Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Culinary Arts & Spicy Flavors
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Ben’s Big Bites: The BBQ Blog
Ben is sixteen and loves food. Last year, he started a food blog called ‘Ben’s Big Bites’. While his friends write about video games or sports online, Ben writes about his favourite restaurants. His favourite places to eat are Asian BBQ buffets. He loves them because you don’t just sit and wait for your meal. Instead, you cook the food yourself at the table.
Ben remembers his very first time at a Korean BBQ restaurant. He went there with his family for his sister’s birthday. At first, he didn’t know what to do. He left the meat on the fire for too long, and it burned. His sister laughed, but the waiter kindly showed him the best way to cook it. Even though his first meal wasn’t perfect, he really enjoyed the fun atmosphere.
Now, Ben is an expert. Every weekend, he visits a new BBQ buffet in his city. He takes photos of the different meats, fresh vegetables, and spicy sauces. Then, he posts them on his blog. A lot of teenagers read his posts because he explains how to eat well without spending too much money.
Ben hopes to travel to Asia one day. He wants to try real barbecue in Japan or South Korea. For now, he tells his readers to try a local BBQ restaurant. “Always go with a big group of friends,” he says. “It is the best way to share the cooking and the fun!”
1 Why does Ben enjoy eating at Asian BBQ buffets?
(A) He likes preparing the dishes on his own.
(B) He loves to sit and wait for his meal.
(C) He enjoys writing about video games or sports.
2 What happened during Ben’s first visit to a BBQ restaurant?
(A) He celebrated his birthday there.
(B) He prepared the food badly.
(C) The waiter laughed at his meal.
3 Why do many young people follow Ben’s blog?
(A) He shows them how to make spicy sauces.
(B) He visits a new city every weekend.
(C) He tells them how to enjoy a meal for a low price.
4 What does Ben suggest his readers should do?
(A) Travel to Asia one day.
(B) Visit restaurants with a large number of people.
(C) Try real barbecue in Japan or South Korea.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) Cooking meat in South Korea
(B) How to start a successful food blog
(C) A teenager’s passion for Asian BBQ
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 B 5 C
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teenager Baking to Cool Things Down
Fifteen-year-old Maya comes from a family that loves cooking. Every evening, her parents make dishes from different countries, like Indian curries or Mexican soups. They always put a lot of extra chili in their food. Maya enjoys the strong flavours, but her mouth often feels too hot after dinner. She realised she needed something sweet to eat at the end of these fiery meals.
Last month, Maya decided to learn how to bake desserts. She didn’t buy any books; she just watched baking videos on her laptop. Her first project was a large chocolate cake. Unfortunately, she left it in the oven for too long because she was chatting with her brother. The cake burned and nobody could eat it.
Maya didn’t stop trying. The following weekend, she bought some fresh fruit and made lemon biscuits and a strawberry tart. She followed the instructions carefully this time. After her dad cooked a very spicy chicken dinner, Maya brought her new desserts to the table.
The cold, sweet fruit and the delicious biscuits were exactly what everyone needed! The sweet flavours perfectly balanced the hot chili. Now, Maya bakes something new every Saturday. Her parents are very happy because they can eat as much spicy food as they want. Next year, Maya hopes to take a special cooking course to learn more dessert recipes.
1 Why did Maya want to start making sweet food?
(A) To cool her mouth after eating hot dishes.
(B) To make dishes from different countries.
(C) To put a lot of extra chili in her food.
2 What happened when Maya baked for the first time?
(A) She didn’t buy any books for her first project.
(B) Her dessert was ruined because she was talking.
(C) She successfully made a large chocolate cake.
3 What did Maya do the next weekend?
(A) She cooked a very spicy chicken dinner.
(B) She prepared some sweet fruit items successfully.
(C) She stopped trying to follow the instructions carefully.
4 What is true about Maya today?
(A) She plans to take a special cooking course immediately.
(B) She can eat as much spicy food as she wants.
(C) She makes sweet treats for her family on a regular basis.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to make dishes from different countries
(B) The schoolgirl matching hot meals with sweet treats
(C) The large chocolate cake that nobody could eat
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 B 4 C 5 B
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Teenager Cooking Up Traditional Sunday Meals
Fifteen-year-old Tom is a very busy high school student. From Monday to Friday, he has a lot of homework and sports practice. At the weekend, most of his friends choose to sleep late. However, Tom always wakes up at seven o’clock on Sundays because he has a very special hobby. He loves making traditional food.
Before he starts cooking, Tom walks to the local market. He always buys fresh vegetables, ginger, and garlic. His grandmother lived with his family when he was younger. She taught him how to prepare these strong ingredients. Now, he uses them to make fantastic chicken and hot soup.
Tom spends the whole morning in the kitchen. It takes a long time to wash, cut, and cook everything. At one o’clock, his parents and sister sit down at the dining table. They eat the wonderful meal together. His family think his dishes are absolutely delicious, and there is never any food left on their plates.
In the future, Tom hopes to do more than just cook for his family. He plans to create a simple cookbook for other young people. He wants to show teenagers that making traditional meals with ginger and garlic is actually quite easy and much better than buying fast food.
1 What does Tom do on Sundays?
(A) He gets out of bed early to prepare meals.
(B) He chooses to sleep late like his friends.
(C) He does a lot of homework and sports practice.
2 Who showed Tom how to cook with ginger and garlic?
(A) A woman who works at the local market.
(B) An older relative who used to stay with them.
(C) A person he met when he was younger.
3 What happens at one o’clock?
(A) Tom spends the whole morning in the kitchen.
(B) The family leave some food on their plates.
(C) His relatives really enjoy eating what he made.
4 What is Tom planning to do?
(A) Write a guide to help teenagers make dishes.
(B) Just cook for his family every weekend.
(C) Start buying fast food for other young people.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A schoolboy’s weekly traditional cooking hobby
(B) How to sleep late and buy fast food
(C) The busy high school student’s sports practice
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 C 4 A 5 A