My Shift at the Pharmacy – Bilingual English–Spanish Story, Audio & Grammar

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Vocabulary: pharmacy · lab coat · barcode scanner · counter

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A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 ☕ Support me

Grammar focus: los verbos del texto inglés aparecen destacados en azul. Debajo de cada lectura puedes abrir Past tense version para comparar la misma historia en presente y en pasado, y Grammar point para aprender una estructura útil del nivel.

A1 | BEGINNER

I work in a pharmacy. In the morning, I open the door, turn on the lights, and put on my lab coat. I place boxes on the shelves. A customer comes in and asks me for help. I look for the product, scan its barcode, and place it on the counter. Then I smile and say thank you.

A1 | PRINCIPIANTE

Trabajo en una farmacia. Por la mañana, abro la puerta, enciendo las luces y me pongo la bata. Coloco cajas en las estanterías. Entra un cliente y me pide ayuda. Busco el producto, escaneo su código de barras y lo pongo en el mostrador. Después sonrío y doy las gracias.

🎵 I learned everything I know at LecturaBilingue.com — the place where stories come alive. 🎵 Todo lo que sé lo aprendí en LecturaBilingue.com, el lugar donde las historias cobran vida.

⏳ A1 | Past tense version Present → Past

La misma historia transformada al pasado. Los verbos que cambian aparecen destacados.

I worked in a pharmacy. That morning, I opened the door, turned on the lights, and put on my lab coat. I placed boxes on the shelves. A customer came in and asked me for help. I looked for the product, scanned its barcode, and placed it on the counter. Then I smiled and said thank you.

Main changes

work→worked open→opened turn on→turned on put on→put on place→placed comes in→came in asks→asked look for→looked for scan→scanned smile→smiled say→said

💡 A1 | Grammar point ask someone for something

En A customer asks me for help, colocamos primero a la persona y después usamos for delante de lo que se solicita.

ask + persona + for + cosa

A customer asks me for help. I ask the pharmacist for advice. She asks me for a thermometer.

Importante: no decimos asks help to me. El orden correcto es asks me for help.

🔊 AUDIO A1

🇺🇸 English

Spoken

Song

🇪🇸 Español

Spoken

Song

A1 | Practice

Practice the Story — A1

My Shift at the Pharmacy

Vocabulary

• work in a pharmacy — trabajar en una farmacia
• open the door — abrir la puerta
• turn on the lights — encender las luces
• put on my lab coat — ponerme la bata
• place boxes on the shelves — colocar cajas en las estanterías
• a customer comes in — entra un cliente

• ask me for help — pedirme ayuda
• look for the product — buscar el producto
• scan its barcode — escanear su código de barras
• place it on the counter — ponerlo en el mostrador
• smile — sonreír
• say thank you — dar las gracias

Complete the sentence

I work in a . I turn on the . I put on my lab . I place boxes on the . I scan the product’s .

Choose the correct answer

What do I put on? Choose My lab coat My winter coat My hat Who asks me for help? Choose A customer A driver A teacher What do I look for? Choose The product The door The lights What do I scan? Choose The product’s barcode The shelf My lab coat Where do I place the product? Choose On the counter Under the shelf Beside the door

Build the sentence

Tap the words in the correct order:

counter product I the on place the

Reading comprehension

1. Where do I work?
2. What do I do when I arrive in the morning?
3. Who comes in and asks me for help?
4. What do I do before placing the product on the counter?

Translation practice

Translate into Spanish:

• I work in a pharmacy.
• I put on my lab coat.
• I scan the product’s barcode.

Translate into English:

• Enciendo las luces.
• Coloco cajas en las estanterías.
• Sonrío y doy las gracias.

Reading and translation are bonus practice and are not included in the score.

A2 | ELEMENTARY

I work in a pharmacy near my home. Every day, I unpack deliveries, check labels, and organize medications in the drawers. Some customers are looking for a cream; others need a thermometer or vitamins. I listen carefully and use the barcode scanner to check the products. When necessary, I call the pharmacist.

A2 | BÁSICO

Trabajo en una farmacia cerca de mi casa. Cada día desembalo los pedidos, reviso las etiquetas y organizo los medicamentos en los cajones. Algunos clientes buscan una crema; otros necesitan un termómetro o vitaminas. Escucho con atención y utilizo el lector de códigos de barras para comprobar los productos. Cuando hace falta, llamo al farmacéutico.

