Emma was looking at her phone in the kitchen. She found a recipe for pasta with tomato sauce. 'This looks delicious,' she thought. She wanted to surprise her family with a homemade dinner. Emma made a list of all the ingredients she needed. The recipe required tomatoes, garlic, onion, and basil. She also needed olive oil and pasta. Emma walked to the supermarket near her house. The store was busy because it was Saturday afternoon. She found fresh tomatoes in the vegetable section. The tomatoes were red and looked perfect. She picked four large tomatoes and put them in her basket. Next, she found the garlic and onions. She bought a small bunch of fresh basil too. At the checkout, the cashier smiled at her. 'Cooking something special today?' the cashier asked. 'Yes, I am trying a new recipe,' Emma replied. Emma walked home with her bag full of ingredients. She was excited to start cooking. In the kitchen, she washed her hands first. Then she washed all the vegetables carefully. She put a large pot of water on the stove. While the water was heating, she started to chop the onion. The onion made her eyes water. 'Why do onions always make me cry?' she laughed. She chopped the garlic into small pieces. Then she cut the tomatoes into cubes. Emma poured olive oil into a pan. She turned on the heat and waited for the oil to warm up. She added the onion to the pan. The onion started to sizzle. She stirred the onion with a wooden spoon. After a few minutes, she added the garlic. The kitchen started to smell wonderful. Then she added the tomatoes to the pan. She stirred everything together. She added a little salt and pepper. The sauce needed to cook for twenty minutes. Meanwhile, the water in the pot started to boil. Emma added the pasta to the boiling water. She set a timer for ten minutes. She tasted the sauce and smiled. 'It needs more basil,' she decided. She tore the fresh basil leaves and added them to the sauce. The timer rang and the pasta was ready. She drained the pasta and put it in a large bowl. She poured the tomato sauce over the pasta. She mixed everything together gently. Her family came home just in time for dinner. 'Something smells amazing!' her mother said. Emma set the table with plates and forks. She served the pasta to everyone. Her father took the first bite. 'This is delicious, Emma!' he said proudly. Her younger brother asked for a second serving. Emma felt happy that everyone enjoyed her cooking. She learned that cooking is about practice and patience. She decided to try another new recipe next weekend.
English Story (A2)Trying a New Recipe
This A2 English story is designed for elementary learners. Click any word for instant translation and build your vocabulary as you read.
aboutStory
Emma decides to cook dinner for her family using a new pasta recipe she found online. Despite some mistakes along the way, she learns that cooking is about patience and practice, and her family enjoys the meal she prepared with love.
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Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
What did Emma want to cook for her family?
2
Why did the onion make Emma cry?
3
How long did the sauce need to cook?
4
