Practice Listening English Exercises for A1 – Food

2 Who doesn’t want to do anything at the weekend – Tom or Milly?

3 Where do they buy food at the weekend – at the supermarket or farmers’ market?

4 Who says they can pay – Tom or Milly?

B . Listen again. Tick (✓) the food on the shopping list that Tom and Milly need.

Answer & Audioscript

1 No, she doesn’t. 2 Milly

3 at the farmers’ market 4 Tom

✓ chicken ✓ an onion ✓ mushrooms

Audioscript

TOM We’ve got almost nothing to eat for dinner.

MILLY OK. We can order some food then.

T Not again.

M Well, it’s the weekend – I don’t really want to cook.

T All right, fine. I can cook.

M OK. If you want to.

T But you can come to the shops with me.

M Like I said – it’s the weekend. I don’t cook and I don’t go to the supermarket.

T We can go to the farmers’ market then. It’s open today.

M OK, fine. What do we need?

T Well, we’ve got some potatoes, so we can have roast potatoes maybe. But we haven’t got any meat.

M Do you want to make that chicken and mushroom dish – you know, the one you like to make?

T Yeah – good idea. Have we got any mushrooms?

M No, I don’t think so.

T OK, we can get some. And I need an onion and a chicken, of course.

M So, let’s put that on the shopping list – a chicken, some mushrooms and an onion. Is that all?

T Yeah, I think so.

M Oh and Tom … I haven’t got any money at the moment, so … .

T All right, Milly. I can pay.

Exercise 2

A . Listen and complete the conversation.

SARAH Hello, I’d like 1_______ lemon and 2_______ onion, please.

STALLHOLDER Just one?

SARAH Yes, and I’d like 3_______ potatoes too.

STALLHOLDER Is this bag OK?

SARAH Yes, fi ne. Have you got 4_______ tomatoes?

STALLHOLDER How about these?

SARAH They’re a bit big.

STALLHOLDER I’m sorry but I haven’t got 5_______ small tomatoes.

SARAH OK, the big ones are fi ne. Also I’d like 6_______ cheese.

STALLHOLDER I’m sorry, I don’t sell cheese. Try that guy over there.

Answer & Audioscript

1 a 2 an 3 some 4 any 5 any 6 some

Exercise 3

A . Listen to Olivia and Harry talk about Heston Blumenthal recipes. Tick (✓) which two recipes they choose.

Ultimate mashed potato

Three times cooked chips

Cheese-on-toast ice cream

Coffee and chocolate sauce

B . Listen again. Underline the correct food words in the instructions for Olivia and Harry.

1 Olivia needs potatoes / chips and cream / butter.

2 She needs to boil / roast the ingredients.

3 Harry needs honey / sugar, coffee beans / black coffee, and milk chocolate / dark chocolate.

4 He needs to grill / boil the ingredients.

Answer & Audioscript

✓ Ultimate mashed potato

✓ Coffee and chocolate sauce

1 potatoes, butter

2 boil

3 sugar, coffee beans, dark chocolate

4 boil

Audioscript

OLIVIA I want to try this recipe.

HARRY Which one?

O Ultimate mashed potato.

H Mashed potato? That’s a bit boring.

O But it says ‘ultimate’ – you know, the best.

H What’s so special about it?

O Well, it says to use 300 grams of butter.

H 300 grams? That’s a lot of butter.

O I know – that’s why I want to try it. And then you boil the potatoes once, let them get cold and then boil them again.

H Twice?

O Yeah. I don’t know why. But I’m going to make it today. Anyway, you look at Heston’s book. Which recipe do you want to try?

H Something sweet. Let’s see … oh yes, this one, coffee and chocolate sauce. Sounds really good! I can put it on ice cream.

O What’s in it?

H Well, some coffee beans, of course.

O How many do you need?

H It says you need 40.

O Woah! That’s a lot! And how much chocolate?

H Only a little – 60 grams. But I need dark chocolate, not milk chocolate.

O How many grams of butter?

H None – no butter at all, just water and sugar. It looks really easy to make. I just boil everything together.

O Once or twice?

H Only once with this recipe! Now, no more talking. I’m hungry! Let’s get cooking.

Exercise 4

A . Listen and complete the sentences.

1 That’s _________ of butter.

2 How _________ chocolate? Only _________ – 60 grams.

3 How _________ grams of butter?

B . Listen and complete the conversation. Then put the conversation in order.

…… B A 1_________ – about five or six pieces.

…… A Really? That’s 2_________ a lot.

…… B About four or five.

…… A And what about drinks? How 3_________ cups of coffee do you have a day?

..1.. A How 4_________ fruit do you eat a day?

Answer & Audioscript

1 a lot 2 much; a little 3 many

1 lot 2 quite 3 many 4 much

Audioscript

1 That’s a lot of butter.

2 How much chocolate? Only a little – 60 grams.

3 How many grams of butter?

A How much fruit do you eat a day?

