IELTS FOUNDATION 2

UNIT 4
FOOD AND DRINK
A. VOCABULARY:
Exercise 1: Put the words in the correct categories to complete the table.
milkshake yoghurt cabbage basil butter cheese lamb

salt and pepper juice rice beef lemonade chill bread

chicken onion carrot salad

dairy products herbs and spices

(=foods made from (=food that gives strong meat
milk) flavors to other food)

side dishes
(food that you eat along soft drinks vegetables
with the main course)

Exercise 2: Complete the definitions. Use the sentence endings in the box.
you cook it at a temperature below boiling. you cook it for too long and it goes black.

you cook it in an oven. you cook it in hot oil or fat. you cook it under a very hot place.

you cook them in an oven, using a little oil or fat.

you cook them in water that is boiling (= very hot). you cut it into long, thin pieces.

you cut them into pieces with knife. you put it on plates so that people can eat it.

1. When you chop vegetables, __________________________________

2. When you boil potatoes, __________________________________
3. When you fry meat, __________________________________
4. When you simmer soup, __________________________________
5. When you burn toast, __________________________________

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6. When you slice cheese, __________________________________

7. When you bake a cake, __________________________________
8. When you roast potatoes, __________________________________
9. When you serve a meal, __________________________________
10. When you serve a meal, __________________________________

Exercise 3: Complete the descriptions. Use the words in the box.

crockery cutlery frying pan kettle napkin saucepan scales
serving dish tin opener utensils

1. A _____________ is a wide pan that you use to fry food in.

2. The general name for knives, forks and spoons is ______________ .
3. A ______________ is a small piece of cloth or paper used while you’re eating to protect your
clothes or clean your mouth or fingers.
4. The general name for cups, plates, bowls, etc. is _________________ .
5. A _____________ is something that you use to open tins of food.
6. A _____________ is a deep pan that you use for cooking vegetables or pasta in water.
7. You can use _______________ to weigh ingredients.
8. A _____________ is a bowl where you keep food before you put it onto plates.
9. The general name for wooden spoons, kitchen knives and other things that help you cook is
kitchen _________________ .
10. You can use a _________________ to boil water.

Exercise 4: Complete the sentences. Use the adjectives in the box.

bland delicious disgusting hot mild raw salty
savory spicy sweet

1. I love ______________ food. It’s hot and has lots of strong flavors.
2. I prefer _______________ food. It still tastes good, but it’s not hot and the flavors aren’t very
strong.
3. _______________ pies, like apple pie, are popular in many countries.
4. _______________ pies, like meat pie, are also popular in some countries.
5. I don’t like ________________ chilli. It’s too strong for me.
6. This meal is _______________ . It tastes really nice.
7. I don’t like mashed potato. It’s so _______________ and doesn’t really taste of anything.
8. These carrots are very _______________ . There’s too much salt on them.
9. This meat is still _______________ ! Please cook it a bit longer.
10. The meal was ________________ . It tasted horrible!

Exercise 5: Choose the best words to complete the conversation.

A: Come in! Dinner’s nearly cooking/made/ready .

B: Oh, great. It feels/smells/tastes lovely. What is it?

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A: It’s Jollof rice. It’s a traditional dish/meal/plate from West Africa.

B: Oh, right. So what’s it made of/on/to ?
A: Well, the main course/ingredient/recipe is rice.
B: OK. What else is from/in/with it?
A: Well, it also contains/ holds/involves fried onions and tomatoes. Plus lots of spices like chilli and
pepper to give it a strong appetite/color/flavor . Would you like to fry/test/try it?
B: Yes, please. Oh, that is nice. It looks/tastes/seems delicious.
B. GRAMMAR:
Exercise 1: Read the information. Then read the sentences and choose the correct answers.
Countable nouns:
Things that you can count, e.g. one book, two books; one person, two
people.

Uncountable nouns:
Things that we don’t normally count, e.g. water, fun.

1. I went to the shop and bought two ice creams, one for me and one for you.
In this sentence, ‘ice cream’ is
o countable
o uncountable
2. For dessert, we’ve got ice cream.
In this sentence, ‘ice cream’ is
o countable
o uncountable
3. In my family, we often have pizza for dinner. It’s our favorite meal.
In this sentence, ‘pizza’ is
o countable
o uncountable
4. I ordered a takeaway pizza, but when it arrived, it was really small.
In this sentence, ‘pizza’ is
o countable
o uncountable
5. Would you like a chocolate?
In this sentence, ‘chocolate’ is
o countable
o uncountable
6. I never eat chocolate. It’s too sweet for me.
In this sentence, ‘chocolate’ is
o countable

