Level: A2

American accent

Everyone at the table was smiling. Everyone except Martha.

“Martha, this is your night!” her boss said. “You should be happy.”

“I am,” Martha answered.

But she was not happy. In less than an hour, Martha was going to get an award for her work. She knew she did not deserve it.

Six months earlier, Martha worked in the office of a large building company. Part of her job was to check invoices before the company paid other companies for their work.

One afternoon, Martha found a problem. A small building company wanted payment for some work. But the work was not finished. Martha called the owner, a man called Steve.

“I can’t pay this,” she told him. “The work isn’t finished.”

The next morning, Steve came to her office.

“I need that payment,” he said.

“I’m sorry. I can’t help you.”

Steve looked at her for a moment.

Then he said, “Maybe I can help you.”

He offered Martha five thousand pounds. All she had to do was change the papers and say that the work was finished. Martha said no.

But that evening, she thought about the money. Her rent was high. Her car needed work. She also had money problems from the past. Five thousand pounds could change many things. The next morning, she called Steve.

“I’ll do it.”

Martha changed the papers. A week later, Steve gave her the money. Nobody knew.

Then, a month later, there was an accident. Part of a wall fell at one of the company’s buildings. A worker called Peter was badly hurt. He spent three weeks in hospital.

Martha was terrified. The company checked the accident, but nobody found out about the money or the papers.

In fact, Martha worked long hours after the accident. Her boss was very happy with her work. And now, six months later, she was getting an award.

Martha looked across the restaurant. Then she saw Peter. He was sitting at a table near the back. He now walked with a stick. Martha quickly looked away.

Her phone moved on the table. A message.

Congratulations on your award.

She did not know the number. Then another message came.

You must be very proud.

Martha felt cold. She looked around the room. Who was sending them? Her phone moved again.

Do they know what you did?

Martha almost dropped it.

“Are you OK?” asked Jenny, the woman beside her.

“Just nervous,” Martha said.

The lights became darker. Her boss walked onto the stage.

“And now, our final award of the evening.”

Everyone became quiet.

“This person helped us during a very difficult time.”

Martha looked towards Peter. He was watching her.

“And the award goes to Martha Green!”

Everyone clapped. Martha slowly walked to the stage. Her boss gave her the award.

“Would you like to say something?”

Before Martha could speak, her phone moved again.

Tell them.

Martha looked at the people in front of her. This was her chance. She could tell them everything. But she thought about her job, her home and the police.

“Thank you,” she said. “This award means a lot to me.”

Everyone clapped.

Martha returned to her table. She had made her choice. She would say nothing.

Ten minutes later, Peter came over.

“Can I speak to you?”

They walked into the hall outside the restaurant.

“Were those messages from you?” Martha asked.

“Yes.”

“What do you want?”

Peter took some papers from his pocket.

“I wanted to give you a chance to tell the truth.”

Martha looked at them. They were copies of the papers she had changed.

“How did you get these?”

“After my accident, I started asking questions.”

“You can’t prove anything.”

Peter took out another paper. It showed the five thousand pounds Steve had paid her. Martha’s face went white.

“Peter, please. I made a mistake.”

Peter shook his head.

“No. You made a choice.”

Two people appeared at the end of the hall. One was the head of Martha’s company. The other was a police officer.

Martha looked at Peter.

“You told them?”

“Yesterday.”

The police officer walked towards her. Martha looked down at the award in her hands. A few minutes earlier, everyone had been clapping for her. She slowly put the award on a chair. Then she walked away with the police officer.

Behind her, the restaurant door opened. Her boss stood there, watching her. Martha did not look back.

For six months, she had tried to live with what she had done.

Now everyone else would know about it too.

📒 Key vocabulary

• award – a prize given to someone for doing something well
• invoices – papers that show how much money someone must pay
• owner – a person who has something or a business
• rent – money you pay to live in a house or flat
• hurt – injured or in pain
• found out (find out, found out, found out) – learn or discover something
• stick – a long, thin object used to help someone walk
• stage – a raised platform on which people perform, give presentations, or make speeches
• prove – provide evidence to show something is true

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American accent

The heatwave started in June.

