The Reading / Listening - Level 2

A restaurant in Italy has been named as the best in the world. The Osteria Francescana restaurant was named number one at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony. The ceremony is like the Oscars of the food world. Italian food is loved worldwide, but this is the first time an Italian restaurant has won the annual prize. The Osteria Francescana came second in 2015. The chef and owner is Mr Massimo Bottura. He was very emotional when he collected his award. He said: "I want to thank everyone because it has been so hard. Our job is all about art…in the kitchen."

Winning the award is good for business. The Osteria Francescana is fully booked until November. People must make a reservation six months in advance. Customers will fly to Italy just to eat at the restaurant. The judges gave Bottura the award for his creative and original food, and traditional ingredients. Bottura makes amazing shapes with cheese. He creates, "forms and textures most diners will never have…experienced." One of his best-known dishes is a dessert called, "Oops, I Dropped the Lemon Tart". The chef drops it from half a metre and it smashes on the plate.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.thelocal.it/20160614/italian-restaurant-crowned-the-best-in-the-world
  • http://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/news/osteria-francescana-first-italian-restaurant-to-be-named-worlds-best-restaurant/
  • http://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/14/foodanddrink/2016-world-best-restaurant-awards/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. named as the
  2. Italian food is loved
  3. won the annual
  4. The chef and
  5. He was very emotional when he
  6. I want to thank
  7. it has been so
  8. Our job is all about art
  1. collected his award
  2. hard
  3. best in the world
  4. in the kitchen
  5. worldwide
  6. owner
  7. everyone
  8. prize

Paragraph 2

  1. Winning the award is good
  2. fully
  3. People must make
  4. six months
  5. fly to Italy just to
  6. his creative and
  7. He creates forms
  8. The chef drops it
  1. a reservation
  2. from half a metre
  3. eat at the restaurant
  4. booked until November
  5. and textures
  6. in advance
  7. original food
  8. for business

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A restaurant in Italy has been (1) ___________________ in the world. The Osteria Francescana restaurant was named number one at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants (2) ___________________. The (3) ___________________ the Oscars of the food world. Italian food is loved worldwide, but (4) ___________________ time an Italian restaurant has won the annual prize. The Osteria Francescana came second in 2015. The (5) ___________________ is Mr Massimo Bottura. He was very emotional when he collected his award. He said: "I want to thank everyone because it (6) ___________________. Our job is all about art…in the kitchen."

Winning the award is (7) ___________________. The Osteria Francescana is fully booked until November. People must make a reservation six (8) ___________________. Customers will fly to Italy just to eat at the restaurant. The judges gave Bottura the award for his (9) ___________________ food, and traditional ingredients. Bottura makes (10) ___________________ with cheese. He creates, "forms and textures (11) __________________ never have…experienced." One of his best-known dishes is a dessert called, "Oops, I Dropped the Lemon Tart". The chef drops it from half a metre (12) ___________________ the plate.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ArestaurantinItalyhasbeennamedasthebestintheworld.TheOsteriaF
rancescanarestaurantwasnamednumberoneattheWorld’s50BestRe
staurantsawardsceremony.TheceremonyisliketheOscarsofthefood
world.Italianfoodislovedworldwide,butthisisthefirsttimeanItalianre
stauranthaswontheannualprize.TheOsteriaFrancescanacamesecon
din2015.ThechefandownerisMrMassimoBottura.Hewasveryemotion
alwhenhecollectedhisaward.Hesaid:"Iwanttothankeveryonebecaus
eithasbeensohard.Ourjobisallaboutart…inthekitchen."Winningthea
wardisgoodforbusiness.TheOsteriaFrancescanaisfullybookeduntilN
ovember.Peoplemustmakeareservationsixmonthsinadvance.Custo
merswillflytoItalyjusttoeatattherestaurant.ThejudgesgaveBotturat
heawardforhiscreativeandoriginalfood,andtraditionalingredients.B
otturamakesamazingshapeswithcheese.Hecreates,"formsandtextu
resmostdinerswillneverhave…experienced."Oneofhisbest-knownd
ishesisadessertcalled,"Oops,IDroppedtheLemonTart".Thechefdrop
sitfromhalfametreanditsmashesontheplate.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You