone that you need help with something difficult

    ""Excuse me, I have a problem with my bag.""

    not easy to see

    something is hidden or not clear to notice

    "The small crack in the wall was not easy to see."

    stands up straight

    holds the body in an upright, confident position

    "He stands up straight when he talks to his manager."

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