Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Culinary Tourism & Local Food
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A New World of Flavour
Fourteen-year-old Sam is a very careful eater. When he is at home in London, he usually has plain pasta or sandwiches. He hates vegetables and never eats anything hot. Last month, he went on a family holiday to Mexico. He was worried about the meals there because Mexican dishes are often very spicy.
One evening, his parents took him to a busy street market in the centre of the city. There were many small stalls selling local meals. His mother and father bought some fresh tacos with a dark red sauce. Sam was hungry, but he wanted to look for a burger restaurant. His dad laughed and asked him to eat just one small piece of the taco.
Sam took a tiny bite. Immediately, his mouth felt like it was on fire. His face became red and he quickly drank a big bottle of cold water. His parents thought he was going to cry. However, after a minute, Sam noticed something surprising. Under the heat, the meal had an amazing taste with fresh tomatoes and lemon.
He didn’t throw it away. Instead, he finished the whole taco and then asked the man at the stall for another one! His mother and father were completely shocked. Now that Sam is back in England, he puts hot sauce on everything he eats. He can’t wait for his next spicy food adventure.
1 What do we learn about Sam’s eating habits before his trip?
(A) He preferred simple, unexciting meals.
(B) He ate a lot of hot vegetables.
(C) He often cooked spicy Mexican dishes.
2 What happened at the street market?
(A) Sam bought some fresh tacos with dark red sauce.
(B) Sam found a burger restaurant in the centre of the city.
(C) Sam’s father encouraged him to try the local food.
3 How did Sam react right after his first bite?
(A) He noticed the amazing taste of fresh tomatoes and lemon.
(B) His mouth burned and he needed a drink.
(C) He thought his parents were going to cry.
4 What did Sam do at the end of the meal?
(A) He decided to throw it away.
(B) He shocked the man at the stall.
(C) He wanted a second helping of the food.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The Best Burger Restaurant in Mexico
(B) A Surprising Change in Taste
(C) How to Cook a Spicy Taco
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 C 3 B 4 C 5 B
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Fun and Delicious Lunch
My name is Mark, and I am a student. Last week, I went on holiday to a really big city with my parents. We walked around and looked at famous buildings all morning, so we were very hungry. My dad wanted to try something different, so we found a Korean BBQ buffet for lunch.
I have never been to a restaurant like this before. Instead of a chef cooking in the kitchen, you cook your own food! There is a small, hot grill right in the middle of your table. I thought it was really fun to choose the raw meat and cook it exactly how I like it.
Because it was a buffet, we could eat as much as we wanted. There were many different kinds of meat, fresh vegetables, and small salads. Usually, I hate spicy food, but my mom told me to try some spicy Korean chicken. It was actually delicious! I ate so much food that I felt quite tired afterwards.
The lunch was not very expensive, so my parents were very happy. It was definitely the best meal of our whole holiday. Now that we are back home, I am looking online for a Korean BBQ restaurant in our town. I really hope I can take my school friends there for my next birthday!
1 Why did the family decide to eat at the Korean BBQ?
(A) They wanted to experience a new type of meal.
(B) They looked at famous buildings all morning.
(C) They wanted to go on holiday to a really big city.
2 What did Mark enjoy most about the restaurant?
(A) He liked preparing his meal by himself.
(B) He enjoyed watching the chef cooking in the kitchen.
(C) He liked sitting right in the middle of your table.
3 What happened when Mark tried the spicy chicken?
(A) He found out that it tasted really good.
(B) He remembered that he usually hates spicy food.
(C) He felt quite tired afterwards.
4 What is Mark doing now that he is home?
(A) He is trying to find a similar place near his house.
(B) He is taking his school friends there for his next birthday.
(C) He is remembering the best meal of our whole holiday.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) An amazing new eating experience
(B) How to cook food in the kitchen
(C) A terrible lunch in a big city
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Khoa’s Spicy Noodle Adventure
Fourteen-year-old Khoa loves trying different kinds of food. Last weekend, he travelled to a historic city with his parents. Before the trip, he read about a very famous traditional restaurant. Everyone on the internet said they make the best spicy noodles in the country, so Khoa really wanted to go there.
On Saturday evening, Khoa and his parents walked to the restaurant. It was in a small, dark street, and it was quite difficult to find. When they finally arrived, there was a long line of people outside. They had to wait patiently for almost an hour to get a table.
When they sat down, Khoa quickly ordered their special dish. Ten minutes later, the waiter brought a large, hot bowl of noodles. It had fresh vegetables, soft meat, and a lot of red chilli. Khoa usually eats sweet food, but he thought this spicy meal was incredibly delicious. He ate every last bit!
After the amazing dinner, Khoa felt very full and happy. He took a picture of the empty bowl with his smartphone. Next week, he is going to write an article about his fantastic experience for his school magazine. He also hopes to learn how to cook the dish at home.
1 Why did Khoa want to visit the traditional restaurant?
(A) He read good things about their meals on the web.
(B) He wanted to travel to a historic city with his parents.
(C) He loves trying different kinds of food in the country.
2 What was the problem when the family got to the restaurant?
(A) They had to stand in a queue for a long time.
(B) It was in a small, dark street and quite difficult to find.
(C) They waited patiently for almost an hour to order their food.
3 What did Khoa think about his meal?
(A) He loved the taste even though it was very hot.
(B) He thought the sweet food was incredibly delicious.
(C) He quickly brought a large, hot bowl of noodles.
4 What is Khoa planning to do in the future?
(A) Find out how to make the dish himself.
(B) Take a picture of the empty bowl with his smartphone.
(C) Read an article about his fantastic experience.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to cook spicy noodles at home
(B) A fantastic meal after a long wait
(C) The best sweet food in the historic city
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 B