Lisa laughed. “Next time,” she said, “I’ll check the screen before I get on.”
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. oxford american english file
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
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.” She ran down the stairs to just as the train arrived
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
(Answers: 1-c, 2-a, 3-b, 4-d)