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    Zoe and the Gym Machine

    following complicated instructionsa hotel gymCEFR A2
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    Story

    Tap an underlined word to see what it means.

    Zoe was on a trip and she stayed at a big hotel. The hotel had a gym on the third floor. Zoe wanted to exercise in the morning. She went to the gym at seven o'clock. The gym was clean and quiet. There were many in the room. Zoe looked at one large in the corner. It had a big screen on the front. She walked over to it and pressed a button. A list of appeared on the screen. Zoe read the first instruction. It said, "Press the green button to start." Zoe looked for a green button. She found it on the left side of the . She pressed it and the turned on.

    The screen showed the next instruction. It said, "Choose your from the menu." Zoe looked at the menu. There were ten different on the list. She did not know which one to choose. She read the names of the carefully. One was called "Beginner Cardio." Zoe thought that was a good choice for her. She pressed that option on the screen. Then the screen said, "Enter your weight using the number pad." Zoe looked for the number pad. She found small buttons with numbers on the right side. She pressed the numbers slowly and carefully. Then she pressed the "" button. The made a short sound. The next instruction was harder to follow. The screen said, "Hold the side and step onto the moving carefully." Zoe held the tightly.

    She put one foot on the . The was moving slowly. She put her other foot on the too. She started to walk. It felt strange at first. But after one minute, it felt better. Then a new message appeared. It said, " your speed using the plus and minus buttons." Zoe pressed the plus button two times. The moved faster. She smiled. She finished her after thirty minutes. She felt very happy and proud. "That was not so difficult!" she said to herself.

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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.
    instructions
    /ɪnˈstrʌk.ʃənz/
    noun (plural)

    steps that tell you how to do something

    "Zoe read the instructions on the screen carefully."

    machine
    /məˈʃiːn/
    noun

    a piece of equipment with moving parts that does a job

    "There was a large exercise machine in the corner of the gym."

    program
    /ˈprəʊ.ɡræm/
    noun

    a set plan of activities or exercises

    "She chose the beginner program on the machine."

    confirm
    /kənˈfɜːm/
    verb

    to say or show that something is correct or agreed

    "She pressed the button to confirm her weight."

    handle
    /ˈhæn.dəl/
    noun

    a part of an object that you hold with your hand

    "Zoe held the handles tightly to stay safe on the machine."

    belt
    /belt/
    noun

    a flat, moving surface on a treadmill that you walk or run on

    "The belt on the treadmill moved slowly at first."

    adjust
    /əˈdʒʌst/
    verb

    to change something slightly to make it better or correct

    "She adjusted the speed by pressing the plus button."

    workout
    /ˈwɜːk.aʊt/
    noun

    a period of physical exercise

    "Zoe finished her workout after thirty minutes."

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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.

    turn on

    to start a machine or device

    "She pressed the green button to turn on the machine."

    look for

    to try to find something

    "Zoe looked for the green button on the side of the machine."

    at first

    in the beginning

    "Walking on the belt felt strange at first."

    step onto

    to put your foot on something and stand on it

    "She stepped onto the moving belt carefully."

    to herself

    said quietly so only she could hear

    ""That was not so difficult!" she said to herself."

    number pad

    a small set of buttons with numbers used to enter information

    "She used the number pad to enter her weight."

    feel proud

    to feel happy about something you have done well

    "Zoe felt proud after she finished her workout."

    follow instructions

    to do what the steps or directions tell you to do

    "It took time, but Zoe followed all the instructions on the screen."

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