At first, people enjoyed it. The beaches were full. Cafés were busy. Tourists smiled and took photos.

Then the days became hotter.

Thirty-six degrees. Thirty-eight. Forty.

The weather forecast said, “More hot days are coming.”

People stayed inside. Air conditioners worked all day and all night. Fans never stopped.

After one week, the power cuts began.

Every evening, a different part of the island lost electricity for two hours.

Without power, homes became very hot. Food in fridges went bad. Children cried because they could not sleep.

Nobody knew when the next power cut would come.

People became tired. They were hot all day and could not sleep at night. Small problems quickly became big problems.

Soon, the supermarkets were full of worried people.

They bought water, candles, batteries and bags of ice.

Some shelves became empty before midday. Every morning there were longer queues outside the shops.

One afternoon, Maria was waiting to pay for two bottles of water.

A man pushed in front of her with a trolley full of bottles.

“You already have enough,” Maria said.

“They are for my family,” the man answered.

“So are these.”

“I was here first.”

The man did not move. Nobody said a word. The old woman behind Maria left the shop with nothing.

Outside, Maria saw another man selling small bags of ice from the back of his van. The price was three times higher than normal. People still bought them because they had no other choice.

The next day, two men fought over the last bag of ice.

One fell to the floor. The police came, but the ice was gone.

That night, someone stole fuel from a neighbour’s generator. The next night, another generator disappeared.

The local newspaper said there had also been two break-ins. People began to lock their gates before sunset. Some families stayed awake during the power cuts because they were afraid.

Neighbours stopped talking to each other. They stopped sharing food. They stopped sharing water.

Then a rumour started.

People said one street never had power cuts.

“The lights are always on,” someone said.

“They know people at the power station,” another person answered.

Others said rich people had paid for electricity while everyone else had to sit in the dark.

Soon everyone believed the story. Nobody asked if it was true.

One hot evening, the power went off again. Only one street stayed bright.

People came out of their houses. More people arrived every minute. Some wanted answers. Others just wanted someone to blame.

Someone shouted, “It isn’t fair!”

Another person picked up a stone.

The first window broke. Then another. People started running.

Someone hit a small electricity box near the road with a metal bar. There was a loud bang.

Suddenly, every light on the island went out. The bright street became dark too.

For a few seconds, there was only silence. Then someone shouted, “Fire!”

A broken window had knocked over a candle inside one of the buildings. Smoke was coming from the roof.

People ran towards the building. They carried buckets of water. Others helped old people come outside.

A nurse shouted for help. Two young men carried an old woman to safety. A father covered a child’s face with a wet towel because of the smoke.

After twenty minutes, the firefighters arrived. The fire was out, but part of the building was black.

The next morning, everyone learned the truth.

The building was not a rich family’s house. It was the island’s health centre.

The electricity stayed on there because sick people needed it.

The broken windows belonged to hospital rooms. The people inside were old, weak or ill.

Nobody had stolen electricity. Nobody had received special treatment.

The rumour was false.

Maria walked past the building that afternoon.

Workers were putting new glass into the windows. Police officers were asking questions. Nobody wanted to say who threw the first stone. Nobody wanted to say who hit the electricity box.

The heatwave ended three days later. The lights stayed on. Life slowly became normal again.

But every time Maria passed the health centre, she remembered one thing.

The heat had made the island hotter. Fear had made it dangerous.

