Practice English Reading Exercises for A2 – Culinary Arts & Food Industry
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Fast Food Can Be Good For You!
Leo is a fifteen-year-old boy who loves spending time in the kitchen. Both of his parents work long hours at the hospital, so they are usually very tired when they get home. Because of this, his family often eats fast food for dinner. Leo wanted to change this and help busy people eat well.
One evening, Leo had a brilliant idea. He wanted to invent a special machine that could cook fresh food in just five minutes. He also wanted to create small boxes with all the right vegetables and meat inside. Every day after school, he sat at his desk and drew pictures of his new invention.
However, it was not easy. Leo tried to make his fast meals using the family’s microwave first. Sometimes the food was cold, and other times it burned completely! But Leo didn’t stop. He used his own pocket money to buy fresh ingredients and tested new recipes. Finally, he made a healthy chicken and vegetable dish in under six minutes. His friends tasted it and said it was delicious.
At the moment, Leo cannot build his special cooking machine because it costs too much money. But he now prepares healthy meal boxes for his parents and his neighbours every Sunday. He hopes that when he is older, he will open a business and sell his invention to supermarkets everywhere.
1 Why did Leo decide to make healthy meals?
(A) His mother and father were too busy to cook.
(B) He wanted to eat fast food for dinner.
(C) He works long hours at the hospital.
2 What did Leo do after school?
(A) He cooked fresh food in just five minutes.
(B) He created small boxes of vegetables and meat.
(C) He made pictures of his idea.
3 What was Leo’s problem when he tested his idea?
(A) The dishes were not always cooked perfectly.
(B) He didn’t have any pocket money.
(C) His friends said the food was cold.
4 What is Leo doing these days?
(A) He builds his special cooking machine.
(B) He makes food for his family and the people next door.
(C) He sells his invention to supermarkets everywhere.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to cook chicken in six minutes
(B) A teenager’s plan for quick and healthy eating
(C) The best new supermarket in town
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 C 3 A 4 B 5 B
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Bella’s Big TV Dream
Seventeen-year-old Bella has a big dream. She doesn’t want to be a singer or an actor. She wants to be a famous celebrity chef. While her friends spend their evenings watching movies or playing video games, Bella watches cooking programmes on TV. She loves learning how to make delicious new meals.
Last month, Bella decided to do something brave. She filled out an online form to enter a national TV competition called Teen Chef Star. To prepare for the show, Bella practiced cooking every day after school. Her parents and her younger brother ate all her practice meals. Her brother said her chocolate cake was the best, but Bella chose to make a special chicken dish for the competition.
When the day of the competition arrived, Bella travelled to the TV studio in London. At first, she felt very nervous. The cameras were huge, and the other teenage cooks looked very confident. However, when she actually started cooking, she forgot about everything else and just enjoyed making her food.
In the end, Bella didn’t win first prize. She came second, but she was still incredibly happy. One of the judges, a famous chef, loved her food so much that he offered her a summer job at his restaurant! Bella knows it takes a long time to become a TV star, but she is ready to start her exciting career.
1 What does Bella enjoy doing in her free time?
(A) looking at television shows about food
(B) watching movies or playing video games
(C) being a singer or an actor
2 What did Bella decide to prepare for the competition?
(A) a chocolate cake
(B) an online form
(C) a meal with meat
3 How did Bella feel while she was cooking in the studio?
(A) She felt very nervous.
(B) She had a good time.
(C) She looked very confident.
4 What is Bella going to do next summer?
(A) win first prize in a competition
(B) work for a well-known chef
(C) become a TV star immediately
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) How to win a national TV competition
(B) The best restaurant in London
(C) A young cook’s exciting experience
ANSWER KEY
1 A 2 C 3 B 4 B 5 C
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
From the Garden to the Kitchen
Sixteen-year-old Lily has a very different hobby from her classmates. While her friends spend their weekends playing sports or shopping, Lily spends hours outside in her garden. She loves growing her own food and cooking meals for her family. For Lily, nothing is better than eating fresh vegetables from her own garden.
Growing food is hard work, but Lily doesn’t mind. She gets up early every morning to give water to her plants before school. She never buys vegetables from the supermarket because she thinks her own are much tastier. Her parents completely agree with her, and they always look forward to eating her famous tomato soup.
Lily already knows what she wants to do when she leaves school. She dreams of opening a special kind of restaurant. In her restaurant, the cooks will only use ingredients that Lily grows herself. There are a few nice places to eat in her town, but none of them make food in this way. Lily thinks people will love it.
To prepare for her future business, Lily is very busy. She is doing a cooking course every Thursday evening to learn new skills. She is also selling her extra potatoes and carrots at the local market. She keeps all the money she earns in a box in her bedroom. She knows her dream will take a long time, but she is excited about her future.
1 What does Lily enjoy doing at the weekend?
(A) Playing sports with her classmates.
(B) Looking after her plants outside.
(C) Going shopping with her friends.
2 What do we learn about Lily’s vegetables?
(A) She often buys vegetables from the supermarket.
(B) She uses them to make her famous tomato soup for her friends.
(C) Her mother and father believe they are delicious.
3 What is Lily’s big plan for her career?
(A) To visit the nice places to eat in her town.
(B) To serve meals made only with food from her garden.
(C) To show cooks how to use ingredients.
4 Why is Lily selling things at the local market?
(A) To save cash for her future restaurant.
(B) To pay for a cooking course every Thursday evening.
(C) To buy a box for her bedroom.
5 What is the best title for the article?
(A) The Teenager Who Wants to Serve Her Own Food
(B) How to Grow Vegetables in Your Garden
(C) The Best Places to Eat in My Town
ANSWER KEY
1 B 2 C 3 B 4 A 5 A