Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Travel Writing & Approaches 5

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four travel essayists reflecting on the melancholy experience of revisiting a beloved holiday destination from their childhood and finding it completely unrecognizable.

For questions 1-10, choose from the people/sections (A-D). The people/sections may be chosen more than once.

Which person/section

1   wishes they had never returned, preferring to keep their childhood recollections intact?

2   complains that the unique regional cuisine has been entirely replaced by standardized meals?

3   was taken aback by the overwhelming noise levels that now dominate the location?

4   confesses that their fond childhood recollections might have been slightly romanticised?

5   draws attention to the severe ecological damage inflicted upon the coastal environment?

6   observes that the original inhabitants appear to have been pushed out of the central district?

7   felt irritated by the new necessity to pay to access a previously free area?

8   mentions returning to the destination in search of emotional solace during a difficult period?

9   points out that the town has lost its distinct identity and now looks like any other destination?

10   describes the physical difficulty of navigating through the sheer number of sightseers?

You Can Never Go Back: The Sorrow of Lost Holiday Havens

A Arthur

When I was a boy, Smuggler’s Cove was a pristine haven. I remember the crystal-clear water and untouched sand. If I had known what awaited me last week, I would never have booked the flight. I honestly regret my decision and truly wish I had just held onto my nostalgic memories. The magnificent cliffs have been blasted away to make room for towering hotel complexes. Furthermore, the delicate coral reefs we used to snorkel around must have been destroyed by relentless boat traffic, as the water is now terribly murky. It’s heartbreaking to witness such thoughtless environmental degradation. My friends warned me that things had changed, but I took it for granted that the landscape’s natural beauty would survive. Standing on the concrete promenade that has paved over the beach, I realised the unspoilt paradise of my youth had been eradicated by mass tourism.

B Beatrice

I spent every summer in San Marcos until I was fifteen. It used to be a vibrant community where you could smell regional pastries drifting from independent, family-run bakeries. Returning after two decades, I was dismayed to find these authentic culinary traditions entirely wiped out. They have been aggressively replaced by ubiquitous international fast-food chains and generic coffee shops. Consequently, the town has been stripped of its unique character; it now resembles virtually any other tourist trap in Europe. Moreover, wandering through the main square, I realised the local residents have vanished. The traditional housing has been converted into lucrative short-term holiday rentals, forcing the original inhabitants to relocate to the outskirts. A shopkeeper told me they had been struggling to survive the soaring rents. It is a classic tale of gentrification. The heart and soul of the village have essentially been sold to the highest bidder.

C Julian

Pinehaven Forest was my family’s secret retreat—a place of profound silence beneath the ancient canopy. I had hoped to experience that same tranquility again. Instead, I was greeted by a sprawling car park and an enormous visitor centre. I was staggered to discover that a hefty admission fee is now required just to walk the trails, which were always completely free when I was growing up. The financial exploitation of nature is incredibly frustrating. The local council must have realised how profitable the site could be. Worse still was the overwhelming congestion. I had to literally elbow my way through dense packs of tourists just to cross the famous wooden bridge. The sheer volume of people made it impossible to move freely. What’s more, the peaceful rustling of leaves has been drowned out by a deafening roar of chatter and ringing mobile phones. It was an intensely stressful ordeal.

D Clara

Following a particularly stressful year at work, I booked a trip to Oakhaven, desperately seeking the sense of comfort and safety I associated with my childhood summers there. I longed to watch the fishing boats gently bobbing in the harbour. However, the reality of my return was a bitter pill to swallow. While some glaring modernisations have occurred, I must confess that my own nostalgia played a trick on me. Looking back, my youthful innocence must have painted the town in a far more magical light than it truly possessed. Even so, sitting on the crowded beach, I felt a profound sense of melancholy. A local told me that the town had changed beyond recognition, but I hadn’t wanted to believe him. If I hadn’t been so exhausted, I might have managed my expectations better. You can’t turn back the clock, and the comforting sanctuary I was trying to reconnect with only ever existed in my mind.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four individuals describing how their primary approach to understanding a new culture is solely through taking cooking classes and visiting grocery stores.

