Free Daily English · Level A2 (Elementary) · Topic: following complicated instructions
Zoe and the Gym Machine
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
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 machines in the room. Zoe looked at one large machine in the corner. It had a big screen on the front. She walked over to it and pressed a button. A list of instructions 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 machine. She pressed it and the machine turned on.
The screen showed the next instruction. It said, "Choose your program from the menu." Zoe looked at the menu. There were ten different programs on the list. She did not know which one to choose. She read the names of the programs carefully. One program 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 "Confirm" button. The machine made a short sound. The next instruction was harder to follow. The screen said, "Hold the side handles and step onto the moving belt carefully." Zoe held the handles tightly.
She put one foot on the belt. The belt was moving slowly. She put her other foot on the belt too. She started to walk. It felt strange at first. But after one minute, it felt better. Then a new message appeared. It said, "Adjust your speed using the plus and minus buttons." Zoe pressed the plus button two times. The belt moved faster. She smiled. She finished her workout after thirty minutes. She felt very happy and proud. "That was not so difficult!" she said to herself.
Key vocabulary
| instructions (noun (plural)) | steps that tell you how to do something“Zoe read the instructions on the screen carefully.” |
| machine (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 (noun) | a set plan of activities or exercises“She chose the beginner program on the machine.” |
| confirm (verb) | to say or show that something is correct or agreed“She pressed the button to confirm her weight.” |
| handle (noun) | a part of an object that you hold with your hand“Zoe held the handles tightly to stay safe on the machine.” |
| 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 (verb) | to change something slightly to make it better or correct“She adjusted the speed by pressing the plus button.” |
| workout (noun) | a period of physical exercise“Zoe finished her workout after thirty minutes.” |
Useful phrases
- 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.”
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 | L | M | N | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Y | T | S | U | J | D | A | V | H | A | N | D | L | E |
| 2 | I | M | U | F | U | S | R | O | K | O | F | I | G | E |
| 3 | K | C | L | L | N | Z | W | M | V | F | N | N | M | K |
| 4 | O | T | L | E | B | O | E | N | E | S | J | E | A | W |
| 5 | M | A | Q | K | R | R | W | N | T | W | H | V | S | X |
| 6 | R | A | G | K | G | D | I | R | X | F | U | S | X | B |
| 7 | I | O | O | F | U | H | U | Q | P | Y | W | X | I | K |
| 8 | A | U | D | Q | C | C | M | T | D | I | X | P | Y | M |
| 9 | T | Y | Q | A | T | F | L | R | A | T | F | N | A | Y |
| 10 | V | D | M | I | Y | S | S | Y | I | G | W | R | V | V |
| 11 | F | J | O | T | S | X | H | D | D | F | G | D | P | J |
| 12 | A | N | C | K | D | P | W | A | R | O | N | A | H | J |
| 13 | S | S | G | S | E | V | D | L | R | T | S | O | I | D |
| 14 | Q | S | M | K | A | I | R | P | B | Q | S | M | C | Z |
Comprehension quiz
Where was the gym in the hotel?
- A) On the second floor
- B) On the fourth floor
- C) On the third floor
- D) On the first floor
What time did Zoe go to the gym?
- A) Eight o'clock
- B) Nine o'clock
- C) Six o'clock
- D) Seven o'clock
What did Zoe press to start the machine?
- A) A yellow button
- B) A red button
- C) A blue button
- D) A green button
Which program did Zoe choose?
- A) Advanced Cardio
- B) Beginner Cardio
- C) Strength Training
- D) Cool Down
What does the word "adjust" mean in the story?
- A) To find something
- B) To stop something completely
- C) To change something slightly
- D) To break something
How did Zoe enter her weight into the machine?
- A) She used a touchscreen
- B) She typed on a keyboard
- C) She used a number pad
- D) She spoke her weight aloud
How did Zoe feel when she first stepped onto the moving belt?
- A) Bored and sleepy
- B) Excited and happy
- C) Strange and unsure
- D) Angry and tired
How long was Zoe's workout?
- A) One hour
- B) Forty minutes
- C) Thirty minutes
- D) Twenty minutes
Zoe pressed the plus button to make the belt go faster. True or False?
- A) True
- B) False
- C) Not stated
- D) Not mentioned
What does the word "confirm" mean?
- A) To delete information
- B) To start again
- C) To show that something is correct
- D) To look for a button
Answer key (A2 (Elementary))
1. C 2. D 3. D 4. B 5. C 6. C 7. C 8. C 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.
adjust: G1 ← · belt: E4 ← · confirm: M14 ↖ · handle: I1 → · instructions: L2 ↙ · machine: C10 ↗ · program: H14 ↗ · workout: G3 ↙