← Reading library

The Laundry Notice

Tap a word to translate it and save it for practice.

Neighbours discuss a handwritten notice above the washing machines in a shared laundry room.

Someone was taking socks from the shared laundry room. At least, that was what the notice said. It appeared above the washing machines on Tuesday, written in large red letters.

Within two days, three people had added angry comments. One resident suggested installing a camera. Another said that visitors should not be allowed to use the room.

Mel had also lost socks, but she was not convinced that anyone wanted them. On Friday, she stayed beside her machine until the wash finished. As she pulled out a towel, a sock slipped down the narrow space between two machines.

She borrowed a long brush from the caretaker. Together, they pulled out eleven socks, a small glove and a scarf. Several had been there for a long time.

Mel placed them in a clean basket and wrote a new notice: "Please check here before looking for a thief."

Most of the socks disappeared from the basket during the weekend. Nobody mentioned the camera again. The original notice remained for another week, until someone quietly took it down.

Mel never found the partner to her own blue sock. She was less certain about what that meant now.

Words in paragraphs you spend time reading are added to Seen, once per text per UTC day. This estimates exposure, not understanding.

Check your understanding

1. What does the first notice claim?
2. How does Mel discover a possible explanation?
3. Why is Mel less certain at the end?

Original AI-assisted fiction. CEFR levels are estimates.

Your popcorn journey

Activity levels celebrate practice. They are separate from your A1–C2 English level.

How to earn XP

Quiz XP is awarded once per question. Word XP returns when a review is due; repeated same-day reviews do not earn more. Adding words, marking words known and generating AI content do not earn XP.

Free for everyone. Premium does not increase XP.