Repairing a Phone – Bilingual English–Spanish Story, Audio & Grammar Practice (A1–C2)

male smartphone repair technician replacing a cracked screen at a modern repair bench
Vocabulary: technician · precision screwdriver · anti-static mat · suction cup
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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 repair phones. A customer comes into the shop. Her phone screen is cracked. I place the phone on the repair mat and prepare my tools. I use a small screwdriver and carefully replace the screen. When I finish, the phone works and the customer smiles.
A1 | PRINCIPIANTE
Reparo móviles. Una clienta entra en la tienda. La pantalla de su móvil está rota. Pongo el móvil sobre la alfombrilla y preparo mis herramientas. Utilizo un destornillador pequeño y cambio la pantalla con cuidado. Cuando termino, el móvil funciona y la clienta sonríe.
🎵 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 repaired phones. A customer came into the shop. Her phone screen was cracked. I placed the phone on the repair mat and prepared my tools. I used a small screwdriver and carefully replaced the screen. When I finished, the phone worked and the customer smiled.
Main changes
repairrepairedcomescameiswasplaceplacedprepareprepareduseusedreplacereplacedfinishfinishedworksworkedsmilessmiled
💡 A1 | Grammar point possessive adjectives

En Her phone screen is cracked, utilizamos her para indicar que el móvil pertenece a la clienta. Los adjetivos posesivos siempre aparecen delante de un sustantivo.

my / your / his / her / its / our / their + noun
Her phone screen is cracked.I prepare my tools.The customer checks her phone.
Atención: her también puede ser un pronombre de objeto: I help her. Delante de un sustantivo funciona como posesivo: her phone.
🔊 AUDIO A1
🇺🇸 English
Spoken
Song
🇪🇸 Español
Spoken
Song
A1 | Practice
Practice the Story — A1

Repairing a Phone

Vocabulary
  • repair phones — reparar móviles
  • customer — cliente/a
  • phone screen — pantalla del móvil
  • cracked — agrietado/a o roto/a
  • repair mat — alfombrilla de reparación
  • tool — herramienta
  • screwdriver — destornillador
  • replace the screen — cambiar la pantalla
  • work — funcionar
  • smile — sonreír
Complete the sentence
Choose the correct answer
Build the sentence

Tap the words in the correct order:

screencarefullyIthereplace
Reading comprehension
  1. What do I repair?
  2. What is wrong with the customer’s phone?
  3. Which tool do I use?
  4. How does the customer react when the phone works?
Translation practice

Translate into Spanish:

  • I repair phones.
  • Her phone screen is cracked.
  • I carefully replace the screen.

Translate into English:

  • Una clienta entra en la tienda.
  • Pongo el móvil sobre la alfombrilla.
  • El móvil funciona.

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

A2 | ELEMENTARY
I work as a technician at a phone repair shop. Every day, I replace cracked screens, install new batteries, and check charging cables. First, I ask the customer to describe the problem. Then I inspect the device and run a few tests. Before I begin, I explain the repair and prepare the tools I need. I like leaving every phone as good as new.
A2 | BÁSICO
Trabajo como técnico en una tienda de reparación de móviles. Cada día cambio pantallas rotas, sustituyo baterías y reviso cables de carga. Primero le pido al cliente que me explique el problema. Después inspecciono el dispositivo y hago algunas pruebas. Antes de empezar, le explico la reparación y preparo las herramientas necesarias. Me gusta dejar cada móvil como nuevo.
🎵 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 as a technician at a phone repair shop. Every day, I replaced cracked screens, installed new batteries, and checked charging cables. First, I asked the customer to describe the problem. Then I inspected the device and ran a few tests. Before I began, I explained the repair and prepared the tools I needed. I liked leaving every phone as good as new.
Main changes
workworkedreplacereplacedinstallinstalledcheckcheckedaskaskedinspectinspectedrunranbeginbeganexplainexplainedpreparepreparedneedneededlikeliked
💡 A2 | Grammar point ask + person + to + verb