B A lot – about five or six pieces.

A And what about drinks? How many cups of coffee do you have a day?

B About four or five.

A Really? That’s quite a lot.

Exercise 5

A . Listen to Part 1. Why is the restaurant empty? Choose an answer.

1 The restaurant isn’t open.

2 People think the waiter isn’t very nice.

3 It’s very early.

B . Listen to Part 1 again. Are the sentences true or false? Correct the false sentences.

1 They have a reservation for four people.

2 They want a table by the door.

3 Annie finds it difficult to choose a table.

Answer & Audioscript

3 It’s very early.

1 F (They don’t have a reservation.)

2 F (They want a table by the window.)

3 T

Audioscript

DAN Is this it?

ANNIE This is it.

LEO Great.

MARTINA Maybe it isn’t open.

WAITER Good evening, good evening.

A Hello. Are you open?

W Yes, of course. Do you have a reservation?

A No, we don’t. Do we need a reservation?

W Erm, not really. It’s very early …

A OK, then, we’d like a table for four.

W Certainly.

A Can we have a table by the window?

W Yes. These two over here are both free.

D What do you think? The one on the left?

M Fine.

L Sure.

A What about the one on the right?

D If you prefer …

A Maybe not. The one on the left is fine …

W Of course. This way, please.

C . Listen to Part 2.

1 What do they choose for their main course?

2 Who can’t decide what they want to have?

Answer & Audioscript

1 Martina − lamb with roast potatoes;

Annie − lamb with roast potatoes;

Dan − lamb with roast potatoes;

Leo − Thai chicken curry

2 Annie can’t decide what she wants to have.

Audioscript

WAITER Are you ready to order?

DAN Yes?

MARTINA I’m ready.

LEO Fine.

ANNIE I think so …

W What would you like for your starter?

M I’d like the mushroom soup, please.

W And for your main course?

M I’ll have the lamb with roast potatoes.

W And for you, madam? What would you like to eat?

A Oh dear. It’s hard to decide. OK, for a starter I’ll have the fish. No, wait! I’ll have chicken salad and then … yes … I’d like the spaghetti for my main course.

W Very good. And for your starter, sir?

D I’ll have chicken salad.

W Chicken salad.

D Then lamb with roast potatoes.

A Oh, lamb – that sounds nice. Can I change my order?

W Of course.

A I’ll have the same – lamb for my main.

W Certainly. And finally?

L I’d like the chicken curry.

W Would you like rice with that?

L Yes, please. And for my starter I’d like the fish.

A Fish. My first idea. Sorry, sorry … I’ll have the same as Leo.

W So, that’s the fish?

A Yes.

L Are you sure about that, Annie?

A What? I think so. Yes.

W And what would you like to drink?

A To drink? Umm …

W Would you like a moment to think about that?

Exercise 6

A . Four people talk about cooking. Listen and underline the correct answers.

Name

Talks about

himself / his wife

a good / bad cook

picture a / b / c / d

herself / her husband

a good / bad cook

picture a / b / c / d

herself / her father

a good / bad cook

picture a / b / c / d

himself / his mother

a good / bad cook

picture a / b / c / d

B . Listen again. Answer the questions.

1 Who always wants to eat more?

2 Who can only make one thing?

3 Who doesn’t understand how you can make a really good dish from only a few things?

4 Who enjoys their own food?

Answer & Audioscript

Name

Talks about

1 Toby 2 Jake 3 Rosie 4 Johanna

Audioscript

JAKE I’m really bad at cooking. I eat a lot of fast food and ready meals. I’m OK at making pasta – usually spaghetti with sauce. The one sauce I make is tomato and mushroom. It’s not very good, but I like it! So I eat a lot of pasta because it’s easy to make.

ROSIE My husband’s a great cook and he does all the cooking at home. He can look in our fridge and find some vegetables and cheese and then make a dish from it that’s wonderful to eat, like vegetable moussaka. I don’t know how he does it. But I’m lucky to have a husband like that!

JOHANNA My friends say I’m a good cook. I’m not sure, but I enjoy cooking and if you enjoy something, you’re often good at it. I think it’s fun to try new dishes and I certainly like eating the things I make! Tonight I want to try a new fish dish. First, you grill the fish, then you make a lemon sauce. I think it’ll go well with a bean salad I often make.

TOBY My mother is a fantastic cook. But isn’t everyone’s mother a fantastic cook?! I eat everything she makes and I always want more. I really, really like the cakes and cookies she makes. My favourite is her pear cake – I love eating it warm with chocolate sauce.

Practice English Listening Tests for A1 – Listening Test 34
Practice English Listening Tests for A1 – Listening Test 33
Practice English Listening Tests for A1 – Listening Test 32
Practice English Listening Tests for A1 – Listening Test 31
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Practice English Listening Tests for A1 – Listening Test 29