Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: checking in at the airport
Yuki Checks In for Her Flight
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Yuki is a university student. She has a big suitcase and a small backpack. Today she is going on a trip. She walks into the airport with her classmate, Dan. The airport is very busy. There are many people with bags and carts. Yuki looks around. She feels a little nervous. She has never checked in at an airport alone before. Dan smiles at her. "Don't worry," he says. "I'll help you." Yuki takes a deep breath. She feels a little better. They walk to the check-in counter together. There is a short line. They wait for a few minutes. A friendly woman is at the check-in counter. "Good morning," she says.
"Can I see your passport and booking, please?" Yuki opens her bag. She finds her passport and shows it to the woman. The woman looks at her screen. "You have one bag to check in," she says. "Please put it on the scale." Yuki lifts her suitcase onto the scale. The woman looks at the number. "Your bag is 22 kilograms," she says. "That is fine." Yuki feels happy. The woman puts a tag on the suitcase. Then she puts the suitcase on the belt. Yuki watches it move away. "Here is your boarding pass," the woman says. She gives Yuki a small card. "Your gate is B7. Boarding starts at 10:30." Yuki says, "Thank you so much!" Yuki and Dan walk away from the counter. "That was easy!" Yuki says. Dan laughs.
"See? No problem at all." They find two seats near a large window. Yuki looks at her boarding pass. She reads the gate number and the boarding time. She puts the boarding pass in her jacket pocket. Then she takes out her cell phone. She sends a message to her mom. "I checked in! Everything is okay." Her mom replies quickly. "Great! Have a safe trip!" Yuki smiles. She looks out the window. She can see planes on the ground. She feels excited now. "I can't wait to board," she says. Dan nods. "Me too. Let's get some water first." They stand up and walk toward the shops.
Key vocabulary
| check in (verb (phrasal)) | to register at the airport before a flight“Yuki needs to check in before she can go to the gate.” |
| passport (noun) | an official document that shows who you are and lets you travel to other places“The woman at the counter asks to see Yuki's passport.” |
| boarding pass (noun) | a card or document that lets you get on a plane“Yuki puts her boarding pass safely in her jacket pocket.” |
| scale (noun) | a machine that measures how heavy something is“Yuki lifts her suitcase onto the scale at the check-in counter.” |
| gate (noun) | the place in an airport where you wait to get on your plane“The woman tells Yuki that her gate is B7.” |
| tag (noun) | a small label attached to a bag so airport workers know where to send it“The woman puts a tag on Yuki's suitcase before it goes on the belt.” |
| nervous (adjective) | worried or a little afraid about something“Yuki feels nervous because she has never checked in alone before.” |
| belt (noun) | a moving strip at the airport that carries checked bags away“The woman puts Yuki's suitcase on the belt and it moves away.” |
Useful phrases
- take a deep breath — to breathe in slowly to help yourself feel calm“Yuki takes a deep breath before she walks to the check-in counter.”
- Don't worry — used to tell someone that everything will be okay“Dan says, "Don't worry," to help Yuki feel less nervous.”
- Can I see your...? — a polite way to ask someone to show you a document“"Can I see your passport and booking, please?" the woman asks.”
- Put it on the scale — to place your bag on the machine that measures its weight“The check-in agent says, "Please put it on the scale."”
- No problem at all — used to say that something was easy or not difficult“Dan laughs and says, "See? No problem at all."”
- Have a safe trip — a friendly way to wish someone well before they travel“Yuki's mom writes, "Have a safe trip!" in her message.”
- I can't wait to... — used to show you are very excited about something“"I can't wait to board," Yuki says as she looks out the window.”
- Boarding starts at... — used to say what time passengers can begin getting on the plane“"Boarding starts at 10:30," the woman at the counter tells Yuki.”
Word search
Find all 7 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 | L | M | N | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N | U | Q | L | N | E | R | V | O | U | S | R | W | A |
| 2 | Y | Z | S | Y | P | Q | W | E | H | N | L | B | P | Q |
| 3 | D | S | M | J | H | W | C | U | G | O | Y | U | V | K |
| 4 | T | H | S | E | H | N | A | K | Y | I | M | N | Z | G |
| 5 | X | V | I | A | Z | N | R | C | B | H | I | K | Y | O |
| 6 | Q | W | S | G | P | C | L | L | Q | K | T | L | U | J |
| 7 | F | I | B | C | X | G | S | Z | C | T | R | L | B | G |
| 8 | O | G | N | Q | A | I | N | E | B | P | O | Z | E | Y |
| 9 | J | Z | L | G | V | L | H | I | J | M | P | H | R | B |
| 10 | P | A | G | D | U | C | E | T | D | H | S | V | R | R |
| 11 | F | Y | A | H | Z | K | H | R | N | R | S | O | S | A |
| 12 | H | L | T | Q | Y | U | V | Q | L | J | A | B | X | J |
| 13 | D | V | E | Q | M | P | C | N | F | N | P | O | P | J |
| 14 | I | N | O | W | A | F | P | O | Y | V | L | K | B | N |
Comprehension quiz
Who goes to the airport with Yuki?
- A) Her mom
- B) Her teacher
- C) Her neighbor
- D) Her classmate, Dan
What does the woman at the counter ask to see first?
- A) Yuki's boarding pass
- B) Yuki's passport and booking
- C) Yuki's cell phone
- D) Yuki's backpack
How heavy is Yuki's suitcase?
- A) 22 kilograms
- B) 17 kilograms
- C) 25 kilograms
- D) 20 kilograms
What is Yuki's gate number?
- A) A3
- B) B2
- C) C10
- D) B7
What does Yuki do with her boarding pass?
- A) She puts it in her backpack.
- B) She puts it in her jacket pocket.
- C) She gives it to Dan.
- D) She loses it.
What does Yuki send to her mom after checking in?
- A) A photo
- B) A text message
- C) A voice message
- D) A boarding pass
What does the word 'nervous' mean in this story?
- A) Worried or a little afraid
- B) Happy and excited
- C) Tired and bored
- D) Angry and upset
What time does boarding start for Yuki's flight?
- A) 10:30
- B) 11:15
- C) 12:00
- D) 9:00
Yuki has checked in at an airport alone many times before. Is this true or false?
- A) False
- B) Not mentioned
- C) Not stated
- D) True
What do Yuki and Dan decide to do after sitting down?
- A) Go to the gate
- B) Buy food
- C) Get some water
- D) Call the airline
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. D 2. B 3. A 4. D 5. B 6. B 7. A 8. A 9. A 10. C
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.
belt: N9 ↖ · boarding pass: M14 ↖ · check in: F10 ↗ · gate: C10 ↓ · nervous: E1 → · passport: K13 ↑ · scale: C6 ↘