Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Restaurant Reviews & Food Preferences

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1   Which person prefers the dish that takes a long time to cook?

     (A) Marco   (B) Julia   (C) Antonio

2   Who likes to eat their favourite meal with a big group of friends?

     (A) Marco   (B) Julia   (C) Antonio

3   Which person says their favourite food reminds them of their childhood?

     (A) Marco   (B) Julia   (C) Antonio

4   Who thinks it is hard to find the real dish in other countries?

     (A) Marco   (B) Julia   (C) Antonio

5   Which person enjoys eating their favourite meal during the colder months?

     (A) Marco   (B) Julia   (C) Antonio

6   Who mentions eating their food without using a knife and fork?

     (A) Marco   (B) Julia   (C) Antonio

7   Which person prefers to prepare their favourite food in their own kitchen?

     (A) Marco   (B) Julia   (C) Antonio

Neapolitan Pizza vs. Lasagna

Marco

I absolutely love Neapolitan pizza, much more than lasagna. For me, the best part is sharing it. I always go to a busy restaurant with at least ten of my mates, and we order lots of different ones to share. I never use plates or anything to cut my meal; it is much better to just pick up the slices with your fingers! A real pizza goes into a very hot oven, so it is ready to eat in just one minute. You can try pizza anywhere you travel, but it is impossible to taste the true recipe if you leave Italy. We usually enjoy it on warm summer nights.

Julia

While a quick pizza is great when you are hungry, my top choice is definitely lasagna. I don’t go to restaurants for this. I really enjoy putting all the meat, pasta, and tomatoes together myself. It is a very slow job, though. You have to wait for hours while it bakes in the oven, but the amazing smell makes it worth it! Lasagna is quite messy, so you certainly have to sit down with a plate to eat it properly. Usually, I just make it for a quiet dinner alone with my husband, not for big parties.

Antonio

Neapolitan pizza is famous everywhere, but lasagna has a special place in my heart. Every time I taste those soft layers of cheese and pasta, I immediately think about being a little boy. My grandmother cooked it for me every Sunday. I don’t know how to bake it, so I buy it from a fantastic local cafe down the street. It is a very heavy, warm meal. Because of that, I only ever order it when there is snow or ice outside. It is exactly what you need to feel comfortable on freezing January afternoons!

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1   Which person says that the restaurant is not expensive?

     (A) Anna   (B) Ben   (C) Chloe

2   Which person says that the fish is caught the same day?

     (A) Anna   (B) Ben   (C) Chloe

3   Which person got help from a worker to choose their food?

     (A) Anna   (B) Ben   (C) Chloe

4   Which person mentions that the meals arrive very quickly?

     (A) Anna   (B) Ben   (C) Chloe

5   Which person says that the restaurant has a lot of customers?

     (A) Anna   (B) Ben   (C) Chloe

6   Which person really liked the fresh vegetables?

     (A) Anna   (B) Ben   (C) Chloe

7   Which person went to the restaurant to celebrate a special day?

     (A) Anna   (B) Ben   (C) Chloe

Three students review Aburien Restaurant

Anna

I went to Aburien last week for my 16th birthday. It is an amazing Japanese restaurant, but it is always completely full of people! Because it was so busy, our food took a long time to arrive, but it was worth the wait. Usually, good Japanese food costs a lot of cash, but the bill here was surprisingly low. I ordered a beef dish with some carrots, but the meat was definitely the best part. I will definitely go back!

Ben

I love eating at Aburien, even though you have to spend quite a bit of money there. The service is fantastic. As soon as you sit down, the waiters take your order, and they bring your plates in just a few minutes! You never feel hungry for long. I ordered the sushi because the chef buys the seafood from the morning market every single day. It tastes like it just came out of the ocean. I saw a family having a party there, and the staff were very friendly to them.

Chloe

I visited Aburien for the first time yesterday. I usually eat fish at Japanese restaurants, but this time I wanted something different. There were so many things on the menu, so I asked the waitress for her advice. She told me to try the farm bowl. It was full of green beans and onions that were incredibly fresh and crunchy. I absolutely loved them! The restaurant was quite empty when I went at 3 p.m., so it was very quiet. I’d love to have my next birthday dinner there.

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

1   Which person says hot food is good when the weather is cold?

     (A) Leo   (B) Maya   (C) Sam

2   Which person takes extra spicy sauce back to their house?

     (A) Leo   (B) Maya   (C) Sam

3   Which person says hot peppers make boring food taste exciting?

     (A) Leo   (B) Maya   (C) Sam

4   Which person goes to a certain restaurant because of its great salsa?

     (A) Leo   (B) Maya   (C) Sam

5   Which person always has a cold drink with their meal?

     (A) Leo   (B) Maya   (C) Sam

6   Which person began eating hot food because of a relative?

     (A) Leo   (B) Maya   (C) Sam

7   Which person enjoys hot salsa because it brings back memories of a holiday?

     (A) Leo   (B) Maya   (C) Sam

Lovers of Spicy Mexican Fast Food

Leo

I eat Mexican fast food every weekend. I usually get a simple dish with chicken and rice. On its own, the meal has no flavor and is quite dull, but adding jalapeños makes it fantastic! The spices can make my mouth burn, so I never begin my meal without a large glass of iced juice next to my plate. My brother doesn’t like hot food at all, but I love it. It actually makes me think of my trip to Central America last summer. Every time I taste hot salsa, I remember those sunny beach days.

Maya

Where I live, it snows a lot and the temperature is usually low. When I get Mexican fast food, I always ask the staff for the hottest jalapeños. Eating them makes my body feel nice and warm inside. I never order chilled water with my meal; I actually prefer hot tea! When I was younger, I hated spicy dishes. However, my grandfather loved making food with lots of chili. Because I ate dinner with him, I slowly learned to enjoy it. I haven’t travelled to Mexico yet, but I’d love to go.

Sam

There is a small Mexican fast food place near my house. To be honest, their meat and cheese aren’t very special. However, I visit this café every week just because their red pepper salsa is the best in town! I love it so much that I always pay for three or four extra little cups of it. I don’t eat them there; I carry them back to my apartment to use with my own cooking later in the week. It’s a bit too hot for my mother, so I get to keep it all for myself.

Exercises:   12345