Read the passage carefully before attempting Exercise 1 (Multiple Choice) and Exercise 2 (Fill in the blanks dropdown) below.
Priya is from Bristol, but she is living in Edinburgh for work. Last Saturday, she went to a food market near her flat. She wanted to try some new food, but she did not know the market very well. She stopped at a stall with colourful fruit and vegetables. A young woman next to her was looking at the same thing — a big bag of spiced chickpeas.
“Are they good?” Priya asked. The woman smiled and said, “Yes! I buy them every week. My name is Zara.” Zara was from Edinburgh, but her family was from Morocco. She knew all the best stalls at the market. She showed Priya her favourite coffee stand and a bakery with amazing sourdough bread. They sat outside and talked for almost two hours.
Zara loves hiking and takes photos of the Scottish hills. Priya loves cooking and wants to learn new recipes. They are very different, but they both laughed a lot that day. Before they left, they exchanged numbers. Priya sent Zara a message that evening: “Today was great! Do you want to go to the market again next Saturday?” Zara replied with three happy emojis and a big “Yes!”
Exercise 1
Read the passage about meeting a new friend carefully. Then choose the correct answer for each question based on the text.
Example: Where does the girl meet her new friend?
Answer: She meets her new friend at school.
Meeting a New Friend
Have you ever started talking to someone and immediately felt like you already knew them? Making a new friend can happen in unexpected places — on a bus, at a market, or even in a café queue. Before you read, think about these two questions: Where did you meet your best friend? And what do you usually talk about when you meet someone new?
Reading Passage: A Message from Priya
Priya is from Bristol, but she is living in Edinburgh for work. Last Saturday, she went to a food market near her flat. She wanted to try some new food, but she did not know the market very well. She stopped at a stall with colourful fruit and vegetables. A young woman next to her was looking at the same thing — a big bag of spiced chickpeas.
"Are they good?" Priya asked. The woman smiled and said, "Yes! I buy them every week. My name is Zara." Zara was from Edinburgh, but her family was from Morocco. She knew all the best stalls at the market. She showed Priya her favourite coffee stand and a bakery with amazing sourdough bread. They sat outside and talked for almost two hours.
Zara loves hiking and takes photos of the Scottish hills. Priya loves cooking and wants to learn new recipes. They are very different, but they both laughed a lot that day. Before they left, they exchanged numbers. Priya sent Zara a message that evening: "Today was great! Do you want to go to the market again next Saturday?" Zara replied with three happy emojis and a big "Yes!"
Key Vocabulary in Context
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech | Definition | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| market | noun | A place outdoors where people sell food and other things | We bought fresh tomatoes at the market on Sunday. |
| stall | noun | A small table or stand where someone sells things, usually outdoors | There was a stall selling hot soup near the entrance. |
| spiced | adjective | Food with a strong, warm flavour from spices like cumin or chilli | She bought a bag of spiced nuts from the shop. |
| exchanged | verb (past simple) | Gave something to someone and received something back | They exchanged numbers after the meeting. |
| recipe | noun | Instructions for how to cook a dish | Can you send me the recipe for that soup? |
| replied | verb (past simple) | Answered a message or question | She replied to his email the next morning. |
| favourite | adjective | The one you like most | This café is my favourite place in the city. |
| unexpected | adjective | Something you did not plan or think would happen | Meeting her there was a wonderful, unexpected surprise. |
Reading Strategies & Comprehension Tips
Skim First, Then Scan
Read the whole passage quickly one time to get the general idea. Ask yourself: Who is this about? What happens? Then read again more slowly to find specific details, like where Priya and Zara met, or what they talked about.
Look for Names and Places
This passage has two main people — Priya and Zara. Make sure you know which facts belong to which person. For example, Zara loves hiking, but Priya loves cooking. In exam questions, these details are often tested.
Follow the Timeline
The story moves through time: Saturday at the market → sitting outside talking → that evening, a message. Noticing time words like last Saturday, that day, and that evening helps you understand the order of events.
Read the Dialogue Carefully
The passage includes two short pieces of direct speech. These tell you how the characters feel and what they want. Priya's message at the end shows she wants to see Zara again — this is important for understanding the story's outcome.
Common Reading Pitfalls & Traps
Mixing Up Where People Are From
The passage says Priya is from Bristol but living in Edinburgh. Students sometimes think Priya is from Edinburgh. Read carefully — from and living in have different meanings.
Confusing the Two Characters' Hobbies
Zara loves hiking and photography. Priya loves cooking. Because both characters appear in the same sentence, it is easy to mix these up. Slow down when you read sentences with and joining two different ideas about two different people.
The Word "Exchanged"
"They exchanged numbers" does NOT mean they had a disagreement or gave back something wrong. In this context, it simply means they gave each other their phone numbers. This is a common false interpretation for A1 learners.
Zara's Background
The text says Zara was from Edinburgh but her family was from Morocco. This does not mean Zara lives in Morocco — she lives in Edinburgh. Be careful with sentences that mention both a person and their family separately.
Quick Summary
In this passage, you read about Priya, a woman new to Edinburgh, who meets Zara at a local food market. They connect over food, explore the market together, and quickly become friends. The story shows how a simple, everyday moment — asking a question about chickpeas — can lead to a real friendship. The key vocabulary focuses on everyday social situations and common action verbs in the past simple tense.
Now read the passage carefully and complete Exercise 1 (Multiple Choice) and Exercise 2 (Fill-in-the-gap dropdown) below.
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