B1 · Intermediate · Working Late · 178 words · ~2 min read

🌙 Burning the Midnight Oil

Language focus: Expressing doubt & determination · speculation

The London Startup Mystery

Maya simply couldn’t let it go. One evening she stayed behind after everyone else had left, the studio silent except for the low hum of the air conditioning. She spread Daniel’s notebook across her desk, made herself a strong coffee, and got to work.

Slowly but surely, she began to work out the logic of the code. Each symbol seemed to stand for a single letter, and a name gradually emerged from the chaos: “AURORA”. “So it was about the client after all,” she muttered. Her gut feeling had been right all along.

But why on earth hide it? She had a nagging doubt that something didn’t quite add up. Perhaps Daniel had discovered a problem with the Aurora account — or perhaps he had simply been protecting a brilliant idea that wasn’t finished yet.

A sudden noise made her jump. Priya was standing in the doorway, her coat already on, watching Maya intently. “You’re here very late,” she said quietly. “I think it’s time the two of us had a proper talk.” Maya’s heart began to race.

Key vocabulary (6 words)

logicnoun
A sensible way of thinking in which one idea leads to another.
clientnoun
A person or company that pays for a service.
accountnoun
A particular client’s business that a company looks after.
doubtnoun
A feeling of not being sure about something.
naggingadjective
Continuing to worry you and not going away.
speculationnoun
Guessing about something without being sure.

Phrasal verbs in this episode

  • stay behind — To stay behind means to remain in a place after others have left.
  • work out — To work out means to solve or understand something.
  • add up — If something adds up, it makes sense.

Comprehension quiz

  1. Why does Maya stay behind?

    • To clean the studio
    • To work out the code
    • To wait for the bus
    Show answer

    To work out the code

  2. Which name emerges from the code?

    • Aurora
    • Lumen
    • Daniel
    Show answer

    Aurora

  3. “Her gut feeling had been right” means her…

    • stomach hurt
    • instinct was correct
    • plan failed
    Show answer

    instinct was correct

  4. “Something didn’t add up” means it…

    • was expensive
    • didn’t make sense
    • was finished
    Show answer

    didn’t make sense

  5. Who appears in the doorway?

    • Tom
    • Priya
    • Daniel
    Show answer

    Priya

  6. “Burn the midnight oil” means to…

    • light a candle
    • work late into the night
    • waste money
    Show answer

    work late into the night

All 20 B1 episodes

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