At the Restaurant – A1 English Listening Exercise

1 Correct Answer: A) 2

• Explanation: Mark clearly says the table is “just for 2 people. My wife and I.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option B (4) is a trap. The receptionist asks “4 people?” but Mark says “No”. Option C (6) is not mentioned.

2 Correct Answer: C) 7:00 PM

• Explanation: The receptionist offers 7:00 or 8:00, and Mark chooses “7:00 PM, please.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option B (8:00 PM) is a trap. The receptionist mentions 8:00, but Mark does not choose it. Option A (6:00 PM) is not mentioned in the audio.

3 Correct Answer: B) Mark

• Explanation: The customer spells his name very clearly: “M-A-R-K”.
• Why the trap is wrong: Option A (Marc) is a phonetic trap. It sounds exactly the same as Mark, but the spelling is different (C instead of K). Option C (Mike) is a common name but is not mentioned.

Receptionist: Hello, Gino’s Restaurant.

Mark: Hi. I want to book a table for tonight.

Receptionist: Okay. For how many people? 4 people?

Mark: No, just for 2 people. My wife and I.

Receptionist: 2 people. What time? 7:00 or 8:00?

Mark: 7:00 PM, please. My name is Mark. M-A-R-K.

Receptionist: Thank you, Mark. See you at 7:00.

1 Correct Answer: B) Chicken salad

• Explanation: The customer clearly says, “I would like a chicken salad, please.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option A (Soup) is a trap. The waiter asks if she wants soup, but she says “No soup, thank you.” Option C (A sandwich) is a plausible food item but is not mentioned in the audio.

2 Correct Answer: C) Soup

• Explanation: The waiter asks, “Would you like some soup with that?” and the customer answers, “No soup, thank you.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option B (Salad) is wrong because the salad is the food she actually wants. Option A (Tea) is wrong because she wants to drink tea, she doesn’t say “no” to it.

3 Correct Answer: A) Green tea

• Explanation: The customer says, “I would like a cup of tea. Green tea, please.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option B (Coffee) is a trap. The waiter gives her a choice: “Coffee or tea?”, but she chooses tea, not coffee. Option C (Water) is not mentioned.

Waiter: Hello. Are you ready to order?

Customer: Yes, I am. I would like a chicken salad, please.

Waiter: A chicken salad. Would you like some soup with that?

Customer: No soup, thank you. Just the salad.

Waiter: Okay. And what would you like to drink? Coffee or tea?

Customer: I would like a cup of tea. Green tea, please.

Waiter: Great. One chicken salad and one green tea.

1 Correct Answer: B) The restroom

• Explanation: The customer explicitly asks, “Where is the restroom?”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option A (The kitchen) is a trap. The kitchen is mentioned later as a place next to the restroom, but the customer is not looking for the kitchen. Option C is not mentioned.

2 Correct Answer: B) Left

• Explanation: The staff clearly instructs, “Go straight, then turn left.” The customer also repeats “turn left” at the end.
• Why the trap is wrong: Option A (Right) is a trap. The customer mishears and asks “Turn right?”, but the staff corrects him by saying “No, turn left.”

3 Correct Answer: C) The kitchen

• Explanation: The staff says the restroom is “next to the kitchen.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Options A (The door) and B (The window) are plausible places in a restaurant, but they are not mentioned in the audio.

Customer: Excuse me. Where is the restroom?

Staff: The restroom? It is in the back. Go straight, then turn left.

Customer: Turn right?

Staff: No, turn left. It is next to the kitchen.

Customer: Okay. Straight, then turn left. Thank you!

1 Correct Answer: B) The bill

• Explanation: The customer clearly says, “Can I have the bill, please?”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option A (The menu) and Option C (More food) are traps. They are common things to ask for in a restaurant, but the customer says “We are finished”, so they do not want the menu or more food.

2 Correct Answer: B) 30 dollars

• Explanation: The waiter says the bill is 30 dollars, and spells out the numbers: “Three-zero”.
• Why the trap is wrong: Option A (13 dollars) is a phonetic trap. The customer mishears and asks “13 dollars?”, but the waiter corrects him by saying “No”. Option C is not mentioned.

3 Correct Answer: B) In cash

• Explanation: The waiter says “We only take cash”, and the customer agrees by saying “Here is the cash.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option A (By credit card) is a trap. The customer asks to pay by credit card, but the waiter rejects it (“I am sorry”). Option C (By phone) is not mentioned.

Customer: Excuse me. We are finished. Can I have the bill, please?

Waiter: Yes, of course. Your bill is 30 dollars.

Customer: 13 dollars?

Waiter: No, 30. Three-zero.

Customer: Okay. Can I pay by credit card?

Waiter: I am sorry. We only take cash.

Customer: Oh, I see. Here is the cash. Thank you.

1 Correct Answer: B) Beef burgers

• Explanation: The customer clearly says, “I would like two beef burgers, please.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option A (Chicken burgers) is a trap. The cashier asks if the customer wants chicken burgers, but the customer explicitly says “No, thank you.” Option C (Hot dogs) is not mentioned.

2 Correct Answer: A) At home

• Explanation: The customer chooses “To go, please” and adds, “I want to eat at home.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option B (In the restaurant) is a trap. The cashier asks “for here?” (meaning eating in the restaurant), but the customer chooses “to go”. Option C is not mentioned.

3 Correct Answer: C) $12

• Explanation: The cashier says, “That is 12 dollars.”
• Why the trap is wrong: Option A ($20) is a phonetic trap to see if students confuse “twelve” and “twenty”. Option B ($2) is a trap because the customer buys “two” burgers, but that is the quantity, not the price.

Cashier: Hello! Do you want our special chicken burgers today?

Customer: No, thank you. I would like two beef burgers, please.

Cashier: Okay, two beef burgers. Is that for here or to go?

Customer: To go, please. I want to eat at home.

Cashier: Great. That is 12 dollars.

Customer: Here you go.