Worksheet for teachers and learners: both levels, with quiz and answer key. Free to print and share in class.

    ← Back to story

    Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: preparing for an important meeting

    Yuki's Big Meeting

    Name: ______________________   Date: ____________

    Yuki was a student at a large university. She had an important meeting with her professor today. The meeting was about her final project. Yuki woke up early in the morning. She ate a quick breakfast in her small room. She looked at her notes on the desk. There were many pages of notes. She read them one more time. She wanted to remember everything. "I need to be ready," she said to herself. She put the notes in her bag. Then she walked out the door. Yuki arrived at the university campus at nine o'clock.

    The campus was very big and green. She walked past the library and the science building. She saw her friend Sam near the coffee shop. "Hi, Yuki! Where are you going?" Sam asked. "I have a meeting with Professor Lin," Yuki said. "It is about my project." Sam smiled and said, "Good luck! You will do great." "Thank you, Sam. I am a little nervous," Yuki replied. Sam gave her a bottle of water. "Drink this and relax," Sam said. Yuki thanked Sam and continued walking. Yuki found the professor's office on the third floor.

    She sat on a chair outside the office. She waited for five minutes. She looked at her notes again. Then the door opened. "Come in, Yuki," Professor Lin said with a warm smile. Yuki walked in and sat down. She took a deep breath. She started to talk about her project. Her voice was clear and strong. The professor listened carefully and nodded. "This is very good work, Yuki," the professor said. Yuki smiled. She felt happy and proud.

    Key vocabulary

    meeting (noun)a time when people come together to talk about something“Yuki had a meeting with her professor at ten o'clock.”
    professor (noun)a teacher at a university“The professor teaches science to the students.”
    project (noun)a piece of work that you plan and do carefully“Yuki worked on her project for three months.”
    notes (noun)short pieces of writing to help you remember things“She read her notes before the meeting.”
    nervous (adjective)feeling worried or afraid about something“Yuki was nervous about talking to the professor.”
    campus (noun)the land and buildings of a university“The university campus has many trees and gardens.”
    relax (verb)to become calm and stop worrying“Sam told Yuki to relax before her meeting.”
    proud (adjective)feeling good about something you did well“Yuki felt proud after the meeting.”
    nodded (verb)moved your head up and down to say yes“The professor nodded and smiled at Yuki.”
    carefully (adverb)with a lot of attention“The professor listened carefully to Yuki's ideas.”

    Useful phrases

    • good luck — something you say to wish someone well before they do something“"Good luck with your meeting!" Sam said to Yuki.”
    • take a deep breath — to breathe in slowly to feel calm“Yuki took a deep breath before she started talking.”
    • one more time — again; once again“She read her notes one more time before the meeting.”
    • come in — enter a room“"Come in," the professor said when Yuki knocked on the door.”
    • a little — slightly; a small amount“"I am a little nervous," Yuki told her friend.”

    Word search

    Find all 10 key words from the story. They can read forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally.

    ABCDEFGHIJK
    1NPDSQPXDTTX
    2ORUQTGUACLW
    3DYOBAOXELQU
    4DLCSRHJCGEQ
    5ELAPSOPNSNR
    6DUMWREIGENS
    7FFPPXTFRDSL
    8PEUNEJVOEVA
    9RRSEPOTTRCL
    10VAMFUWOTRPY
    11WCASJNYBBYV

    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.

    campus: C4 ↓ · carefully: B11 ↑ · meeting: C10 ↗ · nervous: J5 ↙ · nodded: A1 ↓ · notes: F11 ↗ · professor: J10 ↖ · project: D7 ↗ · proud: D5 ↗ · relax: K5 ↖

    Free Daily English · Level B1 (Intermediate) · Topic: preparing for an important meeting

    Yuki's Turning Point

    Name: ______________________   Date: ____________

    Yuki had been preparing for this meeting for weeks, and now the day had finally arrived. As a third-year university student, she had spent countless hours developing a research proposal that she hoped would convince her academic advisor to support her thesis topic. She had revised her outline several times, gathering data from journal articles and refining her argument until it felt solid. That morning, she woke before her alarm, her mind already racing through the key points she planned to present. "If I can just stay focused and articulate my ideas clearly, everything should go well," she murmured while organizing her documents into a neat folder. She had even prepared responses to potential questions her advisor might raise. Despite all this preparation, a knot of anxiety sat firmly in her stomach, reminding her how much was at stake.