🎵 I learned everything I know at LecturaBilingue.com — the place where stories come alive. 🎵 Todo lo que sé lo aprendí en LecturaBilingue.com, el lugar donde las historias cobran vida.

⏳ A2 | Past tense version Present → Past

La misma historia transformada al pasado. Los verbos que cambian aparecen destacados.

I worked in a pharmacy near my home. Every day, I unpacked deliveries, checked labels, and organized medications in the drawers. Some customers were looking for a cream; others needed a thermometer or vitamins. I listened carefully and used the barcode scanner to check the products. When necessary, I called the pharmacist.

Main changes

work→worked unpack→unpacked check→checked organize→organized are looking for→were looking for need→needed listen→listened use→used call→called

💡 A2 | Grammar point be looking for

En Some customers are looking for a cream, usamos be looking for cuando alguien está intentando encontrar algo en ese momento.

sujeto + am/is/are + looking for + objeto

A customer is looking for a cream. They are looking for some vitamins. I am looking for the correct drawer.

Comparación: look for significa “buscar”, mientras que find significa “encontrar”. El presente simple expresa un hábito y el continuo, una acción actual.

🔊 AUDIO A2

🇺🇸 English

Spoken

Song

🇪🇸 Español

Spoken

Song

A2 | Practice

Practice the Story — A2

My Shift at the Pharmacy

Vocabulary

• near my home — cerca de mi casa
• unpack deliveries — desembalar los pedidos
• check labels — revisar las etiquetas
• organize medications — organizar los medicamentos
• in the drawers — en los cajones
• look for a cream — buscar una crema
• thermometer — termómetro

• vitamins — vitaminas
• listen carefully — escuchar con atención
• barcode scanner — lector de códigos de barras
• check the products — comprobar los productos
• when necessary — cuando hace falta
• call the pharmacist — llamar al farmacéutico

Complete the sentence

Every day, I unpack . I check the . I organize medications in the . Some customers need a . When necessary, I call the .

Choose the correct answer

Where do I organize the medications? Choose In the drawers On the floor Beside the door What are some customers looking for? Choose A cream A lab coat A drawer What do other customers need? Choose A thermometer or vitamins A stock cart A label printer What do I use to check the products? Choose The barcode scanner The storage thermometer The stock cart When do I call the pharmacist? Choose When necessary Every time I open a drawer Before I turn on the lights

Build the sentence

Tap the words in the correct order:

products scanner I the check barcode use to the

Reading comprehension

1. Where is the pharmacy?
2. What do I do with the deliveries?
3. Which three products do customers look for or need?
4. What do I do when necessary?

Translation practice

Translate into Spanish:

• I unpack deliveries.
• I organize medications in the drawers.
• I use the barcode scanner.

Translate into English:

• Reviso las etiquetas.
• Algunos clientes buscan una crema.
• Cuando hace falta, llamo al farmacéutico.

Reading and translation are bonus practice and are not included in the score.

B1 | INTERMEDIATE

My shift at the pharmacy starts when I check the day’s orders. I use a stock cart to put away new products and a handheld scanner to update the inventory. I also check expiration dates and keep the counter clean. Many customers come in with questions, so I try to speak clearly. I do not give medical advice, but I help them find what they need and refer medication questions to the pharmacist. In this job, listening carefully is essential.

B1 | INTERMEDIO

Mi turno en la farmacia empieza cuando reviso los pedidos del día. Utilizo un carro de reposición para guardar los productos nuevos y un lector portátil para actualizar el inventario. También compruebo las fechas de caducidad y mantengo limpio el mostrador. Muchos clientes llegan con dudas, así que procuro hablar con claridad. No doy consejos médicos, pero los ayudo a encontrar lo que necesitan y consulto al farmacéutico cuando preguntan por un medicamento. En este trabajo, escuchar con atención es fundamental.

🎵 I learned everything I know at LecturaBilingue.com — the place where stories come alive. 🎵 Todo lo que sé lo aprendí en LecturaBilingue.com, el lugar donde las historias cobran vida.

