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Level: A1

The Lost Wallet

A simple good deed in a busy station.

CEFR A1 · 206 words · ~1 min read · US English

๐Ÿ”Š Listen to this passage

6:00 ๐ŸŽฌ Watch this story on YouTube Learn English with a Very Easy Story โ€” The Lost Wallet (A1 Beginner) Read the lesson below first. When you understand every line, open the YouTube link above and play this video in your earbuds โ€” while you walk, cook or ride the bus, with nothing to look up and nothing to pause. English you already understand, heard again and again, is what turns reading into listening.
๐Ÿ“– Open in interactive ESL Reader โ†’

In the reader, tap any word or sentence to hear it in English, translate it, or look up a definition.

Words to know

announcements
spoken messages that give information to many people
echoed
to sound again and again from the walls
schedule
a list of times when buses or trains come and go
wallet
a small flat case for money and cards
picked
to take something up with your hand
clerk
a person whose job is helping people at a desk
leather
a strong material made from animal skin
waved
to move your hand to say hello or goodbye

Picture words from this story

Tap ๐Ÿ”Š to hear a word, or ๏ผ‹ to save just that one to My Flashcards.

  • wallet

    wallet

    A brown wallet.

  • picked

    picked

    She picked it up.

  • clerk

    clerk

    The clerk helps people.

  • leather

    leather

    Brown leather.

  • waved

    waved

    They waved goodbye.

Every sentence has a โ–ถ button โ€” tap it to hear that sentence read slowly, one word at a time.

Monday morning โ€” a crowded station
Monday morning โ€” a crowded station

On Monday morning, the train station was crowded.

train station

People hurried to work, and announcements echoed on the walls.

hurry

Maya held her map and checked the schedule on her phone.

map
A brown wallet on the floor
A brown wallet on the floor

When she looked down, she saw a brown wallet on the floor.

wallet

No one was near it.

nobody

She picked it up and opened it only enough to find a name.

pick up

There was an ID card for โ€œLuis Ortega.โ€

ID card
The information desk
The information desk

Maya walked to the information desk.

information desk

โ€œExcuse me,โ€ she said, โ€œI found a wallet.โ€

found

The clerk smiled and took her name and number.

clerk
A man runs up, breathing fast
A man runs up, breathing fast

A few minutes later, a man ran up, breathing fast.

run

โ€œDid anyone find a wallet?โ€ he asked.

ask

The clerk asked for his name. โ€œLuis Ortega,โ€ he said.

notebook

He described the wallet: brown leather, a bus card, and a small photo of a dog.

leather
โ€œYou saved my day.โ€
โ€œYou saved my day.โ€

The clerk returned the wallet, and Luisโ€™s face relaxed.

give back

โ€œThank you,โ€ he told Maya. โ€œYou saved my day.โ€

thank you

Maya laughed. โ€œIt was lucky I saw it.โ€ โ€œWhere are you going?โ€ Luis asked. โ€œTo Greenfield,โ€ Maya said.

laugh
Platform 2 โ€” goodbye
Platform 2 โ€” goodbye

Luis noticed her map and pointed. โ€œYour train is on Platform 2,โ€ he said. โ€œI take that train every week.โ€

platform

They waved goodbye as Maya walked to her train, happy that morning rush could still be kind.

wave

Check your understanding

  1. Where does Maya find the wallet?

    Show answer

    On the floor at the train station โ€” Maya looks down and sees a brown wallet on the floor of the crowded station.

  2. What photo is in the wallet?

    Show answer

    A photo of a dog โ€” Luis describes the wallet: brown leather, a bus card, and a small photo of a dog.

  3. How does Luis help Maya at the end?

    Show answer

    He shows her that her train is on Platform 2 โ€” Luis notices her map, points, and says, 'Your train is on Platform 2.'

  4. Maya takes the wallet to the information desk.

    Show answer

    True โ€” Maya walks to the information desk and says, 'Excuse me, I found a wallet.'

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