    Walking across the sunlit campus toward the humanities building, Yuki rehearsed her opening statement under her breath. The pathways were buzzing with students heading to morning lectures, yet Yuki barely noticed them, absorbed in her own thoughts. Near the fountain in the central courtyard, she ran into her classmate Sam, who immediately noticed the tension on her face. "You look like you haven't slept in days," Sam said with a concerned expression. Yuki managed a weak smile and replied, "I've been going over my proposal so many times that I can practically recite it from memory." Sam offered her an encouraging pat on the shoulder and said, "You've put in the work, Yuki — trust yourself and let your research speak for itself." Those words, though simple, gave Yuki a small but meaningful boost of confidence as she continued on her way. When Yuki arrived at Professor Lin's office on the third floor, she paused outside the door to compose herself before knocking. The professor welcomed her warmly, gesturing toward a chair across the desk, and Yuki settled in while arranging her materials in front of her.

    As she began outlining her proposed research, she was surprised to find that the nervousness gradually faded, replaced by genuine enthusiasm for her topic. Professor Lin listened attentively, occasionally jotting down notes and asking thought-provoking questions that pushed Yuki to think more deeply about her methodology. "I'm quite impressed by the scope of your proposal and the thoroughness of your preliminary research," the professor remarked after Yuki had finished her presentation. Yuki felt a wave of relief wash over her, followed by a surge of pride that weeks of hard work had paid off. As she left the office and stepped back into the bright campus air, she realized that the meeting had not only validated her research but had also strengthened her belief in her own abilities.

    Key vocabulary

    proposal (noun)a formal plan or suggestion put forward for consideration“Yuki spent weeks writing a strong research proposal for her thesis.”
    revise (verb)to change or improve something by reviewing and correcting it“She revised her outline several times before the meeting.”
    articulate (verb)to express ideas clearly and effectively in words“Yuki wanted to articulate her argument without hesitation.”
    rehearse (verb)to practice something before doing it in front of others“She rehearsed her opening statement while walking across campus.”
    methodology (noun)a system of methods used for research or study“The professor asked several questions about Yuki's methodology.”
    thoroughness (noun)the quality of being careful and complete in every detail“The professor praised the thoroughness of Yuki's preliminary research.”
    preliminary (adjective)happening before a more important action or event; introductory“Yuki had already completed the preliminary research for her project.”
    compose (verb)to make oneself calm and in control of emotions“Yuki paused outside the door to compose herself before knocking.”
    validate (verb)to confirm or prove that something is correct or worthwhile“The positive feedback validated all the effort Yuki had invested.”
    scope (noun)the range or extent of a subject or topic covered“The professor was impressed by the scope of the research proposal.”

    Useful phrases

    • at stake — at risk; something important that could be lost or gained“Yuki knew that her entire thesis direction was at stake during this meeting.”
    • speak for itself — to be clear or obvious without needing further explanation“"Let your research speak for itself," Sam advised Yuki.”
    • pay off — to produce a good result after effort or investment“All of Yuki's hard work had finally paid off when the professor praised her proposal.”
    • run into — to meet someone unexpectedly“Yuki ran into her classmate Sam near the fountain on campus.”
    • wash over — to suddenly affect someone strongly (used for feelings)“A wave of relief washed over Yuki when she heard the professor's positive comments.”

    Word search

    Find all 10 key words from the story. They can read forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally.

    ABCDEFGHIJKLMN
    1YYRANIMILERPYP
    2TFRJKWCRVSQDNU
    3ESIVERINMSAIMV
    4OJJWKJKRGEDEOE
    5KLOWNGEIPNTETQ
    6PUSKTHBOFHZAVJ
    7SRHXESCJOGLHAF
    8EUOALSFDZUESLG
    9NSRPEAOSCOTOIQ
    10FSOUOLCIHRXBDO
    11EHIPOSTGWOLNAZ
    12SMBGMRADNHUSTC
    13DAYGAONLITHHEH
    14QSFTXJCNJETVTV

    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.

    articulate: E13 ↗ · compose: G14 ↖ · methodology: M3 ↙ · preliminary: L1 ← · proposal: A6 ↘ · rehearse: H4 ↙ · revise: F3 ← · scope: F8 ↗ · thoroughness: J13 ↑ · validate: M6 ↓

    Free Daily English · www.freedailyenglish.com/stories/yukis-big-meeting-2026-04-08