PRACTICE READING SKILL

C. S. Lewis Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge David Cameron Gordon Brown J. R. R. Tolkien Prince William, Duke of Cambridge Tony Blair The United Kingdom London Birmingham Cardiff Coventry English Language God Save The Queen Hadrian's Wall Lake District Liverpool Manchester Peak District Sheffield Stonehenge Westminster Abbey Coat of Arms England National Football Team Fish and chips John Bull Pillar box Pound Sterling University of Cambridge University of Oxford Valentine's Day

Cities Now Home to More Than Half of All People

The Importance of a Simple Water Pump

Higher Education in US: What Does It Cost?

Historic Route 66: The Story of America's 'Mother Road'

Elementary READING

An Italian Teacher

An Italian teacher talks about his life and his job.

Hi, I’m Giorgio Salvatore. I’m twenty-six years old and I’m from Calabria in the south of Italy. My father is Italian and my mother is from Argentina. She’s a Spanish teacher in a school in Calabria. My best friend is Marco. He’s from Calabria, too, and he’s a student at the University of Rome.

I’m a teacher at The Language Centre in Rome. Students come here to learn different languages. My friends Jean-Paul and Domingo are also teachers at The Language Centre. Jean-Paul is the French teacher and Domingo is the Spanish teacher. Domingo comes from Zaragoza in Spain.

I’m the Italian teacher and my class has students from Africa, Asia, America, and Europe. It’s very interesting to meet different people and the classes are always fun. The students always speak Italian when they are together because it’s the best way to learn the language.

Example: Giorgio is Spanish.

A  True     B  False   C  Doesn’t say 

1   Giorgio is from the south of Italy.

     A  True      B  False     C  Doesn’t say  

2   His mother is in Argentina.

     A  True      B  False     C  Doesn’t say  

3   His father is a teacher.

     A  True     B  False      C  Doesn’t say  

4   Marco is a student in Calabria.

     A  True     B  False      C  Doesn’t say  

5   Giorgio is a language teacher.

     A  True      B  False    C  Doesn’t say  

6   The Language Centre is in Rome.

     A  True      B  False     C  Doesn’t say  

7   Domingo is French.

     A  True      B  False     C  Doesn’t say  

8   Giorgio’s students are from different parts of the world.

     A  True      B  False      C  Doesn’t say  

Answers:

1   A

2   B

3   C

4   B

5   A

6   A

7   B

8   A

2   Read the text and tick (ü) A, B, or C.

Famous People

Julio Iglesias (born 1943) is a singer. He’s very famous in Europe and America. Julio is from Madrid, the capital of Spain. He’s tall and very good-looking. He has short black hair and brown eyes. He has eight children.

Wayne Rooney (born 1985) is a British footballer. He’s from Liverpool in the north of England. He isn’t very tall and he isn’t very slim, but he’s a good footballer and he’s rich! His wife’s name is Coleen and they have one child.

JK Rowling (born 1965) is English. Her full name is Joanne Kathleen Rowling. She’s famous because she writes the Harry Potter books. She is also very rich. Joanne is slim, but she isn’t tall. Her hair is long and blond. She has beautiful blue eyes and she’s very pretty.

Barack Obama (born 1961) is a politician. He’s the President of the USA and his home is the White House. He’s about 50. He is tall and attractive. He has very short black hair and his eyes are brown. His wife is Michelle Obama. They have two children.

Example: Julio is a famous American.

A  True  c    B  False  cü    C  Doesn’t say  c

1     Julio is a Spanish singer.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

2     Julio has a small family.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

3     Wayne is a sportsman.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

4     Wayne is tall and slim.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

5     JK isn’t very rich.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

6     JK is married.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

7     Barack is very young.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

8     Michelle is very pretty.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

Answers:

1   A

2   B

3   A

4   B

5   B

6   C

7   B

8   C

READING ELEMENTARY

Complete the text using the key words.

Text

Murat from Turkey is a student in Leeds

British people like to drink tea and ________(1).  Many coffee bars and __________(2)  are ‘no smoking’.  When I want a _________ (3) I go _________(4).

Juan from Spain is a student in Manchester

In Spain we eat our evening meal at 10 o’clock.  British people eat their __________(5) meal at 6 o’ clock in the evening.  British people work from 9o’ clock in the morning until 5 o’clock in the evening.  Spanish people work from 8 o’clock in the ________(6) until 2 o’clock in the _________(7).  Then start work again at 5 o’clock in the evening until 8 o’clock.

Katarina from Kazakhstan is a student in London

It’s incredible – cars stop in Britain when you stand on the _____________(8).  Cars don’t stop for you in Kazakhstan.

Task 2

According to the text are these statements true (T) or false (F)?

1. Spanish people like to eat their evening meal at 9 ‘o clock.
2. Cars stop at zebra crossings in Kazakhstan.
3. British people work from 9 o’ clockin the morning until 5 o’ clock in the evening.
4. You can smoke in restaurants and coffee bars in Britain.
5. British people like to drink tea and coffee.

