Practice English Listening A2 Exercises – How’s your lunch?

1 sweet, sour   2 spicy   3 salty   4 sweet

A

Alba:   How’s your salad, Sarah?

Sarah:   It’s good! I love the dressing. It’s both sweet and sour. How’s the curry?

Alba:   Oh, it’s delicious! But I don’t really like the tea. It’s too bitter. Mmm. I can’t wait to try the soup, though.

Sarah:   Yeah, me, too. I heard the soups here are really tasty.

Alba:   What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with the soup?

Sarah:   It’s too hot for me!

Alba:   It is? I don’t think it’s hot.

Sarah:   You don’t? My mouth is burning!

Alba:   It is? My soup is barely warm enough to eat.

Sarah:   No, I don’t mean “hot” like “temperature,” I mean “hot” like “spicy.”

Alba:   Oh, of course! I love spicy food, so I didn’t think about that. Actually, I don’t think it’s spicy enough.

Sarah:   Wow. Yeah, well, spicy food is not my thing.

Alba:   So what is “your thing”?

Sarah:   I like to snack. And, yes, I know it’s not good for me.

Alba:   Well, everyone snacks sometimes. What kind of snacks do you like?

Sarah:   I like tortilla chips, pretzels, French fries—anything salty.

Alba:   I like salty foods, too, but I definitely have more of a sweet tooth when it comes to snacks.

Sarah:   In that case, should we get some dessert? The sticky rice with mango sounds amazing.

Alba:   Great idea!

B

Sarah:   How’s the curry?

Alba:   It’s delicious! But I don’t really like the tea. It’s too bitter.

Sarah:   That’s too bad.

Alba:   How do you like the soup?

Sarah:   It’s OK, but it’s too spicy.

Alba:   Really? I don’t think it’s spicy enough.

1 a necklace   2 a card   3 chocolates   4 strawberries

A

Sarah:   Wow, your necklace is beautiful!

Alba:   Oh, thank you. My kids gave it to me for Valentine’s Day.

Sarah:   What a nice gift! My son gave me a card he made at school. He was very proud of it.

Alba:   When my kids were younger, they gave me handmade gifts, too. I love them.

Sarah:   You’re right. Handmade gifts are really sweet.

Alba:   I’m guessing your husband didn’t give you a handmade gift for Valentine’s Day.

Sarah:   No, he didn’t. He cooked me a wonderful dinner though, and he got me a very cool watch.

Alba:   Nice.

Sarah:   And I got him a gift card to use at his favorite kitchen store. He always shops there. He loves food.

Alba:   That was thoughtful. I love giving gifts. I got my boyfriend tickets to a concert. And he bought me a bunch of roses and some chocolate-covered strawberries.

Sarah:   Wow! Aww! I love flowers . . . and chocolate!

Alba:   Yes, the flowers were beautiful. But I couldn’t eat the chocolate. I’m actually very allergic to strawberries!

Sarah:   Oh, no! Poor guy. Did he feel bad?

Alba:   He was pretty embarrassed, but it didn’t really matter. I mean, he didn’t know that I was allergic! And it’s the thought that counts.

Sarah:   Definitely. Oh, we’d better get the check soon. Our meeting starts in a few minutes.

Alba:   Oh, right. Excuse me . . .

B

Sarah:   How was Valentine’s Day? Did you get anything special?

Alba:   It was good. My boyfriend gave me some roses.

Sarah:   Aww. That’s sweet. My husband got me a watch.

Alba:   Nice! And what did you get him?

Sarah:   I bought him a gift card.

A

b

B

4a 3b 2c 6d 5e 1f

C

1 a   2 c   3 a   4 b

Do you believe in fate? That things happen for a reason? I never did, until a couple of years ago, when a series of strange events happened to me over the course of a week. And because of that, I now believe that things happen for a reason.

It was Monday morning, and I was taking the train to work. For some reason, I looked up and out the window toward another train in the station. I saw someone holding my favorite book, The Elephant Vanishes. It’s not a book you see every day, so I was surprised. Just at that moment, the man put his book down, and looked out his window. He saw me, and smiled. My heart beat a little faster, but I thought, “Well, he’s cute, but I’ll never see him again.”

That evening, I stopped at the supermarket to buy something for dinner. I was waiting to pay for my groceries, when all of a sudden I saw the man from the train in the line next to me. He was buying the same kind of pizza as I was. Now, I thought, “This is a little strange, but I’m sure it’s just a coincidence. He probably lives near here. And he just happens to have good taste in pizza!”

A few days passed but I didn’t see the “mystery man” again. To be honest, I was beginning to think I had imagined him! Then on Thursday, I went to a concert with a few friends. We sat down and I couldn’t believe it. The man from the train and the supermarket was sitting next to me! We laughed when we saw each other. We talked and talked during the rest of the concert . . . I don’t even think we heard any music! By the time the concert was over, it was like we had known each other for years.

Later, I said goodbye to my friends. Mike—that’s the mystery man’s name—and I went to get something to eat. We talked for another six hours! We started dating, and eventually we got married. So now when people ask me if I believe in fate, the answer is definitely “Yes!”

A

c

B

Possible answers:

1   fish, wildlife, ocean water

2   the sea, the water, the edge of a cliff

3   a (dinner) table, a special platform, the guests, a chef, a kitchen, and people to serve the food

4   a wedding celebration, an important meeting

WHERE ON EARTH?

