Daily Story·

    The Slowest Printer in the School

    waiting for a very slow printera school reception deskCEFR A2
    0:00 / 0:00

    Click any sentence to jump to that moment

    Speed
    📖

    Story

    Tap an underlined word to see what it means.

    Layla worked at the school desk. She started her job three months ago. She liked her job very much. Every morning, she arrived early and turned on the computer. She also turned on the old . The was very slow. It made a loud noise every time it started. Layla always waited a long time for her documents. Other people in the school knew about the slow . They often said, "That is so old!" Layla agreed with them. She wanted a new , but there was no money for one. So every day, she waited and waited. The was the slowest machine in the whole school. Layla just smiled and tried to be . One Tuesday morning, a student came to the desk. He needed a copy of his class .

    "Can I have my , please?" he asked . "Of course," Layla said with a smile. She pressed the print button on her computer. Then she looked at the . It started to make its usual loud noise. The first page came out very slowly. The student looked surprised. "Is it always this slow?" he asked. Layla laughed a little. "Yes, it is always this slow," she said. "Please take a seat. It will take a few minutes." The student sat down on a chair near the desk. He waited and looked at the . Layla watched the push out one page. She quietly. After five minutes, the was ready.

    Layla picked up the paper from the . She checked it carefully. Everything looked correct. She gave the paper to the student. "Here you go," she said. "Thank you for waiting." The student took the paper and looked at it. "Thank you very much," he said. "I hope you get a new soon." Layla laughed again. "I hope so too," she replied. The student left the area. Layla sat back in her chair. She heard the make one more strange noise. She shook her head and smiled. "Maybe tomorrow," she said to herself. Then she went back to her other work.

    🔑

    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.
    reception
    /rɪˈsep.ʃən/
    noun

    the front desk area of a building where visitors are welcomed

    "Please go to the reception to sign in."

    printer
    /ˈprɪn.tər/
    noun

    a machine that puts text or images from a computer onto paper

    "The printer is out of paper again."

    patient
    /ˈpeɪ.ʃənt/
    adjective

    able to wait for a long time without getting angry

    "You need to be patient when you wait in a queue."

    schedule
    /ˈʃed.juːl/
    noun

    a list of times when classes or events happen

    "My schedule shows I have a class at ten o'clock."

    politely
    /pəˈlaɪt.li/
    adverb

    in a way that is respectful and has good manners

    "She asked politely for help."

    sigh
    /saɪ/
    verb

    to breathe out slowly and loudly because you are tired, bored, or sad

    "He sighed because the lesson was very long."

    tray
    /treɪ/
    noun

    a flat container where things are placed, such as printed papers

    "The printed pages are in the tray."

    ceiling
    /ˈsiː.lɪŋ/
    noun

    the top inside surface of a room

    "There is a light on the ceiling."

    💬

    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.

    turn on

    to start a machine or device by pressing a button or switch

    "Please turn on the computer before you start working."

    take a seat

    to sit down

    ""Please take a seat," the teacher said to the new student."

    here you go

    said when you give something to someone

    ""Here you go," she said, handing him the book."

    a few minutes

    a short amount of time

    "The bus will arrive in a few minutes."

    hope so

    used to say that you want something to happen

    ""Will the weather be nice tomorrow?" "I hope so.""

    go back to

    to return to doing something you were doing before

    "After lunch, I went back to my homework."

    shake one's head

    to move your head from side to side to show you are not happy or you disagree

    "She shook her head when she saw the mess."

    of course

    yes, certainly

    ""Can I borrow your pen?" "Of course!""

    1 Story→→

    Finished the A2 version? Challenge yourself with the B1 intermediate story.

    Get tomorrow's story in your inbox

    One short story every morning at your level, with audio, key words and a quiz. Free. Unsubscribe any time.

    Your level

    We'll email you once to confirm. We only use your address to send the daily story. See our privacy policy.

    More stories to read