Practice English Listening B1 Exercises – What are we eating?

1 cozy   2 efficient   3 vegetables

A

Mehmet:   You haven’t been here before, have you?

Liz:   No, it’s my first time. The atmosphere is great: it’s casual, cozy, and not too crowded. And I love the modern style.

Mehmet:   Yeah, it’s a nice place. It’s only been open for a few months. And just wait until you taste the food!

Mehmet:   Is something wrong?

Liz:   My 2:00 meeting just got moved to 1:30.

Mehmet:   We should be okay. The service here is very efficient.

Liz:   Sorry about that. I was looking forward to a long lunch, for a change.

Mehmet:   Long lunch? What’s that?

Server:   Good afternoon. How’re you folks today?

Mehmet:   Great, thanks. But I’m afraid we’re in a bit of a rush.

Server:   No problem. Would you like something to drink while you look at the menu?

Liz:   Just water for me, thanks.

Mehmet:   I’ll have the iced tea, please. It’s not sweetened, is it?

Server:   No, it’s not.

Mehmet:   Good. I’ll have that.

Server:   OK, I’ll get your drinks and be right back to take your order.

Liz:   Sorry—what is she having, over there.

Server:   That’s the fish chowder.

Liz:   Mmm. It looks good, doesn’t it?

Server:   OK, so back in a minute!

Liz:   Everything looks so good! It’s going to be hard to decide! Hmm. The salads look great.

Mehmet:   They are. And they grow their own vegetables right here.

Liz:   You’re kidding. We’re in the middle of the city!

Mehmet:   No, really they do. They have a rooftop garden. Lots of places are doing that these days.

Liz:   I love that! Vegetables fresh from the garden. How are the sandwiches? Have you had them?

Mehmet:   The chicken sandwich is the best. The grilled onions on it are mmm. It’s perfect.

Liz:   This is why I like eating with you. I think you enjoy food as much as I do!

B

Mehmet:   You haven’t been here before, have you?

Liz:   No. It’s my first time. The atmosphere is great, casual, not too crowded. And I love the modern style.

Mehmet:   Yeah, it’s a nice place. And just wait until you taste the food!

1 c   2 a   3 a

Mehmet:   So, what do you feel like? The salmon is great.

Liz:   I love salmon, but I had it last night. I’d rather try something else.

Mehmet:   Well, how about the salad with grilled shrimp?

Liz:   Perfect! So, what are you having?

Mehmet:   I usually order fish, but I’m not in the mood today. Maybe the steak sandwich?

Liz:   The steak sandwich looks good.

Mehmet:   It does, but I’m trying not to eat red meat.

Liz:   Oh, come on, one steak won’t hurt you.

Mehmet:   Oh why not? To a great meal!

Liz:   Yes!

Server:   How are you doing? Ready to order?

Liz:   Yes, please. I’ll have the salad with grilled shrimp!

Server:   Great choice! And for you, sir?

Mehmet:   The steak sandwich, please.

Server:   How would you like the steak?

Mehmet:   Medium rare.

Server:   And what kind of potatoes would you like?

Mehmet:   Actually, I’d prefer a side of the seasonal vegetables, if that’s OK?

Server:   Absolutely. And would you like a soup or salad?

Mehmet:   Salad, please.

Server:   What kind of dressing would you like? We have Russian, blue cheese, Italian…

Mehmet:   Italian, please.

Server:   OK, I’ll put your order in right away.

Liz:   I’m so glad I ordered the salad.

Mehmet:   Yeah, I’ve had it here. It’s really delicious.

Liz:   I’m sure it is, but that’s not the reason.

Mehmet:   So what is the reason?

Liz:   The salad doesn’t come with a side of questions!

B

Mehmet:   So, what do you feel like?

Liz:   The salmon looks good, but I had it last night. I’d rather try something else.

Mehmet:   Well, how about the salad with grilled shrimp?

Liz:   Perfect! So, what are you having?

Mehmet:   I usually order fish, but I’m not in the mood today. Maybe the steak sandwich?

Liz:   The steak sandwich looks good.

A

c

B

4   3

2   1   5

A:   Welcome to Tell Me a Story! Today, our theme is “Parties Gone Wrong.” Our first story comes from Katy in Boston, and it’s a great one. Enjoy!

B:   A few years ago, I threw a 20th birthday party for my sister. I spent all day preparing her favorite party food—a little bit of everything—well, really, a LOT of everything: guacamole and salsa with chips, hummus with veggies, cheese and crackers, several pizzas, and a birthday cake—the first one I ever made. I never cook and I wanted to surprise everyone, so I didn’t let anyone in the kitchen. Now in our family, we always open the gifts first. There were quite a few, so we were in the living room for a while. When there were only two more to open, I went to the kitchen to get the food.