Restaurants are all about food, right? Well, not always. Sometimes, we go to restaurants because of where they are, rather than what they serve. Have you ever eaten dinner under the sea? How about in a cave? Or up in the sky? Well, there are restaurants in all of those places!

Under the Sea

Imagine eating dinner in the ocean! There are several underwater restaurants, but the most famous is called Ithaa. It’s located in the Maldives, which are islands south of India. The whole restaurant is 16 feet below sea level! The walls and ceiling are made of glass so you can view the ocean’s wildlife all around you while you eat! It’s been called the “most beautiful restaurant in the world.”

In a Cave

What about eating dinner underground? In Polignano a Mare, Italy, there is a restaurant, Grotta Palazzese, that was built inside a cave. The walls of the cave are made of limestone, and the cave is lit by lanterns and candles. The cave is on the side of a cliff right next to the sea, so you can look out over the water as you eat. People have been eating dinner in this cave for hundreds of years! In the 1700s, rich people had special dinners there.

In the Sky

If eating underwater or underground isn’t exciting enough, then what about having dinner up in the sky? Really! Dinner in the Sky serves people their meals about 160 feet off of the ground in midair. A dinner table is hung from a crane and raised up into the sky. It’s not just a dinner table, though. It’s a special platform with room for a chef, a small kitchen, and people to serve the food. Since it first started, Dinner in the Sky has set up special flying dinners all over the world, from Dubai to China.

So, if you’re bored with the restaurants in your town, plan a trip to one of these exciting places. You won’t even taste the food—you’ll be too busy looking around!

A

his brother’s birthday party

B

Possible answers:

1   They ate food, talked, and laughed. Oscar opened gifts.

2   They had Thai food, lemonade, and cake.

3   Oscar go a handmade scarf from Andre, and a camera from his parents.

4   Food: The food was spicy. The food was too spicy for Andre. The lemonade was sweet. The cake was delicious, but it was really rich!;

     Gifts: Oscar got a lot of nice gifts. He was so surprised by the camera.

Hi, it’s Andre. We celebrated my brother Oscar’s birthday last month. We had a great time! People were eating, talking, and laughing all through the party. My brother loves spicy food, so we had Thai food for dinner. The food was too spicy for me, so I was glad we had enough sweet lemonade to drink. Later in the evening, we had birthday cake. The cake was delicious, but it was really rich! My brother got a lot of nice gifts. I gave him a handmade scarf and my parents gave him a camera. He was so surprised! He was still smiling when the party ended.

1 is too sour   2 isn’t big enough

3 is too cold   4 isn’t rich enough

5 aren’t cool enough   6 too cold

7 too young

1 A:   Why aren’t you eating your salad?

   B:   I’m trying, but this dressing is so sour! I’m not sure I can finish it.

2 A:   That birthday cake looks really small.

   B:   Really? I can cut it into ten, maybe twelve, slices. How many people did you invite?

   A:   Twenty-five.

   B:   Uh-oh! I’ll go get another cake.

3 A:   Where are you going?

   B:   To the kitchen. I need to warm up my coffee in the microwave.

4 A:   This soup is good! It’s a little sweet, but it’s not very rich. Can we add more cream?

   B:   Sure. Does it also need a little more salt?

   A:   No, I don’t think so.

5 A:   Don’t eat those cookies yet!

   B:   Why not?

   A:   I just took them out of the oven. They’re too hot! They need to cool for a few minutes.

6 A:   We need to cancel the picnic for tomorrow.

   B:   Oh, no! Why?

   A:   Didn’t you see the weather report? It’s going to be cold and rainy all afternoon.

7 A:   I’d like to apply for a job at your restaurant.

   B:   How old are you?

   A:   I just turned 16.

   B:   I’m sorry. You have to be 18 to work here.

1 a   2 b   3 a   4 b   5 a   6 b   7 b   8 a

1 A:   Alice is getting married this Saturday. Susie and I got a card from all of us. Could you please sign it?

   B:   Sure! Thanks for getting it.

2 A:   Happy birthday! Are you going anywhere special tonight?

   B:   No, I’m staying home. My husband and kids are cooking dinner.

   A:   Oh, how nice! I hope you have a wonderful evening.

3 A:   My parents’ twenty-fifth wedding anniversary is coming up. I need to buy them something silver.

   B:   Really? Why silver?

   A:   It’s an old tradition in the US and Canada. I’m not sure why.

4 A:   Emma and Ryan invited me over to a dinner party. Should I bring a gift?

   B:   No, you don’t have to buy a gift, but it would be nice to bring some flowers.

   A:   Great idea. Thanks!

5 A:   Hi, Tim. Would you like to go to a concert tomorrow night? I’m going with some friends from work, and we have an extra ticket.

   B:   Sure. Sounds fun! Thanks.

6 A:   Time to go to bed, kids.

   B:   Already? Can we stay up a little longer?

   A:   No, you need to get in bed now. Pick out a book, and I’ll read you a story before you go to sleep.

7 A:   I love your sweater.

   B:   Thanks! My aunt made it.

   A:   Wow, she’s really talented.

8 A:   My sister’s graduation is next weekend.

   B:   Have you bought her a gift yet?

   A:   No, not yet. I’ll probably get her a suitcase. She loves to travel.