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o uncountable

7. Could we have three coffees, please?

In this sentence, ‘coffee’ is
o countable
o uncountable
8. Do you like coffee?
In this sentence, ‘coffee’ is
o countable
o uncountable
Exercise 2: Read the information. Then choose the correct words to complete the sentences.
We use much with singular uncountable nouns and many with plural
nouns

1. How many/much meals do you eat every day?

2. We haven’t got many/much bread. Can you buy some?
3. There wasn’t many/much food at the party, so i’m still hungry!
4. You eat too many/much sweets. They’re bad for your teeth.
5. Do you eat many/much fruit?
6. How many/much rice do you want? A lot or just a little?
7. You didn’t cook many/much peas. Are you sure there are enough for all of us?
8. I don’t want too many/much spaghetti. I’m not really hungry.
9. There’s too many/much butter on that toast! It’s not healthy.
10. I don’t eat many/much eggs. I don’t really like them.
Exercise 3: Choose the correct words to complete the text.
For breakfast, I usually have a/any/some toast and jam. I don’t put a/any/some butter on my toast. I
usually just drink a/any/some cup of tea with my breakfast. I don’t put a/any/some sugar in my tea
– I don’t like sweet drinks. At the weekend, I often have a/any/some egg for breakfast. Then, at
about 11 o’clock, I usually have a/any/some coffee break. I eat a/any/some biscuits – just two or
three. Then for lunch, I usually have a/any/some sandwich. I also eat a/any/some fruit, like an apple
or an orange. I never eat a/any/some crisps – they’re really unhealthy.
Exercise 4: Complete the description of how to make scrambled eggs. Use a, the, some or any.
1. You will need __________ butter, two or three eggs and ___________ large frying pan.
2. First of all, break ___________ eggs into ___________ bowl.
3. Make sure there aren’t ____________ pieces of eggshell in _____________ bowl.
4. Mix ____________ eggs with ____________ fork .
5. Now melt ____________ butter in ____________ frying pan.
6. When ____________ butter has melted, pour ______________ eggs into the frying pan.
7. Use ____________ wooden spoon to stir the eggs in ___________ pan .
8. When it’s nearly ready, add ____________ salt and pepper to ______________ eggs.
9. Keep mixing _____________ eggs with ___________ wooden spoon.

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10. When it’s ready, serve ___________ scrambled eggs with ______________ toast.

Exercise 5: Choose the correct answers to complete the sentences.

1. I eat a few/ a little/ a lot of cheese – too much, really, but I love it.
2. I made a few/ a little/ a lot of sandwiches, but our visitors still ate every single one!
3. When I was younger, I ate a lot of chocolate, but I eat fewer/less/ more chocolate now – I'm
trying to be healthier.
4. We prepared enough food for ten people, but there were a lot fewer/less/ more people than
that at the party. It was really crowded!
5. The extra-large pizza is perfect for four or more people. For fewer/less/ more people, we
recommend a normal pizza.
6. It’s better to cook your own food than to buy fast food. Cooking usually takes fewer/less/
more time, but it’s much healthier.
7. A: So who did you invite for dinner?
B: Just a few/ a little/ a lot of people – only three.
8. A: Do you want some milk or sugar in your coffee?
B: Just a few/ a little/ a lot of milk, please. Not too much.
9. A: How much time do you spend cooking every day?
B: A few/ A little/ A lot! At least three hours every day.
C. READING:
Exercise 1: In this unit, you will answer IELTS Reading matching information questions and
read a text called ‘How technology has changed the way we communicate’.
What do you know about the development of the telephone? Match the decades with the
correct photos.
1920s 2000s 1970s 2010s
1980s

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Exercise 2: What words and phrases do you already know for describing communication?
Match the words and phrases with the definitions.
formal interaction online forum relationship social media
social network to get in touch to keep in touch to respond update

1. to begin communicating with someone, for example, by email or telephone: ______________

2. to continue communicating with someone, for example, by email or
telephone:__________________
3. new information on a particular topic: _______________
4. the different groups of people that you know: _________________
5. websites and computer programs that allow people to communicate on the
internet:_________________
6. a time when two or more people communicate with or react to each other: __________
7. to say or do something in reply to something that has been said or done earlier: _________
8. describes language, clothes and behavior which is used in important and serious events, for
example a job interview: _________________
9. a place on the internet where people can leave messages or discuss particular topics:
________________
10. the way in which two or more people feel and behave towards each other: _____________

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Exercise 3: Read the information. Then match the phrases describing types of information
with the words in bold in the statements.
In an IELTS Reading matching information task, you will read a text and some statements
about it.

