Joy English · Level A2 · Traveljoy-english.com
A story: a surprise in a suitcase
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Read a short story about a mistake on a train journey and the unexpected friendship that followed.
The wrong suitcase
Lena was tired after a long week by the sea. At the station, she took her red suitcase from the shelf, got off the train and took a taxi home.
At home, she opened the suitcase to get her pyjamas. But there were no pyjamas inside. Instead, she found three thick books about birds, a pair of large walking boots, a camera and a notebook full of drawings of birds. It was not her suitcase!
Lena looked at the suitcase carefully. It was red and the same size as hers, with the same black wheels. The two cases were almost identical. Then she noticed a small label under the handle with a name, Tomás Ruiz, and a phone number.
She called the number at once. A man answered. He sounded worried. "Yes, I'm Tomás," he said. "I think I have your suitcase. I'm a bird photographer, and my notebook is in that suitcase. It has two years of work in it!"
The next morning, they met at a café near the station and swapped suitcases. Tomás was so grateful that he bought Lena breakfast. He showed her some of his photos of rare birds, and she told him about her holiday.
Now Lena always puts a big yellow ribbon on her suitcase. And every spring, Tomás sends her a postcard with a new bird on it.
Understand the story
Read the story. Choose the correct answer.
- Where was Lena coming back from?
- How did Lena get home from the station?
- What did Lena want to take out of the suitcase?
- Which thing was NOT in the suitcase?
- How did Lena find the owner of the suitcase?
- Why was Tomás worried?
- Lena bought Tomás breakfast.
- What does Lena do now when she travels?
Words in the story
Choose the best meaning for the word in bold.
- The two cases were almost identical.
- She called the number at once.
- He sounded worried.
- They met at a café and swapped suitcases.
- Tomás felt very grateful to Lena.
- photos of rare birds
Answer key
Understand the story
- a) A week by the seaThe story begins: Lena was tired after a long week by the sea.
- c) By taxiShe got off the train and took a taxi home.
- b) Her pyjamasShe opened the suitcase to get her pyjamas.
- c) A mapThere were books, walking boots, a camera and a notebook, but no map.
- b) She found a label with his name and phone number.She noticed a small label under the handle with a name and a phone number.
- a) His notebook with two years of work was in the suitcase.Tomás says his notebook has two years of work in it.
- b) FalseTomás was grateful, so he bought Lena breakfast.
- c) She puts a yellow ribbon on her suitcase.Now Lena always puts a big yellow ribbon on her suitcase. Tomás is the one who sends postcards.
Words in the story
- b) exactly the sameIdentical means exactly the same. The two suitcases had the same colour, size and wheels, so they were almost identical.
- a) immediatelyAt once means immediately, without waiting.
- c) His voice showed he was worried.On the phone, Lena heard his voice. Sound + adjective describes how someone's voice seems.
- b) exchangedTo swap means to give something and get something else back: each person got their own suitcase.
- c) thankfulGrateful means thankful. Lena helped Tomás get his notebook back, so he wanted to thank her.
- b) birds you do not see very oftenRare means not common: you do not see these birds very often.