Utilizamos esta estructura para pedirle a alguien que haga algo. En I ask the customer to describe the problem, primero aparece la persona y después la acción solicitada.

ask + person + to + base verb
I ask the customer to describe the problem.I ask him to unlock the phone.She asks me to check the battery.
Atención: no decimos ask to the customer to describe. La persona aparece directamente después de ask, sin to.
🔊 AUDIO A2
🇺🇸 English
Spoken
Song
🇪🇸 Español
Spoken
Song
A2 | Practice
Practice the Story — A2

Repairing a Phone

Vocabulary
  • technician — técnico
  • phone repair shop — tienda de reparación de móviles
  • cracked screen — pantalla rota o agrietada
  • install a battery — instalar una batería
  • charging cable — cable de carga
  • describe a problem — describir un problema
  • inspect a device — inspeccionar un dispositivo
  • run a test — hacer una prueba
  • explain a repair — explicar una reparación
  • the tools I need — las herramientas que necesito
  • before I begin — antes de empezar
  • as good as new — como nuevo
Complete the sentence
Choose the correct answer
Build the sentence

Tap the words in the correct order:

problemcustomerIdescribethetoaskthe
Reading comprehension
  1. Which three kinds of repair work do I mention?
  2. What do I ask the customer to explain?
  3. What do I do after inspecting the device?
  4. What do I explain before beginning the repair?
Translation practice

Translate into Spanish:

  • I work at a phone repair shop.
  • I ask the customer to describe the problem.
  • I run a few tests.

Translate into English:

  • Cambio pantallas rotas.
  • Reviso cables de carga.
  • Me gusta dejar cada móvil como nuevo.

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

B1 | INTERMEDIATE
My day repairing phones begins when I check the pending work orders and organize my repair bench. Some customers bring in cracked screens; others have problems with the battery, speaker, or charging port. Before I take anything apart, I run diagnostic tests to pinpoint the fault. Then I place the phone on an anti-static mat and lay out my precision screwdrivers, tweezers, and suction cup. In this line of work, the right tool and one small detail can make all the difference.
B1 | INTERMEDIO
Mi jornada reparando móviles empieza cuando reviso las órdenes de trabajo pendientes y organizo el banco de reparación. Algunos clientes traen pantallas rotas; otros tienen problemas con la batería, el altavoz o el puerto de carga. Antes de desmontar nada, ejecuto pruebas de diagnóstico para localizar la avería. Después coloco el móvil sobre una alfombrilla antiestática y preparo los destornilladores de precisión, las pinzas y la ventosa. En este oficio, una herramienta adecuada y un pequeño detalle pueden marcar la diferencia.
🎵 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 day repairing phones began when I checked the pending work orders and organized my repair bench. Some customers brought in cracked screens; others had problems with the battery, speaker, or charging port. Before I took anything apart, I ran diagnostic tests to pinpoint the fault. Then I placed the phone on an anti-static mat and laid out my precision screwdrivers, tweezers, and suction cup. In that line of work, the right tool and one small detail could make all the difference.
Main changes
beginsbegancheckcheckedorganizeorganizedbring inbrought inhavehadtake aparttook apartrunranplaceplacedlay outlaid outcan makecould make
💡 B1 | Grammar point before + clause / before + -ing

Después de before, podemos utilizar una oración completa o un verbo terminado en -ing. La segunda opción se utiliza normalmente cuando el sujeto de las dos acciones es el mismo.

before + subject + verb
before + verb-ing
Before I take anything apart, I run diagnostic tests.Before opening the phone, I put on an anti-static wrist strap.I check the work order before starting the repair.
Atención: si las acciones tienen sujetos diferentes, necesitamos una oración completa: I explain the repair before the customer leaves.
🔊 AUDIO B1
🇺🇸 English
Spoken
Song
🇪🇸 Español
Spoken
Song
B1 | Practice
Practice the Story — B1

