Fast food
O
ver
the last three decades, fast food has infiltrated every hook
and cranny
of American society. An industry that began with a handful of modest
hot dog and hamburger stands in southern California has spread to
every corner of the nation, selling a broad range of foods wherever
paying customers may be found. Fast food is now served at restaurants
and drive-through,
at stadiums, airports, zoos, high schools, elementary schools, and
universities, on cruise ships, trains and airplanes, at K-Marts,
Wal-marts,
gas stations, and even at hospital cafeterias. In 1970, Americans
spent about $6 billion on fast food; in 2001, they spent more than
$110 billion. Americans now spend more money on fast food than on
higher education, personal computers, computer software, or new cars.
They spend more on fast food than on movies, books, magazines,
newspapers, videos, and recorded music – combined. A nation’s
diet may be more revealing than its art or literature. On any given
day in the United States about one-quarter of the adult population
visits a fast food restaurant. During a relatively brief period of
time, the fast food industry has helped to transform not only the
American
diet,
but also our landscape, economy, workforce, and popular culture. Fast
food and its consequences have become inescapable,
regardless of whether you eat it twice a day, try to avoid it, or
have never taken a single bite.
(by Eric Schlosser ‘Fast Food Nation’ in “American Patchwork” by I. V. Zubanova and A. I. Nikolskaya)
I n your opinion, what makes fast food so popular not just in America but throughout the world? What did the author mean when he said that “a nation’s diet may be more revealing than its art or literature?” What does fast food reveal about Americans? Why do anti-globalists often choose fast food chains such as McDonald’ s as their targets?
Exercise 4. Make a plan to the text and explain the underlined words in the text.
Exercise 5. Skim the text quickly and discuss the questions:
Can you name the things that Russians and Kazakhs love doing?
What customs and common practices may be called “Russian rituals” and “Kazakh rituals”?
Discuss the meaning of the word “rituals”.
Rituals are highly structured, prescribed and repetitive forms of action involve their performers in a context which gives special meaning to what they do, say, or wear. Whether performed out of faith or mere habit, rituals are things that structure life, celebrating its important movement and making the passage of time. Rituals accompany Americans throughout their lives. No childhood is complete without Christmas gifts, Halloween trick-or-treating, baseball games that father take their sons to, or family visits to Disneyworld. Easter egg-hunts, Fourth of July fireworks and barbeques, graduation ceremonies and Thanksgiving turkey dinners keep families together and are major events celebrated every year.
Exercise 6. Write a short essay basing the following questions:
Do you often eat out? On what occasions?
Do you have a favorite restaurant?
What do you like about it?
Have you ever been to McDonalds?
How do you like it? What do anti-globalists have against places like McDonalds? (use 100 words)
Or:
Write any American dish recipe of the foods from the down given options in pictures:
A
cream-based New England chowder,
traditionally made with potatoes and clams.
Chicken
Fried Steak
(alternatively known as Country Fried Steak.)
California
club pizza with avocados and tomatoes.
A
Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. (use 100 words).
Check yourself
1. Give equivalent to ‘Современные кулинарные предложения’
a) Modern Grandmothers’ Recipes.
b) Modern Grandmothers’ Concern.
c) Modern Convenience Food.
d) Modern Cooking Appliances.
2. Which sentence is equivalent to ‘Бабушки опытные кулинары’?
a) Grandmothers don’t care for learning traditional food cooking.
b) “The Friends of French Cookery” approves of the use of modern cookery appliances.
c) Grandmothers don’t think that convenient foods are better than traditional foods.
d) Grandmothers are highly experienced cooks.
3. Complete the question. Frenchmen were convinced that traditional food was much better, …?
a) had they?
b) must they?
c) weren’t they?
d) didn’t they?
4. Choose the best answer. Why didn’t he play in the final match? Because he…
a) has broken his leg
b) breaks his leg
c) was breaking his leg
d) had broken his leg