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That the lobby doors have locked behind them during a stormy blackout

Students solve a stormy hotel escape by discussing first steps, learning useful hotel and emergency vocabulary, and working through clues from a note, a map, a security-camera message, and a maintenance log. They also practice first conditional sentences, put emergency steps in order, and explain their answers aloud as they race to the rooftop radio.

A2 Elementary60 minutesEnglishTeacher

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1

1. Image

Show the stormy hotel lobby and locked doors.

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2. Speaking

Class speaking activity — read, then practise aloud with your teacher or partner

Crisis Team Talk: What should we do first?

You are in the abandoned Grand Meridian Hotel. The lights are out, the lobby doors are locked, and the storm is getting louder. Work in pairs and decide the team’s first action.

Step 1: Choose quickly

Talk for 1 minute and choose one first move:

  • stay together in the lobby
  • check the concierge desk
  • look for a flashlight or other useful tool
  • find the nearest stairs or emergency exit
  • call for help if a phone works

Step 2: Give a reason

Use short, practical reasons:

  • It is safer because ...
  • We should ... first because ...
  • If we ..., we might ...
  • That is the fastest way to ...

Step 3: Compare ideas

Now listen to your partner and decide together:

  • Which idea is safest?
  • Which idea is fastest?
  • Which idea gives the best clue?

Useful speaking phrases

  • Let’s stay calm.
  • I think we should check the desk first.
  • That sounds safer than going alone.
  • We need a clear route.
  • I agree, but we also need a light.
  • Let’s work as a team.

Team challenge

Choose your final plan in one sentence and say it to the class.

E

Example

“We should check the concierge desk first because Mr. Ellis may have left a clue there, and it is close to the lobby.”

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3. Vocabulary

  • blackout
    a time when the electricity stops
  • lobby
    the main entrance area of a hotel
  • concierge
    the hotel worker who helps guests
  • key card
    a plastic card used to open a room
  • generator
    a machine that makes electricity during an outage
  • maintenance log
    a record of repairs and checks
  • security camera
    a camera that watches an area
  • rooftop
    the top part of a building
  • radio
    a device used to send messages
  • master key
    a key that opens many doors
  • stormy
    with strong wind, rain, or bad weather
  • locked
    unable to open
  • clue
    information that helps solve a problem
  • reasoning
    the explanation for a decision
  • emergency steps
    actions to take in a dangerous situation

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4. Image

At the concierge desk, the team finds a torn map and a note from Mr. Ellis. Use the clues to decide where to go next.

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5. Text

Mr. Ellis’s Note

The storm has cut the power, so do not use the main lift. If you find the torn map at the concierge desk, follow the red line to the service stairs. The next clue is near the emergency exit on the second floor. Watch the security camera screen for the room number that is not empty. If the corridor is clear, the route will be safe. If it is blocked, wait and try the side door. The code is not in the lobby. Read the maintenance log carefully, because one line shows where I left the key card.

Context You are a small crisis team in the Grand Meridian Hotel. Mr. Ellis has left a short note to guide you through the building. The words in bold or clear direction words can help you choose the next place.

Look for these clue words:

  • storm
  • power
  • map
  • concierge desk
  • service stairs
  • emergency exit
  • security camera
  • corridor
  • side door
  • maintenance log
  • key card

Think and discuss:

  1. Which words tell you where to go?
  2. Which words warn you about danger or a problem?
  3. What do you think Mr. Ellis wants the team to do first?

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6. Short answer

Answer each question in 1–2 short sentences. Use the note and map to explain your answers.

1.

What does the word "warning" tell you about the note?

2.

Where should the team go after the concierge desk clue?

3.

How does the torn map help the team find the route?

4.

Why is the emergency exit important in the escape plan?

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7. Grammar

First Conditional: urgent actions and results

We use the first conditional to talk about a possible situation now or in the future and the result that will happen if it is true.

Form

If + present simple, will + base verb

  • If the power comes back, we will open the radio room.
  • If the door stays locked, we will use the side stairs.

You can also change the order:

  • Will + base verb + if + present simple
  • We will call for help if the phone works.

Meaning

Use the first conditional for real, possible future results. It is useful when the team is making a plan in an emergency.