Repairing a Phone

Vocabulary
  • pending work order — orden de trabajo pendiente
  • repair bench — banco de reparación
  • bring in — traer a la tienda o al taller
  • charging port — puerto de carga
  • take apart — desmontar
  • diagnostic test — prueba de diagnóstico
  • pinpoint the fault — localizar la avería con precisión
  • anti-static mat — alfombrilla antiestática
  • lay out the tools — disponer o preparar las herramientas
  • precision screwdriver — destornillador de precisión
  • tweezers — pinzas
  • suction cup — ventosa
  • line of work — oficio o sector profesional
  • make all the difference — marcar una gran diferencia
Complete the sentence
Choose the correct answer
Build the sentence

Tap the words in the correct order:

testsanythingIapartdiagnosticBeforeruntakeI
Reading comprehension
  1. What do I organize before starting the repairs?
  2. Which phone components may be causing problems?
  3. Why do I run diagnostic tests before opening a phone?
  4. Which precision tools do I prepare?
Translation practice

Translate into Spanish:

  • I check the pending work orders.
  • Before I take anything apart, I run diagnostic tests.
  • I lay out my precision tools.

Translate into English:

  • Organizo mi banco de reparación.
  • Algunos clientes tienen problemas con el altavoz.
  • La herramienta adecuada puede marcar la diferencia.

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

B2 | UPPER-INTERMEDIATE
Repairing a phone requires precision, patience, and a clear method. Today, a customer brings in a phone that is not charging properly. It may seem like a simple fault, but I prefer not to jump to conclusions. First, I try a different cable and power adapter to rule out the most obvious causes. Then I examine the charging port with a magnifying glass, check the condition of the battery, and use a multimeter to measure the current. Eventually, I pinpoint the cause of the fault and explain to the customer how to prevent it from happening again.
B2 | INTERMEDIO ALTO
Reparar un móvil exige precisión, paciencia y un método claro. Hoy una clienta trae un teléfono que no carga correctamente. Podría parecer una avería sencilla, pero prefiero no sacar conclusiones precipitadas. Primero pruebo otro cable y otro adaptador para descartar las causas más evidentes. Después examino el puerto de carga con una lupa, compruebo el estado de la batería y utilizo un multímetro para medir la corriente. Finalmente, localizo la causa del fallo y le explico a la clienta cómo evitar que vuelva a ocurrir.
🎵 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.

Repairing a phone required precision, patience, and a clear method. That day, a customer brought in a phone that was not charging properly. It might have seemed like a simple fault, but I preferred not to jump to conclusions. First, I tried a different cable and power adapter to rule out the most obvious causes. Then I examined the charging port with a magnifying glass, checked the condition of the battery, and used a multimeter to measure the current. Eventually, I pinpointed the cause of the fault and explained to the customer how to prevent it from happening again.
Main changes
requiresrequiredtodaythat daybrings inbrought inis not chargingwas not chargingmay seemmight have seemedpreferpreferredtrytriedexamineexaminedcheckcheckeduseusedpinpointpinpointedexplainexplained
💡 B2 | Grammar point prevent + object + from + -ing

Utilizamos esta estructura para expresar que impedimos que una persona o cosa realice una acción o que una situación vuelva a producirse.

prevent + person/thing + from + verb-ing
I explain how to prevent the problem from happening again.The case prevents the screen from getting scratched.The wrist strap prevents static electricity from damaging the circuitry.
Atención: después de from utilizamos -ing: prevent it from happening, no prevent it from happen ni prevent it to happen.
🔊 AUDIO B2
🇺🇸 English
Spoken
Song
🇪🇸 Español
Spoken
Song
B2 | Practice
Practice the Story — B2

Repairing a Phone

Vocabulary
  • precision — precisión
  • clear method — método claro
  • charge properly — cargar correctamente
  • simple fault — avería sencilla
  • jump to conclusions — sacar conclusiones precipitadas
  • power adapter — adaptador de corriente
  • rule out — descartar
  • obvious cause — causa evidente
  • magnifying glass — lupa
  • battery condition — estado de la batería
  • multimeter — multímetro
  • measure the current — medir la corriente
  • pinpoint the cause — localizar la causa con precisión
  • prevent something from happening — evitar que algo ocurra
  • happen again — volver a ocurrir
Complete the sentence
Choose the correct answer
Build the sentence

Tap the words in the correct order:

conclusionsnotIjumpprefertoto
Reading comprehension
  1. Why might the charging problem be misleading at first?
  2. How do I rule out the most obvious causes?
  3. Which two diagnostic tools or aids do I use?
  4. What information do I give the customer after diagnosing the fault?
Translation practice

Translate into Spanish:

  • A customer brings in a phone that is not charging properly.
  • I rule out the most obvious causes.
  • I use a multimeter to measure the current.

