Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Culinary Tourism & Local Food
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Festival of Flavours
Last Saturday, fifteen-year-old Jamie visited the new spring festival in the centre of his town. He went with his older brother, Mark. The weather was bright and warm. But for Jamie, the best thing wasn’t the music or the games. It was the amazing smells coming from the food stalls.
First, they walked past a large stall selling sweet things. Jamie breathed in the wonderful smell of warm chocolate and cooked apples. The woman at the stall was selling special Spanish cakes. Mark bought a large slice of apple cake for their mother, but Jamie wanted to save his money for something else.
Soon, a completely different smell caught Jamie’s attention. This time, it was hot cheese, grilled meat, and strong spices. They found a small Mexican food stall with a long line of people waiting. Jamie stood there for ten minutes, just enjoying the delicious smell of the cooking meat. Then, he quickly ordered a large chicken taco.
Jamie and Mark sat on the grass to eat. The taco was incredible. Jamie believes that food actually tastes better when it smells fantastic first. They spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the festival, but Jamie couldn’t stop thinking about his amazing meal. He is already planning to return to the food stalls next year.
1 What did Jamie like best at the spring festival?
(A) the music or the games
(B) the bright and warm weather
(C) the wonderful scents from the cooking areas
2 What did Jamie do at the first stall?
(A) He bought a large slice of apple cake.
(B) He chose to keep his cash for later.
(C) He gave warm chocolate to their mother.
3 At the Mexican food stall, Jamie
(A) bought hot cheese and strong spices.
(B) stood in a queue before getting his meal.
(C) cooked a large chicken taco for ten minutes.
4 What does Jamie think about his meal?
(A) The pleasant scents improved the flavour of the dish.
(B) He couldn’t stop thinking about exploring the festival.
(C) It was better to sit on the grass to eat.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to Cook Sweet Spanish Cakes
(B) A Mouth-Watering Weekend Trip
(C) The Best Music and Games in Town
ANSWER KEY
1 C 2 B 3 B 4 A 5 B
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
My Holiday Food Diary
My name is Lily, and I am fourteen years old. Last month, my family and I went on a two-week holiday to Italy. I usually take lots of photos of famous buildings on my phone, but this time I wanted to do something different. I decided to keep a food diary and write about every single meal I ate.
On the first day, I bought a beautiful notebook. Every morning, I drew a picture of my breakfast and wrote down all the ingredients. I tried a lot of amazing local dishes. However, there was one small problem. My parents often finished their food while I was still painting! My hot pizza sometimes got cold because I spent too much time looking at it.
One evening, we visited a busy seafood restaurant near the beach. I ordered a fantastic fish soup. I wanted to write about the wonderful smell, but I couldn’t find my special black pen anywhere. I felt really sad. Luckily, a kind waiter saw me looking under the table. He smiled and gave me a new pencil so I could finish my page.
Now that I am back home, I love reading my food diary. It helps me remember the amazing holiday much better than normal pictures. Next summer, we are going to travel to Spain. I am already excited to make a new diary about Spanish food!
1 Why did Lily decide to keep a food diary?
(A) She wished to try a new activity during her journey.
(B) She planned to take lots of photos of famous buildings.
(C) She wanted to use her phone to do something different.
2 What was the problem with Lily’s project?
(A) Her meals were not warm by the time she finally ate them.
(B) She spent too much time looking for all the ingredients.
(C) Her parents often finished their food and ate her hot pizza.
3 What happened at the seafood restaurant?
(A) A man who worked there helped her to continue writing.
(B) She couldn’t find her fantastic fish soup anywhere.
(C) A kind waiter smiled and gave her a special black pen.
4 How does Lily feel about her completed diary?
(A) She thinks it is more useful than ordinary photographs.
(B) She is going to travel to Spain to read her food diary.
(C) It helps her remember normal pictures much better.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) A delicious way to remember a trip
(B) How to cook wonderful Italian food
(C) The best famous buildings in Italy
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Minh’s Fiery Holiday Souvenirs
Fifteen-year-old Minh recently returned from a wonderful summer holiday. He travelled to Thailand with his family for two weeks. Minh has three best friends at school, and they all share the same hobby. They absolutely love cooking different meals at the weekends. Before his trip, Minh wanted to find the perfect presents for them.
Usually, teenagers buy ordinary things for their classmates on holiday. For example, they choose small plastic magnets or colourful T-shirts. But Minh didn’t want to do that. He knew his friends preferred food with fiery heat. So, on the third day of his holiday, he decided to visit a busy street market to look for something special.
The market was full of amazing smells. Minh spent two hours talking to the friendly shop assistants. Finally, he bought several bags of hot spices. He chose some very strong red chilli powder, which is great for making spicy fried chicken and spicy ramen. He also found some excellent dried ginger to put in hot soups.
When Minh arrived back home, he invited his friends over and gave them the souvenirs. They were completely surprised and incredibly happy. The next evening, they used the new ingredients to cook a massive dinner together. Minh felt really pleased that he chose such unusual and useful gifts for his friends.
1 What do we learn about Minh’s friends in the first paragraph?
(A) They enjoy making meals in their free time.
(B) They travelled to Thailand with his family.
(C) They wanted to find the perfect presents.
2 Why did Minh go to the busy street market?
(A) To choose small plastic magnets or colourful T-shirts.
(B) To get some items that create a very hot taste.
(C) To buy ordinary things for their classmates on holiday.
3 What did Minh actually buy at the market?
(A) Some spicy fried chicken and spicy ramen.
(B) Things to add strong flavours to food.
(C) Hot soups and amazing smells.
4 What did the friends do with the gifts?
(A) He invited his friends over.
(B) They chose such unusual and useful gifts.
(C) They worked as a group to prepare a large meal.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The perfect holiday gifts for young chefs
(B) How to make spicy fried chicken and ramen
(C) Talking to friendly shop assistants in Thailand
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 B 3 B 4 C 5 A