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    Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: being woken up by the wrong alarm

    Yosef's Wrong Alarm

    Name: ______________________   Date: ____________

    Yosef works at a rooftop cafe. He likes his job very much. The cafe is high up on a tall building. From the top, you can see the whole city. Yosef starts work early every morning. He needs to wake up at six o'clock. He always sets his alarm before he goes to sleep. Last night, he was very tired. He ate dinner and went to bed quickly. He did not check his alarm carefully. He just pressed some buttons and closed his eyes. The alarm was set for six in the evening, not six in the morning. Yosef did not know this. He fell asleep very fast. He slept very well all night. The next morning, Yosef's phone did not make any sound.

    He slept and slept. The sun came up and the sky got bright. But Yosef did not wake up. At eight o'clock, his manager called him. The phone rang loudly next to his bed. Yosef opened his eyes slowly. He looked at his phone. He saw the time and jumped out of bed. "Oh no!" he said. "I am very late!" He ran to the bathroom. He washed his face with cold water. He put on his work clothes very fast. He grabbed his bag and ran out of the door. He did not eat any breakfast. Yosef arrived at the rooftop cafe at half past eight. His manager was standing near the door.

    "You are late, Yosef," she said. Her face was not happy. "I am so sorry," said Yosef. "My alarm did not go off." He told her about the wrong alarm. She listened carefully. Then she smiled a little. "It happens to everyone," she said. "But please be careful next time." Yosef nodded. "Yes, I will check it every night," he said. He started work quickly. He cleaned the tables and made coffee. The cafe was beautiful in the morning light. Yosef looked at the city below. He was happy to be at work. He checked his alarm again that evening. He set it very carefully this time.

    Key vocabulary

    alarm (noun)a device or sound that wakes you up at a chosen time“Yosef set his alarm for six o'clock every morning.”
    rooftop (noun)the top surface or level of a building“The rooftop cafe had a beautiful view of the city.”
    manager (noun)the person in charge of a place or group of workers“His manager called him when he did not arrive on time.”
    tired (adjective)feeling that you need to rest or sleep“Yosef was very tired, so he went to bed early.”
    carefully (adverb)with a lot of attention so you do not make a mistake“She listened carefully to what Yosef said.”
    grab (verb)to take or pick something up quickly“He grabbed his bag and ran out of the door.”
    arrive (verb)to reach a place“Yosef arrived at the rooftop cafe at half past eight.”
    nod (verb)to move your head up and down to show you agree or understand“Yosef nodded and said he would check his alarm every night.”

    Useful phrases

    • go off — when an alarm makes its sound at the set time“My alarm did not go off, so I woke up late.”
    • set an alarm — to choose a time for your alarm to ring“She always sets an alarm before she goes to sleep.”
    • jump out of bed — to get out of bed very quickly, usually because of surprise“He saw the time and jumped out of bed.”
    • run out of — to leave a place very quickly“He grabbed his bag and ran out of the door.”
    • next time — on the following occasion when something happens“Please be careful next time you set your alarm.”
    • It happens to everyone — used to comfort someone by saying their mistake is common“"It happens to everyone," the manager said with a smile.”
    • in the morning light — during the early part of the day when the sun is shining“The cafe was beautiful in the morning light.”
    • I am so sorry — a phrase used to say you feel bad about something you did“"I am so sorry," said Yosef when he arrived late.”

    Word search

    Find all 8 key words from the story. They can read forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally.

    ABCDEFGHIJK
    1CDERITLJVHO
    2KADPCUPOOGJ
    3MHRZKBRBRQZ
    4PEKEZXZAMMQ
    5OWKXFKBARLO
    6TSZPFUNAAKG
    7FCVJNALRHPU
    8OALEGARLLCB
    9OFXEEIETYHI
    10RFRQVBCCDON
    11LDAEXHMKYKH

    Comprehension quiz

    1. What time did Yosef need to start work?

      • A) Half past eight
      • B) Six o'clock
      • C) Seven o'clock
      • D) Eight o'clock
    2. Why did Yosef's alarm not wake him up?

      • A) His phone was broken
      • B) He turned the alarm off in the night
      • C) The alarm was set for six in the evening
      • D) He forgot to set an alarm
    3. Who called Yosef in the morning?

      • A) A friend
      • B) His manager
      • C) His neighbor
      • D) A customer
    4. What time did Yosef arrive at the cafe?