⏳ B1 | Past tense version Present → Past

La misma historia transformada al pasado. Los verbos que cambian aparecen destacados.

My shift at the pharmacy started when I checked the day’s orders. I used a stock cart to put away new products and a handheld scanner to update the inventory. I also checked expiration dates and kept the counter clean. Many customers came in with questions, so I tried to speak clearly. I did not give medical advice, but I helped them find what they needed and referred medication questions to the pharmacist. In that job, listening carefully was essential.

Main changes

starts→started check→checked use→used put away→put away update→update keep→kept come in→came in try→tried do not give→did not give help→helped need→needed refer→referred is→was

💡 B1 | Grammar point help + object + base verb

En I help them find what they need, después de help colocamos una persona seguida directamente de un verbo en su forma base.

help + persona + verbo base

I help customers find the right product. The pharmacist helps me check the order. I help them understand the next step.

También es correcto: podemos añadir to y decir I help them to find.... En inglés americano es muy habitual omitirlo.

🔊 AUDIO B1

🇺🇸 English

Spoken

Song

🇪🇸 Español

Spoken

Song

B1 | Practice

Practice the Story — B1

My Shift at the Pharmacy

Vocabulary

• my shift starts — mi turno empieza
• the day’s orders — los pedidos del día
• stock cart — carro de reposición
• put away new products — guardar los productos nuevos
• handheld scanner — lector portátil
• update the inventory — actualizar el inventario
• expiration dates — fechas de caducidad
• keep the counter clean — mantener limpio el mostrador

• come in with questions — llegar con dudas
• speak clearly — hablar con claridad
• give medical advice — dar consejos médicos
• find what they need — encontrar lo que necesitan
• refer a question — derivar una consulta
• medication questions — consultas sobre medicamentos
• listening carefully — escuchar con atención

Complete the sentence

I check the day’s . I use a stock . The handheld scanner updates the . I check expiration . I do not give medical .

Choose the correct answer

What do I use to put away new products? Choose A stock cart A storage thermometer A pickup bin What do I use to update the inventory? Choose A handheld scanner A lab coat A shelf label Why do I try to speak clearly? Choose Because many customers have questions Because the pharmacy is empty Because the lights are off What do I not give? Choose Medical advice Product labels Pickup orders Who handles medication questions? Choose The pharmacist The delivery driver The customer

Build the sentence

Tap the words in the correct order:

pharmacist medication I the questions to refer

Reading comprehension

1. What do I check at the beginning of my shift?
2. Which tool do I use to update the inventory?
3. Why do I try to speak clearly?
4. What do I do when a customer asks a medication question?

Translation practice

Translate into Spanish:

• I check expiration dates.
• I keep the counter clean.
• I help customers find what they need.

Translate into English:

• Utilizo un carro de reposición.
• Muchos clientes llegan con dudas.
• No doy consejos médicos.

Reading and translation are bonus practice and are not included in the score.

B2 | UPPER-INTERMEDIATE

In my role at the pharmacy, I need discretion, organization, and close attention to detail. Today I help several older customers, restock hygiene products, and prepare pickup orders. I print labels and sort the bags into the pickup bins. When someone seems worried, I slow down, explain the next step calmly, and bring in the pharmacist if the question goes beyond my role. I never guess: if in doubt, I double-check everything before making the wrong call.

B2 | INTERMEDIO ALTO

En mi trabajo en la farmacia, necesito discreción, orden y mucha atención al detalle. Hoy atiendo a varios clientes mayores, repongo productos de higiene y preparo pedidos para recoger más tarde. Imprimo etiquetas y ordeno las bolsas en los compartimentos de recogida. Cuando alguien parece preocupado, reduzco el ritmo, explico con calma el siguiente paso y recurro al farmacéutico si la consulta excede mis funciones. Nunca improviso: si tengo alguna duda, vuelvo a comprobarlo todo antes de tomar una decisión equivocada.

🎵 I learned everything I know at LecturaBilingue.com — the place where stories come alive. 🎵 Todo lo que sé lo aprendí en LecturaBilingue.com, el lugar donde las historias cobran vida.

⏳ B2 | Past tense version Present → Past

La misma historia transformada al pasado. Los verbos que cambian aparecen destacados.