Translate into English:

  • Prefiero no sacar conclusiones precipitadas.
  • Examino el puerto de carga con una lupa.
  • Le explico cómo evitar que el problema vuelva a ocurrir.

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

C1 | ADVANCED
Over the years, I have learned that there is often much more behind a broken phone than a damaged part. For many people, their phone contains photographs, messages, contacts, work files, and an important part of their daily life. That is why I never treat a repair as a mere formality. I protect the customer’s data, examine the device carefully, and walk them through both the diagnosis and the possible solutions. In this line of work, I earn trust by working accurately, respecting privacy, and communicating openly.
C1 | AVANZADO
Con los años, he aprendido que detrás de un móvil averiado suele haber mucho más que una pieza dañada. Para muchas personas, el teléfono contiene fotografías, mensajes, contactos, archivos de trabajo y una parte importante de su vida cotidiana. Por eso nunca trato una reparación como un simple trámite. Protejo los datos del cliente, examino el dispositivo con atención y le explico paso a paso tanto el diagnóstico como las posibles soluciones. En este oficio, la confianza se gana trabajando con precisión, respetando la privacidad y hablando con transparencia.
🎵 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 there was often much more behind a broken phone than a damaged part. For many people, their phone contained photographs, messages, contacts, work files, and an important part of their daily life. That was why I never treated a repair as a mere formality. I protected the customer’s data, examined the device carefully, and walked them through both the diagnosis and the possible solutions. In that line of work, I earned trust by working accurately, respecting privacy, and communicating openly.
Main changes
have learnedhad learnedthere isthere wascontainscontainedthat is whythat was whynever treatnever treatedprotectprotectedexamineexaminedwalkwalkedearnearned
💡 C1 | Grammar point over the years + present perfect

En Over the years, I have learned, el presente perfecto conecta una experiencia acumulada durante un periodo de tiempo con el momento actual. El aprendizaje comenzó en el pasado, pero su resultado sigue siendo válido ahora.

Over the years + have/has + past participle
Over the years, I have learned to diagnose many faults.Over time, I have become more careful.Throughout my career, I have repaired thousands of devices.
Atención: normalmente no utilizamos el presente perfecto con un momento pasado ya terminado: I repaired the phone yesterday, no I have repaired the phone yesterday.
🔊 AUDIO C1
🇺🇸 English
Spoken
Song
🇪🇸 Español
Spoken
Song
C1 | Practice
Practice the Story — C1

Repairing a Phone

Vocabulary
  • over the years — con los años
  • work file — archivo de trabajo
  • a mere formality — un simple trámite
  • protect customer data — proteger los datos del cliente
  • examine carefully — examinar con atención
  • walk someone through something — explicarle algo a alguien paso a paso
  • diagnosis — diagnóstico
  • possible solution — posible solución
  • earn trust — ganarse la confianza
  • respect privacy — respetar la privacidad
  • communicate openly — comunicarse con transparencia
Complete the sentence
Choose the correct answer
Build the sentence

Tap the words in the correct order:

openlyprivacyIcommunicatingtrustbyandrespectingearn
Reading comprehension
  1. What may a phone contain besides replaceable components?
  2. Why do I reject the idea that a repair is a mere formality?
  3. How do I help the customer understand the repair?
  4. Which professional behaviors allow me to earn trust?
Translation practice

Translate into Spanish:

  • The phone contains work files and personal memories.
  • I walk the customer through the diagnosis.
  • I earn trust by respecting privacy.