      • A) Six o'clock
      • B) Seven o'clock
      • C) Eight o'clock
      • D) Half past eight
    5. What does the word "grab" mean in the story?

      • A) To put something down slowly
      • B) To look at something closely
      • C) To take something quickly
      • D) To forget something
    6. Yosef ate breakfast before he went to the cafe.

      • A) Not mentioned
      • B) Not stated
      • C) False
      • D) True
    7. What did Yosef do first after he arrived at the cafe?

      • A) He spoke to a customer
      • B) He drank some coffee
      • C) He cleaned the tables and made coffee
      • D) He called his manager
    8. What does "go off" mean when talking about an alarm?

      • A) To stop working forever
      • B) To make its sound at the set time
      • C) To be turned off by someone
      • D) To fall on the floor
    9. How did the manager react when Yosef explained what happened?

      • A) She smiled a little and was understanding
      • B) She was very angry
      • C) She did not listen
      • D) She sent him home
    10. Yosef checked his alarm again at the end of the day.

      • A) True
      • B) Not mentioned
      • C) False
      • D) Not stated

    Answer key (A2 (Elementary))

    1. B 2. C 3. B 4. D 5. C 6. C 7. C 8. B 9. A 10. A

    Word search answer key (A2 (Elementary))

    Columns are lettered from the left, rows numbered from the top. The arrow shows the reading direction from the word's first letter.

    alarm: F8 ↗ · arrive: I6 ↙ · carefully: A1 ↘ · grab: J2 ↙ · manager: I4 ↙ · nod: K10 ← · rooftop: A10 ↑ · tired: F1 ←

    Free Daily English · Level B1 (Intermediate) · Topic: being woken up by the wrong alarm

    Yosef and the Alarm That Lied

    Name: ______________________   Date: ____________

    Yosef had been working at the rooftop cafe for nearly two years, and he took great pride in always arriving on time. The cafe sat on the top floor of a tall building, offering a sweeping view of the city that customers loved. Every evening before bed, he set his alarm for six o'clock so he could prepare the tables and brew the first pot of coffee before the morning rush. Last night, however, he had come home exhausted after a particularly long shift. He ate quickly, barely glanced at his phone screen, tapped what he thought were the right buttons, and fell asleep almost instantly. He had accidentally set the alarm for six in the evening instead of six in the morning. Without realizing his mistake, Yosef slept soundly through the entire night.

    The following morning, the sun rose steadily and the city below grew noisy with activity, but Yosef's bedroom remained quiet. His phone sat silently on the nightstand, offering no warning whatsoever. It was only when his manager, Sofia, rang him at eight o'clock that his eyes finally flew open. He stared at the screen for a moment, convinced he was misreading the time. "Yosef, where are you?" Sofia asked, her voice calm but firm. He threw back the covers, muttered an apology, and rushed through his morning routine in under ten minutes. By the time he burst through the stairwell door onto the rooftop, he was breathless, red-faced, and deeply embarrassed.

    Sofia was waiting near the entrance with her arms folded, but her expression softened when Yosef explained what had happened. "I set the alarm for the evening by mistake," he admitted, running a hand through his still-damp hair. "It happens," she said, though she added that punctuality was something the cafe depended on. Yosef spent the rest of the morning working twice as hard, refilling cups, wiping down tables, and greeting every customer with genuine warmth. As the lunchtime crowd began to thin, he paused for a moment at the rooftop railing and looked out across the city. That evening, before doing anything else, he picked up his phone, opened the alarm settings, and checked every detail twice.

    Key vocabulary

    exhausted (adjective)extremely tired, with no energy left“Yosef came home exhausted after a particularly long shift.”
    accidentally (adverb)without meaning to; by mistake“He had accidentally set the alarm for the evening instead of the morning.”
    punctuality (noun)the habit of arriving or doing things at the agreed or correct time“Sofia reminded Yosef that punctuality was something the cafe depended on.”
    embarrassed (adjective)feeling uncomfortable or ashamed because of a mistake or awkward situation“He burst through the door feeling breathless and deeply embarrassed.”
    sweeping (adjective)wide and impressive, covering a large area“The rooftop cafe offered a sweeping view of the city below.”
    genuine (adjective)real and sincere, not pretended or forced“He greeted every customer with genuine warmth.”
    admit (verb)to say that something is true, especially something difficult or embarrassing“"I set the alarm for the evening by mistake," he admitted.”
    nightstand (noun)a small table beside a bed, used for placing items like a phone or lamp“His phone sat silently on the nightstand, offering no warning.”

