B1 · Intermediate · Excitement & Stress · 186 words · ~2 min read

🏃 The Market Chase

Language focus: Describing excitement & stress · narrative tenses

The Backpack & The Antique Key

Saturday morning at the Naschmarkt was pure chaos — in the very best possible way. Stalls overflowed with spices, cheeses and bright flowers, and the crowd buzzed in a dozen different languages. Somewhere in all of this, they had to find a single artist, and they were working against the clock.

“There!” Sam suddenly cried, spotting a young man with paintings and a backpack identical to their own. Anton looked up, startled, then — to their complete astonishment — turned and hurried away through the crowd. Leo’s heart was in his mouth.

“Wait! We’re not following you — we’ve got your key!” Leo shouted, chasing after him between the stalls. Anton slowed, utterly confused. He had panicked, assuming the two strangers meant to rob him. The moment Leo held up the brass key, however, Anton stopped in his tracks.

Breathless and laughing with relief, the three of them finally caught up with one another beside a fruit stall. “I honestly thought I’d lost it forever,” Anton admitted. “I’d almost given up hope.” As it turned out, he had been searching the whole city for them, too.

Key vocabulary (6 words)

chaosnoun
A state of complete disorder and confusion.
stallnoun
A small open shop or table at a market.
crowdnoun
A large group of people in one place.
startledadjective
Surprised and slightly frightened.
breathlessadjective
Having difficulty breathing after effort.
reliefnoun
The good feeling you have when a worry ends.

Phrasal verbs in this episode

  • chase after — To chase after someone means to run after them to catch them.
  • give up — To give up means to stop trying.
  • catch up — To catch up means to reach someone who is ahead of you.

Comprehension quiz

  1. Where does the chase take place?

    • At the Naschmarkt
    • In a library
    • At the airport
    Show answer

    At the Naschmarkt

  2. Why does Anton hurry away at first?

    • He thinks they want to rob him
    • He is late for work
    • He dislikes them
    Show answer

    He thinks they want to rob him

  3. “Against the clock” means they have…

    • very little time
    • a broken clock
    • plenty of time
    Show answer

    very little time

  4. “Heart in your mouth” describes feeling…

    • very nervous
    • very hungry
    • very calm
    Show answer

    very nervous

  5. What makes Anton stop?

    • Leo holds up the key
    • A police officer
    • The rain
    Show answer

    Leo holds up the key

  6. “Give up hope” means to…

    • stop believing it will happen
    • hand over a gift
    • feel relaxed
    Show answer

    stop believing it will happen

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