Тексты для дополнительного чтения (Supplementary reading) restaurants
Restaurants range from unpretentious lunching or dining places catering to people working nearby, with simple food served in simple settings at low prices, to expensive establishments serving refined food and wines in formal setting. In the former case, customers usually wear casual clothing. In the latter case, depending on culture and local traditions, customers might wear semi-casual, semi-formal, or even in rare cases formal wear.
The standard way in which restaurants operate is that customers sit at tables, a waiter comes to take their order, and later brings the food and the customers pay the bill afterwards. Depending on local custom, a tip of varying proportions of the bill (often 10-20 %) is added, which (usually) goes to the staff rather than the restaurant.
The term "restaurant" first appeared in the 16th century, meaning "a food which restores", and referred specifically to a rich, highly flavored soup. The modern sense of the word was born in around 1765 when a Parisian soup-seller named Boulanger opened his establishment. The first restaurant in the form that became standard (customers sitting down with individual portions at individual tables, selecting food from menus, during fixed opening hours) was the Grand Taverne de Londres, founded in 1782 by a man named Beauvilliers.
The British have taken good ideas from all over the world. You can eat Chinese, Indian, Italian and Greek food in any big city. There is a fantastic variety of restaurants. The restaurants' best customers are business people, who meet in them to talk business in a relaxed atmosphere away from the telephone. They can eat what they like because the company pays the bill.
When a man and woman want to get to know each other better, they often go out to a restaurant together. After all it's easier to talk in a quiet atmosphere with soft music, wine and good food. Most British families only go to restaurants on special occasions, like birthdays or wedding anniversaries. For visitors to London, eating out can be fun. But if you want that special feeling of London, go to the Ritz in Piccadilly for tea any afternoon at about half past four. And you'll see that the prices are very high. Then you can try England's favorite food-fish and chips. Take it away and eat where you like – in the park, on the bus or while you walk down the street. British restaurants have not always been famous for their good food. Too often, they offered only fried food and chips with everything. But now healthy food is in fashion.
Travelling
Modern life is impossible without travelling. Millions of people all over the world spend their holidays traveling. People travel every day either on business or for pleasure. They can travel by air, by rail, by sea or by road. They travel to see other continents, modern cities and the ruins of ancient towns, they travel to enjoy. Picturesque places, or just for a change of scene. It's always interesting to discover new things, different ways of life, to meet different people, to try different food, to listen to different musical rhythms.
Of course, travelling by air is the fastest and the most convenient way, but it is the most expensive too. Travelling by train is slower than by plane, but it has its advantages. You can see much more interesting places of the country you are travelling through. Modern trains have very comfortable seats. There are also sleeping cars and dining cars which make even the longest journey enjoyable. Speed, comfort and safety are the main advantages of trains and planes- That is why many people prefer them to all other means.
On board large ships and small river boats people can visit foreign countries and different places of interest within their own country. Trips on the Volga, the Dnieper, the Yenisei, the Black Sea are very popular today.
The Black Sea is one of the most wonderful places which attracts holiday-makers all over the world. There are many rest-homes, sanatoriums and tourist camps there. But it is also possible to rent a room or a furnished house for a couple of weeks there. Sometimes we place ourselves in a tent on the sea shore enjoying fresh air and the sun all day long. As a rule people make new friends there. In the daytime we play volleyball, tennis, swim in the warm water of the sea and sunbathe. In the evening people like to sit on the beach watching the sea and enjoying the sunset.
Those who live in the country like to go to a big city and spend their time visiting museums and art galleries, looking at shop windows and dining at exotic restaurants. City-dwellers usually like a quiet holiday by the sea or in the mountains, with nothing to do but walk and bathe and laze in the sun.
Most travelers and holiday-makers take a camera with them and take pictures of everything that interests them - the sights of a city, old churches and castles, views of mountains, lakes, valleys, plains, waterfalls, forests; different kinds of trees, flowers and plants, animals and birds.
People travel by train, by plane, by boat, by car, by bike and on foot. People travel have a holidays or to have business. If people have business trips they choose the fastest transport. They often travel by plane or by train. It is very expensive but it is very fast. And if people want to have a rest they choose traveling by boat, by car, on horseback and etc. When you travel by car or by bike you can stop where you want.
All means of travel have their advantages and disadvantages. And people choose one according to their plans and destinations.
If we are fond of traveling, we see and learn a lot of things that we can never see or learn at home, though we may read about them in books and newspapers, and see pictures of them on TV. The best way to study geography is to travel, and the best way to get to know and understand people is to meet them in their own homes.