Practice English Listening A2 Exercises – Would you like something to eat?

1 b   2 c   3 c

A

Mandy:   That was a long meeting! I’m so hungry.

Mario:   Me, too.

Mandy:   Did you hear my stomach growling? It was so loud! Come on. Let’s have something to eat. Lunch is ready.

Mario:   Great. So, how long have you lived in New York, Mandy?

Mandy:   I was born here. I’ve never lived anywhere else.

Mario:   Wow. You’re a true New Yorker!

Mandy:   I guess I am! Look at this buffet. Everything looks so good. I’m going to have some salad. Would you like some?

Mario:   Um. No thanks. I don’t really care for salad.

Mandy:   OK. Look, there’s some hot food, too. I think I’ll have some tomato soup.

Mario:   Hmm. What’s that over there?

Mandy:   It’s a grilled vegetable wrap.

Mario:   Oh. I don’t really like vegetables. Um. Is there any meat? Maybe a roast beef or chicken sandwich?

Mandy:   Let’s see. No, I’m sorry! There aren’t any.

Mario:   That’s OK. Um. I think I’ll have a burger.

Mandy:   Oh, good. I’m glad there was something here for you.

Mario:   Mmm. Delicious. I love hamburgers.

Mandy:   You know, I think that’s a veggie burger, Mario.

Mario:   Really? It’s good! I guess I do like vegetables.

B

Mario:   Let’s have something to eat.

Mandy:   OK. I’m going to have some salad. Would you like some?

Mario:   No, thanks. Are there any chicken sandwiches?

Mandy:   Let’s see. No, I’m sorry! There aren’t any.

Mario:   That’s OK. Um . . . I think I’ll have a burger.

1 b   2 b   3 c   4 b   5 a

A

Mandy:   Do we have everything for the barbecue on Saturday? I know we have enough hamburgers, but what else do we need?

Hailey:   Don’t worry! I planned everything!

Mandy:   OK. So we have enough hot dogs? And ribs?

Hailey:   No, but I’ll add them to the shopping list.

Mandy:   And do we have baked beans?

Hailey:   Not yet, but OK – three cans of beans. Anything else?

Mandy:   We need a dozen ears of corn on the cob.

Hailey:   Yum! I love corn on the cob. I think twelve is too many, though. Let’s get six. What else do we need?

Mandy:   Wait. I thought you planned everything.

Hailey:   Yeah, I planned to have a barbecue. You’re coming and other people are coming.

Mandy:   OK. But you forgot about the food. It’s a good thing you’re my sister, or I’d be pretty mad at you right now!

Hailey:   So, anything else?

Mandy:   Coleslaw, potato salad, macaroni salad, and lemonade to drink. And some blueberry pie.

Hailey:   Mandy, slow down! That’s too much food! We’re only having four people over!

Mandy:   I know, but we don’t know what they’ll want. And we need enough food!

Hailey:   But that’s more than enough. And all that food is going to be expensive.

Mandy:   Well . . .

Hailey:   Look, I’m sure everyone would be happy to bring something. Why don’t we ask people to bring some food? Layla makes great potato salad.

Mandy:   OK, I guess we could do that. And Tom lives near the farmer’s market. He can get the corn.

Hailey:   That’s a good plan. And we can buy the other things.

Mandy:   Sounds good.

B

Hailey:   What do we need for the barbecue? I’m making a list.

Mandy:   We have enough hamburgers. What about hot dogs?

Hailey:   OK. Hot dogs. What else?

Mandy:   Well, we need some corn on the cob. Let’s get twelve.

Hailey:   That’s too many. Let’s get six. Anything else?

Mandy:   Coleslaw, potato salad, and macaroni salad.

Hailey:   That’s too much food.

A

c

B

C

1 100   2 diet   3 slow down   4 in the middle

A:   Do you want to live to be 100 years old? It’s possible! Every year, there are more and more centenarians, or people who are 100 years old or older. In fact, in some parts of the world, there are large numbers of centenarians. These areas are called “Blue Zones.” We’re talking to nutritionist Emily Brown about how these people are living so long. Emily, it’s great to talk to you.

B:   Thanks, Laura! Well, there are many reasons why centenarians live so long, but scientists think diet is one of the most important. Let’s look at two of these Blue Zones—Okinawa, Japan, and Sardinia, Italy.

A:   OK.

B:   People in Okinawa and Sardinia eat very different foods, but they are similar in the way they eat. For example, in both cultures, they don’t eat much meat. But they do both eat a lot of vegetables every day—in fact, most of their diet is vegetables. They are alike in that way.

A:   What kind of vegetables do they eat? And what are their health benefits?

B:   Okinawans’ favorite vegetable is the purple sweet potato. This vegetable has a lot of antioxidants. Antioxidants are vitamins and minerals that keep people healthy and help slow down aging. Many people in Okinawa grow sweet potatoes in their own gardens. They eat more than a pound every day!

A:   How many times a day do people in Blue Zones eat vegetables?

B:   Sometimes they eat them at all of their meals! In Sardinia, for example, people often have a large bowl of minestrone soup, for lunch or dinner. Minestrone is made from dried beans, fresh vegetables, tomatoes, and olive oil. These ingredients contain many different vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

A:   And what do they drink? I’m sure they drink a lot of water, right? How much?

B:   You’re right—they drink plenty of water, but that’s not the only thing they drink. In Sardinia, people almost always have a glass of wine at lunch and dinner. Whereas in Okinawa, they generally prefer a cup of jasmine tea. But both of these drinks also have high levels of antioxidants.

A:   So, antioxidants are one of the keys to reaching 100. Are there any other keys to living longer?

B:   There are. Eat fewer calories—a tradition in Okinawa says to eat until you are only 80% full. And in each area, the biggest meal is in the middle of the day. The smallest is in the evening.

