American eating habits

Many foreign people think that Americans usually eat hamburgers. But the truth is that many people in the US have become vegetarians, who eat little or no meat. Most Americans, however, like many different kinds of food. They especially like exotic foods, and restaurants that serve French, Arabic, Mexican, Japanese, Chinese and African cuisine are among their favourites.

Americans also love to cook. And they don’t always make simple things. Some of them are real gourmets, and they enjoy preparing fine meals. They spend thousands of dollars each year on cook-books and cooking utensils to use in their kitchens. Like people in many countries, people in the US love to entertain, so they often invite people to dinner.

When guests arrive, they find a table beautifully get with candles and fine china, because a meal is more appetizing when it is served in pleasant surroundings. When guests sit down to eat, they eat heartily, and when it is time to clear the table, they feel good. For many Americans, food that is cooked at home is most scrumptious of all.

Ex. 3 Fill each gap with a word that combines with the one given to make a suitable compound. Express your point on the problem raised in it.

In the good old days everything you ate was … and prepared in the traditional, … way. Nowadays, … is replacing the slow, careful preparation of fresh … vegetables and other ingredients. All the modern cook needs is a … and a …. It is not in canteens and … cafeterias – even many restaurants serve … meals instead of individually prepared and cooked dishes for each customer. A steak or grilled fish is always freshly cooked. But it’s unlikely that prawns cocktail you had for your … were fresh today: if you get …, they may be the cause. And if you suspect the … is not freshly squeezed, it may be safer to drink …!

1.made 2. old 3.food 4.home 5.tin 6.food 7.self 8.produced 9.course 10.food 11.fruit 12.water.

Ex. 4 Write the passage out as a conversation with the person holding the tray, and include punctuation.

No just a tonic for me yes quite sure no really I’d rather not if you don’t mind you see the way I look at it is this I’ve given my old liver a bit of a hard time these last thirty years and I suddenly woke up one evening and asked myself do I really need it no I don’t mind you having one God knows how much of that stuff I’ve poured down my throat if I had a penny for every Scotch I’ve drunk I’d be a rich man today I tell you no I don’t miss it at all it’s not so much willpower as common sense isn’t it have you ever seen that thing they do with a coin and a bottle of gin it’s a bit of an eye opener oh all right just to be sociable but just a small one if you insist …

(From Private Eye (adapted))

Ex. 5. Write a composition “My eating habits”.