It was a busy Saturday morning at the supermarket. Anna had finished her shopping and was waiting in line. There were about ten people ahead of her. Anna was reading a magazine while she waited. The line was moving slowly but steadily. Suddenly, a tall man walked past everyone. He pushed his cart right to the front of the line. Anna could not believe what she was seeing. The man acted like no one else existed. An elderly woman spoke first. 'Excuse me, there is a line here,' she said politely. The man ignored her completely. He started placing his items on the counter. The cashier looked uncomfortable. 'Sir, these people were here before you,' she said quietly. 'I am in a hurry,' the man replied rudely. A young father with a baby spoke up. 'We all have places to be,' he said firmly. The queue jumper just shrugged his shoulders. Anna felt her face getting hot with anger. But she decided to stay calm. More people in the line started to complain. 'This is not fair,' someone said loudly. The store manager heard the noise and came over. 'What is happening here?' he asked. Several people explained the situation at once. The manager turned to the man. 'Sir, please go to the back of the line,' he said calmly. 'But I am almost done!' the man protested. 'That does not matter,' the manager replied firmly. 'Everyone has to wait their turn.' The man's face turned red with embarrassment. He slowly took his items off the counter. Then he walked to the back of the line. Some people clapped quietly. Anna smiled at the elderly woman who had spoken first. The woman smiled back warmly. 'Some people have no manners,' the woman said. 'But at least we stood together,' Anna replied. The line started moving again. Anna reached the cashier in a few minutes. She paid for her groceries and packed her bags. As she was leaving, she noticed the queue jumper. He was still waiting at the back of the line. Anna thought that was quite funny. He would have been served long ago if he had just waited. Anna walked out of the store with a smile. Sometimes patience is the best choice.
English Story (A2)The Queue Jumper
This A2 English story is designed for elementarys learning English. It includes simple vocabulary and short sentences to help you improve your reading and listening skills. Click any word to see translations and hear pronunciation.
About this story
Anna is waiting in line at a busy supermarket when a tall man pushes his cart to the front, ignoring everyone. Despite protests from an elderly woman, a young father, and others, the man refuses to move. The store manager arrives and firmly tells him to go to the back. Embarrassed, the man complies. Anna leaves the store with a smile, noticing that the queue jumper is still waiting - he would have been served faster if he had simply waited his turn.
Translations in English
Linked wordUnderlined wordOther words
Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
Who was the first person to speak to the queue jumper?
2
What reason did the man give for jumping the queue?
3
What did the store manager tell the man to do?
4
What did Anna think at the end of the story?
Vocabulary
30 words from this story
