The Reading / Listening - Street Food - Level 2

A street-food seller wants to give back a top international chef's award. The seller is known as the "crab omelet queen". Jai Fai, 72, has a street stall in the middle of Bangkok. Her crab omelets are so tasty that the international dining guide Michelin awarded her a Michelin Star. This is one of the highest awards a chef can get anywhere in the world. It usually only goes to chefs in top restaurants. Michelin said it would add Bangkok to its fine dining lists. Many people were surprised that a street-food seller in Bangkok got the Michelin Star.

Chefs are usually happy to get the Michelin Star, but Jai Fai said she is not so pleased. She wants to give the star back. Ms Fai said her life has changed too much and she wants her old life back. She said she does not like being famous because of the star. One reason is that many people are now around her stall. She is getting stressed. Tourists take photos, passers-by stop to watch her, and some tax officers visited her. Fai said: "Many people come just to look and take pictures and not necessarily to eat." She said happy customers are more important than "a million stars".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Street Food - Level 0 Street Food - Level 1   or  Street Food - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/bangkok-street-vendor-michelin-star-raan-jay-fai-give-back-a8150341.html
  • http://nationalpost.com/life/food/why-bangkoks-michelin-starred-street-vendor-wants-to-give-back-her-star
  • https://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/bangkok-crab-omelette-queen-wants-give-back-her-michelin-star


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. The seller is known as the
  2. a street stall in the middle
  3. Her crab omelets
  4. one of the highest awards
  5. anywhere
  6. chefs in top
  7. fine
  8. Many people were
  1. a chef can get
  2. dining
  3. of Bangkok
  4. surprised
  5. are so tasty
  6. in the world
  7. "crab omelet queen"
  8. restaurants

Paragraph 2

  1. she is not
  2. she wants her old
  3. She is getting
  4. passers-by stop
  5. some tax officers
  6. come just to look and take
  7. She said happy customers are
  8. a million
  1. more important
  2. so pleased
  3. stars
  4. stressed
  5. pictures
  6. life back
  7. visited her
  8. to watch her

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A street-food seller wants to (1) ___________________ top international chef's award. The seller (2) ___________________ the "crab omelet queen". Jai Fai, 72, has a street stall in the middle of Bangkok. Her crab omelets (3) ___________________ that the international dining guide Michelin awarded her a Michelin Star. This is one of the (4) ___________________ chef can get anywhere in the world. It usually only (5) ___________________ in top restaurants. Michelin said it would add Bangkok to its fine dining lists. Many people (6) ___________________ a street-food seller in Bangkok got the Michelin Star.

Chefs are (7) ___________________ get the Michelin Star, but Jai Fai said she is (8) ___________________. She wants to give the star back. Ms Fai said her life has changed too much and she wants her (9) ___________________. She said she does not like being famous because of the star. One reason is that many people are now around her stall. She (10) ___________________. Tourists take photos, passers-by stop to watch her, and some tax officers visited her. Fai said: "Many (11) ___________________ to look and take pictures and (12) ___________________ eat." She said happy customers are more important than "a million stars".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Astreet-foodsellerwantstogivebackatopinternationalchef'saward.T
hesellerisknownasthe"crabomeletqueen".JaiFai,72,hasastreetstalli
nthemiddleofBangkok.Hercrabomeletsaresotastythattheinternatio
naldiningguideMichelinawardedheraMichelinStar.Thisisoneofthehig
hestawardsachefcangetanywhereintheworld.Itusuallyonlygoestoch
efsintoprestaurants.MichelinsaiditwouldaddBangkoktoitsfinediningl
ists.Manypeopleweresurprisedthatastreet-foodsellerinBangkokgot
theMichelinStar.ChefsareusuallyhappytogettheMichelinStar,butJay
Faisaidsheisnotsopleased.Shewantstogivethestarback.MsFaisaidhe
rlifehaschangedtoomuchandshewantsheroldlifeback.Shesaidshedo
esnotlikebeingfamousbecauseofthestar.Onereasonisthatmanypeop
learenowaroundherstall.Sheisgettingstressed.Touriststakephotos,
passers-bystoptowatchher,andsometaxofficersvisitedher.Faisaid:"
Manypeoplecomejusttolookandtakepicturesandnotnecessarilytoeat
."Shesaidhappycustomersaremoreimportantthan"amillionstars".

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.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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