A Trip to the Market
Do more with this exercise
Lena goes to the market with only twenty dollars. Read about her trip, then answer the questions.
Reading text
prices
the money you pay for thingsbusy
with a lot of people or a lot to dokilo
a measure of weight, 1,000 gramsstall
a small shop with a table, often outsidestall
a small shop with a table, often outsidecosts
has this priceleft
still here after you spend or take somecosts
has this priceloaf
bread in one big piecebunch
a group of flowers togetherfull
with no more spacePractice exercises
Choose the correct answer
Select the option that answers the question.
1.How much money does Lena have at the start?
2.How many kilos of apples does Lena buy?
3.Why does Lena not buy the chocolate cake?
Right or wrong?
Decide whether each sentence is correct.
4.Lena has a lot of money.
5.Lena buys a loaf of bread for two dollars.
6.Lena buys many tomatoes.
Fill the gaps
Type the missing word or words.
Listen and choose
Listen once or twice, then choose what you hear.
11.How much is the box of eggs?
12.How much money does Lena have now?
13.What does Lena take home?
Listen and write
Listen to each sentence, then write what you hear.
14.Listen and write the sentence.
15.Listen and write the sentence.
16.Listen and write the sentence.
Frequently asked questions
Is this reading text good for A2 learners?
Yes. It uses common words about shopping and money, and short sentences with much, many, a lot of, a little and a few.
How can I use this page to learn English?
Read the text, check the glossary, answer the questions, then listen and write three sentences from the text.
When do we use much and many?
We use many with things we can count, like stalls and tomatoes. We use much with things we cannot count, like money.
Answer key
1. How much money does Lena have at the start?
Answer: Twenty dollars
The text says: Today I am at the market with twenty dollars.
2. How many kilos of apples does Lena buy?
Answer: Two
The apples cost two dollars a kilo, and Lena buys two kilos.
3. Why does Lena not buy the chocolate cake?
Answer: It costs a lot of money
The text says eight dollars is a lot of money for a cake.
4. Lena has a lot of money.
Answer: False
The text says: I don't have a lot of money.
5. Lena buys a loaf of bread for two dollars.
Answer: True
The text says: I buy a loaf of bread for two dollars.
6. Lena buys many tomatoes.
Answer: False
The text says she doesn't need many tomatoes, so she buys a few.
7. Three dollars is not ___ money for six eggs.
Answer: much
With money, which we cannot count, we use much or a lot of in a negative sentence.
8. Lena doesn't need ___ tomatoes, so she buys only a few.
Answer: many
Tomatoes are things we can count, so we use many or a lot of.
9. Lena asks, “Is there ___ nice for three dollars?”
Answer: anything
In questions we usually use anything. Something is also possible.
10. How ___ is a kilo of apples? Two dollars.
Answer: much
We ask about a price with how much.
11. Listening question 11: A box of six eggs is only three dollars.
Answer: Three dollars
The speaker says, “A box of six eggs is only three dollars.”
12. Listening question 12: Now I have five dollars left.
Answer: Five dollars
The speaker says, “Now I have five dollars left.”
13. Listening question 13: I go home with one dollar and a full bag.
Answer: A full bag and one dollar
The speaker says, “I go home with one dollar and a full bag.”
14. Dictation 14
Answer: I don't have a lot of money, so I look at the prices first.
Lena looks at the prices first because she doesn't have a lot of money.
15. Dictation 15
Answer: I don't need many tomatoes, so I buy a few for three dollars.
Lena buys only a few tomatoes because she doesn't need many.
16. Dictation 16
Answer: A small bunch of flowers is only two dollars.
The flowers are cheap: only two dollars.