Novelty and evaluation / Stretch

A Simple Dish Surprises the Judges

Compare a fictional food contest's unfamiliar ingredients, purity descriptions, and anonymous entry forms, then describe high standing, relative quality, and an apparent contradiction.

READING 1 OF 23 focus words

Describe ingredients and an anonymous entry

Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.

A judge finds one competitor's spice mixture exotic because its aroma and combination are unfamiliar within the judge's own cooking experience. Another competitor offers unadulterated apple juice, with no unwanted additions mixed into the pressed juice described in the contest notes. A third entry's form is devoid of the competitor's name, displaying only a code the panel cannot link to a particular maker. The organizer keeps the identity key separate and asks judges to record observations about each dish under its code.

The exotic mixture becomes less unfamiliar as the judge reads an unsigned ingredient note and compares the flavors described there with the actual sample. The unadulterated juice is considered on the qualities it actually has, without assuming that the absence of additions must make every drink preferable. The form remains devoid of the competitor's name when the entry reaches the next judge, preserving the same anonymous identification throughout the round. Judges record comments beside the code while the organizer keeps names apart from tasting sheets until the comparisons are complete.

Before you move on

Look away from the passage. Can you explain each focus word in your own words?

Original fictional passages for vocabulary practice.

Return to top