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Reading Worksheet

From Bean to Bar

A2 Passive Voice: Present Simple Passive (is/are + past participle) Food and Processes 20 minutes
Before You Read

Discuss these questions with a partner before you read.

  • Do you like chocolate? What is your favourite kind?
  • Where do you think chocolate comes from?
  • Can you think of any foods that go through a long process before they reach the shops?
  • Look at the title: ‘From Bean to Bar’. What do you think ‘bean’ and ‘bar’ refer to?
Key Vocabulary
Word Definition Example
cocoa bean (n.) the seed of the cocoa plant, used to make chocolate Cocoa beans are grown in hot countries near the equator.
pod (n.) a long case that grows on plants and contains seeds The cocoa beans are found inside large pods on the tree.
ferment (v.) to change chemically through a natural process The beans are left to ferment for several days.
roast (v.) to cook something in a hot oven or over heat The dried beans are roasted at high temperatures in the factory.
mould (n.) a container used to give food a particular shape The chocolate mixture is poured into moulds and left to cool.
ripe (adj.) fully grown and ready to eat or use The pods are picked when they are ripe.
Reading Text
Magazine Article ~210 words

From Bean to Bar: How Chocolate is Made

Cocoa beans are grown in hot countries near the equator, such as Ghana, Brazil, and Indonesia. The beans are found inside large pods on the cocoa tree. Each pod contains around 40 beans. The pods are picked by farmers when they are ripe.

After picking, the beans are removed from the pods. They are left to ferment for several days in large wooden boxes. This gives the beans their rich flavour. Then they are dried in the sun for one to two weeks.

The dried beans are sent to a factory. There, they are roasted at high temperatures. The shells are removed and the beans are crushed into small pieces. These pieces are called cocoa nibs.

Next, the nibs are ground into a thick paste called cocoa mass. Milk, sugar, and butter are added to the paste. The mixture is heated and stirred for many hours to make it smooth. Then it is poured into moulds.

Finally, the chocolate is cooled and hardened. The bars are removed from the moulds. They are wrapped in foil and packed into boxes. They are then sent to shops around the world, ready for us to enjoy.

Notice the Grammar

Look at these sentences from the article: ‘The pods are picked by farmers.’ and ‘The beans are roasted at high temperatures.’ What do you notice about the verb forms? Who or what is the subject of each sentence? Who actually does the action?

1 Reading for Gist

Answer these questions in a few words. You do not need to write full sentences.

  1. What is this article mainly about?
  2. How many main steps are described in the article?
  3. Where does the process begin and where does it end?
2 Reading for Detail

Write short answers to these questions. Use information from the article.

  1. In which countries are cocoa beans grown? Give two examples.
  2. How many beans does each pod contain?
  3. How long are the beans left to ferment?
  4. What is cocoa mass?  a) A drink made from cocoa beans. b) A thick paste made from ground cocoa nibs. c) Another name for a cocoa pod. 
  5. What three ingredients are added to the cocoa mass?
3 True, False, or Not Given

Read the statements. Write T (True), F (False), or NG (Not Given). If the answer is False, write the correct information.

  1. Cocoa beans are grown in hot countries near the equator.
  2. The beans are dried for exactly one week.
  3. Dark chocolate is the most popular type of chocolate in the world.
  4. The chocolate mixture is poured into moulds after it is heated and stirred.
  5. The chocolate bars are sold directly by the factory.
4 Vocabulary in Context

Answer these questions about words and phrases from the article.

  1. In paragraph 3, the beans are ‘crushed into small pieces’. What does ‘crushed’ mean?  a) Washed carefully. b) Broken into small pieces by pressing hard. c) Cooked at high temperature. 
  2. Look at paragraph 2: ‘This gives the beans their rich flavour.’ What does ‘rich’ mean in this context?
  3. Find a word in paragraph 3 that means ‘small pieces of crushed cocoa bean’. 
  4. What does ‘ground’ mean in paragraph 4: ‘the nibs are ground into a thick paste’? Write your own definition.
5 Grammar in Context

Complete these activities about the present simple passive.

  1. Find five present simple passive sentences from the article. Write them below.
    a)  b)  c)  d)  e) 
  2. How do we form the present simple passive? Complete the rule: ‘Subject + ___ + ___’
  3. Which sentence is correct present simple passive?  a) The beans roasted at high temperatures. b) The beans are roasted at high temperatures. c) The beans is roasted at high temperatures. 
  4. Change these sentences to the present simple passive. (a) ‘Farmers pick the pods.’ → ‘The pods ___ by farmers.’ (b) ‘Workers add milk and sugar.’ → ‘Milk and sugar ___.’ (c) ‘Workers pour the mixture into moulds.’ → ‘The mixture ___ into moulds.’
  5. Choose a food or drink you know. Write three sentences describing how it is made. Use the present simple passive (is/are + past participle).
Personal Response — Discuss with a partner

Discuss these questions with a partner. Share one idea with the class.

  1. Were you surprised by any part of the chocolate-making process? Which step did you find most interesting?
  2. The article says cocoa beans are grown in countries like Ghana and Brazil. Do you know of any food or drink that is produced in a specific part of the world?
  3. Is there a food or drink from your country that goes through a special process to make it? Can you describe it?

Answer Key

From Bean to Bar — A2 — Passive Voice: Present Simple Passive (is/are + past participle)

Exercise 1 — Reading for Gist

  1. How chocolate is made / the process of making chocolate.
  2. Five steps.
  3. It begins on cocoa trees / farms and ends in shops around the world.

Exercise 2 — Reading for Detail

  1. Ghana, Brazil, and Indonesia (any two).
  2. Around 40 beans.
  3. Several days.
  4. b)
  5. Milk, sugar, and butter.

Exercise 3 — True, False, or Not Given

  1. T — Stated directly in paragraph 1: ‘Cocoa beans are grown in hot countries near the equator.’
  2. F — The article says ‘one to two weeks’, not exactly one week.
  3. NG — The article does not mention types of chocolate or their popularity.
  4. T — Stated in paragraph 4: ‘Then it is poured into moulds.’
  5. F — The article says they are sent to shops, not sold directly by the factory.

Exercise 4 — Vocabulary in Context

  1. b)
  2. Strong and full of taste / intense in flavour.
  3. nibs
  4. Crushed or processed into a fine powder or paste by pressing and rubbing.

Exercise 5 — Grammar in Context

  1. Any five sentences using is/are + past participle from the article. Examples: ‘Cocoa beans are grown in hot countries.’ / ‘The pods are picked by farmers when they are ripe.’ / ‘The beans are removed from the pods.’ / ‘They are left to ferment for several days.’ / ‘The dried beans are sent to a factory.’ / ‘They are roasted at high temperatures.’ / ‘The shells are removed.’ / ‘Milk, sugar, and butter are added.’ / ‘The mixture is heated and stirred.’ / ‘It is poured into moulds.’
  2. is/are + past participle.
  3. b)
  4. (a) are picked. (b) are added. (c) is poured.
  5. Answers will vary. Check that each sentence uses is/are + past participle. Look for process verbs such as: harvested, grown, made, added, c

Notice the Grammar — suggested answers

Accept any five correct examples from the article that use the target grammar. Students should be able to explain why the grammar is used in each case.

Personal Response

Answers will vary. This section is for spoken discussion or short written response. There are no single correct answers.