Self-study 1
A variety of american foods (English Learner’s Digest. – 2002. – №4. – p.11)
Situation: You are going to open a first-class restaurant in Ukraine where only American food will be served. But your friends don’t support your idea. They say that American food is hot-dogs and coca-cola that’s why your restaurant won’t differ from McDonald’s. Before making a decision read the article about American cuisine and take the following 5 steps.
Step 1. Is it special?
Skim through the article about American foods and find out what is the peculiarity of the American cuisine.
Step 2. What do they eat?
A) Read the article again and copy out the names of food and dishes mentioned in it on two lists:
B) Which dishes have inner explanations in the article? Copy out their descriptions from the text. Transcribe the words.
Which dishes/food are described below? (use the prompt words in the stars)
1) a type of thin flat Mexican bread made from corn or wheat flour;
2
)
a sauce made from onions, tomatoes and chillies that you put on
Spanish or Mexican food;
3) a thick soup usually made with fish (clam), vegetables, and milk;
4
)
fruit baked inside a pastry covering;
5) a spicy dish made with beans, meat, and chillies;
6) a small flat sweet cake with a flavour of anise.
C) Use Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English and find out the difference between English-style and American-style puddings as a sweet dish.
Step 3. The South and the North
Read the article carefully and find out what food the North and the South are famous for. Fill in the table with the names of food and dishes traditional for the New England and New Mexican cuisines. What tastes prevail in each of them? What factors made them quite different?
-
New England cuisine
New Mexican cuisine
Food
Dishes
Tastes
Step 4. The traditional food may tell us a lot …
It occurred to a thoughtful chef that …..
Do you share his opinion?
Point to the facts and prove
that he is quite right or quite mistaken
Step 5. Is there any difference?
Compare the Ukrainian and American foods. Which cuisine – New Mexican or New England – has more food and dishes similar to the Ukrainian traditional meals? What are they? How can your explain it?
Step 6. It will be as I wish!
Prove your friends that your American restaurant will be quite different from McDonald’s. Write a menu that will be available at the restaurant. Mind that it should reflect the traditional cuisine of the USA.
Self-study 2
Pubs – a national institution (English Learner’s Digest. – 2006. – №20. – p.7)
Task 1. THE FIRST IMPRESSION
Read the article about public houses in gb and guess what kind of magazine / book it has been taken from. What was the author’s intention of writing it?
Task 2. FACTS ABOUT PUBS
Read the facts about English pubs and agree or disagree to them. If the fact is false, correct it.
1. A pub stands for a public house.
2. There are about 70,000 pubs all over Britain.
3. Pubs are open to visitors only at lunchtime and in the evenings.
4. Scottish-style pubs are the most popular theme public houses.
5. You are allowed to order beer.
6. Visitors can enjoy playing draughts in the pub.
7. ‘Tired’ pubs offer a wider choice of beer than ‘free’ public houses.
8. Visitors are told once about closing a pub.
9. The government supported the nation brewers’ monopoly.
10. Nowadays pubs are becoming more and more popular with young people.
Task 3. HISTORY OF PUBLIC HOUSES
Answer the questions about pubs.
1. What drinking places preceded the development of pubs? Arrange them in chronological order. What did they differ in?
2. When did the first public houses appear? Who was interested in building them? Why were they built?
3. What are the differences between two types of public houses: ‘tired houses’ and ‘free houses’?
Task 4. FURTHER INSIGHTS INTO PUBS
Express your opinion of the author’s remarks (agree / develop his idea / disagree / contradict etc).
Task 5. LET’S IMAGINE THAT …
If you visited a pub, what would you tell your friends about? Describe your imaginary visit to a pub (200-250 words).