A:   So, we should eat a bigger lunch and a smaller dinner—and no huge burgers or gallons of ice cream! That doesn’t sound too hard. Emily, thanks again for being here with us.

B:   It was my pleasure, Laura.

A

a

B

1 satisfied   2 taste is different

3 pushes, relaxes   4 small bite

Picture this. You just finished eating a huge meal. You’re so full your stomach hurts. You don’t want to see another bite of food ever again! But then the dessert comes out, and it looks wonderful. Suddenly you think you can eat some more. Sound familiar? Well, you’re not alone—we’ve all felt this way. But have you ever wondered why? New research explains why we always have room for a sweet treat.

Dessert isn’t boring—at least that’s what our brains are telling us! When we eat something and like the taste, we feel pleasure. As we eat more, our brains get used to the flavor of that food, and we begin to feel less satisfied. Our brains get bored of the food. It actually begins to lose its taste, and our brains tell us we’re full. But if we eat food with a different flavor, such as dessert at the end of a meal, that new flavor “wakes our brains up” and we feel hungry again. Even if we’re full, our brains tell us that we want that new flavor.

But our brains aren’t the only reason we always have room for dessert. Our stomachs actually do make more room. It’s true! When we eat, our stomachs expand to make room for the food. When the food pushes against the walls of the stomach, we start to feel full. But sugar relaxes the walls of the stomach, so it can expand even more. And since most desserts have a lot of sugar, even if we’re really full, the sugar in the dessert helps our stomachs make more room.

We all might enjoy eating dessert, but remember, if we eat too much we can feel sick later. Scientists say we can solve this problem by having a small bite of dessert, rather than the whole thing. This way we satisfy our desire for a new flavor, but we don’t eat too much. So, what do you have room for today?

A

Possible answer: Yu-jin talks about making her favorite meal, Japchae.

B

1   Japchae, Korean glass noodles

2   a package of noodles, a bag of carrots, three cups of spinach, two green onions, a bottle of sesame oil, and bottle of soy sauce, a jar of sesame seeds

3   mushrooms and beef

Hi everyone. It’s Yu-jin. I want to make my favorite meal, Japchae, or Korean glass noodles. Here’s what I have. OK. I have a package of noodles, a bag of carrots, three cups of spinach, two green onions, a bottle of sesame oil, a bottle of soy sauce, and a jar of sesame seeds. I don’t have any mushrooms or beef. I need a half-pound of each. I guess I need to go shopping again since I don’t have all the ingredients.

1   half-pound, bag

2   pint, box

3   glass, slice

4   quart, cup

1 A:   What do you need from the store?

   B:   I need a half-pound of tomatoes, please.

   A:   Anything else?

   B:   Yes. A bag of sugar.

2 A:   Did you buy anything for dessert?

   B:   Yes. I bought a pint of ice cream and a box of cookies.

3 A:   Would you like anything to drink?

   B:   Could I have a glass of soda with a slice of lemon, please?

4 A:   This cake is delicious. What’s in it?

   B:   It’s made with a quart of blueberries and about one cup of butter.

1   3   7   8

9   11   6   4

2   10   5

1   It’s round and made of meat. We often eat it on a bun with ketchup and cheese.

2   It’s a large fruit that is cut into smaller pieces for eating. It’s very sweet. It’s green on the outside and pink on the inside.

3   It’s long and made of meat. We often eat it on a bun with mustard or ketchup.

4   It’s a side dish that’s made with a sweet sauce. It’s cooked in the oven.

5   It’s a drink made from lemons, water, and sugar.

6   It’s a side dish and it’s often made with pasta, mayonnaise, and vegetables.

7   It’s a type of meat often served covered in barbecue sauce. It’s messy to eat!

8   It’s a sweet yellow vegetable. It’s long and often served with butter. You hold it with your hands to eat.

9   It’s a side dish and it’s often made with cabbage and mayonnaise.

10   It’s a type of baked fruit dessert. It’s sweet and it’s served in slices, often with ice cream.

11   It’s a side dish and it’s often made with potatoes and mayonnaise.

1 much   2 much   3 many   4 many

5 very much   6 much   7 too many   8 many

1   I need some honey for this recipe.

2   Jason is making some coffee.

3   Let’s make veggie burgers.

4   They ate a lot of oatmeal cookies.

5   Would you like some salad?

6   Should we order some pizza for the party?

7   Did you add blueberries to the dessert?

8   This recipe says we need a lot of milk.

1 A:   I bought some blueberries at the farmer’s market.

   B:   Oh, no! You bought blueberries, too? I bought three pints today at the supermarket.

   A:   What are we going to do with all these blueberries?

2 A:   Hello. Mario’s restaurant.

   B:   Hello, I need to make a dinner reservation for this evening.

   A:   We only have one table left. It’s a table for six.

   B:   Hmm. That won’t work. We have nine people.

3 A:   How many watermelons did you buy?

   B:   Two. Do you think that’s all we need?

   A:   Yes, I think so.

4 A:   That looks like a lot of tomatoes!

   B:   They were on sale today, so I got a lot.

   A:   We can’t eat all of those. We should give some to our neighbor.

5 A:   How much sugar did you add?

   B:   Two cups. Is that right?

   A:   Oh, no! The recipe said only one cup.

6 A:   Could you run to the store?

   B:   Of course. What do you need?

   A:   Bread. I want to make some sandwiches, but there’s only one slice of bread left.

7 A:   Wow, what is this?

   B:   It’s lemonade for the barbecue. I made four gallons.

   A:   But we only have three people coming. We’ll never finish it all.

8 A:   Do you want a little more honey in your tea?

   B:   Mmm. No, thanks. This tastes perfect.