A) Keywords

1. coffee, 2. restaurants, 3. cigarette, 4. outside, 5. evening, 6. morning, 7. afternoon, 8. zebra crossing

B) Comprehension check

1. F - 10 o'clock, 2. F - They don't stop at zebra crossings, 3. T, 4. F - You can't smoke, 5. T

READING

Famous People

Julio Iglesias (born 1943) is a singer. He’s very famous in Europe and America. Julio is from Madrid, the capital of Spain. He’s tall and very good-looking. He has short black hair and brown eyes. He has eight children.

Wayne Rooney (born 1985) is a British footballer. He’s from Liverpool in the north of England. He isn’t very tall and he isn’t very slim, but he’s a good footballer and he’s rich! His wife’s name is Coleen and they have one child.

JK Rowling (born 1965) is English. Her full name is Joanne Kathleen Rowling. She’s famous because she writes the Harry Potter books. She is also very rich. Joanne is slim, but she isn’t tall. Her hair is long and blond. She has beautiful blue eyes and she’s very pretty.

Barack Obama (born 1961) is a politician. He’s the President of the USA and his home is the White House. He’s about 50. He is tall and attractive. He has very short black hair and his eyes are brown. His wife is Michelle Obama. They have two children.

 QUESTIONS:

Example: Julio is a famous American.

A  True  c    B  False  cü    C  Doesn’t say  c

1     Julio is a Spanish singer.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

2     Julio has a small family.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

3     Wayne is a sportsman.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

4     Wayne is tall and slim.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

5     JK isn’t very rich.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

6     JK is married.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

7     Barack is very young.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

8     Michelle is very pretty.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

anwers

1   A

2   B

3   A

4   B

5   B

6   C

7   B

8   C

ELEMENTARY READINGS

Grandpa's Farm I like to go to my Grandpa's farm. He has many animals. There are nine black and white cows. They are very big and give us milk to drink. Grandpa has seven brown chickens too! The chickens give us eggs to eat. I like to play with the pigs on Grandpa's farm. They like to roll in the mud. I do too! It is fun to go to Grandpa's farm. I always have a fun time!

Answer "Yes" or "No"

Grandpa has a farm.

Grandpa has only two animals on his farm.

Grandpa has nine brown and white cows on his farm.

Grandpa has three brown chickens that lay eggs.

Pigs like to roll in the mud.

It is fun to visit Grandpa's farm.

This is a happy story.

Cats as Pets   Cats make great pets.  Many people love them.  They are easy to take care of.  They are also very helpful.  On farms they keep away mice and rats.   Cats are very friendly and bring happiness to their owners.  They are very playful and smart too!  Cats always know what they want.  They are usually not mean.   There are 63 million cats in America today.  This means there are more people who own cats than who own dogs.

Answer the questions below.

You have just read about cats as .

Cats keep mice and away on farms.

There are million cats in America today.

Cats are to take care of.

Cats are usually not .

Cats are very to farmers.

In America today more people own than own dogs.

source:myschoolhouse

ELEMENTARY READINGS AND LISTENING

VOCABULARY. HOME APPLIANCE WORDS

HOME APPLIANCE EXERCISE

FURNITURE WORDS

FURNITURE EXERCISE

KITCHEN WORDS AND EXERCISES

VEGETABLE WORDS AND EXERCISES

MEAT VOCABULARY AND EXERCISES

DAIRY VOCABULARY AND EXERCISES

GRAINS VOCABULARY AND EXERCISES

ELEMENTARY

Take a Bath!

 VOCABULARY

a bath- (noun) cleaning one's body by sitting in water
to bathe- verb meaning to take a bath
shower- (noun and verb) cleaning one's body by standing under water
showerhead- the part of the shower that the water comes out of
to scrub- to remove dirt by rubbing
to rinse- to remove soap or dirt with water
soothing- relaxing
drain- hole in the ground or bathtub that the water goes down

source:5minuteenglish

Traveling is fun because you can see how people in other parts of the world live. One thing travelers don't often think about before traveling is how other cultures bathe. And bathrooms in many countries may be different from the kind you are used to.

In the United States, most people take a shower once a day in the morning. The showerhead is usually mounted on the wall and cannot be moved. The bather simply stands under the water, gets wet, scrubs with soap and often a washcloth, and then rinses off.

Children often take a bath each night and enjoy playing with small toys such as boats and rubber ducks. Many adults, especially women, enjoy a soothing bath to get rid of stress at the end of the day.

It is important to remember that when you take a shower or bath in the United States, you should be careful to keep the water inside the bathtub or shower. Unlike bathrooms in many countries, there is no drain in the floor. If water gets on the floor it cannot go anywhere and must be cleaned up with a towel or mop. It can also cause problems for the floor. So be careful.

Choose the correct answer. Check the answers below.

