Slow coffee in a fast city

How it works

The text

Addis Ababa rarely stands still. Cranes swing above half-finished towers, minibuses compete for every metre of road, and phones buzz with messages that all claim to be urgent. And yet, in the middle of this hurry, something stubbornly slow survives. On a plastic stool in a narrow courtyard, a woman washes green coffee beans, roasts them over charcoal and walks the smoking pan around the room so that everyone can breathe in the smell. Nobody checks the time. The ceremony cannot be rushed, and that, perhaps, is precisely the point. Three rounds of coffee give neighbours time to share news, settle small disagreements and notice who has not been seen for a while. Modern cafés in the city serve excellent coffee in a fraction of the time, and many young professionals prefer them. It would be easy to see this as the end of a tradition, but that seems too simple. The same people who grab a macchiato on the way to work often return home to sit by the jebena on Sunday afternoon. The city has not chosen between fast and slow; it has learned to need both.

Exercises

1. What is the main idea of the essay?

   የድርሰቱ ዋና ሐሳብ ምንድን ነው?

   • ☐ a) Young people no longer drink coffee at home.
   • ☐ b) The slow ceremony still has a place alongside the city's fast pace.
   • ☐ c) Modern cafés are destroying the coffee ceremony.
   • ☐ d) Addis Ababa should build fewer towers.

2. Why does the writer describe cranes, minibuses and phones at the start?

   ጸሐፊው በመጀመሪያ ክሬኖችን፣ ሚኒባሶችንና ስልኮችን ለምን ይገልጻል?

   • ☐ a) to create a contrast with the slow ceremony
   • ☐ b) to advertise a café
   • ☐ c) to complain about traffic
   • ☐ d) to give facts about the economy

3. "Something stubbornly slow survives." The word "stubbornly" suggests that the ceremony …

   "Something stubbornly slow survives." "stubbornly" የሚለው ቃል ሥነ ሥርዓቱ… እንደሆነ ይጠቁማል።

   • ☐ a) is disappearing quickly
   • ☐ b) is difficult to learn
   • ☐ c) refuses to change despite pressure
   • ☐ d) is only for older people

4. "That, perhaps, is precisely the point." What does "that" refer to?

   "That, perhaps, is precisely the point." "that" የሚያመለክተው ምንን ነው?

   • ☐ a) the fact that the ceremony cannot be rushed
   • ☐ b) checking the time
   • ☐ c) the smell of the coffee
   • ☐ d) the charcoal

5. According to the writer, what social purpose does the ceremony serve?

   እንደ ጸሐፊው ገለጻ ሥነ ሥርዓቱ ምን ማኅበራዊ ጥቅም ይሰጣል?

   • ☐ a) It gives neighbours time to talk and look after each other.
   • ☐ b) It teaches children to cook.
   • ☐ c) It raises money for the community.
   • ☐ d) It helps people find jobs.

6. What is the writer's view of the idea that cafés mean "the end of a tradition"?

   ካፌዎች "የባህሉ ፍጻሜ" ናቸው ስለሚለው ሐሳብ የጸሐፊው አመለካከት ምንድን ነው?

   • ☐ a) The writer agrees completely.
   • ☐ b) The writer thinks it is too simple.
   • ☐ c) The writer thinks cafés should be closed.
   • ☐ d) The writer does not mention it.

7. Modern cafés serve coffee in a _______________ of the time.

   በጣም ትንሽ በሆነ ጊዜ (የአንድ ነገር ትንሽ ክፍል)።

8. 1. 1. stand still → ___
   2. 2. rush → ___
   3. 3. settle a disagreement → ___
   4. 4. grab a coffee → ___

   • a) ማቻኮል
   • b) መረጋጋት፣ አለመንቀሳቀስ
   • c) ቡና በችኮላ መጠጣት
   • d) አለመግባባትን መፍታት