For questions 1-10, choose from the people/sections (A-D). The people/sections may be chosen more than once.

Which person/section

1   feels that food preparation allows them to bypass linguistic limitations?

2   acknowledges that their lack of formal instruction leads to terrible culinary results?

3   aims to use their newly acquired food knowledge to entertain friends?

4   learns about a region’s physical environment by studying its native crops?

5   believes that studying everyday purchases provides the most accurate picture of modern domestic life?

6   received special guidance on where to acquire the finest cooking supplies?

7   explicitly states that making friends is their primary reason for participating in courses?

8   considers some popular outdoor shopping locations to be heavily staged?

9   has absolutely no desire to recreate the dishes they learn about once they return home?

10   treats their food-related excursions primarily as an academic exploration of the country’s heritage?

Tasting the Culture: Why the Kitchen is the Best Guidebook

A Sofia

Whenever I touch down in a new country, I deliberately steer clear of the conventional tourist sights. Instead, my first priority is to sign up for a local cookery workshop. Navigating a foreign language can be incredibly daunting, but I’ve discovered that chopping herbs and balancing spices requires no translation whatsoever. During a recent trip to Vietnam, my instructor and I barely shared three words of a common language, yet we completely hit it off while preparing a traditional broth. For me, the primary objective isn’t to become an accomplished chef, but rather to interact with residents in a completely natural, relaxed environment. I do occasionally pop into local grocery stores, although that’s generally just to pick up a few snacks for a train journey. Ultimately, I firmly believe there is no faster way to break the ice and form genuine connections with strangers than by sharing a stove and a delicious meal.

B Marcus

As far as I’m concerned, the most revealing place in any foreign city isn’t an ancient monument or a grand museum; it’s the ordinary, everyday supermarket. While many travellers flock to picturesque, open-air farmers’ markets, I tend to find them slightly artificial and geared entirely towards tourists. I much prefer wandering down the aisles of a standard grocery store. Examining the packaging, the selection of ready meals, and the sheer variety of local snacks gives you a profound insight into how the inhabitants actually live their daily lives. I recently spent over an hour in a Japanese supermarket, utterly fascinated by the dozens of different soy sauces on offer. I do occasionally buy unfamiliar ingredients to cook at my rented apartment. However, because I absolutely refuse to take formal cooking classes, my meals are essentially a process of trial and error, and the results are frequently disastrous!

C Elena

My approach to exploring a destination always begins with enrolling in a comprehensive, hands-on cooking course. I am absolutely determined to master the precise culinary techniques of the region so that I can flawlessly replicate the dishes once my holiday is over. While visiting Mexico last year, I spent days learning the highly complex method for grinding and toasting ingredients to make an authentic mole sauce from scratch. The instructor was so impressed by my dedication that she personally escorted me to a wholesale grocery supplier to show me exactly how to select the highest quality dried chillies. I don’t pay much attention to the historical background of the food; my focus is purely on the practical skills. Now, whenever I host a dinner party back home, I can instantly transport my guests across the globe through the meals I meticulously prepare.

D David

You can uncover the entire history and geography of a nation simply by analysing what the locals put in their shopping baskets. Whenever I browse through a foreign grocery store or participate in a culinary class, I am constantly asking the staff questions about the origins of the produce. I want to know why a specific grain became a staple, or how a particular spice was introduced to the region. During a trip to Peru, a cooking instructor explained to me how the extreme altitude of the Andes directly influenced the incredible variety of potatoes they cultivate. That single conversation shed more light on the country’s challenging landscape than any guidebook ever could. I’m not particularly bothered about socialising with my classmates or recreating the recipes in the future; I simply treat the local cuisine as a fascinating, edible history lesson.

Exercises:   123456