I. Find in the text the English equivalents for:

звучать музыкой в ушах русского; более искушенная публика; несъедобные; ломиться от пищи; кухня довольно запутанная; безалкогольные напитки; быть в заблуждении; экспериментировать с чем-либо; домашние закрутки; сердце радуется; обедать вне дома; придерживаться русской пищи; значило бы голодать.

II. Explain what the following mean:

• to be sentenced to smth.

• grilled sausages

• good-humoured

• hard drinks

• take-away food

Translate into English

Как приятно выпить чашечку чая

Иностранцы могут насмешничать, торговцы – пытаться соблазнить некоей альтернативой, но все это тщетно: англичане упорно хранят верность чаю и считают его одной из немногих действительно прекрасных вещей, когда-либо попадавших в Англию из-за границы.

Тогда как другие ублажают себя чем-нибудь покрепче, англичане требуют только чая. Чаю, они присваивают прямо-таки мистические целебные и успокоительные свойства и прибегают к нему в любых кризисных ситуациях. Только чай способен вывести англичанина из шока. И он же служит для того, чтобы просто побыть в обществе других людей – в таких случаях всегда кто-нибудь предлагает выпить чашечку чая. Возможно, чай у англичан – это действительно единственная пагубная привычка.

Чай для обычного англичанина – это, конечно, ИНДИЙСКИЙ ЧАЙ. Его подают с молоком и сахаром, сопровождая угощение народной мудростью о наилучших способах его приготовления. Итак, следует согреть заварочный чайник. Всыпав туда чай и залив его кипятком, надо дать ему немного «постоять» и «завариться» - но не слишком долго, иначе чай будет горчить и станет чересчур крепким. В каждую чашку наливают немного холодного молока, а затем уже добавляют туда чай – либо, разбавив заварку кипятком, либо, что бывает чаще, «прямо так», то есть душистый и крепкий чай из заварочного чайника.

Китайский чай считается более изысканным, ритуал его приготовления примерно тот же, только молоко в чашку добавляют уже после того, как туда налили чай, или вообще не добавляют. Молоко также часто заменяют ломтиком лимона. Сахар кладется в последнюю очередь.

В крупных английских учреждениях чай заваривают в огромных сосудах, вроде русских самоваров, и часто туда уже бывают добавлены молоко и сахар. С такими «самоварами» следует обращаться осторожно. Жидкость, которая бурым потоком устремляется из них наружу, лучше всего характеризует название «столовский чай» - или, как говорят англичане, такой, что «и без чашки чая на столе стоит

Read and dramatize the dialogue.

In the restaurant

• It’s high time to have a bite. Why not go to the refreshment room? Don’t you mind?

• I don’t mind. But I’m hungry enough to go to the restaurant and to have a very substantial dinner. I’d prefer a great deal to have a good meal than to have a snack.

• I think that to have substantial meal is a very good idea. Oh! What a long queue! I’m starving; I positively can’t stand in it.

• Here’s a meat sandwich for you to satisfy your hunger while we are waiting. Take a glance at the menu: there’s a wide choice of tasty dishes on it. I believe we shall take fish and vegetable salad to begin with. I’d rather take either jellied fish or smoked sturgeon.

• I’d better take red caviar. And I wouldn’t say anything against sprats in oil.

• What do you say to vegetable salad? I’d like to take either cucumber and tomato salad dressed with sour cream or cabbage and carrot salad dressed with sunflower oil.

• Dill and parsley as well as onions are out of the question I suppose.

• By the way, you are very particular about food. Now, what shall we take for the first course?

• I’d love to have either chicken noodle soup or milk soup.

• As for me I want neither beet soup nor clear soup because it doesn’t leave sufficient room for the more important meat course.

• What about the main course? I’m hungry enough to take meat dumplings, macaroni and mutton cutlets.

• You can eat anything you like, the slim thing you are! But I’m afraid to put on weight. That’s why I shall have neither beefsteak with mashed potatoes nor spaghetti with stewed duck.

• I see that you are on the slimming diet. Why not take buckwheat porridge with chops or fried potatoes with ham?

• Goodness! How could I? No, I’m likely to have a hard-boiled egg and a piece of sausage. And I’d rather take two hunches of rye bread because I keep to a strict diet.

• And I’d better take a slice of white bread though it is rather stale I should say.

• As for drinks I shall definitely take strong tea with cream and a glass of apple-juice.

• I’m thirsty enough to drink a glass of hot black coffee with some chocolate. Look! There’s a wide choice of pastry on the menu. Why not have cheesecakes or pancakes? They make my mouth water because they look so-o-o tasty.

• I’d better take a scone or some biscuits because I’m on the slimming diet.