1. Travelers don't often think about ___ in other countries before traveling.

a. bathing
b. food
c. money
2. Americans often take a shower in the ___.
a. morning
b. afternoon
c. night
3. Children often take a ___ at night.
a. shower
b. bath
c. swim
4. Sometimes adults take a bath to ___.
a. shower
b. relax
c. play with toys
5. American floors don't have a
a. bathtub
b. showerhead
c. drain


answers: abbbc
source:5minuteenglish

ELEMENTARY

I LIKE MY JOB

James Shannon is a chef in a London restaurant. He talks about his job.

I work at Suzie’s, which is one of the most popular restaurants in central London. The best part of working there is being part of a fantastic team of friendly and talented people.

I left school and started by washing dishes when I was only 16. I wasn’t interested in food and I never cooked at home, but I worked hard, and soon became a waiter. Simon, who was head chef at the time, then began to show me how to cook and I loved it so much I went to college to learn more.

When Simon left Suzie’s, I became head chef. At the time all the food was British. The quality was excellent, but I wanted to do something different, so I decided to have an international menu. Now we serve food from all around the world. There are so many fantastic markets and food shops in London that I can usually find any ingredient I need.

I use a lot of natural ingredients such as brown rice, organic flour, and pasta. Some people think that healthy food is boring, but they’re wrong. Well-prepared natural food has so much more flavour than fast food. Our food is healthy and our customers love it. We use the very best meat and the highest quality vegetables.

Suzie’s is open Monday to Friday from 5.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m., and from 12.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m. at weekends. On Fridays and Saturdays we play live music from around the world. There’s a children’s menu on Sundays and that’s when we serve traditional British food.

Example: The chef’s name is _____.

A  James   ü     B  Simon          C  Suzie      

1   James started as a _____.

     A  waiter         

     B  chef         

     C  dish washer      

2   When he was 16, James _____.

     A  started work at the restaurant       

     B  was a good cook          
    C  was interested in food      

3   James likes using _____ ingredients.

     A  British         

     B  natural         

     C  international      

4   The restaurant opens early _____.

     A  every day     

     B  on Sundays         

     C  twice a week      

5   You can’t eat at Suzie’s _____.

     A  on Monday evenings       

     B  on Saturday afternoons         
     C  on Sunday mornings      

6   Suzie’s sometimes serves _____.

     A  boring food       

     B  fast food       

    C  British food     

2   Read the text again. Are the sentences True (T) or False (F)?

Example:    James likes his job.   T

1   James became head chef when he was 16.   ____

2   James didn’t cook at home.   ____

3   He didn’t like Simon’s food.   ____

4   It’s usually difficult to find the ingredients in London.   ____

5   James thinks healthy food isn’t boring.   ____

6   The restaurant is open five days a week.   ____

7   The restaurant isn’t open for lunch in the week.   ____

8   The music is usually international.   ____

9   There is a children’s menu during the week.   ____

source: NFE. NB2
answers:

1.cabccc
2.FTFFTFTTF

FARMHOUSE. BÁSICO

 Read the extract from a travel book and tick (ü) A, B, or C.

I arranged to stay in a farmhouse outside a village in southern Italy. My itinerary said that the plane arrived in Italy at five o’clock in the afternoon and it was a thirty-minute drive from the airport to the village. I wanted to get to my destination before it got dark, so I could have a drink, watch the sunset, and enjoy an evening mea

The problems began at Heathrow airport. My plane was three hours late. I walked around the airport, looked in the shops, and drank coffee in the cafés. I didn’t eat anything. That was a mistake! When the plane finally took off, they gave me a cold, tasteless meal which I couldn’t eat.

We arrived in Italy in the early evening. The sun was setting as I was collecting my bags! I missed it completely! I went to the desk to find my hire car and that’s when I discovered the next problem. The receptionist couldn’t find my name on the computer and there were no more cars. There were no buses or trains to the village, and the taxis were on strike.

The receptionist felt sorry for me. She phoned her brother, Alessandro, who agreed to take me to the village. Alessandro arrived in a very old car and we set off. Fifteen minutes later … we broke down. I was tired, depressed, and very, very hungry. Luckily, Alessandro was a mechanic. After an hour, he fixed the car and we started driving again.

It was nearly midnight when we arrived at the farmhouse. A man opened the door and smiled. ‘Come in,’ he said. ‘We waited for you.’ I sat with a group of the friendliest people I’ve ever met and had an absolutely wonderful meal.

Example: It was the writer’s first trip to Italy.

A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say   ü 

1   He bought some souvenirs at Heathrow airport.

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say      

2   He had a snack at the airport.

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say      

3   He complained about the meal on the plane.

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say      

4   He planned to walk to the village from the airport.

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say      

5   His name wasn’t on the computer of the hired car company.

       A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say      

6   He couldn’t get a train to the village because they were on strike.

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say      

7   The receptionist asked a relative to help the writer.

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say      

8   Alessandro was a taxi driver.

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say      

9   When the car broke down, Alessandro phoned a mechanic.

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say      

10   There was no food for the writer at the farmhouse.

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say      

answers:

BBCBABABBB

source. englishfile NB2