B1CEFRReading15 min

Reading: The History of the Michelin Guide

Eating out and restaurants

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IELTS Reading Practice • 15 Minutes

The Story of the Little Red Guide

Unit: Eating Out and Restaurants | Level: Intermediate (B1)

Guide How to Use This Lesson

For the Teacher:

Set a timer for 15 minutes and let learners read and answer independently.

Use the built-in evidence keys to discuss why specific sentences confirm or reject an answer.

For the Learner:

Read through the four short paragraphs once to understand the overall story before touching the questions.

Answer each question carefully and always match your choice directly to facts in the text.

Reading Passage

The History of the Michelin Guide

Paragraphs A–D

Vintage early twentieth century red travel guidebook lying open on a wooden table beside old road maps and driving goggl

A Back in 1900, two brothers named André and Édouard Michelin brought out a small handbook made for drivers in France. At the time, they simply wanted to help motorists travel around more easily. Their little book gathered practical addresses that travellers needed, pointing out garages, spots to buy fuel, restaurants and places to spend the night. It also included road maps, useful city layouts and mechanical advice for car trouble. The very first edition proudly told readers that it was published for the brand-new century and would carry on for just as long as the century itself. In those early days, Michelin handed the guide out completely for free.

B Everything shifted in 1920 when the company decided to turn the booklet into a paid item. Michelin explains that asking people to pay for it was a deliberate choice to show that the guide stayed independent and strictly protected its editorial standards without outside influence.

C As the years went by, recommending eating spots became far more central to the whole project. In 1926, the publishers took a major step forward by awarding stars to exceptional dining places. According to Michelin, it was this star system that truly made the booklet a household name across the globe.

D To keep their reviews reliable, Michelin invented the formal role of inspector in 1933. These reviewers visited dining spots secretly to judge their quality. Looking back at this long journey, Michelin reports that between 1900 and 2017, the guide achieved sales of over 30 million copies worldwide.

Questions 1–8

Work through the eight questions below in order. Choose or type your answers based directly on the passage.

Questions 1–2

True / False / Not Given

Do the following statements agree with the information in the reading passage? Choose TRUE if the statement agrees with the information, FALSE if the statement contradicts the information, or NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.

1 Michelin began charging money for the booklet in 1920 to protect its editorial standards.

____ TRUE ____ FALSE ____ NOT GIVEN

2 André and Édouard Michelin owned several of the restaurants recommended in the 1900 guide.

____ TRUE ____ FALSE ____ NOT GIVEN

Questions 3–4

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.

3 What was the primary goal of the first Michelin handbook in 1900?

____ A. To rate the finest luxury dining spots across France ____ B. To make journeys simpler and more convenient for motorists ____ C. To advertise newly established car repair garages ____ D. To celebrate the arrival of 30 million drivers in Europe

4 What can be inferred about the creation of the inspector role in 1933?

____ A. The publishers wanted staff to sell more paid copies in shops ____ B. Drivers complained that mechanics were giving inaccurate technical advice ____ C. Michelin needed dedicated evaluators because restaurant assessment had grown so important ____ D. Local governments requested formal supervision over hotel prices

Questions 5–6

Matching Information

Which paragraph contains the following information? Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.

5 a reference to the huge overall quantity of handbooks bought by the public

____ Paragraph A ____ Paragraph B ____ Paragraph C ____ Paragraph D

6 the introduction of a rating symbol that brought international recognition

____ Paragraph A ____ Paragraph B ____ Paragraph C ____ Paragraph D

Questions 7–8

Sentence Completion

Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

7 When the brothers first distributed the handbook in 1900, motorists were able to receive it for ____.

Hint: Enter the exact single word from paragraph A.

8 In 1933, the company officially established the position of ____ to review dining spots.

Hint: Write the exact job title mentioned in paragraph D.

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Reading Strategy Tip

Notice how wrong choices in IELTS multiple choice often reuse actual numbers or dates from different parts of the text (such as 30 million or mechanical advice). Always verify that the relationship between the facts matches the question, not just the individual words.

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