B1 · Intermediate · Resolution · 182 words · ~2 min read

🖼️ The Gallery Reunion

Language focus: Resolving a situation · expressing relief

The Backpack & The Antique Key

Anton led the friends to the small gallery printed on the business card. There, at last, he explained the mystery of the key. It opened an old display cabinet containing his late grandfather’s paintings — by far the most precious things he owned.

“I’d been carrying it everywhere, terrified of losing it,” he said quietly. “When our bags got swapped, I was certain I’d never track you down.” He shook their hands warmly. “You could so easily have kept it. I can’t thank you both enough.”

Sam’s backpack, passport and all, turned up perfectly safe too — Anton had guarded it just as carefully as they had guarded his. With everything finally sorted out, the enormous worry of the past few days simply melted away. It really was a weight off their shoulders.

To celebrate, Anton gave them a private tour of the gallery and treated them to a long, delicious dinner. As the friends at last boarded their delayed train, Leo grinned. “All’s well that ends well,” he said. And what an extraordinary story they would have to tell back home.

Key vocabulary (6 words)

gallerynoun
A building where works of art are shown.
cabinetnoun
A piece of furniture with shelves or drawers for storing things.
preciousadjective
Very valuable or greatly loved.
terrifiedadjective
Extremely frightened.
delayedadjective
Made late.
celebrateverb
To do something enjoyable for a special reason.

Phrasal verbs in this episode

  • track down — To track down means to find someone or something after a long search.
  • turn up — To turn up means to be found or to appear.
  • sort out — To sort out means to solve a problem or organise something.

Comprehension quiz

  1. What does the antique key open?

    • A cabinet of his grandfather’s paintings
    • A bank vault
    • A car
    Show answer

    A cabinet of his grandfather’s paintings

  2. Why had Anton carried the key everywhere?

    • He was terrified of losing it
    • It was a gift for Leo
    • It was worthless
    Show answer

    He was terrified of losing it

  3. Does Sam get his backpack back?

    • Yes, safely
    • No, never
    • Only the passport
    Show answer

    Yes, safely

  4. “A weight off your shoulders” means a feeling of…

    • relief
    • pain
    • hunger
    Show answer

    relief

  5. “Track down” means to…

    • find after a long search
    • run a race
    • lose completely
    Show answer

    find after a long search

  6. “All’s well that ends well” suggests that…

    • the good ending makes the troubles worthwhile
    • nothing went wrong
    • they should give up
    Show answer

    the good ending makes the troubles worthwhile

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