Approximately A2 · 94 words

Moving to a New City

A move for work feels lonely until regular visits to a noodle shop lead to a friendship.

Read at your own pace. Use the English meanings below, then answer the questions. The level is a teaching guide, not an assessment. Original stories include some British spellings and settings.

Buildings in a city

The story

Three years ago I moved to a new city for work.

I did not know anybody there.

My flat was small and the walls were white and empty.

For the first month I only spoke at work.

In the evening I walked around the streets.

There was a small noodle shop near my building.

I went there almost every night.

After two weeks the owner knew my order.

One evening he sat down and asked where I was from.

We talked for an hour.

He was the first friend I made in that city.

English meanings

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empty
Having nothing inside or on a surface.
owner
The person a business or thing belongs to.
order
The food or drink someone asks a restaurant to serve.

Check your understanding

Choose an answer for each question, then open its explanation. You can try again as often as you like.

1. Why did the narrator move?
Show answer and story evidence

For work

The opening line gives work as the reason for moving. Read the guide

The story says: “Three years ago I moved to a new city for work.”

2. Where did the narrator eat almost every night?
Show answer and story evidence

At a noodle shop

The nearby noodle shop is the place described in the next sentence. Read the guide

The story says: “There was a small noodle shop near my building.”

3. Who became the first friend in the city?
Show answer and story evidence

The shop owner

The final sentence refers to the owner who had just talked with the narrator. Read the guide

The story says: “He was the first friend I made in that city.”