Food & Drink – A2 English Listening Exercise
Listening 1
Listen to the conversation between two roommates and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What are they going to have for dinner?
(A) Chicken and a salad
(B) Pizza
(C) Pasta with tomato sauce
2 What ingredient is missing from the fridge?
(A) Tomatoes
(B) Chicken
(C) Cheese
3 Why doesn’t Mark want to order a pizza?
(A) He thinks it is too expensive.
(B) He doesn’t want fast food tonight.
(C) He already ate pizza for lunch.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) Pasta with tomato sauce
- Explanation: They agree at the end of the conversation to make pasta with tomato sauce. Option (A) is the trap; Sarah suggests chicken first, but they can’t make it. Option (B) is also a trap; Sarah suggests pizza, but Mark rejects it.
2 (B) Chicken
- Explanation: Mark looks in the fridge and says, “We are completely out of chicken.” Option (A) is a trap; tomatoes are mentioned, but Mark says they have “lots of” them. Option (C) is plausible for cooking, but it is never mentioned in the audio.
3 (B) He doesn’t want fast food tonight.
- Explanation: When Sarah suggests ordering pizza, Mark directly replies, “I don’t really want fast food tonight.” Options (A) and (C) are plausible reasons to reject pizza, but neither is mentioned in the conversation.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Mark: I’m starving. What should we make for dinner tonight?
Sarah: Um, let’s see. How about chicken and a salad?
Mark: Sounds good. Let me check the fridge. Well, we have lots of tomatoes, but… oh wait. We are completely out of chicken. I forgot to buy some yesterday.
Sarah: Ah, that’s too bad. Should we just order a pizza then?
Mark: I don’t really want fast food tonight. Hey, since we have so many tomatoes, why don’t we make pasta with tomato sauce?
Sarah: Oh, great idea! I think we have a box of pasta in the cupboard. Let’s do that.
Listening 2
Listen to the conversation between two friends and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What are they going to have for the party?
(A) Pizza and a seafood salad
(B) Pizza and a chicken salad
(C) Hamburgers and a chicken salad
2 Why doesn’t Tom want the seafood salad?
(A) He hates the taste of it.
(B) He is allergic to it.
(C) It is too expensive.
3 What does Tom ask Lisa to leave out of the food?
(A) Onions
(B) Tomatoes
(C) Chicken
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) Pizza and a chicken salad
- Explanation: At the end of the conversation, Lisa confirms they will have “pizza and a chicken salad.” Option (A) is the trap; Lisa suggests a seafood salad at first, but they change the plan. Option (C) is plausible for a party, but hamburgers are never mentioned.
2 (B) He is allergic to it.
- Explanation: When Lisa suggests seafood, Tom clearly states, “I can’t eat seafood. I’m allergic to it.” Option (A) is a trap; Tom talks about “hating” something later, but he hates onions, not seafood. Option (C) is not mentioned in the audio.
3 (A) Onions
- Explanation: Tom agrees to the chicken salad but adds, “could you make it without onions? I really hate them.” Option (C) is a trap; chicken is the main ingredient he wants, not the one he wants left out. Option (B) is not mentioned.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Tom: Hey Lisa, are you ready for the party tomorrow?
Lisa: Almost! I’m planning the menu now. I thought we could order some pizzas and make a big seafood salad.
Tom: Oh, wait. Remember, I can’t eat seafood. I’m allergic to it.
Lisa: Oh my gosh, you’re right! I completely forgot. I’m so sorry. Well, how about a chicken salad instead?
Tom: That sounds perfect. But hey, could you make it without onions? I really hate them.
Lisa: No problem. So, pizza and a chicken salad with no onions. Got it!
Tom: Thanks, Lisa! I can’t wait.
Listening 3
Listen to the conversation between a husband and wife and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What did the wife originally want to make?
(A) A cake
(B) Chocolate chip cookies
(C) Bread
2 What is the problem with the ingredients?
(A) They do not have any sugar.
(B) They do not have enough eggs.
(C) They need to buy more butter.
3 What are they going to do next?
(A) Go to the supermarket to buy eggs.
(B) Make a smaller cake.
(C) Bake cookies instead.
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (A) A cake
- Explanation: At the beginning of the conversation, the wife clearly says, “I want to make a cake.” Option (B) is a trap; she decides to make cookies at the end, but it was not her original plan. Option (C) is a plausible baked good but is never mentioned.
2 (B) They do not have enough eggs.