In my role at the pharmacy, I needed discretion, organization, and close attention to detail. That day, I helped several older customers, restocked hygiene products, and prepared pickup orders. I printed labels and sorted the bags into the pickup bins. When someone seemed worried, I slowed down, explained the next step calmly, and brought in the pharmacist if the question went beyond my role. I never guessed: if in doubt, I double-checked everything before making the wrong call.

Main changes

need→needed help→helped restock→restocked prepare→prepared print→printed sort→sorted seems→seemed slow down→slowed down explain→explained bring in→brought in goes→went never guess→never guessed double-check→double-checked

💡 B2 | Grammar point if in doubt

En if in doubt, omitimos palabras que se entienden por el contexto. La forma completa sería if I am in doubt.

if + expresión abreviada, oración principal

If in doubt, ask the pharmacist. If necessary, check the label again. If unsure, do not guess.

Uso: estas formas abreviadas son frecuentes con expresiones como if in doubt, if necessary, if possible e if unsure.

🔊 AUDIO B2

🇺🇸 English

Spoken

Song

🇪🇸 Español

Spoken

Song

B2 | Practice

Practice the Story — B2

My Shift at the Pharmacy

Vocabulary

• in my role — en mi trabajo o función
• discretion — discreción
• close attention to detail — mucha atención al detalle
• older customers — clientes mayores
• restock hygiene products — reponer productos de higiene
• prepare pickup orders — preparar pedidos para recoger
• print labels — imprimir etiquetas
• sort the bags — ordenar las bolsas
• pickup bins — compartimentos de recogida

• seem worried — parecer preocupado
• slow down — reducir el ritmo
• explain something calmly — explicar algo con calma
• bring in the pharmacist — recurrir al farmacéutico
• go beyond my role — exceder mis funciones
• if in doubt — en caso de duda
• double-check everything — volver a comprobarlo todo
• make the wrong call — tomar una decisión equivocada

Complete the sentence

My role requires . I restock products. I sort the bags into the pickup . If in , I double-check everything. I check carefully before making the wrong .

Choose the correct answer

Whom do I help today? Choose Several older customers A group of delivery drivers Several new employees What kind of orders do I prepare? Choose Pickup orders Restaurant orders Online book orders Where do I sort the bags? Choose Into the pickup bins Under the counter On the stock cart What do I do if a question goes beyond my role? Choose I bring in the pharmacist I invent an answer I ignore the customer What do I do when I am in doubt? Choose I double-check everything I make a quick guess I hide the label

Build the sentence

Tap the words in the correct order:

wrong everything making I call the before double-check

Reading comprehension

1. Which qualities do I need in my role?
2. What do I prepare for customers to collect later?
3. What do I do when someone seems worried?
4. How do I avoid making the wrong call?

Translation practice

Translate into Spanish:

• I restock hygiene products.
• I sort the bags into the pickup bins.
• If in doubt, I double-check everything.

Translate into English:

• Preparo pedidos para recoger.
• Explico con calma el siguiente paso.
• La consulta excede mis funciones.

Reading and translation are bonus practice and are not included in the score.

C1 | ADVANCED

Over time, I have learned that a pharmacy is much more than a place where people pick up medications. To me, it is also a place where trust has to be earned. Some customers arrive in a hurry; others arrive worried. I have to listen closely, protect their privacy, and offer reassurance without overstepping my role. Whether I am checking a shelf label, reading a prescription number back, or referring a question to the pharmacist, accuracy matters as much as the human touch. A small misunderstanding can have real consequences.

C1 | AVANZADO

Con el tiempo, he aprendido que una farmacia es mucho más que un lugar donde se recogen medicamentos. Para mí, también es un espacio donde hay que ganarse la confianza. Algunos clientes llegan con prisa; otros, preocupados. Tengo que escuchar con atención, proteger su privacidad y transmitir seguridad sin excederme en mis funciones. Tanto si compruebo la etiqueta de una estantería como si repito el número de una receta o derivo una consulta al farmacéutico, la precisión importa tanto como el trato humano. Un pequeño malentendido puede tener consecuencias reales.

🎵 I learned everything I know at LecturaBilingue.com — the place where stories come alive. 🎵 Todo lo que sé lo aprendí en LecturaBilingue.com, el lugar donde las historias cobran vida.

