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    Tariq Is Locked Out at the Train Station

    getting locked out of the housea train stationCEFR A2
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    Tariq is at the train station. He has a big bag and a small . He is going home after a long trip. He is very tired. He sits down on a and puts his bags on the floor. He takes out his phone and calls his wife. She does not answer. He waits a few minutes and calls again. She still does not answer. He sends her a text message. He writes, "I am on my way home. See you soon!" Then he picks up his bags and walks to the . He gets on a bus and travels home. Tariq arrives at his apartment building.

    He puts his hand in his . He cannot feel his keys. He checks his other . No keys. He opens his and looks inside. He moves everything around. He cannot find his keys. He checks his big bag too. Still no keys. He sits down on the steps outside the building. He feels very worried. He thinks about where he last had his keys. He remembers putting them in his at the train station. He opens his again and looks more carefully.

    The keys are not there. He he left them at home. Tariq calls his wife again. She does not answer. He goes back to the train station. He talks to a woman at the . He says, "Excuse me, I lost my keys. Did anyone find them?" The woman looks in a box behind the desk. She says, "What do your keys look like?" Tariq says, "They are . There is a small blue on them." The woman smiles. She says, "Someone found these keys on a about an hour ago." She puts the keys on the desk. Tariq is very happy. He says, "Thank you so much!" He goes back home, and this time he can open the door.

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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.
    backpack
    /ˈbæk.pæk/
    noun

    a bag that you carry on your back

    "Tariq keeps his keys in his backpack."

    pocket
    /ˈpɑː.kɪt/
    noun

    a small bag sewn into clothing where you can put small things

    "He checks his pocket but cannot find his keys."

    exit
    /ˈek.sɪt/
    noun

    the door or way out of a place

    "Tariq walks to the exit and leaves the station."

    realize
    /ˈriː.ə.laɪz/
    verb

    to understand or know something suddenly

    "He realizes he left his keys at home."

    information desk
    /ˌɪn.fɚˈmeɪ.ʃən desk/
    noun

    a place in a building where staff help people with questions

    "Tariq talks to a woman at the information desk."

    keychain
    /ˈkiː.tʃeɪn/
    noun

    a small decoration or ring that holds keys together

    "There is a small blue keychain on his keys."

    silver
    /ˈsɪl.vɚ/
    adjective

    having the color or shine of the metal silver; light gray and shiny

    "His keys are silver and easy to see."

    bench
    /bentʃ/
    noun

    a long seat for more than one person, often found outside or in public places

    "Tariq sits down on a bench at the train station."

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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.

    on my way

    traveling toward a place; going somewhere right now

    ""I am on my way home," Tariq writes in his text message."

    look inside

    to check what is in something by looking into it

    "He opens his backpack and looks inside."

    move everything around

    to shift objects in a bag or space to search for something

    "He moves everything around in his bag but cannot find the keys."

    Did anyone find...?

    a question used to ask if a lost item has been returned to someone

    "Tariq asks, "Did anyone find my keys?""

    What does it look like?

    a question asking for a description of something

    "The woman asks, "What do your keys look like?""

    about an hour ago

    approximately one hour before the time of speaking

    "Someone found the keys on a bench about an hour ago."

    Thank you so much

    a very warm and thankful phrase used to express strong gratitude

    "Tariq says, "Thank you so much!" when the woman gives him his keys."

    go back

    to return to a place you were at before

    "Tariq goes back to the train station to look for his keys."

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