📒 Key vocabulary

• heatwave – a long period of very hot weather
• forecast – information about what the weather will be like
• air conditioners – machines that make the air inside a building cooler
• power cuts – times when the electricity stops working
• candles – sticks of wax that give light when they burn
• queues – lines of people waiting for something
• trolley – a large cart used for carrying shopping
• fuel – petrol, diesel or another substance used to make a machine work
• generator – a machine that produces electricity
• gates – doors or barriers at the entrance to a house or garden
• sharing – giving part of something to another person
• blame – to say that someone is responsible for a problem or mistake
• knocked over (knock over, knocked over, knocked over) – make something fall to the ground by hitting it
• weak – not strong; easily hurt or tired

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American accent

Bright Solutions was a busy office in Manchester.

One Monday morning, the manager, Mr Harris, had some news.

“I have one new manager job,” he said.

“Four people want it.”

The four people were Alex, Ben, Emma, and Lisa.

They all worked in the office. They all wanted the new job.

Mr Harris smiled.

“At the end of this week, I will choose one person.”

The four workers were happy. They wanted to do their best.

They thought it would be a normal week.

They did not know that Mr Harris was watching them very carefully.

On Tuesday morning, Mr Harris asked Ben to come into his office.

“I want to tell you something,” he said.

“But please do not tell anyone.”

Ben smiled.

“I will not.”

When Ben came out, Emma asked, “What did Mr Harris say?”

Ben smiled.

“I can’t tell you.”

Later, Lisa asked the same question.

Then Alex asked.

Ben did not answer.

The next day, people in the office were talking.

“I know who will get the new job,” one person said.

Another person said, “Mr Harris has already chosen.”

Soon, many people were talking about it.

Mr Harris heard them.

He said nothing.

On Thursday, the four workers were having lunch.

Emma saw a brown envelope on a chair.

“What is this?” she asked.

She opened it.

Inside there was a lot of money.

Ben looked inside.

“There is a lot of money,” he said.

“There is no name.”

“We can wait,” Lisa said.

Alex closed the envelope.

“It is not our money,” he said.

He took the envelope to Mr Harris.

“Someone left this,” he said.

Mr Harris smiled.

“Thank you.”

Again, he said nothing more.

On Friday afternoon, Mr Harris left his office for a meeting.

Lisa wanted to look at an old file on his computer.

She opened the wrong file.

Then she clicked the wrong button.

The file was not there.

“Oh no,” she said quietly.

She looked again.

The file was still not there.

She went back to her desk.

She was very afraid.

A few minutes later, Mr Harris came back.

He looked at his computer.

“My file is not here,” he said.

“I need it today.”

The office was very quiet.

Mr Harris looked at the four workers.

“Did anyone use my computer?”

Nobody spoke.

Lisa looked at the floor.

She wanted the new job very much.

“If I tell the truth,” she thought, “I may not get the job.”

Mr Harris asked again.

“Does anyone know what happened?”

Lisa stood up.

“I am sorry,” she said.

“I used your computer.”

“I made a mistake.”

“I think I lost your file.”

Mr Harris smiled.

Then he opened another folder.

The file was there.

“It is here,” he said.

Lisa looked surprised.

“So… the file was never lost?”

“No,” said Mr Harris.

At the end of the day, Mr Harris asked the four workers to come to the meeting room.

They thought he was going to choose the new manager.

Instead, he smiled.

“First, I want to tell you something,” he said.

“This week was not a normal week.”

The four workers looked at each other.

“I wanted to know who should be our new manager.”

“So I watched what you did every day.”

“The talk with Ben…”

“The envelope with the money…”

“And the file on my computer…”

“They were all part of my test.”

The room was very quiet.

Ben looked surprised.

Emma smiled.

Alex said nothing.

Lisa could not believe it.

Mr Harris looked at Ben.

“You worked hard, but you told other people something that was private.”

Then he looked at Alex.

“You were honest with the money.”

Then he looked at Lisa.

“You made a mistake.”

Lisa looked down.

“But you told the truth.”

“You knew you might lose the new job.”

“But you were honest.”

Mr Harris smiled.

“Everybody makes mistakes.”

“The best managers do not hide their mistakes.”

“They tell the truth.”

He looked at Lisa.

“I would like you to be our new manager.”

