II. Match a paragraph 1–5 with a summary below
a) historical and climatic influences on British cooking
b) there’s everything except an English restaurant
c) the legacy of World War II
d) where there is hope for the future
e) the British love affair with international cooking
III. Read the article more carefully. Choose the best answer, a, b or c.
1. The writers believe that British cooking…
a) has always been very bad.
b) was good until World War II.
c) is good because it is so international.
2. They say that the British…
a) eat only traditional British food in their homes.
b) don’t like cooking with foreign ingredients.
c) buy lots of foreign ingredients.
3. They say that the British weather…
a) enables the British to produce good quality food.
b) often ruins fruit and vegetables.
c) is not such an important influence on British food as foreign trade.
4. They say that World War II had a great influence on British cooking because…
a) traditional British cooking was rediscovered and some good cheap recipes were produced.
b) people had limitless supplies of home-grown food.
c) people started to believe that British food was boring, so after the war they wanted to cook more interesting and international dishes.
5. They say that…
a) British tourists try lots of new dishes when they are abroad.
b) nowadays it is very unusual for British people to cook British food.
c) literature and language are more culturally important than food.
6. The writers’ final conclusion about British cooking is that…
a) there is no hope.
b) you will only be able to get British food in expensive restaurants.
c) you will be able to get more good traditional British dishes, especially in pubs.
IV. In pairs, spend 10 minutes preparing a set of questions, about the article, to ask other pairs. Use the ‘question starters’ below:
1. What would be result of…?
2. What exactly…?
3. In what way…?
4. What’s the main reason why…?
5. According to the text…?
6. What practical measures could be taken to…?
7. How might…?
8. What is it that…?
9. Why can’t…?
10. What do you think is meant by…?
It is interesting to know.…
· British eating habits are very different now from thirty years ago. People travel more and are learning to enjoy food from many different countries. In most towns, there are Chinese and Indian restaurants but in big cities you can also eat Japanese, Thai, Korean and Malaysian food. These restaurants are often cheaper than European restaurants and many people think that the food is more interesting.
· Take-away food is also very popular in Britain. Many people think that the idea of take-away meals comes from the USA, but in fact it comes from Britain. The original British take-away meal was fish and chip chops everywhere, as well as restaurants selling fast food like pizzas and hamburgers.
Lexical exercises
Active vocabulary
I. Choose the right word
| fast food cookbook recipe dish menu take-away bill ingredients service wait person tip dessert bar lounge restaurant order |
I really hate … I prefer to go to a good …that serves everything, including the…, using the best …Sometimes, I like to …something that I have tried at home. First, I look up the …in the …and then I cook the... Next, I go to the restaurant, and when the …comes to my table I ask for the …and order what I have already cooked at home! Sometimes, I like to go out for a…. You can have a drink in either a …or a…, which are usually nicer. At the end of the evening, it's time to ask for the …and, usually, if the …has been good, it's a good idea to leave a 15%-20% ….
II. Match the verb and its meaning
| 1. bake | a) cook over water |
| 2. boil | b) cook in a pan with some oil or fat |
| 3. fry | c) cook with a strong direct heat over or under the food |
| 4. grill | d) cook in the oven but with no extra oil or fat |
| 5. roast | e) cook in a pan with very hot water |
| 6. steam | d) cook in the oven with some extra oil or fat |
III. Match the two halves of the sentences
| 1. The beef is served with boiled or | a) bread |
| 2. I'd like some bacon and a fried | b) egg for breakfast |
| 3. The cheese salad comes with freshly baked | c) steamed |
| 4. If you don't mind, I prefer my vegetables | d) seafood |
| 5. That grilled | e) roast potatoes |
| 6. My favourite paella is a mixture of rice and | f) fish was delicious |
IV. Choose the appropriate verb
| crisp grilled roasted chilled garnished crushed fried |
1. If food or drink is…., it is made cold, usually by being placed in the fridge.
2. If food is…, it is cooked in oil, often in a flat pan.
3. If food or ice is…it is broken into very small pieces by being pressed.
4. If meat or poultry is…, it’s cooked inside an oven.
5. If food is…it is cooked under a source of heat or on a barbecue.
6. If food is….with something, for example herbs, it is decorated with them.
7. If pastry or vegetables are…, they are hard, dry and fresh.
V Describing food and drinks to someone who doesn’t know much about your local cuisine is not always an easy thing to do. Match each noun from the box with the groups of words below to form strong word pairs.
| meat salad dish red wine food meal steak beer white wine vegetables |
1. light heavy quick vegetarian
2. rich spicy plain fast
3. traditional unusual exotic local
4. roast stewed cold sliced
5. rare medium tough well-done
6. fresh frozen crisp seasonal
7. green chicken mixed fruity
8. light full bodied robust
9. dry medium sweet crisp
10. strong bottled export draught
Speaking