The Fire Drill During Finals
A free A1-level English story for language learners, readable online in English, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
A fire drill interrupts Emeka's final exam, and his class finishes the last questions outside on the lawn.
Emeka sits in his final math exam. The room is quiet and full of focus. He works through question six.
A loud alarm suddenly rings through the building. Everyone looks up from their papers. The teacher stands up fast.
"Fire drill," she says. "Leave your papers face down. Line up quietly by the door."
Students grab their jackets and walk outside. Emeka leaves his test face down on his desk. He lines up with his class.
The whole school stands on the front lawn. Some students laugh about the timing. Others look worried about their tests.
"This happens every year," a teacher says. "It never happens during a normal class."
The fire truck arrives and checks the building. Ten minutes pass on the lawn. Then the bell rings again.
Students walk back inside in a long line. Emeka sits back down at his desk. His test paper is still there.
"You get ten extra minutes," his teacher says. "Please finish your last three questions."
Emeka picks up his pencil again. He finishes question six and moves to the next one.