• What do you say to marmalade or honey or, maybe, strawberry jam?

• You seem to have a sweet tooth! But I don’t like to put on weight and I’ll take some oranges or apricots and peaches if they’ve got them on the menu.

• I wouldn’t object to taste plums or grapes. But it’s next to impossible to get them in this season.

• You would say! I would be grateful if they had peanuts on sale.

• As for berries, we are sure to eat them only in summer. My dream is to taste strawberries and raspberries.

• Let’s sit down at that table and have our dinner. Let’s have fish and vegetable salads first. Aren’t they tasty?

• My salad is delicious! Will you pass me a piece of white bread and two pieces of rye bread?

• Here you are! May I trouble you for the salt-cellar? My soup lacks salt.

• Here it is! The beet soup is oversalted. Now let’s have the main course, shall we? This stewed duck seems to be juicy.

• The beefsteak is very tough. Will you pass me the mustard-pot and the pepper-box?

• I never take mustard or pepper. It goes against my stomach.

• As for me, I prefer to have highly seasoned food.

• These pancakes and cheesecakes seem to be very appetizing. They make my mouth water.

• May I treat you to these chocolates?

• Thank you! Help yourself to these apples. Don’t stand on ceremonies.

• They are very delicious!

• Will you have some more?

• No more, thank you! I’ve had enough, our dinner has been very substantial.

• Let’s pay for it and be off.

Find in the dialogue the English equivalents for:

очень острая пища; очень разборчивый в еде; слюнки текут; перекусить (2 variants); быть недосоленным; худеть; пересоленный; не стесняйтесь; быть сладкоежкой; заморить червячка; почти невозможно; жесткий как подошва; оставить достаточно места для; очень плотно пообедать; заправленный чем-либо; пополнеть; скажешь тоже; умирать с голоду; сидеть на строгой диете; вредно для желудка, быть сочным.

Exercises 1

To learn long lists of words, it is sometimes helpful to divide them up into groups. Try divining the vegetable names into groups, in any way you like, e.g. “vegetables which grow underground” (potatoes, carrots etc.). If possible, compare your answers with someone else’s. There are some words which are not given opposite.Use a dictionary if necessary.

aubergine leek cucumber spinach carrot potato cauliflower

green/red pepper courgette sweetcorn lettuce onion rice pea cabbage garlic radish bean shallot turnip asparagus beetroot celery

Exercises 2

Use the taste and flavour words opposite to describe the following.

1 Indian curry 5 a cup of tea with five spoonfuls of sugar

2 pizza 6 strong black coffee with no sugar

3 sea water 7 factory-made white bread

4 an unripe apple

Exercises 3

Sort these dishes out under the headings “starters, main courses or desserts”.

chicken casserole, coffee gateau, fresh fruit salad, sorbet, Irish stew, pate and toast, prawn cocktail, rump steak, chocolate fudge cake, grilled trout, shrimps in garlic.

Exercises 4

What might you say to the person/people with you in a restaurant if …

1 your chips had too much oil/fat on them?

2 your dish had obviously been cooked too much / too long

3 your piece of meat was absolutely perfectly cooked?

4 your dish seemed to have no flavours at all?

Exercises 5

How do you like the following foods prepared?

A leg of chicken eggs potatoes cheese sausages

A fillet of cod prawns mushrooms

What do you like to put on the foods?

Salt pepper vinegar mustard brown sauce ketchup

Salad dressing oil mayonnaise lemon juice

Exercises 6. Food quiz.

Which are fish and which are usually called seafood?

Sardines squid oysters mackerel mussels hake

crab plaice trout lobster cod sole whiting prawns

What do we call the meat of these animals?

Calf deer sheep pig

Which of these fruit grow in your country/region? Are there others not listed here?

Peach, plum, grapefruit, grape, nectarine, star-fruit, blackcurrant, raspberry, strawberry, melon, lime, kiwi-fruit, mango, pear, pineapple.

Speak on the following topics. Make up your own dialogues.

1. Your friend has treated you to some really nice dish you have never tasted before. You are eager to know the recipe.

2. Your friend is a fitness fanatic. Find out what your friend likes, hates, enjoys, and avoids doing (eating).

3. You are having breakfast with your English friend, who has come to Russia on business. You try to serve traditional English breakfast.

4. You are going to have dinner with your friends at home. Discuss the menu and lay the table.

5. You and your friend happen to be sitting at a party. Watch your table manners. Express your opinions of the dishes you are served.

6. You’ve decide to arrange a family outing. Discuss with your friend which restaurant you would like to go to and what cuisine you would like to taste.

7. You are having a tea party. Treat your guest to pastry, sweets and fruit. Your guest likes apple pie best of all and he is interested to know the recipe.