⏳ C1 | Past tense version Present → Past

La misma historia transformada al pasado. Los verbos que cambian aparecen destacados.

By then, I had learned that a pharmacy was much more than a place where people picked up medications. To me, it was also a place where trust had to be earned. Some customers arrived in a hurry; others arrived worried. I had to listen closely, protect their privacy, and offer reassurance without overstepping my role. Whether I was checking a shelf label, reading a prescription number back, or referring a question to the pharmacist, accuracy mattered as much as the human touch. A small misunderstanding could have real consequences.

Main changes

have learned→had learned is→was pick up→picked up has to be earned→had to be earned arrive→arrived have to listen→had to listen am checking→was checking matters→mattered can have→could have

💡 C1 | Grammar point whether... or...

En Whether I am checking a shelf label, reading a prescription number back, or referring a question..., whether... or... presenta varias alternativas posibles.

whether + primera alternativa + or + última alternativa

Whether I am checking a label or answering a question, I work carefully. I protect their privacy whether they are calm or worried. Whether the question is simple or complex, I listen closely.

Fíjate: con tres o más alternativas, separamos las primeras con comas y colocamos or antes de la última.

🔊 AUDIO C1

🇺🇸 English

Spoken

Song

🇪🇸 Español

Spoken

Song

C1 | Practice

Practice the Story — C1

My Shift at the Pharmacy

Vocabulary

• over time — con el tiempo
• much more than — mucho más que
• pick up medications — recoger medicamentos
• trust has to be earned — hay que ganarse la confianza
• in a hurry — con prisa
• arrive worried — llegar preocupado
• listen closely — escuchar con atención
• protect someone’s privacy — proteger la privacidad de alguien
• offer reassurance — transmitir seguridad

• overstep my role — excederme en mis funciones
• shelf label — etiqueta de una estantería
• read a number back — repetir un número para comprobarlo
• prescription number — número de receta
• refer a question — derivar una consulta
• accuracy — precisión
• the human touch — el trato humano
• misunderstanding — malentendido
• have consequences — tener consecuencias

Complete the sentence

Trust has to be . I protect each customer’s . I offer without overstepping my role. matters as much as the human touch. A misunderstanding can have real .

Choose the correct answer

What have I learned about a pharmacy? Choose It is much more than a place to pick up medications It is only a storage room It is mainly a delivery center How do some customers arrive? Choose In a hurry or worried Carrying stock carts Wearing lab coats What must I avoid doing? Choose Overstepping my role Listening closely Protecting customers’ privacy What do I sometimes read back? Choose A prescription number An expiration date A customer’s address What matters as much as accuracy? Choose The human touch Working quickly The size of the pharmacy

Build the sentence

Tap the words in the correct order:

human matters Accuracy the as touch as much

Reading comprehension

1. What have I learned about a pharmacy?
2. What aspect of the customer must I protect?
3. Which three professional actions appear in the final comparison?
4. Why can a small misunderstanding be serious?

Translation practice

Translate into Spanish:

• Trust has to be earned.
• I protect their privacy.
• Accuracy matters as much as the human touch.

Translate into English:

• Algunos clientes llegan con prisa.
• Transmito seguridad sin excederme en mis funciones.
• Un pequeño malentendido puede tener consecuencias reales.

Reading and translation are bonus practice and are not included in the score.

C2 | PROFICIENCY

Every shift at the pharmacy reminds me that even an everyday interaction can be a form of care. Behind every prescription, every brief question, and every hesitant pause is a person looking for reliable guidance. I do not need to have all the answers; I need to know where my responsibilities begin and end. I cross-check details, document what I do, and involve the pharmacist whenever professional judgment is required. Even routine tools—the label printer, barcode scanner, and storage thermometer—support a chain of accuracy that most customers never see. By choosing my words carefully and refusing to cut corners, I help build trust one interaction at a time.

C2 | MAESTRÍA

Cada turno en la farmacia me recuerda que incluso una interacción cotidiana puede ser una forma de cuidado. Detrás de cada receta, cada consulta breve y cada pausa dubitativa hay una persona que busca orientación fiable. No necesito tener todas las respuestas; necesito saber dónde empiezan y terminan mis responsabilidades. Contrasto los datos, dejo constancia de lo que hago y recurro al farmacéutico cuando se requiere su criterio profesional. Incluso herramientas rutinarias —la impresora de etiquetas, el lector de códigos de barras y el termómetro de almacenamiento— forman parte de una cadena de precisión que la mayoría de los clientes nunca ve. Al elegir bien mis palabras y negarme a tomar atajos, contribuyo a construir confianza interacción tras interacción.