Lisa smiled.

“Thank you,” she said.

“I will do my best.”

As the four workers left the meeting room, they all learned something important.

Being a good manager is not about being perfect.

It is about doing the right thing, even when nobody tells you they are watching.

📒 Key vocabulary

• carefully – in a slow and careful way, without making mistakes
• chosen (choose, chose, chosen) – pick from a group of people or things
• envelope – a paper cover for a letter or money
• left – (leave, left, left) –  put something somewhere and go away
• file – a group of papers or information kept together; on a computer, a document you save
• clicked (click, clicked, clicked) – press a button on a computer mouse
• button – a small part of a computer or machine that you press
• spoke (speak, spoke, spoken) – say something
• folder – a place on a computer where files are kept together
• hide – to put something where other people cannot find or see it
• truth – something that is true

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British accent

Larry worked in a factory outside the city. Every day he did the same job. He checked small metal parts and put them into boxes. He did not like the work, but he needed the money.

Every morning, Larry left home at six o’clock. At 6:21, he got on the same bus.

The same people were always there.

An old man sat near the front. A nurse sat by the window. Two men in work clothes stood near the door. A young woman looked at her phone. A student listened to music.

Nobody talked. Nobody smiled. Everybody looked tired.

Larry sometimes wanted to say, “Good morning.” But he never did.

After thirty minutes, the bus stopped near the factory. Larry got off and went to work.

The next day was always the same.

Then one Monday morning, everything changed.

The bus was almost at the factory when the old man suddenly dropped his bag. He put his hand on his chest.

His face became very white. He tried to speak, but no words came.

The bus driver stopped at once. “Is anybody here a doctor?” she asked.

Nobody answered.

Then the nurse stood up. “I’m a nurse,” she said. “Please give me some space.”

Larry and the two men moved quickly. They helped people move to the back of the bus.

The nurse spoke to the old man in a calm voice.

“Can you hear me?” she asked.

The old man opened his eyes, but his face was very white.

The young woman took out her phone.

“I’ll call for help,” she said.

The student looked out of the window.

“I can see an ambulance station,” he said. “It’s only across the road.”

The bus driver opened the doors. “Go!” she said.

The student ran as fast as he could. After a few minutes, an ambulance came.

The ambulance workers got on the bus. They checked the old man and put him on a bed with wheels.

Before they left, one of the workers smiled.

“You all helped,” he said. “That was very important.”

The doors closed.

Nobody spoke for a moment.

Then Larry looked at the empty seat.

“I hope he’s OK,” he said quietly.

“So do I,” the nurse answered.

The young woman smiled.

“My name is Emma,” she said.

“I’m Larry.”

“I’m Ben,” said one of the men.

The other man laughed.

“And I’m Carlos.”

Soon everyone was talking.

They spoke about work. They spoke about football. They spoke about their families.

The bus did not feel cold or quiet anymore.

The next morning, Larry got on the 6:21 bus.

The old man was there. He looked tired, but he smiled.

Everyone clapped.

“We’re happy to see you!” Emma said.

The old man laughed.

“The doctor said I was very lucky,” he said. “Thank you.”

The nurse smiled.

“We all helped,” she said.

From that day, the bus was different.

People said good morning. They talked about their weekends.

Sometimes they shared food. Sometimes they laughed. Sometimes they sat together.

Larry still worked in the same factory.

His job was still boring.

The days were still long.

But every morning, he looked forward to the 6:21 bus.

He knew there would be friendly faces waiting for him.

One day, Larry thought about the morning when the old man became ill.

Before that day, everyone sat alone.

After that day, nobody wanted to be alone again.

