COFFEE CULTURE
The other day I wanted a cup of coffee, so I (0)____ into the bank. I sat in a soft armchair and watched the world (1) ____, which, in this case, was the (2) ____ for the services of the bank clerks. I'm joking.of course, but this could soon be common in banks in big cities.
The (3) ____ for 'real coffee' in Britain, like that for mobile phones, seems never-ending. However, the (4) ____ is that the attraction for many British people (5) ____ not so much in the coffee as in the 'coffee culture' that surrounds it. This is to do with big, soft sofas and the idea that if you sit on one, you too can (6) _____ the actors in the American TV comedy Friends.
In London, the first cafe opened in 1652. Men would (7) ____ there, often at (8) ____times during the day, to (9) ___ news and gossip, discuss (10) _____ of the day and (11) _____ business. The cafes acted as offices and shops in which merchants and agents, clerks and bankers could carry out their (12) _____ .
In London today it is (13) ____ that there are more than 2000 cafes and the number is (14) ____. It won't be long before coffee is sold everywhere. You can already buy it in hospitals, motorway service stations, supermarkets and at tourist (15) ______throughout the country.
1, B. go by
2, A. queue
3, A. demand
4, C. suspicion
5, B. lies
6, C. join
7, D. gather
8, A. regular
9, B. exchange
10, B. issues
11, C. do
12, B. transactions
13, A. estimated
14, B. growing
15, C. attractions