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.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | D | E | R | I | T | L | J | V | H | O |
| 2 | K | A | D | P | C | U | P | O | O | G | J |
| 3 | M | H | R | Z | K | B | R | B | R | Q | Z |
| 4 | P | E | K | E | Z | X | Z | A | M | M | Q |
| 5 | O | W | K | X | F | K | B | A | R | L | O |
| 6 | T | S | Z | P | F | U | N | A | A | K | G |
| 7 | F | C | V | J | N | A | L | R | H | P | U |
| 8 | O | A | L | E | G | A | R | L | L | C | B |
| 9 | O | F | X | E | E | I | E | T | Y | H | I |
| 10 | R | F | R | Q | V | B | C | C | D | O | N |
| 11 | L | D | A | E | X | H | M | K | Y | K | H |
Comprehension quiz
What time did Yosef need to start work?
- A) Half past eight
- B) Six o'clock
- C) Seven o'clock
- D) Eight o'clock
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
Who called Yosef in the morning?
- A) A friend
- B) His manager
- C) His neighbor
- D) A customer
What time did Yosef arrive at the cafe?
- A) Six o'clock
- B) Seven o'clock
- C) Eight o'clock
- D) Half past eight
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
Yosef ate breakfast before he went to the cafe.
- A) Not mentioned
- B) Not stated
- C) False
- D) True
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
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
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
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 ←