Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Cafés, Bakeries & Quick Bites 5

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The people below all want to find a late-night coffee shop.

There are descriptions of eight coffee shops.

Decide which coffee shop would be the most suitable for the people below.

1   Lucas is a university student who needs to study late into the night. He wants a coffee shop that stays open until at least 2 a.m. Because he walks home alone, it must be in a very safe neighbourhood.

2   Emma wants to relax with her friends on comfortable sofas after a busy week. She loves listening to live music while she chats. Since it is late, she prefers to drink hot herbal tea instead of coffee.

3   David finishes work at midnight and wants to eat a hot meal. He needs a place with excellent, fast internet so he can make a video call to his family overseas. He also wants to sit outside.

4   Sarah and her friends want to play board games together this evening. They need a café with very large tables for their group. As they are travelling from out of town, it must be near a railway station.

5   Marco wants a quiet place where he can borrow an interesting book to read. He doesn’t have much money, so he needs a café with cheap prices. He also wants to eat a delicious slice of cake.

Late-Night Coffee Shops

A The Night Owl

Welcome to our peaceful cafe, designed especially for busy learners. We finally close our doors at 2:00 in the morning, giving you plenty of time to prepare for your exams. Located in the town’s most secure district with excellent street lighting, you will feel completely protected walking back to your flat.

B Harmony Lounge

Drop by and sink into our soft, deep armchairs for a truly relaxing evening. We proudly host local guitar bands every single night to entertain our guests. If you want to avoid caffeine before bed, try our wonderful selection of natural fruit and leaf drinks to help you sleep perfectly.

C Moonlight Terrace

Enjoy the cool night air on our open-air balcony! Our kitchen serves warm cooked dishes like soups and pizzas right up until midnight. We also provide a lightning-fast wireless web connection, ensuring you can easily chat online with people in other countries without any annoying delays or screen freezing.

D The Platform Café

Situated just a one-minute walk from the main railway platforms, we are incredibly easy to reach. We offer dozens of traditional tabletop puzzles and card activities for visitors to enjoy. Our oversized wooden desks provide more than enough space for your whole team to spread out and have fun.

E Chapter & Cup

Discover our huge wall of fantastic novels, which customers are welcome to take down and browse for free. We are famous in the city for our freshly baked chocolate puddings and sweet pastries. Best of all, our budget-friendly menu means you can enjoy a wonderful late-night treat without emptying your wallet.

F Midnight Grind

This silent, calm space is absolutely perfect for college students revising for tests. We keep the lights on until 2 a.m. every single night. However, please be careful when leaving, as we are located in a dark, industrial area far away from the town centre, so taking a taxi is recommended.

G The Connected Bean

We serve warm, freshly prepared dinners until very late, perfect for hungry night workers. Bring your laptop and use our top-speed internet connection, which is brilliant for high-quality video chats. Please note that we are located entirely underground, so we do not have any exterior areas or fresh air.

H Station Play Café

Located exactly opposite the town’s transport hub, this is a brilliant place to wait for your departure. We have a fantastic collection of traditional family board games to keep you entertained. Unfortunately, our café is extremely small with only tiny, two-person desks, so big groups will struggle to fit.

Reading 2

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The people below all want to find a specialty roasting cafe.

There are descriptions of eight cafes.

Decide which cafe would be the most suitable for the people below.

1   Marco loves dark, powerful coffee and wants to see the machines preparing the beans in the cafe. He isn’t interested in eating but wants to buy bags of freshly prepared whole beans to take back to his apartment.

2   Lisa needs a silent environment with an excellent internet connection to finish her university essays. She prefers cafes that focus entirely on drinks rather than serving meals, and she needs a cup of highly caffeinated, powerful coffee to stay awake.

3   David is fascinated by how raw coffee is transformed and wants to ask staff about their roasting methods. He finishes work at 7 p.m., so the cafe must be open late. He also prefers sitting outside in the fresh air.

4   Sarah and John usually eat lunch at a restaurant before getting coffee, so they avoid places that serve food. They need a cafe near the central railway station and prefer sweet, milk-based drinks with vanilla or caramel flavours.

5   Ahmed enjoys drinking traditional, intense black espresso without any sugar. He always travels with his pet dog, so the cafe must welcome animals. He wants to spend his afternoon relaxing on soft, comfortable furniture rather than hard wooden chairs.

Specialty Roasting Cafes

A The Bean Machine

At our cafe, we proudly prepare all our coffee right in front of you. Watch our large machines turn green seeds into dark brown perfection! We brew incredibly intense, highly caffeinated drinks. Before you leave, don’t forget to purchase a few packets of our freshly roasted seeds for your own kitchen.

B Focus Roasters

If you need a peaceful spot to concentrate, we offer a completely silent room with high-speed wireless internet. To keep our environment clean, our menu is strictly limited to beverages, meaning no snacks or meals are available. However, our thick, dark espressos provide all the intense energy you need to study.