Translate into English:

  • Nunca trato una reparación como un simple trámite.
  • Protejo los datos del cliente.
  • Explico las posibles soluciones con transparencia.

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

C2 | PROFICIENCY
My work has taught me that repairing a phone is not merely about bringing a device back to life. It also means restoring a small but essential part of someone’s routine. A cracked screen, damaged connector, or faulty battery can disrupt conversations, errands, work, and treasured memories. That is why I examine every component carefully, wear an anti-static wrist strap to protect the circuitry, and avoid relying on quick fixes. A reliable repair must get to the bottom of the problem, stand up to daily use, and restore the customer’s confidence in the device.
C2 | MAESTRÍA
Mi trabajo me ha enseñado que reparar un móvil no consiste únicamente en devolverle la vida a un aparato. También significa restaurar una parte pequeña pero esencial de la rutina de alguien. Una pantalla rota, un conector deteriorado o una batería defectuosa pueden interrumpir conversaciones, gestiones, trabajo y recuerdos. Por eso examino cada componente con atención, utilizo una pulsera antiestática para proteger los circuitos y evito recurrir a soluciones provisionales. Una reparación fiable debe ir al fondo del problema, resistir el uso diario y devolverle al cliente la confianza en su dispositivo.
🎵 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.

By then, my work had taught me that repairing a phone was not merely about bringing a device back to life. It also meant restoring a small but essential part of someone’s routine. A cracked screen, damaged connector, or faulty battery could disrupt conversations, errands, work, and treasured memories. That was why I examined every component carefully, wore an anti-static wrist strap to protect the circuitry, and avoided relying on quick fixes. A reliable repair had to get to the bottom of the problem, stand up to daily use, and restore the customer’s confidence in the device.
Main changes
has taughthad taughtiswasmeansmeantcan disruptcould disruptthat is whythat was whyexamineexaminedwearworeavoidavoidedmust gethad to get
💡 C2 | Grammar point parallel verbs after a modal

Cuando un verbo modal afecta a varias acciones coordinadas, todas deben conservar la misma forma gramatical. En el texto, must introduce tres verbos en forma base: get, stand y restore.

modal + verb, verb, and verb
A reliable repair must get to the bottom of the problem, stand up to daily use, and restore confidence.I must identify the fault, replace the component, and test the device.The repair should solve the problem, protect the data, and last for years.
Atención: no mezclamos las formas: must identify, replacing, and to test es incorrecto. Los elementos coordinados deben seguir la misma estructura.
🔊 AUDIO C2
🇺🇸 English
Spoken
Song
🇪🇸 Español
Spoken
Song
C2 | Practice
Practice the Story — C2

Repairing a Phone

Vocabulary
  • bring a device back to life — devolverle la vida a un aparato
  • essential part of a routine — parte esencial de una rutina
  • damaged connector — conector deteriorado
  • faulty battery — batería defectuosa
  • disrupt — interrumpir o alterar
  • treasured memories — recuerdos preciados
  • anti-static wrist strap — pulsera antiestática
  • circuitry — circuitos o conjunto de circuitos
  • quick fix — solución rápida o provisional
  • get to the bottom of something — ir al fondo de algo
  • stand up to daily use — resistir el uso diario
  • reliable repair — reparación fiable
  • restore someone’s confidence — devolverle la confianza a alguien
Complete the sentence
Choose the correct answer
Build the sentence

Tap the words in the correct order:

userepairtomustdailyreliableupAstand
Reading comprehension
  1. Why is repairing a phone about more than restoring a device?
  2. Which faults can interrupt a customer’s daily life?
  3. How do I protect delicate circuitry while working?
  4. What distinguishes a reliable repair from a quick fix?
Translation practice

Translate into Spanish:

  • A faulty battery can disrupt someone’s routine.
  • I avoid relying on quick fixes.
  • A reliable repair must stand up to daily use.

Translate into English:

  • Reparar un móvil puede devolverle la vida al aparato.
  • Utilizo una pulsera antiestática para proteger los circuitos.
  • Una buena reparación debe ir al fondo del problema.

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