I. Reading Practice Dialogue № 1 Ordering Dinner at a Restaurant

STENTON (taking a menu card): Well, let’s see. What shall we start with? Crab salad? Or tuna salad? The melon is not bad at this time of year.

RENSKY: I guess I’d like to have something very American. What d’you say to tuna salad and pizza?

STENTON: Well, pizza ought to be good here.

Mrs. STENTON: Don’t you think we’d better have crab salad and roast beef?

STENTON: How about roast beef, Alex?

RENSKY: Isn’t roast beef English? Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.

Mrs. STENTON: Yes, it is English. Do you think it might be a good idea to have tomato soup, Dr. Rensky?

RENSKY: I think that’ll be too much.

WAITRESS: Are you ready to order now, sir?

STENTON: Yes. Two crab salads, a tuna salad, a mushroom pizza, and two roast beefs.

WAITRESS: How do you want your roast beef – rare, medium, or well done?

Mrs. STENTON: Medium, please.

WAITRESS: Yes, ma’am. Any dessert?

STENTON: What do you say to ice cream, folks?

WAITRESS: We have vanilla and chocolate ice cream today.

STENTON: Any preferences? No? OK. Chocolate ice cream and coffee for all.

Note the various ways in which the speakers make suggestions in the dialogue. Study the following ways of making informal suggestions:

Shall we have drinks first?

You could order ham and eggs.

We might have coffee and cake.

Do you think it would be a good idea to try grilled cheese and bacon?

Let’s have grilled fish.

If I were you, I’d try Rocky Mountains trout.

What / how about some dessert?

Why not have a little fruit pie?

Why don’t we order more wine?

What do you say to another slice of melon?

Would you care to have some champagne?

Would you care for champagne?

Dialogue № 2

Breakfast at a Restaurant

Study the vocabulary:

drop in at – pay a flying visit

sunny-side up – fried on one side

scrambled eggs – cooked by beating and heating

catsup (AmE) and relish – ketchup and sth to give flavour (like pickled onions, peppers, cucumbers)

- What would you like to have, Sir?

- I’ll have two eggs sunny-side up and toast.

- Okay, sunny-side up and toast.

- Oh, let me think. On second thought make it scrambled eggs and toast.

- I didn’t hear you. Did you say scrambled eggs and toast?

- Yes, that’s right.

- Would you like some coffee?

- Yes, please. One black with double cream.

Running into a friend after breakfast:

- Hullo, John! Where are you running to? Why don’t you drop in at a cafeteria and have a bite of something to eat?

- Oh, I’m trying desperately to get to my Bank in time and I’ll have a quick snack.

In a snack bar:

- Do you want me to get you something?

- Yes, could you bring me a large cheeseburger, please?

- What do you want on it?

- Catsup and relish.

- Anything to drink?

- One large coffee with sugar.

Dialogue № 3

Study the vocabulary

string beans – kind of beans

dressing – sauce for salads

steak – thick slice of meat for frying

cole slaw – well-cut raw cabbage

rare – underdone

fruit cup – iced drink

entrée – the main dish of a meal

- Are you ready to order, Sir?

- I’d like the roast beef dinner, please.

- Would you like fruit cup or tomato juice?

- Tomato juice.

- All right. You can choose two of these vegetables.

- I’ll have French potatoes and string beans.

- And what kind of dressing do you want on your salad?

- Italian, please.

- Do you want coffee, tea or milk?

- Coffee, with double cream.

- And you, Sir?

- I’ll have T-bone steak with mashed potatoes and cole slaw.

- Do you want the complete dinner?

- No, just the entrйe.

- How would you like steak? Rare, medium or well-done?

- Make it well-done, please.

- Would you like tea or coffee?

- Tea with sugar and cream.