📒 Key vocabulary

• factory – a building where people make things
• parts – small pieces of something larger
• dropped (drop, dropped, dropped) – let something fall by accident
• chest – the front part of your body between your neck and your stomach
• space – an empty place or area
• ambulance – a special vehicle that takes ill or injured people to hospital
• wheels – round parts that help a vehicle move
• empty – with nothing inside
• clapped (clap, clapped, clapped) – hit your hands together to show you are happy
• shared (share, shared, shared) – give something to other people so they could use or have it too
• boring – not interesting; making you feel tired or not excited

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American accent

Marta was 39. She had a job, a chair, and a back that hurt every day. She worked long hours and sat too much. Her company said they cared about “health”. This meant many emails, short breaks, and free fruit that nobody ate.

One Monday morning, the boss called a meeting. People came with tired faces. Some still held coffee. They sat down and waited.

The boss stood near the screen. “Today we start a new health plan,” he said. “It will make you feel healthier and help you work better.”

No one asked questions.

He showed a picture of a green drink. “Every morning, you drink this,” he said. “It helps your body. It helps your mind.”

Leo raised his hand. “Do we have to?”

The boss smiled a little. “It is better if everyone does it,” he said.

Sara from Human Resources added, “It is part of our new way of working.”

Marta looked at her empty coffee cup.

The next day, the coffee machine was gone. In its place was a table with green powder, glasses, and a small sign:

“START WELL. WORK WELL”

“Where is the coffee?” Marta asked.

“No more coffee,” Sara said. “Coffee is not good for stress.”

Marta felt worried.

She made the drink. It smelt like plants. She drank it. It tasted bad.

“How do you feel?” Sara asked.

Marta looked around. People were watching.

“Okay,” she said.

By Friday, everyone felt “okay”. Leo said he had more energy. Sara said she could think better. Tom said he slept well.

Marta felt the same. But now she felt people were watching her.

Every day, the boss sent emails: How do you feel? Tell us your progress.

People began to change. They used words like ‘clean’ and ‘natural’. They stopped eating normal food.

“No bread,” said Tom.
“No sugar,” said Sara.

Marta said nothing.

One day, Leo came to work looking weak.

“I feel bad,” he said.

“Did you drink it?” Sara asked.

Leo said no.

The room became quiet.

Leo went to the kitchen and drank one glass. Then another. After a few minutes, he smiled.

“Better,” he said.

Everyone felt calm again.

That afternoon, the boss sent an email: Work is getting better.

Marta read it. Then she looked at her work. It was the same. Same hours. Same pain in her back.

Nothing was really better.

That night, she looked at the green bag. Very small words said, “Plant mix.”

“What plant?” she said.

No answer.

She searched online. The website showed happy people and big smiles. But there was no real information. Only words: pure, power, focus.

The next day, Marta went to a park. She sat and looked at the grass. It was green and everywhere.

She touched it. Then she laughed.

That evening, she tried something. She took some grass, washed it, and mixed it with water.

Same colour. Same smell.

She tasted it.

Same bad taste.

The next morning, she told Leo, “I think it is just grass.”

Leo looked tired. He held his drink.

“I don’t care,” he said. “I feel better.”

“Do you?” Marta asked.

Leo did not answer. He drank.

Marta went to the kitchen. She looked at the powder and the people. They were quiet and smiling.

Then she opened a drawer. Inside was a small coffee machine.

She turned it on.

The sound was loud. People looked at her.

Sara did not smile.

Marta made a cup of coffee. It smelt real.

“I feel better,” she said.

No one answered.

That afternoon, a new email came: Some habits are not part of our new way.

The next morning, Marta arrived at work.

The green drink was ready. People stood in line.

Marta went to her desk.

The coffee machine was gone.

There was a note: Please see HR.

Marta went to the HR office.

Sara looked at her. “This plan is important,” she said. “We need everyone to follow it.”

Marta said nothing.

“If this is not right for you,” Sara said, “maybe this is not the right place for you.”

Marta understood.

She went back to her desk, took her bag, and left.

No one stopped her.

Outside, she bought a coffee.

It tasted strong and real.

Marta smiled a little.

Then she walked away.