It is important to understand what types of information the statements need you to find. The
types of information might be:

 an example of / some examples of …

 a comparison between …
 a description of …
 a reference to …
 a prediction about …

a comparison between a description of a prediction about a reference to

an example of

1. Young students use Instagram far more than they use SnapChat. ___________
2. Digital devices will probably replace books in all UK schools by 2030. ___________
3. The new phone has a great camera and a clever feature which makes apps easy to use.
_____________
4. The first email message was sent in 1971. ______________________
5. There are many reasons why I stopped using social media, such as the huge amount of time it
took up. ______________________

Exercise 4: Read this paragraph from the text. What information does it contain? Choose the
correct answer.
How technology has changed the way we communicate
Paragraph A
It’s often impossible for teenagers to imagine that in the past we all had to make our social
arrangements either face-to-face or using a telephone landline. Just 20 years ago, trying to organize a
visit to the cinema meant that you had to call your friends at least a day in advance and hope they’d
be home when you rang. If someone didn’t turn up, you could try to call them from a public
telephone box. If their parents were home, you could leave a message, but your plans for the evening
would probably be ruined.

The information in Paragraph A is:

o a comparison between the advantages of old and new technology.
o a description of the difficulties people used to have before they had mobile phones.
o a reference to the way technology can make relationships better or worse.

Exercise 5: Read the information. Then match the types of information with the sentences.

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When reading an IELTS Reading text, it is important to think about what type of information
it covers. Other types of information could be:

 a reason for ...

 details of ...
 a description of ...
 a suggestion ..

a description of a reason for a suggestion details of

1. Perhaps we should focus more on face-to-face communication than digital communication?

_____________________
2. Fewer people are sending letters by post because stamps are very expensive nowadays.
________________________
3. Mervyn's YouTube channel had a huge number of followers. His videos were about his daily
life in New York and where people could go to find the best R’n’B music in Manhattan.
________________________
4. 75% of teens in the 12–17 age group own mobile phones. Every month, girls send out
approximately 3,952 messages, and boys send about 2,815. _______________________

Exercise 6: Read the next paragraph. Then match the information statements (A–D) with the
numbered parts of the paragraph (1–3). There is one information statement that you do not
need.
Paragraph B
Nowadays, getting in touch is a lot easier. Almost every aspect of human communication has
changed: we have email, text, Skype, Facebook and Instagram, and we are certainly busy using them
to build and maintain our relationships. According to recent reports, the top social networks now
each have more than a billion monthly active users. And keeping in touch isn’t just something we do
in class or at work any more: we continue to communicate with friends, strangers, family and
colleagues (1) while we’re on the train, in the living room and at the dinner table, for instance.
One recent British study indicated that (2) 79% of teens even put their phone under their pillow
so they can keep up-to-date with whatever is happening on social media day and night, and not
miss out on updates. As for adults, a recent survey showed that (3) they now spend 20 to 28 hours
a week on social media and have on average 275 personal connections. However, in contrast,
only 11% of these same people actually meet their social connections in an actual physical
environment on a regular basis.

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A. a comparison between the time spent online with friends and time spent in
real places
B. some examples of typical locations in which digital technology may be
found
C. the reason why some young people feel the need to keep a digital device
with them at all times
D. the suggestion that adults could learn about digital communication from
their children

1.
2.
3.

Exercise 7: Read the next paragraph. Then complete the matching information statements for
the numbered parts of the paragraph. Use the words in the box.
Paragraph C
Email is now one of the most common means of communication. At the moment, over 100 billion
emails are sent and received per day for business purposes. (1) This trend is expected to continue,
and business email will account for over 132 billion emails sent and received per day two years
from now. The number of letters which are sent through the post, however, has decreased
dramatically. (2) A consequence of this is that many town and village post offices have closed.
These were once places where a great deal of social interaction used to take place between local
people. Now it is no longer possible for neighbors or workers in the area to meet up with each
other like this, and older people in particular are often unhappy about this development. But
certainly the advantages of email cannot be ignored: in the past, the post would only be delivered
once or twice a day. If a letter was sent to an overseas destination, it could take months. Without
doubt, email has made it easier to do business.

a description a prediction community form of

communication

1. ______________________ of how a particular _____________________

2. ______________________ of how the loss of a public service has affected the
______________________

