Vocabulary Exercises

Exercise 1

Put in where, because, if, and, when, so.

1. Do you mind …… I have a coffee break?

2. I'm very hungry, …… I didn't have any breakfast this morning.

3. Can you tell me …… I can have lunch?

4. Why are you buying so much food? - I'm going to cook for ten people.

5. She was working as a cook …… she met her husband.

6. He is a vegetarian, …… he never eats meat.

7. We don't often have fish, …… it is difficult to buy fresh.

Exercise 2

Use these words to complete the sentences. You may use each word more than once.

knife oven spoon saucepan frying pan stove

You can bake food in the …

You can slice food with a …

You can fry food in a …

You can heat food on top of the …

You can mix food up with a …

You can boil water in a …

You can chop food with a …

You can stir food with a …

You can peel food with a …

Exercise 3

Which verbs can be used with these foods? Match the actions on the left with the foods on the right.

slice

grate chop

pour

melt

stir

peel

an orange

butter

soup

milk

a tomato

bread

cheese

an onion

Dialogue: What do you eat?

Jack: We eat three meals a day. We eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Bill: We do, too. I like breakfast and dinner. But I don't like lunch.

Doris: At home we eat three meals, too. I don't eat much for

breakfast. But I eat a big dinner.

Bill: Doris, what do you eat for breakfast?

Doris: We have eggs and toast for breakfast. My mother and

father drink coffee. I drink milk.

Jack: We have the same things for breakfast. I drink milk. I

don't like tea or coffee.

Doris: Bill, what do you eat for lunch?

Bill: I have my lunch at school. At home my mother and father

have soup and sandwiches.

Jack: My mother and father eat meat, vegetables and fruit for

lunch. They drink coffee. Now let's talk about dinner. Doris, what do you eat for dinner?

Doris: We eat meat and salad for dinner. We eat dessert, too.

But we don't eat dessert for lunch.

Bill: At our house dinner is a big meal. We eat meat,

vegetables, bread and salad. We have dessert, too.

AT A RESTAURANT

Waiter: Good evening. Two for dinner?

B.B.: Yes,that's right.

W: Where would you like to sit?

B.B.: Could we have a table near the window, please?

W: Come with me, please (leading Boris and his wife Vera to a table for two).

B.B.: Could we have the menu?

W: Certanly (waiter brings the menu and a wine list)

B.B.: We have to make up our mind. We'll order in a few minutes.

B.B.: Do you want an appetizer,Vera? Oysters, lox, smoked herring, or avocado?

Vera: Does it come with the dinner?

B.B.: No,it's a la carte.

Vera: Let's see....the dinner includes salad, an entree, vegetables and potatoes as side dishes, a dessert, and coffee. That's more than enough.

B.B.: Okay. We'll order a dinner without an appetizer. What about the entree? What would you like-veal, roast, beef, steak, or chicken?

Vera: We've had chicken at home rather often. When we eat out, I'd like to get something we don't have at home. As for me, I'd like to have a steak.

B.B.: So would I.

W: Are you ready to order now?

B.B.: Yes. Can we begin with the salad?

W.: Certainly, sir. What kind of dressing would you like?

B.B.: Just olive oil and vinegar for both of us.

W.: And for your entree?

B.B.: Two steaks, please.

W.: Rare, medium, or well done?

B.B.: Medium, please.

Vera: Is there a choice of vegetables

and potatoes?

W.: No, ma'm. We serve a daily special. Today you can have mashed potatoes. The vegetable of this day is asparagus.

B.B.: It's all right with me. What about you, Vera?

Vera: It's okay.

W.: Would you like to see the wine list?

B.B.: We'd like a carafe of Chablis.

W.: Fine. Will you order your dessert now?

B.B.: Can we order it later?

W.: Of course.

SPEAK ABOUT YOUR MEALS USING THE FOLLOWING TEXTS AS MODELS.

Breakfast as doctors say, must be the most substantial meal of the day. But I'm always pressed for time, so I just have a cup of strong tea and some sandwiches.

…

For breakfast, I usually have some porridge. But I'm not overfond of it. It's fattening, you know. For a change, I may have ham or sausages, and then a cup of tea and perhaps, a piece of pie or a roll.

…

My dinner is the most substantial meal of the day. Usually I have a three-course dinner . I'm very fond of all sorts of salad: mixed salad, vegetable salad etc.

…

For the first course, I take some soup. Chicken soup is my favourite. For the second course, I have some meat. I prefer meat dishes to fish. It may be a roast beef, a chop or rissoles with vegetables or mashed potatoes.

…

My supper is a light meal. I think there's nothing like a good omelette for supper. It's my favourite dish.

Table manners

Although rules regarding table manners are not very strict in Britain, it is considered rude to eat and drink noisily. At formal meals, the cutlery is placed in the order in which it will be used, starting from the outside and work­ing in. The dessertspoon and fork are usually laid at the top of your place setting, not at the side.

After each course, the knife and fork should be laid side by side in the middle of the plate. This shows that you have finished and the plate can be removed. If you leave the knife and fork apart, it will show that you have not yet finished eating.

It is considered impolite to smoke between courses unless your hosts say otherwise. It is polite to ask permission before you smoke in people's homes.

In Britain, smoking is now forbidden in many public places, e.g. on the underground, on stations, in shops, in theatres and in cinemas.

The ABC of Table Manners

Do not attract undue attention to yourself in public.

When eating take as much as you want, but eat as much as you take.

Do not eat too fast or too slowly, cut as you eat.

Take a little of every dish that is offered to you.

Sit up straight and face the table, do not put your el­bows on the table while eating.

Do not reach across the table — simply say: ‘Would you please pass the salt’ etc.

At a small party do not start eating until all are served. At a large party it is not necessary to wait for all. The hostess gives a signal to her guests by saying: ‘Start eating, please (your food will get cold).’

There is no rule about eating everything on your plate, to indicate that you have had enough place knife and fork together, not criss-cross.

When refusing a dish or a helping simply say: ‘No, thank you.’ When accepting — ‘Yes, please.’

Do not leave the spoon in your cup, when drinking tea or coffee.

Do not empty your glass too quickly.

Fluency

Discuss which of the following habits you consider rude and why. Which of them, if any, do you consider acceptable only at home, and which do you consider completely unacceptable?

helping yourself to food without asking

starting to eat before everyone is served

picking at food with your hands

reading at the meal table

resting your elbows on the table

reaching across the table in front of people

leaving the table before other people have finished

not thanking the cook

wiping your plate clean with bread