Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Culinary Tourism & Local Food

Exercises:   12345

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Tom’s Fantastic Seafood Feast

Fourteen-year-old Tom was on a summer holiday with his family. They were staying in a beautiful hotel near the coast. On Tuesday, Tom spent the whole day at the beach. He loved swimming in the sea and jumping over the big waves. The water was quite warm, so he didn’t want to get out. He stayed on the beach until the sun went down.

After such a long day of exercise, Tom felt incredibly hungry. His parents decided to take him to a popular restaurant near the sand. When they arrived, there was a long line of people waiting. Fortunately, they only stood in the queue for ten minutes before a waiter showed them to a nice table outside.

Tom quickly looked at the menu and ordered a massive plate of grilled seafood. Half an hour later, the waiter brought his food. It included fresh fish, crab, and large shrimp, all cooked with sweet tomatoes and potatoes. Tom thought it was the biggest meal he had ever seen. It tasted absolutely delicious, and he successfully finished every last piece on his plate.

When they finished eating, Tom felt very full and extremely sleepy. His family slowly walked back to their room. Tom smiled because it was a perfect day. Before he fell asleep, he asked his parents to return to the same restaurant for dinner again tomorrow.

1   Why did Tom stay at the beach for so long?

     (A) He was staying in a beautiful hotel.

     (B) The temperature of the sea was very pleasant.

     (C) He spent the whole day jumping over the big waves.

2   What happened when Tom and his family arrived for dinner?

     (A) They saw a long line of people waiting for hours.

     (B) They decided to take him to a popular restaurant.

     (C) They got their seats quite quickly.

3   What do we learn about Tom’s dinner?

     (A) He managed to eat all of his food.

     (B) Tom cooked it with sweet tomatoes and potatoes.

     (C) It was the biggest meal the waiter brought.

4   How did Tom feel after the meal?

     (A) He wanted to slowly walk back to the restaurant.

     (B) He returned to the same restaurant for dinner.

     (C) He was completely tired but very happy.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) How to cook fresh fish and crab

     (B) A brilliant dinner after an active day

     (C) A beautiful hotel near the coast

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

Ben’s Special Italian Dinner

Fourteen-year-old Ben is on a summer holiday in Italy with his family. His parents absolutely love trying different local dishes when they travel. For their wedding anniversary next week, Ben wanted to give them a special surprise. He decided to join a cooking class to learn how to make a traditional Italian meal for them.

Ben looked on the internet and found a cooking school in the city centre. A friendly chef named Maria teaches a special class just for teenagers there. Ben booked a place immediately. He was a bit nervous because he usually only makes sandwiches at home, but he was excited to learn something new.

When Ben arrived at the school on Tuesday morning, the kitchen was already very hot and noisy. At first, mixing the flour and eggs was quite difficult. His hands were completely dirty! However, Maria was very helpful. She showed Ben how to make fresh pasta and a delicious tomato sauce. He spent three hours cooking and laughing with the other students.

On Friday evening, Ben cooked the meal for his parents in their holiday apartment. When they tasted the fresh pasta, they couldn’t believe it. They said it was the best food they ever had! Ben felt incredibly proud of his hard work. Before this trip, he never helped in the kitchen, but now he wants to cook dinner every weekend.

1   Why did Ben decide to do a cooking course?

     (A) to prepare a surprise meal for his mother and father

     (B) to try different local dishes when they travel

     (C) to go on a summer holiday in Italy with his family

2   How did Ben feel about going to the class?

     (A) He was a little worried because he doesn’t have much experience.

     (B) He wanted to teach a special class just for teenagers.

     (C) He was a friendly chef named Maria.

3   What does Ben say about the lesson on Tuesday?

     (A) He found the first part of the activity hard to do.

     (B) He was already very hot and noisy.

     (C) He showed Ben how to make fresh pasta.

4   What do we learn about Ben at the end of the text?

     (A) He hopes to prepare food for his family more often.

     (B) He never helped in the kitchen.

     (C) He tasted the fresh pasta in their holiday apartment.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) A teenager’s great cooking experience

     (B) A summer holiday in Italy with his family

     (C) The best food they ever had

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

A Surprising Bite

Fourteen-year-old Lily loves desserts. Every weekend, she bakes sugar biscuits or buys strawberry ice cream. However, she completely hates spicy food. If a dinner has just a little bit of pepper in it, she refuses to eat it. Last Saturday, Lily visited a new international food festival in her town with her best friend, Tom.

They walked past many busy stalls for an hour. Suddenly, Tom stopped to buy a piece of dark chocolate cake from a Mexican chef. He gave the paper plate to Lily and told her to try it. Lily felt very excited. The dessert looked extremely sweet and was covered in thick chocolate.

She quickly took a large bite. For a second, it tasted exactly like a normal cake. But suddenly, her tongue felt like it was on fire. The chef used real red chilli in the recipe! Lily was shocked and looked everywhere for a glass of cold milk, but she only had some warm water.

But then, something unexpected happened. After the heat disappeared, Lily noticed that the sugar and the spicy chilli actually tasted amazing together. She didn’t give the plate back to Tom. Instead, she finished the whole slice herself! Lily still doesn’t like hot meals, but she is already planning to bake this unusual dessert for her family at home.

1   What do we learn about Lily in the first paragraph?

     (A) She avoids eating meals that have a strong, burning taste.

     (B) She refuses to eat sugar biscuits at the weekend.

     (C) She always puts a little bit of pepper in her dinner.

2   Why was Lily happy to try the food?

     (A) She wanted to buy a paper plate from the Mexican chef.

     (B) She walked past many busy stalls to find it.

     (C) She believed that the treat was going to be very sugary.

3   What happened immediately after Lily ate the cake?

     (A) She drank a glass of cold milk because she was shocked.

     (B) She searched for a chilled drink to help her mouth.

     (C) She used real red chilli to make it taste like a normal cake.

4   What did Lily do after the heat went away?

     (A) She gave the plate back to Tom.

     (B) She ate all the food that her friend bought.

     (C) She decided she now enjoys hot meals.

5   What is the best title for the article?

     (A) A Strange but Delicious Dessert

     (B) How to Bake a Chocolate Cake

     (C) The Best International Food Festival

Exercises:   12345