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    The Wrong Way

    trying to open a door that says push when you pulleda staff canteenCEFR A2
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    Tap an underlined word to see what it means.

    Soren was hungry. It was lunchtime, and he wanted to eat in the staff . He walked down the corridor to the door. The door was big and gray. There was a on the door. The said "" in large letters. But Soren did not read the . He grabbed the and the door. The door did not move. He again, harder this time. The door still did not move. Soren frowned and one more time. Nothing happened. He looked at the door and felt confused. "Why is this door ?" he said to himself. Two people walked up behind him and waited.

    Soren the door again with both hands. His face turned red. A woman behind him said, "Excuse me, are you okay?" Soren turned around and smiled. "This door is broken," he said. "I cannot open it." The woman looked at the door. She pointed at the . "It says ," she said kindly. Soren looked at the . He read the word "" slowly. His face turned even more red. "Oh," he said quietly. He felt very . He the door . The door opened easily. The woman smiled and walked through the door. Soren followed her inside.

    Inside the , Soren sat down at a table. He put his hands over his face. A man at the next table looked at him. "Are you all right?" the man asked. "I just did something silly," Soren said. "I the door when it said ." The man laughed in a friendly way. "Everyone does that sometimes," the man said. "I did it last week." Soren smiled and felt a little better. He stood up and went to get his lunch. The food smelled delicious. He got some soup and bread. He sat down and started eating. "Next time, I will read the first," he thought. He laughed quietly to himself and enjoyed his meal.

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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.
    canteen
    /kænˈtiːn/
    noun

    a place in a building where workers or students can buy and eat food

    "We eat lunch in the staff canteen every day."

    sign
    /saɪn/
    noun

    a notice with words or pictures that gives information

    "The sign on the wall said "No smoking" in big letters."

    pull
    /pʊl/
    verb

    to move something towards you

    "She pulled the rope with both hands."

    push
    /pʊʃ/
    verb

    to move something away from you using your hands

    "You need to push the button to start the machine."

    handle
    /ˈhæn.dəl/
    noun

    the part of a door or object that you hold to open it

    "He turned the handle and opened the window."

    stuck
    /stʌk/
    adjective

    not able to move or be moved

    "The window was stuck, so I could not close it."

    embarrassed
    /ɪmˈbær.əst/
    adjective

    feeling shy or ashamed about something

    "She felt embarrassed when she said the wrong name."

    gently
    /ˈdʒent.li/
    adverb

    in a soft and careful way

    "He closed the door gently so the baby did not wake up."

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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.

    staff canteen

    a dining area for the workers in a building

    "The staff canteen is on the second floor."

    read the sign

    to look at a notice and understand what it says

    "Always read the sign before you enter a room."

    turn red

    when your face becomes red because you feel embarrassed or hot

    "His face turned red when everyone looked at him."

    both hands

    using your left hand and your right hand together

    "She carried the heavy box with both hands."

    walked up

    moved closer to someone or something on foot

    "A stranger walked up and asked for directions."

    feel better

    to start feeling less sad, worried, or embarrassed

    "After talking to my friend, I felt better."

    in a friendly way

    doing something with kindness and warmth

    "The teacher spoke to the new student in a friendly way."

    to himself

    speaking or thinking quietly without others hearing

    "He said the answer to himself before writing it down."

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