📒 Key vocabulary

• hurt (hurt, hurt, hurt) – to feel pain in your body
• boss – the person who is in charge at work
• screen – a flat surface on a computer or TV where you see images and words
• mind – the part of you that thinks and feels
• powder – a very fine, dry substance like dust
• weak – not strong; having little energy
• pain – a bad feeling in your body that hurts
• plant mix – a mix of different plants (often dried and used for food or drinks)
• grass – green plants that grow on the ground in parks or gardens
• drawer – a box in a desk or table that you can pull out to keep things inside
• habits – things you do often, usually without thinking

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American accent

Sam wanted one thing. He wanted to be strong.

And he didn’t just want to be strong—he wanted to be the strongest. Stronger than everyone he knew. He thought about it all day. In the morning, at night, even before sleep. He wanted to be number one.

Every day was the same for Sam. He woke up early and ate the same food—eggs, chicken, and rice. No change.

Then he went to the gym.

At the gym, Sam worked very hard. He lifted heavy weights again and again. He did not smile. He did not stop. He went in the morning before work and again in the evening before coming home. He spent most of his weekend there too.

His body hurt, but he did not care. “This is good,” Sam said. “This makes me strong.”

He watched his body change. His arms got big. His back got wide. His body was hard. He liked it.

People watched him too. Some were quiet. Some moved away when he trained. No one talked to him. Sam liked that.

He did not go out. He did not see friends. He did not rest for long. Everything was for one thing—to be the strongest.

At home, his wife Cara saw this change.

At first, she waited.

“Sam, eat with me,” she said.
“Not now,” Sam said. “I already ate.”

“Sam, sit with me.”
“I am tired.”

“Sam, talk to me.”
“Later.”

But later never came.

Weeks passed. Then more weeks. Then months. Cara stopped asking. The house became very quiet.

One night, Cara sat at the table.

“Sam,” she said, “do you still see me?”

Sam looked at her. “Yes. You are here.”

Cara moved her head. “But you are not here. You never think about me. All you think about is getting stronger.”

Sam felt a little angry. “I work very hard. This is important.”

Cara looked down. “Am I important?”

Sam said nothing.

The next day, Sam went to the gym again. He wanted more—more strength.

He added more weights than before.

A man said, “That is too much.”

Sam said nothing. He held the weights and lifted.

At first, it moved.

Then—

A strong, fast pain came into his arm.

Sam cried out. The weights fell to the floor with a loud sound. Everyone looked at him.

Sam stood still. His arm hurt.

“I am okay,” he said.

But he was not okay.

At the hospital, the doctor said, “You are hurt. You must stop training.”

“For how long?” Sam asked.

“A long time,” the doctor said. “If you do not stop, your arm may not get better.”

Sam went home.

The house felt strange. Too quiet. Too empty.

Cara was not there.

Her shoes were gone. Her bag was gone.

On the table, there was a note.

Sam picked it up.

Sam,
I waited for you.
I tried to stay.
But you chose the gym again and again.

I cannot stay here alone.

— Cara

Sam read the note many times. He sat down.

His strong arms could lift heavy weights—but they could not bring Cara back.

Days passed. Sam did not go to the gym. He walked in the house. He looked at the empty chair. He sat alone.

For the first time, he felt weak.

Weeks later, Sam went back to the gym. He stood in front of the weights.

He did not add too much.

He stopped.

He thought.

Then he lifted slowly and carefully.

After that, he looked in the mirror.

He was still strong.

But now he knew:

He lost something more important.

And no weight in the world could fix that.

📒 Key vocabulary

• gym – a place where people go to exercise and get fit
• lifted (lift, lifted, lifted) – pick up something heavy, usually with your hands or body
• weights – heavy objects used for exercise to build muscle
• hurt – to feel pain in your body
• trained (train, trained, trained) – practise or exercise to get better or stronger
• strength – the power to be strong or to lift, push, or carry things
• empty – having nothing inside; feeling alone or without people or things
• weak – the opposite of strong

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