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Cooking at Home – Bilingual English Listening Practice (A1–C2)

ALL STORIES➡



Marta makes pasta for dinner. She boils up some water in a pot and throws in the pasta. Then, she chops up tomatoes and cheese. When the pasta’s ready, she mixes everything together on a plate. In the end, she sits down to eat and enjoys her meal.


Marta decides to cook at home instead of ordering in. She boils up some water and throws in a bit of salt before cooking up the pasta. Meanwhile, she whips up a sauce with tomatoes, garlic, and basil. Once it’s done, she sprinkles some grated cheese on top. She sits down for dinner and feels good about her homemade meal.


Marta loves whipping up homemade meals. Today, she’s decided to make pasta with tomato sauce. First, she sizzles up some garlic and onion in olive oil. Then, she throws in crushed tomatoes and lets the sauce simmer down. While that’s going, she cooks the pasta until it’s al dente. When it’s time to serve, she tops it off with fresh basil and Parmesan. She feels proud of how her recipe turned out.


Cooking at home is one of Marta’s favorite things to do. She loves playing around with new ingredients and tweaking her recipes to make them better. Today, she makes fresh pasta from scratch, mixing up the dough with flour and eggs. Then, she cooks up a tomato sauce with spices and a splash of red wine. Before serving, she tastes the sauce and adjusts the seasoning. As she digs into her meal, she thinks about how cooking lets her get creative and unwind.



For Marta, cooking isn’t just something she has to do—it’s how she expresses herself. She’s passionate about putting together balanced meals, mixing and matching flavors and textures. Today, she’s playing around with homemade pasta, tweaking the dough’s hydration to get just the right texture. She also throws in some fresh herbs to bring out the sauce’s aroma. As she gets into the cooking process, she realizes that food is part science, part art—and every little detail makes a difference in how it all turns out.


Marta gets into cooking with a kind of philosophical mindset, thinking through how each ingredient adds to the balance of the dish. She reflects on how gastronomy has evolved over time and how food traditions shape a culture’s identity. Today, she whips up a dish inspired by classic Italian cooking, tweaking the acidity and sweetness in her tomato sauce to get the balance just right. As she tries her creation, she appreciates how food can tell a story and bring out real emotions.


  




SPEAKING PRACTICE –  PHOTO DESCRIPTION – Model answers (A1–C2)



🟩 A1 – Beginner

There is a woman in the kitchen. She is cooking. She is alone. There are many things in the kitchen, like vegetables, a fridge, and a table. The kitchen looks nice.


🟨 A2 – Elementary

In the picture, a woman is cooking in a kitchen. She is wearing an apron and using a spoon. The kitchen is clean and organized. There are some vegetables on the table, and everything looks ready for a meal. She looks busy.


🟦 B1 – Intermediate

This image shows a woman cooking in a warm, well-organized kitchen. She is standing at the stove, stirring something in a pot. The setting includes typical kitchen appliances, such as a fridge, microwave, and stove. It seems like she’s preparing lunch or dinner. The atmosphere feels calm and homey.


🟧 B2 – Upper-Intermediate

The picture depicts a woman engaged in cooking, perhaps preparing a homemade meal in a neatly arranged kitchen. The scene conveys a strong sense of routine and comfort, with natural light filtering through the window and ingredients like vegetables and herbs visible on the counter. It suggests a moment of peaceful domestic life, where cooking is not only a task but also an enjoyable daily ritual.


🟥 C1 – Advanced

This illustration offers a detailed view of a woman immersed in cooking, surrounded by the tools and ingredients of a well-stocked kitchen. Her focused posture, the neat arrangement of items, and the warm lighting combine to suggest a blend of efficiency and care. Rather than rushing, she appears to be fully present, perhaps finding a sense of fulfilment in the process. The environment radiates order and warmth, reinforcing the idea that the kitchen can be both a workspace and a personal sanctuary.


🟪 C2 – Proficient

The image captures an evocative moment of domestic harmony, where the act of cooking becomes a meditative experience. Bathed in golden light, the woman’s precise movements and the curated kitchen details evoke a balance of function and beauty. This is not merely food preparation—it’s a celebration of mindfulness, tradition, and personal agency. The spatial composition, with its symmetry and earthy tones, reinforces an atmosphere of intentional living. It’s a quiet homage to the art of homemaking, in which the ordinary becomes meaningful. 



 SPEAKING PRACTICE –  PHOTO COMPARISON – Model answers (A1–C2)



🟢 A1

In the first picture, a woman is cooking in a kitchen. In the second picture, a woman is working in a restaurant. Both are making food. The first place is a home, and the second one is a restaurant.


🔵 A2

In the first image, the woman seems to be preparing a meal at home, while in the second, the woman is cooking in a professional kitchen. Both people are busy cooking, but the setting is different. One is private, and the other is public.


🟡 B1

The first picture shows a woman cooking in a cozy, well-organized kitchen, probably her own. In contrast, the second picture takes place in a restaurant kitchen, where a chef is preparing meals. Although both individuals are engaged in similar activities, the atmosphere and purpose are quite different.


🟠 B2

While the woman in the first image appears to be cooking at home, possibly for her family, the woman in the second image is working in a commercial kitchen, likely as part of her job. The main similarity between both scenes is the focus on food preparation, but the motivation, setting, and environment contrast significantly. The home kitchen feels personal and calm, whereas the restaurant seems more demanding and fast-paced.


🔴 C1

The two images portray similar actions—cooking—but in markedly different contexts. The first setting reflects a domestic routine, where the woman might be enjoying a relaxing moment preparing a meal. On the other hand, the second image suggests a high-pressure, professional environment, where time and efficiency are likely crucial. While both individuals are cooking, the purposes, stakes, and levels of expertise involved are quite distinct. Personally, I’d find the home setting more appealing due to its warmth and sense of comfort.


🟣 C2

These two visuals offer contrasting perspectives on culinary activity, one representing the intimacy of home cooking, and the other the structured intensity of a commercial kitchen. The woman’s setting, in the first image, exudes serenity, autonomy, and emotional connection to food preparation, while the restaurant scene evokes precision, collaboration, and performance under pressure. Both images celebrate cooking, yet they do so through entirely different lenses—personal fulfillment versus professional obligation. I’m drawn to the first due to its sense of ritual and mindfulness, whereas the second, though admirable, lacks that personal touch.