Practice Listening English Exercises for A1 – Food, Glorious Food

1 d   2 f   3 b   4 a   5 c   6 e

Audioscript

What Do The Stars Eat?

Film stars are everyone’s favourite subject. People love to talk about what they’re wearing, who they’re dating, and how much money they make. But have you ever wondered about what they eat?

Chefs and caterers on film sets have the answers. “Every actor has different eating habits,” says chef John Sharp. “Some stars love meat, while others are strict vegetarians who don’t eat meat, eggs, or fish. Some stars love junk food, while others are constantly on a diet and eat only healthy foods.”

Ninety-nine per cent of the time, actresses are on a diet and insist on eating only low-fat foods. During the filming of Now and Then, Demi Moore ate nothing but Basmati rice, steamed baby spinach, green beans with lemon, and turkey sandwiches on wholemeal bread. During the filming of Twister, Helen Hunt only ate low-calorie foods, including poached eggs, dry toast, and steamed brown rice with vegetables.

Other stars love to eat junk food, and never count calories during their meals. Eddie Murphy’s favourite food is Kentucky Fried Chicken. Whoopi Goldberg doesn’t worry about how healthy her diet is, and loves fatty bacon sandwiches with lettuce, mayonnaise and lots of butter.

One thing for sure is that cooking for the stars is never easy, because they are often fussy eaters. “They want food fixed exactly the way they like it and always have something to complain about,” says caterer Susan Tate. Bill Murray won’t eat watermelon with seeds in it, and Mickey Rourke insists on freshly-squeezed carrot juice twice a day, but he won’t drink it if it sits for more than six minutes.

Cooking for the stars is hard work, but few of these caterers ever think about changing jobs. “I love my work,” says Susan Tate. “Where else can I see what Michelle Pfeiffer eats for breakfast or what Al Pacino has for a snack?

1 Yes   2 Yes   3 No   4 Yes   5 Yes   6 No   7 Yes

Audioscript

Martin:   Hi. Mum! Come in. How are you?

Mum:   Fine thank you, Martin. So, how was your first month at university?

Martin:   It was great!

Mum:   And your flatmates? Do you get on with them?

Martin:   Yes, we’re becoming really good friends. Come into the kitchen. Mum, and I’ll make you a cup of tea.

Mum:   Good heavens! Martin, look at the state of this kitchen. Don’t you boys ever wash up? And this towel! Really, this is quite disgusting.

Martin:   Okay, Mum. Yes I know. We’ve been really busy lately.

Mum:   That’s no excuse. Oh, Martin, don’t dry the cup with that dishcloth – it’s really dirty. You should wash your dishcloths and hand towels regularly. My goodness, look at all those pizza boxes piled up in the corner! You know you have to empty the rubbish bins regularly! Oh, don’t dry your hands on your clothes, either. Really, have you forgotten everything I taught you?

Martin:   Oh, Mum, leave me alone. It’s just taking us a bit of time to get used to living on our own.

Mum:   You’re telling me! Now, you and your friends have to remember to clean your work surfaces and cooking utensils regularly. Haven’t you heard of bacteria?

Martin:   Yes. Oh, Mum!

Mum:   And wash your hands before cooking. Try to keep everything clean. We don’t want you getting nasty diseases, do we? (cat meeows) Oh hello – who’s this?

Martin:   That’s Tigger, our cat.

Mum:   Oh, he’s lovely … Oh, but don’t let him climb up there. You shouldn’t let your pets sit on your work surfaces. You know that, Martin. And what’s this nasty cut? How did you do that?

Martin:   Oh, I did that playing rugby. You should have seen me – what a tackle! We won 30 – 3.

Mum:   Well done, dear. But haven’t you got any bandages? Come here and I’ll put a plaster on it.

Martin:   No, it’s okay.

Mum:   No, it’s not. Please put a plaster on your cut. And anyway, you should always cover any wounds when you’re preparing food.

Martin:   Really, Mum. Thanks for all your advice, but stop it now. I’ll clean up later. I will, really.

1   T

2   F (… a bit too expensive.)

3   T

4   F (… is also a good idea.)

5   F (… should make a few improvements.)

Audioscript

1   Introduction

      The purpose of this report is to assess the new Monty’s fast-food restaurant in Chester, which I visited on 28th June.

2   Food & Prices

      There is a varied menu at Monty’s which includes a fantastic salad bar, a wide choice of vegetarian dishes and five types of delicious hamburgers. I tried the Mexican Sizzler – a spicy hamburger with chilli sauce in a soft, white bread roll. It was very tasty. However, it was rather cold. I also thought that Monty’s was a bit too expensive.

3   Service

      The Monty’s staff were helpful, friendly and polite during my visit. They looked very smart in their clean uniforms. Unfortunately, the service was rather slow and one of the cashiers gave me the wrong change.

4   Atmosphere

      The friendly staff, good music, clean tables, and comfortable seating all helped to give Monty’s an excellent atmosphere. The new no-smoking policy is also a good idea, and it made my meal at Monty’s a very pleasurable experience.

5   Conclusion

      The new Monty’s restaurant in Chester is, on the whole, a great success. However, I think that the manager should make a few improvements. Firstly, he should make sure that all hot dishes are hot when they go out to customers. Secondly, he should lower the prices, as they are too high for a fast-food restaurant. Finally, he should improve staff training, so that the staff work faster and make fewer mistakes.

menu varied, interesting desserts, not expensive, tasted like vinegar, service very fast, was wearing jeans, soft music, very smoky

Audioscript

A:   Have you finished your report on the new “Romano’s” family restaurant in Norwich yet?

B:   Not yet, but I visited the restaurant on 17th January and I’ve got all the necessary information.

A:   What was it like?

B:   Well, the menu was varied. There were great pasta dishes, lots of choice for vegetarians, and interesting desserts.

A:   Oh, that sounds good. But is it expensive?

B:   No, it isn’t very expensive, so you can afford to take the whole family. I was disappointed, though, with the bottle of house wine I ordered with my meal. It tasted like vinegar – and it was expensive, too.

A:   Oh, dear – not so good. How were the staff, though? Was the service all right?

B:   Oh, yes. I have no complaints there. Most of the staff were very polite and helpful. The service was also very fast. Oh yes, I did think one of the waiters looked a bit untidy, though. He was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. They don’t have a uniform.

A:   Hmm, I see. I’ve heard the atmosphere there is good, though. Is that true?

B:   Oh yes. Soft music, beautiful furnishings, clean tables and friendly staff … it all helps make “Romano’s” a great place to go. Oh, except for the smoke. It was very smoky for a family restaurant.

A:   Really?

B:   Unfortunately. Anyway, I’m going to suggest in my recommendation that they check the quality of the house wines, get the staff a proper uniform, and start a no-smoking policy so that customers can bring their children with them.

A:   Yes. Good idea.