I couldn’t believe it! Almost everything was gone or on the floor. The pizza boxes were empty. There were only a few carrots and a little bit of hummus left. Worst of all, the birthday cake was all over the floor. And in the middle of the mess? My dog Koa, happily licking birthday cake and guacamole off her paws.

With hardly any food, eight hungry people, and no time to get upset, I went to work.

As I cleaned up the mess, I called our neighborhood pizza place. When I explained the situation, the girl on the phone had a great idea—but she needed 30 minutes. How could I keep my family out of the kitchen for that long?

I thought quickly. There are only two things that my family likes better than food: playing games and laughing. So I took a deep breath and went into the living room. My sister was opening her last gift. Before anyone could say, “Let’s eat!”, I invented a new game: No one could eat until everyone shared a funny story about my sister.

A half an hour and many laughs later, the doorbell rang. And there it was…an amazing three-layer “pizza cake”: a large pizza on the bottom, a medium-sized one in the middle, and a small one on top—with 20 candles. My sister was so surprised. And the best part?

Everyone thought I planned it that way—well, everyone except Koa. But I knew my secret was safe with her.

A

b

B

1 M   2 C   3 M   4 J   5 J   6 C

Review for Churrasco

Cristina M. Mexico City                *****

If you’re a meat lover, you’re going to love Churrasco. Churrasco is my favorite Brazilian steakhouse, where the meat is the star of the show, but there’s also seafood and a great salad bar. It’s an all-you-can-eat restaurant but Churrasco offers more than quantity. The quality of all the food is also very high and the service is superb. They come to your table with a selection of meat, and then your choice is cooked to order.

Churrasco is a great choice if you’re dining out with a big group of friends because there are lots of options—beef, lamb, or chicken—and each piece is perfectly prepared—juicy and tender. I agree it’s a little expensive. But for top-quality food, I think the price is fair. My advice is to skip lunch before you go so you’re really hungry for dinner. Then you can really get your money’s worth. I think I gain about two kilos every time I go!

Marco C. New York City               *

I cannot recommend this place. We expected a choice of different kinds of meat, but when the waiter finally arrived, he only offered us lamb. Then we had to wait 40 minutes to get steaks. Much too salty and almost raw, they were definitely not worth the wait. I’d heard that their salad bar is very good, but again, there were hardly any choices—just a lot of different kinds of lettuce and a few tomatoes. And guess what? Dessert is not included in the price. It’s a separate menu, at an additional price. Finally, I expected a quiet, intimate atmosphere, but there were kids running around the tables, and the music was much too loud.

Joan F. San Francisco                     ***

I tried Churrasco for the first time last week when my friends and I went there for my birthday. I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with the food. I thought the steaks were rather tough; on the other hand, I loved the garlic mashed potatoes and the bread, which they bake fresh every morning. At the end of the meal, the waiters brought me a big slice of chocolate cake and they all sang, “Happy Birthday” to me. They were very sweet.

A

Answers will vary. Possible answer: She talks about what she had for lunch.

B

1   It’s awesome. The restaurant has fast and efficient service.

2   She ate salad for her starter. Her main course was roast chicken with rice and carrots. Her dessert was chocolate cake and coffee.

3   Dessert is her favorite part of the meal.

Hi, everyone! This is Elif. It’s lunchtime, and I’m eating at an awesome restaurant today. This restaurant has fast and efficient service. That’s really important, because I usually don’t have a lot of time for lunch.

So, today I’m starting with a garden salad. It looks delicious, doesn’t it? The food here is always very fresh.

My main dish is right here, and it’s roast chicken with rice and steamed carrots.

Now here’s my favorite part of the meal, dessert. Today I felt like having chocolate cake and some coffee. Fantastic meal!

A:   Wow! This is a long line. This must be a popular place! You’ve been here before, haven’t you?

B:   Yes, many times. The line moves fast. Here, let’s look at the menu while we wait to order.

A:   OK. Hmm. So, what’s good here?

B:   Well, the grilled shrimp and the chicken salad are both very good. But I think I’d rather have the chicken salad today.

A:   That’s funny! I was looking at both of those dishes, too. But I think I’d prefer to have the grilled shrimp. It comes with one side. But what should I get…salad or French fries?

B:   Would you rather eat something healthy or something delicious, but greasy and bad for you?

A:   I think I’d rather have the salad. But I do love French fries.

B:   Who doesn’t? Oh, after we order our food, we need to find a table. Would you rather sit inside or outside?

A:   It’s such a beautiful day. I’d rather sit outside.

B:   OK. It looks like there are enough empty tables.

A:   Ah, great! We’re next. Do you want to order first?

B:   You go ahead. I’d rather order second! I’m still deciding about my drink.

A:   Oh, right. We need to order drinks. I think I’d prefer to have water now, and then maybe get coffee to go.