C Study Sips

We provide free, fast internet and a calm, quiet atmosphere for students and workers. Our baristas make incredibly powerful, dark coffees to keep you going all day. If you feel hungry while working, we have a large menu of delicious hot sandwiches and sweet cakes baked fresh every single morning.

D Evening Embers

We stay open until 10 p.m. every night, making us the perfect after-work destination. Take a seat on our lovely garden terrace and enjoy the evening breeze. Inside, our friendly experts process all our coffee themselves and are always happy to answer your questions about how they heat and prepare the beans.

E The Daily Roast

Come and observe our amazing staff as they carefully heat and prepare our coffee inside the main shop! We sell wonderful bags of our products for you to take home. We specialise in very light, delicate, and fruity drinks, so we do not serve heavy or intense dark coffees here.

F Platform Brews

Located just steps away from the main train platforms, we are ideal for travelers. We specialise in delicious hot drinks mixed with warm milk and sweet syrups. We focus one hundred percent on our wonderful beverages, so you won’t find any cakes, sandwiches, or meals on our menu at all.

G The Hound & Cup

We absolutely love animals, so please bring your furry friends right inside with you! Sink into our deep, relaxing armchairs and spend a few lazy hours enjoying the warm atmosphere. While we offer various drinks, we are famous for our extremely thick, highly concentrated black coffee that will definitely wake you up.

H Cozy Corners

Relax on our wonderful, soft couches and let the hours pass by in complete comfort. We are a fully pet-friendly cafe, so dogs are always welcome indoors. We proudly serve large, creamy hot chocolates and mild, sweet milky lattes, though we avoid making any bitter or powerful dark coffee drinks.

Reading 3

For each question, choose the correct answer.

The people below all want to find a quick-service sandwich bar.

There are descriptions of eight sandwich bars.

Decide which sandwich bar would be the most suitable for the people below.

1   Mark is in a hurry during his midday break and wants to order at the counter. He only eats plant-based meals. He also wants to eat his takeaway food in a nearby green space while enjoying the fresh air.

2   Sarah loves hot beef and chicken options for lunch. She hates waiting in line when the shop is busy, so she needs somewhere she can order via her phone. She also prefers places that use environmentally friendly takeaway boxes.

3   Leo is a student looking for a very cheap midday meal. He prefers carrying his sandwich back to the library. He gets very hungry, so he requires huge portions, and he absolutely loves food made with spicy ingredients.

4   Emma wants to grab something fast from the counter during her busy work break. She cannot eat wheat, so she requires gluten-free bread. Surprisingly, she really wants a traditional breakfast sandwich with eggs and bacon, even though it’s lunchtime.

5   David usually misses the midday rush hour and takes his lunch break late in the afternoon. He wants to take away a sandwich with sweet fillings. He also hopes to find a deal that includes a drink for free.

Quick-Service Sandwich Bars

A The Leafy Bite

Located just opposite the city gardens, we are perfect for a quick midday takeaway. Step up to the register, and our staff will serve you in seconds! Our entire menu is completely free of meat and dairy, so you can enjoy a delicious, natural lunch under the trees without waiting.

B The Roasting Rack

Avoid the heavy midday crowds by using our website to choose your meal before you arrive. Just walk in and collect your warm chicken or roasted pork sub! We care about the planet, so all our takeaway bags and cups are made from recycled paper that won’t harm nature.

C Fire Subs

If you want a massive meal to carry away, this is the place! Our breads are filled with extra meat and incredibly hot chili peppers. It is the perfect spot for anyone who wants a lot of food without spending much money, with special low prices available every afternoon.

D Morning Glory Deli

Do you love morning meals at any hour? Order directly at our till, and we will quickly prepare hot sausages and fried eggs for you to take away. We proudly offer special wheat-free rolls, making it a brilliant choice for anyone who needs to avoid normal flour during their break.

E Sugar & Slice

We stay open well past 3 p.m., so we are ready when the busy period ends. Come grab a takeaway treat filled with delicious chocolate, honey, or fresh fruit. Best of all, every customer gets a complimentary bottle of juice or water included with their purchase at no extra cost.

F The Slow Seed

Situated right next to the beautiful public park, we offer a wonderful 100% plant-based menu. Because our chefs prepare everything completely from scratch, meals take about twenty minutes to arrive. We only provide indoor seating with table service, so it is not the right place for a hurried lunch.

G Chili Bites

We are famous for adding extremely hot sauces to all our delicious street food. We offer incredible discounts for university learners, meaning our prices are incredibly low. However, our sandwiches are designed as very small snacks rather than full meals, so you might still feel hungry after eating one!

H Meat Feast Express

Use our handy mobile application to select your lunch and skip the long lines at the till. We specialize in hot, freshly roasted beef and turkey choices to carry out. Just remember that everything is packed in standard plastic containers, as we haven’t switched to environmentally safe materials just yet.

Exercises:   123456