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Meals in England
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It might be useful to you to know what sort of meals English people have and how they behave at table, for people of one country behave rather differently from those of other. old proverb says, When in Rome, do as Romans do and this is good advice.
In many English homes four meals are served: they are breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner. These are meals that are served in homes of well-to-do people.
breakfast may be served any time from seven to nine. It consists of porridge (made of oats or barley, milk, sugar or salt), bacon and eggs, buttered toast or bread-and-butter with marmalade. Instead of bacon and eggs, fish may be served. Either tea or coffee is drunk at breakfast.
lunch comes at about one oclock. It generally consists of cold meat, potatoes and salad made of lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, beetroot, etc. On table are pepper, salt, mustard and sometimes vinegar. After that there is bread or biscuits and cheese. Most people drink water at lunch time, some drink beer or wine.
afternoon tea, taken between four and five is most informal meal of day. If you are friend of family you may drop in for tea without invitation. Very often it is not served at table; members of family and visitors take tea in sitting-room. By the way do not help yourself to cake first; bread-and-butter first, then cake if there is any. Another piece of advice: do not put more than one piece of bread or cake on your plate at same time.
dinner is most substantial meal of day and is very formal meal. Many people even wear special clothes for dinner, so if you are asked out to dinner you must find out whether you are expected to wear dinner suit. dinner is generally served about half past seven. head of family sits at one end of table, his wife sits at other. If there is guest he generally sits in place of honour, which is to right of lady of house. The first course is soup. Then comes fish; there is often knife and fork of special shape by each person for this course. If you are in unfamiliar surroundings, keep eye open for what others are doing. Remember proverb about Romans.
next course is the most important; it generally consists of a joint of meat ( beef or lamb) or else leg of lamb or pork, or it may be chicken or duck. With it are served various vegetables, peas, beans, cabbage or cauliflower. Some sort of pudding is generally fourth course. To show that he has finished with course, person lays his knife and fork on his plate with handles towards him. After pudding table is cleared and dessert is brought. This is fruit of various kinds and nuts. Port ( red wine from Portugal) is passed around. At this stage ladies may get up and retire to drawing room. When ladies rise, men get up too, out of respect, and resume their seats when ladies have left room.
It must not be imagined that all English people eat like this. More than 90% of English people have their dinner in middle of day. In most of houses meals are breakfast, dinner, tea and supper, which is cold meal for which nothing is cooked. All these meals are much simpler than those served in homes of rich.
III.
Make up situations for the following sentences:
1. Thats the best dinner Ive had for years.
2. She, despite her increasing flow of tears, went into the kitchen to prepare a cold lunch.
3. They quarreled at breakfast.
4. He had to eat some cold meat and salad for supper.
5. Mike was invariably late for lunch.
IV.
Supply the correct form of the word that fits suitably in the blank space: