What Makes a Local Food Project Work
About this practice test
A learner reads about a neighbourhood food project that turns surplus food into affordable meals through flexible planning, volunteers and cooperation.
What you’ll practice
Finding detail
Locate specific information and evidence.
Interpreting ideas
Connect main points and inferences.
Evaluating arguments
Assess claims, evidence, and limitations.
What to expect:
6 questions with explanations to review after submission.
Study the questions and tasks
Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.
- Practice level
- B1. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.
- Question formats
- Multiple choice
How to approach this practice
Read the passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.
What Makes a Local Food Project Work
In Brookdale, a small town café owner called Maya and a local gardener, Tom, started a food project with one simple idea: use good food that shops cannot sell and turn it into cheap meals for the neighbourhood. They began in an old bus yard behind the library, where there was enough room for a tiny kitchen and a row of planting boxes. On busy weeks, the yard feels small, but the team uses every corner carefully. Every Friday, two markets and a bakery save crates of fruit, vegetables, and bread that are still fine to eat but will not stay fresh long. A team of volunteers collects the boxes, checks them, and brings them to the yard. At first, Maya and Tom tried to cook the same dish every week, but people did not always want it. Now the menu changes according to what arrives, so one week there may be soup and bread, and the next week a pasta dish with salad. The project also sends baskets to the school club and the day centre for older people. To keep things fair, no group can take only the best items; each basket must have a mix of fresh produce. This keeps the project fair and avoids waste. The organisers say that a flexible menu also saves time because volunteers do not spend hours planning food that may never arrive. That also helps when donations are late or smaller than expected. What makes the project work is not only the food, but the way people work together. Everyone has a clear job: some sort produce, some cook, and others deliver meals by bicycle. A short message goes out on Thursday evening so people know what to bring. Maya says the best part is seeing neighbours talk to each other while they wait. Tom agrees, and he thinks projects fail when one person tries to control everything. The local shop helps by lending storage space, and in return its name appears on the project noticeboard. New volunteers can join after one training session, which keeps the project open but organised.
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Question 1 · Multiple choice
Choose all the correct answers.
Choose TWO statements that best describe the project.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- It uses food that shops cannot sell.
- It is run by a national supermarket chain.
- It depends on volunteers.
- It serves only one dish each week.
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- It uses food that shops cannot sell.; It depends on volunteers.
The passage says the project uses food that shops cannot sell and that volunteers collect and check the boxes. It is not a national chain, and it is not described as serving only one dish each week.
use good food that shops cannot sell and turn it into cheap meals for the neighbourhood
A team of volunteers collects the boxes, checks them, and brings them to the yard
It uses food that shops cannot sell.: Correct. This is the project's main idea.
It is run by a national supermarket chain.: Incorrect. The project is started by Maya and Tom in Brookdale, not by a chain.
It depends on volunteers.: Correct. Volunteers collect, check, and deliver the food.
It serves only one dish each week.: Incorrect. The menu changes according to what arrives.
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Question 2 · Multiple choice
Choose all the correct answers.
Choose TWO reasons why the organisers changed from one fixed dish every week to a flexible menu.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- The project buys food from a supermarket chain.
- People did not always want the same dish.
- Volunteers wanted to stop cooking meals.
- Planning a fixed dish could waste time because the food might not arrive.
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- People did not always want the same dish.; Planning a fixed dish could waste time because the food might not arrive.
They changed because people did not always want the same dish, and because planning a fixed dish could waste time when the food might not arrive. The other options are not supported by the passage.
At first, Maya and Tom tried to cook the same dish every week, but people did not always want it
The organisers say that a flexible menu also saves time because volunteers do not spend hours planning food that may never arrive
The project buys food from a supermarket chain.: Incorrect. The food comes from local markets and a bakery that save unsold food.
People did not always want the same dish.: Correct. The passage gives this as one reason.
Volunteers wanted to stop cooking meals.: Incorrect. The passage says volunteers continue to cook and organise the food.
Planning a fixed dish could waste time because the food might not arrive.: Correct. The passage says a flexible menu saves time because volunteers do not plan food that may never arrive.
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Question 3 · Multiple choice
Choose all the correct answers.
Choose TWO parts of the rule that help keep the project fair and avoid waste.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- sending food only to the school club
- stopping one group from taking only the best items
- cooking the same dish every week
- making each basket have a mix of fresh produce
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- stopping one group from taking only the best items; making each basket have a mix of fresh produce
The rule has two linked parts: no group can take only the best items, and each basket must have a mix of fresh produce. Together, these make the project fair and reduce waste.
To keep things fair, no group can take only the best items; each basket must have a mix of fresh produce
This keeps the project fair and avoids waste
sending food only to the school club: Incorrect. The project sends baskets to more than one group.
stopping one group from taking only the best items: Correct. This is one part of the rule.
cooking the same dish every week: Incorrect. That was the old system, which the project changed.
making each basket have a mix of fresh produce: Correct. This is the second part of the rule.
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Question 4 · Multiple choice
Choose all the correct answers.
Choose TWO details that show that the project is carefully organised.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Everyone has a clear job.
- A short message goes out on Thursday evening.
- The food is cooked only once a month.
- The project has no set jobs.
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Everyone has a clear job.; A short message goes out on Thursday evening.
The passage shows planning through clear roles and a message sent in advance. The other options go against the passage or are not mentioned.
Everyone has a clear job: some sort produce, some cook, and others deliver meals by bicycle
A short message goes out on Thursday evening so people know what to bring
Everyone has a clear job.: Correct. The passage lists the different jobs.
A short message goes out on Thursday evening.: Correct. This helps people prepare in advance.
The food is cooked only once a month.: Incorrect. The passage gives weekly examples, not monthly cooking.
The project has no set jobs.: Incorrect. The passage says the opposite.
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Question 5 · Multiple choice
Choose all the correct answers.
Choose TWO opinions that are expressed in the final paragraph.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- Maya thinks the best part is seeing neighbours talk to each other while they wait.
- Tom thinks projects fail when one person tries to control everything.
- Tom wants the project to sell food at a higher price.
- Maya thinks volunteers should work alone.
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- Maya thinks the best part is seeing neighbours talk to each other while they wait.; Tom thinks projects fail when one person tries to control everything.
Maya thinks meeting neighbours is the best part, and Tom believes projects fail when one person tries to control everything. The other options conflict with what the passage says or are not mentioned.
Maya says the best part is seeing neighbours talk to each other while they wait
Tom agrees, and he thinks projects fail when one person tries to control everything
Maya thinks the best part is seeing neighbours talk to each other while they wait.: Correct. This is Maya's opinion.
Tom thinks projects fail when one person tries to control everything.: Correct. This is Tom's opinion in the passage.
Tom wants the project to sell food at a higher price.: Incorrect. Tom says nothing like this.
Maya thinks volunteers should work alone.: Incorrect. The passage stresses working together, not working alone.
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Question 6 · Multiple choice
Choose all the correct answers.
Choose TWO benefits of the project for the town that are mentioned in the passage.
Return to the passage, recording or visual- It closes the old bus yard.
- It gives the same meal every week.
- It helps people in the town meet each other.
- It reduces food waste.
Check answers and explanations
- Answer
- It helps people in the town meet each other.; It reduces food waste.
The passage says the project reduces waste and helps people talk to one another. It does not close the bus yard or give the same meal every week.
This keeps the project fair and avoids waste
Maya says the best part is seeing neighbours talk to each other while they wait
It closes the old bus yard.: Incorrect. The bus yard is where the project begins.
It gives the same meal every week.: Incorrect. The menu changes according to what arrives.
It helps people in the town meet each other.: Correct. The passage says neighbours talk while they wait.
It reduces food waste.: Correct. The passage states this directly.
What to review next
Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.
A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.
Before you practise: a worked example
Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.
The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?
The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.
This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.