Food & Ingredients – A1 English Listening Exercise
Listening 1
Listen to the conversation at a fast-food restaurant and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What food does the customer order?
(A) A hamburger and a drink
(B) A hamburger and fries
(C) A pizza and fries
2 How does the customer spell “fries”?
(A) F-R-Y-S
(B) F-R-E-E-S
(C) F-R-I-E-S
3 How much is the food?
(A) $15
(B) $50
(C) $5
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) A hamburger and fries
- Explanation: The customer clearly says, “I want one hamburger and some fries, please.” Option (A) A hamburger and a drink is The Trap: the cashier asks if she wants a drink, but she says “No drink, thank you.” Option (C) A pizza and fries is not mentioned.
2 (C) F-R-I-E-S
- Explanation: The customer spells the word for the food she wants clearly: “F-R-I-E-S”. Options (A) and (B) are incorrect spellings with similar sounds.
3 (A) $15
- Explanation: The cashier says the total is “fifteen dollars” and confirms it by saying “One, five.” Option (B) $50 is The Trap: the customer mishears and says “Fifty dollars?!”, but the cashier corrects her. Option (C) $5 is a distractor with a similar starting sound.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Cashier: Hello! Welcome to Burger City. What would you like to eat today?
Customer: Hi. I want one hamburger and some fries, please. F-R-I-E-S.
Cashier: Okay. One hamburger and fries. Do you want a drink? We have cola and water.
Customer: No drink, thank you. Just the hamburger and fries. How much is it?
Cashier: Let’s see… That is fifteen dollars.
Customer: Fifty dollars?!
Cashier: No, fifteen. One, five.
Customer: Oh, fifteen dollars. Here you go.
Listening 2
Listen to the conversation at a market and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What fruit does the man spell?
(A) Banana
(B) Melon
(C) Lemon
2 How much are the bananas?
(A) $2
(B) $14
(C) $40
3 How much is the melon?
(A) $40
(B) $4
(C) $14
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) Melon
- Explanation: The man asks about the melon. Option (A) Banana is The Trap: bananas are mentioned, but he does not spell the word. Option (C) Lemon is a distractor with the same letters but a different sound and meaning.
2 (A) $2
- Explanation: The woman explicitly says, “The bananas are two dollars,” and the man repeats “Two dollars” to confirm. Option (B) $14 is The Trap: this is the price of the melon, not the bananas. Option (C) $40 is the incorrect price the man mishears.
3 (C) $14
- Explanation: The woman states the melon is “fourteen dollars” and confirms by saying “One, four.” Option (A) $40 is The Trap: the man mishears and asks “Forty dollars?!”, but the woman corrects him. Option (B) $4 is a distractor with a similar sound.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Man: Hello. How much are these bananas?
Woman: The bananas are two dollars.
Man: Two dollars. Okay. And how much is that melon?
Woman: The melon is fourteen dollars.
Man: Forty dollars?! That is very expensive!
Woman: No, not forty. Fourteen. One, four.
Man: Oh, fourteen dollars. I will buy the melon and the bananas, please.
Listening 3
Listen to the conversation between a customer and a supermarket worker, and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What is the man looking for first?
(A) Sugar
(B) Salt
(C) Rice
2 How does the man spell the second ingredient?
(A) S-U-G-A-R
(B) S-H-U-G-A-R
(C) S-U-G-E-R
3 Where is the sugar?
(A) Aisle 4
(B) Aisle 14
(C) Aisle 40
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) Rice
- Explanation: The man says, “I am looking for rice. Where is the rice?” Option (A) Sugar is The Trap: he asks for sugar later, but rice is the first thing he asks for. Option (B) Salt is not mentioned in the audio.
2 (A) S-U-G-A-R
- Explanation: The man asks for sugar and clearly spells it out: “S-U-G-A-R”. Options (B) and (C) are incorrect spellings with similar pronunciation.