Examples from the hotel escape

  • If we find the concierge desk note, we will know the next route.
  • If the storm gets stronger, we will stay near the emergency exit.
  • If you read the maintenance log carefully, you will see the hidden clue.
  • If the key card does not work, we will try the code on the wall panel.
  • If the security camera shows the corridor, we will check the second floor.
  • If Mr. Ellis left a message, the team will hear it on the radio.
  • If we follow the red line, we will reach the stairs faster.
  • If the master key is in the rooftop station, the final door will open.

Common mistakes

1) Using will in both parts

  • ❌ If we will find the clue, we will go upstairs.
  • ✅ If we find the clue, we will go upstairs.

2) Using the wrong verb form after if

  • ❌ If the lift will stop, we take the stairs.
  • ✅ If the lift stops, we will take the stairs.

3) Forgetting the future result

  • ❌ If the radio works, we call.
  • ✅ If the radio works, we will call.

4) Using the first conditional for impossible situations

The first conditional is for possible results, not fantasy.

  • ✅ If the backup generator starts, the lights will come on.
  • ❌ If the hotel were a spaceship, we would fly away.

Quick reminder

  • If + present simple
  • will + base verb

Think: condition now, result later. In the Grand Meridian Hotel, this structure helps the team plan fast and stay safe.

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8

8. Grammar practice

Choose the best option to complete each sentence. The correct answers reveal the keypad code.

1.

If the storm gets stronger, we ____ the emergency stairs.

  • will use

  • use

  • used

  • are using

2.

If the key card works, the door ____ open.

  • will open

  • opens

  • opened

  • opening

3.

If we find the maintenance log, we ____ the next clue.

  • will find

  • find

  • found

  • are finding

4.

If the security camera shows Mr. Ellis, we ____ his route.

  • will follow

  • follow

  • followed

  • are following

5.

If the radio crackles again, we ____ the rooftop station.

  • will check

  • check

  • checked

  • are checking

Answer key (teachers only)

Students do not see this. Add or update questions and answers below the activity.

  • Q1A. will use
  • Q2A. will open
  • Q3A. will find
  • Q4A. will follow
  • Q5A. will check

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9. Listening

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Listen carefully

You will hear a short security-camera report from the hotel. Listen for:

  • where Mr. Ellis walked
  • which door or area he used
  • what he took with him
  • the clue that points to the next place

Answer the questions

  1. Where did Mr. Ellis go after leaving the lobby?
  2. What did he stop beside for a moment?
  3. What did he take from the desk?
  4. Which places did he not enter?
  5. What hidden clue tells the team where to search next?
  6. Why is this report useful for the crisis team?
Teacher audio script
Nina: Security camera log, 11:42 p.m. Mr. Ellis left the lobby and walked into the service corridor. He stopped beside the old lift and looked at the maintenance door for a moment. Then he took a small card from the desk and put it in his coat pocket. After that, he went up the stairs to the second floor. He did not go into the restaurant or the bar area. The screen also picked up his voice for one second. He said, check the emergency steps near the west corridor. That may be the next place to search.

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10

10. Matching

Match each listening clue with the correct hotel location or object.

Column A

  • A soft beep comes from a card reader beside the stairs.
  • A page on the desk shows room numbers and a note about repairs.
  • A camera screen shows the second-floor hall near Room 214.
  • A folded paper has a red line and a missing corner.
  • A small desk where guests ask for help and directions.

Column B

  • broken key card
  • maintenance log
  • security camera
  • torn map
  • concierge desk

Answer key (teachers only)

Students do not see this. Add or update questions and answers below the activity.

  • 1. A soft beep comes from a card reader be…broken key card
  • 2. A page on the desk shows room numbers a…maintenance log
  • 3. A camera screen shows the second-floor …security camera
  • 4. A folded paper has a red line and a mis…torn map
  • 5. A small desk where guests ask for help …concierge desk

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11. Board game

Student's turn

Student
Teacher

Follow the hotel route board and choose the next clue. Work together to move from the lobby to the rooftop radio before the storm runs out of time.

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12

12. Speaking

Class speaking activity — read, then practise aloud with your teacher or partner

Crisis Team Route Talk

You are the crisis team in the Grand Meridian Hotel. The storm is still outside, and you need to agree on the best route to the next clue.

Your task

In groups of 3 or 4, look at the clues you have already found and decide where to go next. Speak clearly, listen to other ideas, and agree on one final plan.

Use these phrases

  • I think...
  • Because...
  • Let’s go to...
  • The clue says...
  • I agree / I don’t agree
  • Maybe we should...
  • That route is safer because...

