“Oh no,” she whispered. Her meeting in Boston was at 9:30. Now she was going to be late — very late.

(Answers: 1-c, 2-a, 3-b, 4-d)

Imagine you are Lisa. Write a short email (40–50 words) to your boss explaining why you will be late for the meeting.

Suddenly, a man across from her smiled. “First time taking the local?” he asked. Lisa nodded. “Don’t worry,” he said. “Get off at the next stop, cross the platform, and take the express back. You’ll only be 20 minutes late.”

Here’s a short piece inspired by the tone, pacing, and vocabulary of Oxford American English File (likely at an intermediate level, e.g., B1–B2). The Wrong Train

Lisa was in a hurry. It was 8:15 a.m., and the train to Boston was leaving at 8:22. She ran down the stairs to just as the train arrived. She got on quickly and sat by the window.

Lisa’s heart stopped. Kingston? That wasn’t on the way to Boston. She looked at the map above the door and her mistake. She was on the local train, not the express. The local train made 15 stops. The express made only three.

Lisa laughed. “Next time,” she said, “I’ll check the screen before I get on.”

At first, everything seemed normal. The train left on time, and Lisa checked her emails. But after 20 minutes, she looked outside. The buildings looked different — smaller and older. Then she heard an : “Next stop: Kingston.”