Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Other Food Experiences
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
1 Which person eats a holiday meal that takes many hours to prepare?
(A) Miguel (B) Sarah (C) Yuto
2 Which person says their family eats outside?
(A) Miguel (B) Sarah (C) Yuto
3 Which person prepares some of the dishes with a relative?
(A) Miguel (B) Sarah (C) Yuto
4 Which person says a family member has a long journey to join them?
(A) Miguel (B) Sarah (C) Yuto
5 Which person has their holiday meal at a different time of day than normal?
(A) Miguel (B) Sarah (C) Yuto
6 Which person eats something sweet before the rest of the meal?
(A) Miguel (B) Sarah (C) Yuto
7 Which person describes a special dish that contains only vegetables?
(A) Miguel (B) Sarah (C) Yuto
Traditional Holiday Meals
Miguel
Every December, my whole family gets together for a huge dinner. We always have a special beef and potato dish. My grandmother starts cooking it in the morning, and it stays on the cooker all day before it is ready to eat. We usually eat inside the dining room because it is too cold in the garden. It’s a wonderful day, especially because my uncle catches a plane from Canada just to be with us. We don’t help with the cooking, but we wash the plates!
Sarah
For our spring holiday, we drive to my aunt’s house. It is only a short trip, but we stay for the weekend. Normally, my family eats the big meal at midday, but for this celebration, we don’t sit down at the table until eight o’clock at night. I spend the afternoon in the kitchen making a carrot and onion pie with my cousin. There is no chicken or fish in it at all. After dinner, we always enjoy delicious chocolate cakes.
Yuto
In my country, we celebrate the start of summer with a big family picnic. We don’t eat in the house; instead, we carry all our food to the park and sit on the grass under the trees. We usually start the meal by sharing small sugar cakes. It is strange to have dessert first, but it is our tradition! Then, my dad grills fresh fish. It is very quick to cook, so we don’t have to wait long. We finish the food before it gets dark.
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 C 3 B 4 A 5 B 6 C 7 B
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
1 Which person uses a phone to ask for their drink?
(A) Marco (B) Elena (C) Tom
2 Which person gives the exact cash to the worker?
(A) Marco (B) Elena (C) Tom
3 Which person always gets the same type of coffee?
(A) Marco (B) Elena (C) Tom
4 Which person thinks it is important to be nice to the staff?
(A) Marco (B) Elena (C) Tom
5 Which person shows the worker a picture of their drink?
(A) Marco (B) Elena (C) Tom
6 Which person tells the worker how to write their name?
(A) Marco (B) Elena (C) Tom
7 Which person stands very close to the worker to talk?
(A) Marco (B) Elena (C) Tom
Ordering Coffee in a Noisy Cafe
Marco
I go to a very loud café near my office every morning. Because of all the noise, I step right up to the desk so my mouth is near the worker’s ear. I never change what I get. It is always a large black coffee, so the staff already know me! Some people get angry when it is busy, but I believe you must always smile and say please. It makes everything easier. I don’t use coins anymore; I just pay with my bank card.
Elena
Ordering in a crowded coffee shop can be difficult. The music is usually playing, and everyone is talking. I don’t shout my order. Instead, I pick up the menu from the counter and touch the photograph of a cappuccino. The worker understands immediately! To make things quicker, I make sure I have the right coins in my hand before I go to the front. I don’t use an app to pay. It is much faster this way.
Tom
My favourite café is always full of university students. Sometimes, the workers can’t hear a single word you say. To solve this problem, I type my order on my screen and just hold it up for the barista to read. It works perfectly! Then, they always need to call you when the drink is ready. So, I say the letters of my name slowly, T-O-M, because they often spell it wrong. I don’t have time to chat because there is a long line behind me!
ANSWER KEY
1 C 2 B 3 A 4 A 5 B 6 C 7 A
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
1 Which person thinks the food at the truck is cheap?
(A) Ryan (B) Chloe (C) Dan
2 Which person dislikes spicy food?
(A) Ryan (B) Chloe (C) Dan
3 Which person visits the food truck with a family member?
(A) Ryan (B) Chloe (C) Dan
4 Which person complains about waiting in a line?
(A) Ryan (B) Chloe (C) Dan
5 Which person found out about the place from the internet?
(A) Ryan (B) Chloe (C) Dan
6 Which person says the food truck is very near their school?
(A) Ryan (B) Chloe (C) Dan
7 Which person always has a cold drink with their meal?
(A) Ryan (B) Chloe (C) Dan
The Best Hot Dog Truck
Ryan
I love the new hot dog truck! I first saw a picture of it on a popular social media app last week. I usually walk there with my best friends from class, even though it takes us twenty minutes to reach it after school. The snacks are quite expensive, but they taste amazing. I always tell the chef to leave off the red chili sauce because food that burns my tongue is terrible! I never buy any sodas there because I always carry a cold water bottle in my schoolbag.
Chloe
My classmates told me about this place, and now I visit it twice a week. The prices are very low, so eating there doesn’t take much of my pocket money. I love adding lots of hot chili to my meal because it gives it a great flavor. However, the only bad thing is standing in a long queue for twenty minutes before you can buy your food. It gets so crowded! When I finally get my hot dog, I always buy a can of iced juice to go with it because it is so refreshing.
Dan
This food van is wonderful because it is parked just a two-minute walk from our classroom door. My older sister usually walks there with me on Friday afternoons, and we enjoy our lunch outside. The people working inside the truck are incredibly fast, so you never have to wait for your food, even when it is busy. The hot dogs cost a standard price, and they use fresh bread every day. I love adding sweet ketchup and mild mustard to my meal.
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 A 3 C 4 B 5 A 6 C 7 B