Group steps

  1. Say your idea. Choose one place you think is the next step.
  2. Explain your reason. Use a short reason from the clues.
  3. Listen to another student. Ask if their route is faster or safer.
  4. Agree on one answer. Decide together and say it out loud.

Speaking prompts

  • Which place should the team check next?
  • Why is that location important?
  • What clue helped you choose it?
  • Is your route fast, safe, or both?
  • Which answer is strongest, and why?
  • What should the team avoid on the way?
  • How can you explain your choice in one clear sentence?
  • What is the final group decision?

Challenge

Before you finish, one student must say the team’s plan in a full sentence. Try to sound confident and calm, like a real crisis team.

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13. Image

The team finds Mr. Ellis’s maintenance log. One line may show where the master key is hidden.

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14. Fill in the blanks

Complete the maintenance log. Use the context to fill in the six missing words.

Maintenance Log

11:10 p.m. — Power check after the    . The    is working, but the lobby lights are still off.

11:18 p.m. — Staff moved from the main hall to the service    because the lift is not safe.

11:26 p.m. — I checked the route to the roof. The weather station is    the top floor, next to the radio mast.

11:33 p.m. — Leave the master key    the red toolbox in the roof store.

11:40 p.m. — Keep the door closed and wait for the team at the    station.

11:45 p.m. — If the code is correct, the last lock will open and the final door will lead to the    station.

Answer key (teachers only)

Students do not see this. Add or update questions and answers below the activity.

  • Blank 1blackout
  • Blank 2generator
  • Blank 3stairs
  • Blank 4on
  • Blank 5under
  • Blank 6rooftop
  • Blank 7weather

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15. Word ordering

Teacher preview — use the slider to move between sentences and try the task as students see it.

Put the words in order to make each emergency step.

Sentence 1 / 4

Your sentence

Tap words to place them here

Word bank

Sentence 1 of 4: 0 / 5 words placed

Answer key (teachers only)

Students do not see this. Add or update questions and answers below the activity.

  • Slide 1Stay calm and listen carefully.
  • Slide 2Check the concierge desk first.
  • Slide 3Follow the clue to the stairs.
  • Slide 4Go up to the rooftop radio.

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16

16. Writing task

Students write the hidden message Mr. Ellis left at the end of the escape room. Ask them to write 4-6 sentences explaining where the master key is, what the team should do next, and how they feel when the radio is found. Use simple B1 language and an urgent but positive tone.

Aim for at least 40 words.

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17. Voice message

Record a short voice message of 25–40 seconds.

  1. Read the hidden message clearly and confidently.
  2. Say where the master key is hidden.
  3. Say what the team should do next.
  4. Finish with the result: the backup generator is on and the final door can open.

Speak slowly, use clear pronunciation, and sound calm under pressure.

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18. Image

The team reaches the rooftop at last. The master key is beside the radio, and the hotel lights are coming back on.

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19

19. Speaking

Class speaking activity — read, then practise aloud with your teacher or partner

Final Team Debrief

You have reached the rooftop radio, and the escape is complete. Now your team will explain how you solved the hotel mission from start to finish.

Step 1: Retell the solution

In pairs, take turns giving a short summary of the escape path. Try to include:

  • the first clue you noticed
  • how the conditional sentences helped you unlock the keypad
  • the listening clue that sent you to the next area
  • the emergency steps that opened the final door

Step 2: Talk about teamwork

Discuss how your group worked together under pressure. Use your own ideas and be ready to agree or disagree politely.

Useful phrases

  • We started by...
  • The first clue showed us...
  • The conditional sentences helped because...
  • The listening clue led us to...
  • We unlocked the door by...
  • I think our best skill was...
  • We communicated well when...
  • Next time, we should...

Discussion prompts

  1. What was the first clue, and why was it important?
  2. Which conditional sentence was easiest to complete?
  3. What detail in the listening clue helped your team move forward?
  4. Which emergency step was the most useful in the final sequence?
  5. What did your team do well under pressure?
  6. When did you need to explain your answer clearly to others?
  7. Which clue type was the hardest: reading, listening, grammar, or ordering?
  8. How did the team avoid mistakes and stay calm?
  9. If you played again, what would you do differently?

Final reflection

Finish with one sentence about the escape room overall. Say whether your team was fast, careful, creative, or organized—and why.

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