3 (B) Aisle 14
- Explanation: The woman says the sugar is in “Aisle fourteen” and confirms it by saying “One, four.” Option (C) Aisle 40 is The Trap: the man mishears and asks “Aisle forty?”, but the woman corrects him. Option (A) Aisle 4 is where the rice is, not the sugar.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Woman: Hello. Can I help you?
Man: Yes, please. I am looking for rice. Where is the rice?
Woman: The rice is in Aisle four.
Man: Aisle four. Okay. And I need some sugar, too. S-U-G-A-R.
Woman: The sugar is in Aisle fourteen.
Man: Aisle forty?
Woman: No, Aisle fourteen. One, four.
Man: Oh, Aisle fourteen. Thank you very much!
Listening 4
Listen to the conversation at a bakery and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What kind of cake does the customer want?
(A) Vanilla
(B) Strawberry
(C) Chocolate
2 How does the customer spell the flavor of the cake?
(A) C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E
(B) C-H-O-K-O-L-A-T
(C) C-H-O-C-L-A-T-E
3 How many candles does the customer need?
(A) 3
(B) 13
(C) 30
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) Chocolate
- Explanation: The customer explicitly says, “I want a chocolate cake.” Option (B) Strawberry is The Trap: the baker asks if she wants strawberries on it, but she says “No strawberries, thank you.” Option (A) Vanilla is not mentioned in the audio.
2 (A) C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E
- Explanation: The customer spells the word for the cake flavor very clearly: “C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E”. Options (B) and (C) are incorrect spellings.
3 (B) 13
- Explanation: The customer says she needs “thirteen” candles and confirms it by saying “One, three.” Option (C) 30 is The Trap: the baker mishears and asks “Thirty?”, but the customer corrects him. Option (A) 3 is a distractor with a similar sound.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Baker: Hello! Welcome to the bakery. Do you want a birthday cake?
Customer: Yes, please. I want a chocolate cake. C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E.
Baker: A chocolate cake. Great! Do you want strawberries on it?
Customer: No strawberries, thank you. Just chocolate.
Baker: Okay. And how many candles do you need?
Customer: I need thirteen candles.
Baker: Thirty?
Customer: No, thirteen. One, three.
Baker: Ah, thirteen candles. Here is your cake!
Listening 5
Listen to the conversation at a cafe and choose the correct answer (A, B, or C) for each question.
1 What does the customer want in her coffee?
(A) Milk
(B) Sugar
(C) Ice
2 How does the customer spell the thing she wants in her coffee?
(A) S-H-U-G-A-R
(B) S-U-G-E-R
(C) S-U-G-A-R
3 What cold drink does the customer order?
(A) Cold coffee
(B) Cold tea
(C) Cold water
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B) Sugar
- Explanation: The customer says, “But I want some sugar.” Option (A) Milk is The Trap: the barista asks if she wants milk, but she replies “No milk, thank you.” Option (C) Ice is not mentioned.
2 (C) S-U-G-A-R
- Explanation: The customer spells the word for the ingredient clearly: “S-U-G-A-R”. Options (A) and (B) are common spelling mistakes for this word.
3 (B) Cold tea
- Explanation: The customer explicitly states, “I want cold tea.” Option (A) Cold coffee is The Trap: the barista offers a cold coffee, but the customer rejects it by saying “No, I don’t want cold coffee.” Option (C) Cold water is a plausible drink but is not mentioned in the audio.
AUDIO SCRIPT
Barista: Hello! What would you like to drink?
Customer: Hi. I want one hot coffee, please.
Barista: One hot coffee. Do you want milk in it?
Customer: No milk, thank you. But I want some sugar. S-U-G-A-R.
Barista: Okay, sugar. Do you want a cold coffee, too?
Customer: No, I don’t want cold coffee. I want cold tea.
Barista: So, one hot coffee and one cold tea. That is ten dollars, please.