Mark woke up early on a special Monday morning. Today was his fifth work anniversary at the company. Five years ago, he started as a junior software developer. Now he was the team leader of a group of ten people. Mark remembered his first day at work very clearly. He was nervous and did not know anyone in the office. His manager at that time was a kind woman named Sarah. She helped him learn everything about the company. Mark got dressed in his favorite blue shirt and gray pants. He ate breakfast quickly and drove to the office. When he arrived, his colleagues were already at their desks. His assistant, Emma, smiled and said good morning. 'Happy anniversary, Mark! Five years is a long time,' she said. Mark thanked her and walked to his office. On his desk, there was a small card from the human resources team. The card congratulated him on five years of hard work. Mark smiled and put the card next to his computer. He had a meeting at nine o'clock with the project team. The team was working on a new mobile application. Mark walked to the meeting room and greeted everyone. 'Good morning, team. Let us discuss the progress of our project,' he said. The developers shared their updates about the code. The designers showed the new screens for the application. Mark was proud of his team and their excellent work. After the meeting, he checked his email inbox. There was a message from the CEO of the company. The CEO invited him to lunch to celebrate his anniversary. Mark was surprised and very happy about this invitation. At noon, he walked to the restaurant with the CEO. The restaurant was near the office building. They sat at a table by the window and ordered their food. The CEO thanked Mark for his dedication to the company. 'You have grown so much in these five years,' she said. Mark felt grateful for her kind words. He talked about his plans for the future of the team. After lunch, Mark returned to the office. His team had prepared a surprise party for him. There was a big cake on the table in the break room. The cake had the words 'Happy 5 Years, Mark!' written on it. Everyone clapped when Mark entered the room. His eyes became wet with happy tears. 'Thank you all so much. This means a lot to me,' he said. His colleague Tom gave him a small gift from the team. It was a beautiful watch with his name on the back. Mark put the watch on his wrist immediately. They cut the cake and everyone enjoyed a piece. Mark thought about his journey from a nervous junior to a confident leader. He was grateful for every person who helped him along the way. At the end of the day, Mark packed his bag to go home. He looked at his new watch and smiled. 'What a wonderful day,' he thought to himself. Mark drove home with a big smile on his face. He could not wait to tell his family about his special day. Mark knew that the next five years would be even better.
English Story (A2)The Work Anniversary
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
Mark celebrates his fifth work anniversary at the company where he started as a junior developer and is now a team leader. He receives congratulations from colleagues, has lunch with the CEO, and is surprised by a party from his team with a cake and a personalized watch. Mark reflects on his growth and feels grateful for everyone who helped him along the way.
Translations in English
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Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
What was Mark's job when he first started at the company?
2
Who was Mark's manager when he first started working at the company?
3
What did the CEO do to celebrate Mark's work anniversary?
4
What gift did Mark receive from his team?
Vocabulary
30 words from this story
