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    The Name on the Tip of His Tongue

    trying to remember someone's namea launderetteCEFR A2
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    Diego walked into the on a quiet morning. He had a big bag of dirty clothes with him. He put the bag down next to a washing machine. He opened the door of the machine and started to put his clothes inside. Then he heard a voice behind him. "Hi, Diego! It is nice to see you again!" Diego turned around and saw a woman with short brown hair. She was smiling at him. Diego smiled back, but he had a problem. He knew her face very well. He was sure he met her before. But he could not remember her name. His mind was completely . He felt . He said, "Oh, hello! It is great to see you too!" He hoped she would say her name soon. The woman started to talk about many things.

    She talked about the weather and the new shop near the . Diego listened and nodded his head. He tried very hard to remember her name. Was it Sara? No, that was not right. Was it Lina? No, that was wrong too. He looked at her face for . Nothing helped him remember. She asked him, "How is your brother?" Diego was surprised. She knew about his brother. This meant they talked before, maybe many times. He felt bad because he still could not remember. He wanted to ask her name, but he was too shy. He thought it was to ask. He put his coins into the machine and pressed the start button. The machine started to .

    Then something lucky happened. The woman's phone started to ring. She picked it up and said, "Hello, this is Nora." Diego felt so happy when he heard the name. Nora! Of course, her name was Nora! Now he remembered everything. They met at a friend's dinner a few months ago. They talked about books that night. He felt very . After her phone call, Nora came back to talk to him. Diego said, "It was really nice talking to you, Nora." Nora smiled and said, "You too, Diego! We should meet again soon." Diego agreed and picked up his clean clothes. He walked out of the with a big smile on his face. He was never going to forget her name again. He repeated it in his head three times: Nora, Nora, Nora.

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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.
    launderette
    /ˌlɔːn.dəˈret/
    noun

    a shop where you pay to use machines to wash and dry your clothes

    "I go to the launderette every week to wash my clothes."

    embarrassed
    /ɪmˈbær.əst/
    adjective

    feeling shy or ashamed about something

    "She felt embarrassed when she forgot the answer."

    blank
    /blæŋk/
    adjective

    empty, with nothing on it or in it

    "His mind went blank during the test."

    clue
    /kluː/
    noun

    a piece of information that helps you find an answer

    "The detective looked for clues to solve the mystery."

    rude
    /ruːd/
    adjective

    not polite, showing no respect for others

    "It is rude to talk when someone else is speaking."

    spin
    /spɪn/
    verb

    to turn around and around quickly

    "The washing machine started to spin very fast."

    relieved
    /rɪˈliːvd/
    adjective

    feeling happy because something bad did not happen or a worry is gone

    "He was relieved when he found his lost keys."

    nod
    /nɒd/
    verb

    to move your head up and down to show you agree or understand

    "She nodded her head and said yes."

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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 the tip of his tongue

    when you almost remember something but not quite

    "The answer was on the tip of his tongue, but he could not say it."

    nice to see you

    a friendly greeting when you meet someone

    ""Hi, Tom! Nice to see you," she said with a smile."

    tried very hard

    made a big effort to do something

    "He tried very hard to finish the race."

    felt bad

    felt sorry or guilty about something

    "She felt bad because she forgot her friend's birthday."

    of course

    used to say that something is obvious or expected

    ""Can you help me?" "Of course!""

    a few months ago

    some months before now, not a long time

    "I started learning English a few months ago."

    came back

    returned to a place or person

    "She left the room but came back after five minutes."

    pick up

    to lift something or to answer a phone call

    "He picked up his bag and walked to the door."

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