    Useful phrases

    • take pride in — to feel satisfaction and care deeply about doing something well“Yosef took great pride in always arriving on time.”
    • morning rush — the busy period in the morning when many people need service quickly“He wanted to prepare the cafe before the morning rush began.”
    • fly open — to open suddenly and quickly, often due to shock or surprise“His eyes finally flew open when his manager called.”
    • throw back the covers — to pull the bedcovers off yourself quickly when getting out of bed“He threw back the covers and rushed to get ready.”
    • burst through — to enter a place suddenly and with force or speed“He burst through the stairwell door onto the rooftop.”
    • soften — to become less strict, serious, or harsh in expression or attitude“Sofia's expression softened when Yosef explained what had happened.”
    • thin out — for a crowd or group of people to gradually become smaller in number“As the lunchtime crowd began to thin, Yosef paused to look at the view.”
    • twice as hard — with double the effort or energy“Yosef spent the rest of the morning working twice as hard to make up for being late.”

    Word search

    Find all 8 key words from the story. They can read forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally.

    ABCDEFGHIJKLMN
    1DEHIKTGGYYVGPK
    2UMYKSCCDCRGYQW
    3NBZTMIWEFCLDGR
    4HAGMIAJASLAKBO
    5JRKNFLEQAYDYOJ
    6FRCHINATKNTWDE
    7NAIGIPNUAKSIRX
    8SSNUKEETTLYXSH
    9TSNTDNSEZCPEZA
    10CENICTNDWANCHU
    11GDCIHHYKDSWUKS
    12RCFGFEPMTRGOPT
    13AIICRXIPWKTMJE
    14GNAIBTIKELSUTD

    Comprehension quiz

    1. How long had Yosef been working at the rooftop cafe?

      • A) More than five years
      • B) Nearly two years
      • C) About six months
      • D) Just a few weeks
    2. What mistake did Yosef make when setting his alarm?

      • A) He turned the volume down too low
      • B) He set it for six in the evening instead of the morning
      • C) He set it for the wrong day
      • D) He forgot to set it at all
    3. What does the word "exhausted" mean in the story?

      • A) Slightly bored
      • B) Quite confused
      • C) Extremely tired
      • D) Very hungry
    4. How did Sofia sound when she called Yosef?

      • A) Angry and loud
      • B) Calm but firm
      • C) Cheerful and relaxed
      • D) Worried and panicked
    5. Yosef took longer than thirty minutes to get ready and arrive at the cafe.

      • A) False
      • B) Not stated
      • C) True
      • D) Not mentioned
    6. What does "punctuality" mean as used in the story?

      • A) The skill of managing a busy team
      • B) The habit of working very hard
      • C) The ability to make good coffee
      • D) The habit of arriving or doing things at the correct time
    7. How did Yosef behave for the rest of the morning after arriving late?

      • A) He took a short break to recover
      • B) He apologized to every customer
      • C) He asked Sofia if he could leave early
      • D) He worked twice as hard and greeted customers warmly
    8. What does the phrase "soften" suggest about Sofia's reaction?

      • A) She immediately forgave him and smiled broadly
      • B) She became less stern once she understood what had happened
      • C) She left the room without saying anything
      • D) She became more angry after hearing his explanation
    9. The rooftop cafe was on the ground floor of the building.

      • A) True
      • B) False
      • C) Not stated
      • D) Not mentioned
    10. What did Yosef do at the end of the day before anything else?

      • A) He asked a friend to call him in the morning
      • B) He went straight to bed without setting an alarm
      • C) He checked every detail of his alarm settings twice
      • D) He called Sofia to apologize again

    Answer key (B1 (Intermediate))

    1. B 2. B 3. C 4. B 5. A 6. D 7. D 8. B 9. B 10. C

    Word search answer key (B1 (Intermediate))

    Columns are lettered from the left, rows numbered from the top. The arrow shows the reading direction from the word's first letter.

    accidentally: A13 ↗ · admit: J10 ↙ · embarrassed: B1 ↓ · exhausted: N6 ↓ · genuine: A11 ↗ · nightstand: B14 ↗ · punctuality: M12 ↖ · sweeping: J11 ↖

    Free Daily English · www.freedailyenglish.com/stories/yosefs-wrong-alarm-2026-06-27