B1 · Intermediate · Office Culture · 232 words · ~2 min read

🏢 The First Day at Lumen

Language focus: Office culture · introductions & first impressions

The London Startup Mystery — An ambitious designer lands a dream job at a boutique Soho agency — and uncovers an encoded file left behind by the colleague who vanished before her.

Maya Okafor could hardly believe her luck. After months of sending out her portfolio, she had finally landed a job at Lumen, a small but highly respected boutique design agency tucked away in the heart of Soho. As she pushed open the glass door on her first morning, the buzzing, open-plan studio made her stomach flutter with a mixture of nerves and excitement.

Priya, the creative director, greeted her warmly. “Welcome aboard! Let me show you around and introduce you to the team.” Maya tried to break the ice with a few friendly questions, determined to make a good first impression. Everyone seemed talented, relaxed and slightly eccentric — exactly the sort of atmosphere she had been hoping for.

“Don’t worry if it all feels overwhelming,” said Tom, a cheerful developer who sat beside her. “It takes everyone a week or two to settle in and learn the ropes.” Maya appreciated his kindness. She knew from experience that fitting in at a new workplace mattered just as much as the quality of the actual work.

There was, however, one curious detail. The desk to her left was completely empty, apart from a single dusty notebook. “That was Daniel’s desk,” Tom murmured. “He left rather suddenly about a month ago, and nobody really knows why.” Maya didn’t want to bring it up on her very first day, yet she couldn’t help feeling intrigued.

Key vocabulary (6 words)

boutiqueadjective
Small, stylish and specialised rather than large.
portfolionoun
A collection of your work that shows your skills.
atmospherenoun
The general feeling or mood of a place.
eccentricadjective
Unusual or slightly strange, in a charming way.
intriguedadjective
Very curious and interested in something.
reputationnoun
The opinion that people generally have about someone or something.

Phrasal verbs in this episode

  • settle in — To settle in means to become comfortable in a new place or job.
  • fit in — To fit in means to be accepted as part of a group.
  • bring up — To bring up a topic means to start talking about it.

Comprehension quiz

  1. Where does Maya start working?

    • Lumen, a design agency
    • A bakery
    • A hospital
    Show answer

    Lumen, a design agency

  2. How does Maya try to “break the ice”?

    • By leaving early
    • With a few friendly questions
    • By staying silent
    Show answer

    With a few friendly questions

  3. “Learn the ropes” means to…

    • climb a wall
    • tie strong knots
    • learn how to do a job
    Show answer

    learn how to do a job

  4. Whose desk is empty next to Maya?

    • Priya’s
    • Daniel’s
    • Tom’s
    Show answer

    Daniel’s

  5. Why doesn’t Maya mention Daniel on day one?

    • It is her first day
    • She dislikes him
    • She is too busy
    Show answer

    It is her first day

  6. “Settle in” means to…

    • pay a bill
    • become comfortable in a new place
    • sit down once
    Show answer

    become comfortable in a new place

All 20 B1 episodes

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