- Explanation: The recipe needs three eggs, but the husband says, “We only have two eggs left.” Option (A) is a trap; sugar is mentioned, but the husband says they have “a lot of sugar.” Option (C) is a trap; butter is mentioned, but they have “plenty of butter.”
3 (C) Bake cookies instead.
- Explanation: Because they do not have enough eggs for a cake, the wife says, “I’ll just make chocolate chip cookies instead.” Option (A) is a trap; the husband offers to go to the store, but the wife says, “No, that’s okay.” Option (B) is a logical idea, but they do not talk about it.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Wife: Honey, can you help me with this baking recipe?
Husband: Sure. What do you need?
Wife: Well, I want to make a cake. The recipe says I need three eggs and a cup of sugar.
Husband: Let me check the kitchen. Okay, we have a lot of sugar, but… oh, wait. We only have two eggs left.
Wife: Oh, that’s not enough for the cake. How about butter? Do we have half a cup of butter?
Husband: Yes, we have plenty of butter. Do you want me to run to the store to buy more eggs?
Wife: No, that’s okay. I’ll just make chocolate chip cookies instead. They only need two eggs!
Husband: Great idea! I love cookies.
Listening 4
Listen to the conversation between a mother and her son, and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What is the boy going to have for his main lunch?
(A) An egg salad
(B) A hot dog
(C) A ham sandwich
2 What does the boy want to leave out of his sandwich?
(A) Tomatoes
(B) Cheese
(C) Ham
3 What fruit is the boy taking to school?
(A) An apple
(B) A banana
(C) An orange
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) A ham sandwich
- Explanation: The mother and son agree on a ham sandwich at the end. Option (A) is a trap; the mother suggests an egg salad first, but the boy refuses. Option (B) is also a trap; the boy wants a hot dog, but they don’t have any left.
2 (A) Tomatoes
- Explanation: The boy accepts the sandwich but clearly says, “But no tomatoes, please.” Option (C) is a trap because ham is the main ingredient he wants. Option (B) is a plausible sandwich ingredient, but it is never mentioned.
3 (B) A banana
- Explanation: The boy asks his mother, “Can I have a banana instead?” and she agrees. Option (A) is a trap; the mother originally suggests an apple, but the boy changes it. Option (C) is not mentioned in the audio.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Mother: Tim, it’s time to pack your lunchbox for school. How about a nice, healthy egg salad and an apple?
Son: Aw, Mom! I don’t want salad today. Can I have a hot dog instead?
Mother: We don’t have any hot dogs left. But I can make you a ham sandwich.
Son: A ham sandwich? Okay, that sounds good. But no tomatoes, please.
Mother: Alright. One ham sandwich without tomatoes. Do you still want the apple?
Son: Can I have a banana instead?
Mother: Sure. Here you go. Have a great day at school!
Listening 5
Listen to the conversation between two friends and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What food did the friends share and enjoy?
(A) A sandwich
(B) A chocolate cake
(C) Hot chocolate
2 What was the problem with Emma’s coffee?
(A) It was too bitter.
(B) It was too cold.
(C) It was delicious.
3 What drink did Alex have at the cafe?
(A) A cappuccino
(B) Hot chocolate
(C) Iced tea
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) A chocolate cake
- Explanation: Alex says, “That chocolate cake we shared was absolutely delicious,” and Emma agrees. Option (C) is a trap; hot chocolate is mentioned at the end, but as a drink for next time. Option (A) is plausible for a cafe but is never mentioned.
2 (A) It was too bitter.
- Explanation: Emma clearly states that her coffee “was just too bitter for me.” Option (C) is a trap; “delicious” is used in the conversation, but it describes the cake, not the coffee. Option (B) is a common complaint about coffee but is not mentioned here.
3 (C) Iced tea
- Explanation: When Emma complains about her drink, Alex says, “My iced tea was fine.” Option (A) is a trap; a cappuccino is what Emma ordered, not Alex. Option (B) is also a trap; Alex suggests hot chocolate for Emma’s next visit.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Alex: So, what did you think of that new cafe?
Emma: The atmosphere was really nice. I loved the music they were playing.
Alex: Me too. And the food was amazing. That chocolate cake we shared was absolutely delicious.
Emma: Yes, it was! I would definitely go back just for the cake. But I wasn’t very happy with my drink.
Alex: Really? Why not?
Emma: Well, I ordered a cappuccino, but the coffee was just too bitter for me. I couldn’t even finish it.
Alex: Oh, that’s too bad. My iced tea was fine. Next time, you should probably try the hot chocolate instead.
Emma: Good idea. I’ll do that.