🎵 I learned everything I know at LecturaBilingue.com — the place where stories come alive. 🎵 Todo lo que sé lo aprendí en LecturaBilingue.com, el lugar donde las historias cobran vida.

⏳ C2 | Past tense version Present → Past

La misma historia transformada al pasado. Los verbos que cambian aparecen destacados.

Every shift at the pharmacy reminded me that even an everyday interaction could be a form of care. Behind every prescription, every brief question, and every hesitant pause was a person looking for reliable guidance. I did not need to have all the answers; I needed to know where my responsibilities began and ended. I cross-checked details, documented what I did, and involved the pharmacist whenever professional judgment was required. Even routine tools—the label printer, barcode scanner, and storage thermometer—supported a chain of accuracy that most customers never saw. By choosing my words carefully and refusing to cut corners, I helped build trust one interaction at a time.

Main changes

reminds→reminded can be→could be is→was do not need→did not need need→needed begin→began end→ended cross-check→cross-checked document→documented do→did involve→involved is required→was required support→supported never see→never saw help→helped

💡 C2 | Grammar point embedded wh-clauses

En I need to know where my responsibilities begin and end, la oración introducida por where funciona como complemento de know.

verbo + palabra interrogativa + sujeto + verbo

I know where my responsibilities begin. I understand why accuracy matters. I check what the label says.

Importante: una pregunta integrada mantiene el orden afirmativo. Decimos I know where my responsibilities begin, no where do my responsibilities begin.

🔊 AUDIO C2

🇺🇸 English

Spoken

Song

🇪🇸 Español

Spoken

Song

C2 | Practice

Practice the Story — C2

My Shift at the Pharmacy

Vocabulary

• everyday interaction — interacción cotidiana
• a form of care — una forma de cuidado
• behind every prescription — detrás de cada receta
• brief question — consulta breve
• hesitant pause — pausa dubitativa
• reliable guidance — orientación fiable
• have all the answers — tener todas las respuestas
• responsibilities begin and end — las responsabilidades empiezan y terminan
• cross-check details — contrastar los datos
• document what I do — dejar constancia de lo que hago

• professional judgment — criterio profesional
• routine tools — herramientas rutinarias
• label printer — impresora de etiquetas
• barcode scanner — lector de códigos de barras
• storage thermometer — termómetro de almacenamiento
• a chain of accuracy — una cadena de precisión
• choose my words carefully — elegir bien mis palabras
• cut corners — tomar atajos
• one interaction at a time — interacción tras interacción

Complete the sentence

Each person is looking for reliable . I know where my begin and end. I what I do. One routine tool is the storage . I refuse to cut .

Choose the correct answer

What is behind every prescription or hesitant pause? Choose A person looking for reliable guidance A list of expiration dates An empty pickup bin When do I involve the pharmacist? Choose When professional judgment is required Whenever I print a label Whenever a customer enters Which routine tools are mentioned? Choose A label printer, barcode scanner, and storage thermometer A stock cart, lab coat, and drawer A computer, telephone, and calculator Who usually does not see the full chain of accuracy? Choose Most customers The pharmacist The pharmacy staff How do I help build trust? Choose By choosing my words carefully and refusing to cut corners By trying to have every answer By working without checking details

Build the sentence

Tap the words in the correct order:

interaction build a I at trust help time one

Reading comprehension

1. Who is behind every prescription, question, or hesitant pause?
2. What do I need to know instead of having all the answers?
3. How do routine tools support accurate work?
4. What choices help me build trust?

Translation practice

Translate into Spanish:

• I cross-check details.
• I involve the pharmacist when professional judgment is required.
• I refuse to cut corners.

Translate into English:

• Cada interacción puede ser una forma de cuidado.
• Necesito saber dónde empiezan y terminan mis responsabilidades.
• Construyo confianza interacción tras interacción.

Reading and translation are bonus practice and are not included in the score.