How to practice this piece
1. Listen without reading
Press play and do not look at the text. You can repeat the audio as many times as you want or slow it down.
2. Do the exercises
Comprehension, true or false, ordering, real speech and a dictation. Each one is checked at the end.
3. Read and listen again
When you finish every exercise the text unlocks, with each word highlighted while it plays.
Comprehension
Choose your answers. They are not graded automatically: when you have answered them all, press “Check answers” at the bottom to see which ones you got right.
Question 1
What is Ben doing?
Question 2
Where does this conversation happen?
Question 3
Which milk does Ben choose for his latte?
Question 4
How much is Ben's whole order?
Question 5
Why does Ben want two cookies?
Question 6
What does Maya say about the muffin at the end?
0 of 6 answered
About this piece
A short conversation at a café counter. Practice the phrases you need to order food and drinks in English, understand prices and pay, and notice how people really speak when they are in a hurry.
What you will practice
- Comprehension: the main idea and the details you hear (numbers, prices, times, names).
- True, false or not given: precise attention to what was really said.
- Ordering: following the sequence of what happened.
- Real speech: forms and expressions that do not sound the way they are written.
- Dictation: writing the missing words in a sentence from the audio.
Vocabulary from this piece
latte noun
a coffee drink with a lot of hot milk
muffin noun
a small sweet cake you can eat with your hands
oat noun
a grain used in food and drinks
sugar noun
a sweet white food you put in coffee or tea
cut back phrasal verb
to use or eat less of something
to go phrase
food or a drink you take with you and don't eat or drink in the shop
make it two phrase
to change your order to two of something
boss noun
the person in charge at your work
busy adjective
with a lot of people or a lot to do
tap verb
to touch something lightly, like a card on a machine
Maya: Hi there! What can I get for you?
Ben: Hi. Can I get a large latte, please? And I'll take a blueberry muffin, too.
Maya: Sure. Do you want the latte with regular milk or oat milk?
Ben: Oat milk, please. And no sugar. I'm trying to cut back.
Maya: No problem. Is that for here or to go?
Ben: To go, please. I'm gonna be late for work.
Maya: Okay. That's seven fifty so far. Anything else? We have cookies today, too.
Ben: Hmm, how much are the cookies?
Maya: They're two dollars each. The chocolate ones are really good.
Ben: Okay, I'll take one. Actually, make it two. One is for my boss.
Maya: Nice! So that's a large oat latte, a muffin, and two cookies. That's eleven fifty.
Ben: Great. Do you take cards?
Maya: Yep! Just tap right here.
Ben: Perfect. Thanks!
Maya: Can I get a name for the cup?
Ben: It's Ben.
Maya: Thanks, Ben. It'll be about five minutes. We're pretty busy this morning.
Ben: That's fine. I'll wait over there.
Maya: Okay. Oh, and Ben? Your muffin is warm. Be careful!
Ben: Oh, thanks. I will.