Exercise 8: Quickly skim read the next paragraphs. Then do the exercise.
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Paragraph D
However, there are several downsides to this form of technology. Firstly, no one would disagree that
email puts pressure on people to respond immediately as soon as they find a new message in their
inbox. A recent French report says that anxiety and general tiredness has risen dramatically amongst
office workers, largely because they carry their digital devices with them, feeling obliged to
constantly check for new mail from clients. A further problem is how to write an email, especially
when communicating with people we don’t know well. In the past, everyone knew that it was
‘correct’ to begin a letter ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ and end with ‘Yours faithfully’. Nowadays, these
phrases often feel too formal. No one wants to give the wrong impression when writing an email, but
without ‘rules’, this can easily happen.
Paragraph E
Another significant impact technology has had on methods of communication is in the field of
education. Traditionally, if someone wanted to take a higher education course, they would have to
travel to attend lessons on a university campus. Nowadays, it is possible to take a range of courses
through distance learning, and the number of these is likely to rise in the next few years. What is the
appeal of studying this way? Many online courses encourage students to take part in online forums
and post comments about their learning experiences, reading assignments and projects. They must
also comment on their classmates’ posts. In one way, this approach certainly appears to encourage
communication.

Paragraph F
However, some surveys have found the opposite to be true. Because online students are physically
separated, and indeed may never have met, they do not have the opportunity to build a good
relationship. Students who come to campus regularly have the chance to get to know and support
each other, and feel part of a community, so when they are asked to comment on the other person’s
work, they can do this in ways they know the other person will appreciate. For example, some
students prefer their peers to be direct in their criticism, whereas others might prefer a more sensitive
approach. But when students are asked to comment on the work or opinions of people they have
never met, they are often reluctant to do so. Interestingly, one of the main reasons why people give
up studying on their online courses is that they miss the face-to-face interaction with others.
Certainly technology has made our lives more ‘convenient’ but perhaps also more complicated.
There are many questions still to be answered about how we can and should use our modern digital
tools to enable effective communication, an evolutionary skill that has been centuries in
development.

Match the paragraphs with the general topics.

1. the advantages of studying online
o D
o E
o F
2. problems that occur at work and in formal situations because of digital communication
o D
o E

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o F

3. the disadvantages of studying online

o D
o E
o F
Exercise 9: Read paragraphs D-F again, this time more carefully. Which paragraph contains
the following information? You may use any letter more than once.
1. a reason why some learners do not complete an academic program
o D
o E
o F
2. a reason for an increase in levels of stress in employees
o D
o E
o F
3. a prediction about the way that an academic service might develop in the future
o D
o E
o F

4. an example of a traditional practice in writing that people used to use more often
o D
o E
o F
5. a comparison between the ways that different people like to be given feedback on their
work
o D
o E
o F

EXAM PRACTICE:
Passage 1:
GRAPHIC NOVELS
People who think graphic novels are just comics with a different name should think again

A. Graphic novels, as the name suggests, are books written and illustrated in the style of a comic
book. The term graphic novel was first used in 1978 by author and artist Will Eisner to distinguish
a comic novel he had written and illustrated from newspaper comic strips. He described graphic
novels as consisting of 'sequential art' — a series of illustrations which, when viewed in order, tell
a story.

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B. Although today's graphic novels are a recent phenomenon, this basic way of telling stories has
been used in various forms for centuries. Early cave drawings, hieroglyphics and medieval
tapestries are examples of this. The term graphic novel is now generally used to describe any book
in a comic format that resembles a novel in length and narrative development.

C. Many adults feel that graphic novels are not the type of reading material that will help young
people become good readers. They believe that graphic novels are somehow a bad influence that
prevent 'real' reading. In other words, they think that they are not 'real' books.

D. However, many quality graphic novels are now being seen as a method of storytelling on the
same level as novels, films or audio books. From originally appealing to a small following of
enthusiasts, they are now being accepted by librarians and teachers as proper literature for children
and young adults. The main advantages are that they promote literacy, and attract and motivate
young people to read.

E. How do we know this? In the last few years, teachers and school libraries have reported
outstanding success getting children to read with graphic novels. Many have mentioned the
motivational factor of the graphic novel. This has been especially true with children who are
usually reluctant to read, especially boys. The colorful pictures attract them, and then encourage
them to find out what the story is about. Providing young people of all abilities with a wide range
of reading materials, including graphic novels, can help them become lifelong readers.

F. Furthermore, one of the main benefits of a graphic novel is that it can help students who are
learning a foreign language, and who are having problems improving their reading skills. This is
because the pictures provide clues to the meaning of the words. Language learners are therefore
more motivated by graphic novels, and will acquire new vocabulary more quickly.

G. Many teachers have reported great success when they have used graphic novels with their
students, especially in the areas of English, social studies and art. They have discovered that, just
like traditional forms of literature, they can be useful tools for helping students examine aspects of
history, science, literature and art.

H. The idea that graphic novels are too simple to be regarded as serious reading is no longer valid.
The excellent graphic novels available today demand many of the same skills that are needed to
understand traditional works of fiction. Often they actually contain more sophisticated vocabulary
than traditional books. Reading them can help students develop the skills that are necessary to read
more challenging works.
Questions 1 -7:
The Reading passage has eight paragraphs, A-H.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-H.

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NB You may use any letter more than once.

1. people with negative attitudes towards graphic novels __________

2. a variety of school subjects where graphic novels can play an important role __________
3. why a graphic novel's visual element speeds up learning __________
4. a modern definition of graphic novels __________
5. graphic novels are as good as any other method of telling a story __________
6. graphic novels sometimes use advanced words __________
7. the historical use of pictures as a method of storytelling __________
Passage 2:

The rain makers

Science and technology work with nature to bring rain when and where it is needed.

A. Wheat farmer Gang Liu is a worried man. The annual rains have not arrived, and there is a
danger that unless there is substantial rainfall soon, his annual wheat crop will fail. As he looks
anxiously at the clouds which promise rain but are failing to deliver it, there is a sudden loud roar,
and from fields for miles around, hundreds of small rockets are fired into the clouds. Within
twenty minutes, the farms around the eastern Chinese city of Luohe are experiencing their first
rain for many weeks. Gang Liu's valuable wheat has been saved, thanks to a technique known as
'cloud seeding', in which the chemical silver iodide (Agl) is introduced into clouds. This causes
the tiny drops of moisture in the clouds to turn to ice. These tiny ice particles join until they
become heavy enough to fall from the sky, turning into rain as they melt.

B. But did cloud seeding really cause the rain in Luohe to fall, or was it just a coincidence?
Experts often question whether cloud seeding actually works. It is hard to tell how effective cloud
seeding actually is, they say, as it might have rained anyway, without human intervention. But
this has not stopped many governments and organisations from trying. There are currently 150
weather-modifying projects taking place in more than 40 countries. Not all of them are aimed at
creating rain. The Eastlund Scientific Enterprises Corporation in the USA, for example, is
experimenting with firing microwaves into clouds to prevent the tornadoes which cause enormous
damage to the country every year. In Russia, experiments have been carried out to make sure the
sun shines during important national events.

C. However, it is rainmaking that dominates the research programmes. In many of these,

researchers are using trials in which some clouds are 'seeded' while others are not, and both
groups are monitored. Arlen Huggins of the Desert Research Institute is leading a research project
in Australia. Weather-monitoring technology is so good nowadays, he says, that we can measure
clouds much more effectively, even from the inside. As a result, we now know much more about
the effect humans can have on the weather. What Huggins' team has discovered so far is
promising. They believe that cloud seeding does work, although there are still two years of the
six-year project left to go.

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D. In China, where the majority of cloud-seeding operations take place, weather-modification

authorities use army rockets to fire silver-iodide particles into the clouds. 39,000 staff working
for the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) are equipped with 7,113 army cannons
which, in 2006, were used to fire a million silver-iodide rockets into the atmosphere. This costs
over $100 million a year, although the CMA claims the results are worth the expense. Between
1999 and 2006, they say, cloud seeding produced 250 billion metric tonnes of rain and prevented
thousands of farmers from losing their crops.

E. "We want to understand what makes clouds rain," says Philip Brown of the UK
Meteorological office, explaining why so much time, effort and money are being invested. "But
there is a more powerful economic reason. A lot of countries around the world are at risk from
drought, and governments will try anything to make sure that doesn't happen, even if the
scientific evidence is weak. The potential economic value is greater than the scientific value.
Making it rain might allow you to keep agriculture going where, without human intervention, it
might fail."

F. Some people are concerned, however, that altering the weather can have negative
consequences. Leonard Barrie, director of the research department at the World Meteorological
Organisation in Geneva, explains why. "All areas of weather modification are still very
controversial. Some people think that diverting water for irrigation benefits some people, but is a
disadvantage to others. Someone in one area will get more water, but as a result, someone
somewhere else could get less." His fears may be justified. Recently, the town of Zhoukou in
China's Henan province accused neighbouring town Pingdingshang of 'stealing' rain from clouds
that were due to pass over its own farms, prompting what may be the world's very first
documented incident of 'rain rage'.

Questions 1-6
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each
answer.

1. Experts are unsure if cloud seeding is __________ or not.

2. At the moment, there are over __________ where projects are being carried out to modify the
weather.
3. Thanks to modern __________, it is now possible to get better results when clouds are monitored.
4. The Desert Research Institute project will finish in a couple of __________
5. The CMA gets the equipment they need from the __________
6. A large number of __________benefited from cloud seeding carried out by the CMA.

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