EATING OUT IN BRITAIN

Exercise 8. a) Read and translate the text. Do the tasks below.

The English say that in their country the variety of food from meal to meal is probably greater than anywhere else in the world. They say that you can never confuse a breakfast with a dinner, for example, and that in many other countries you eat exactly the same kind of dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At the same time for the gourmet,"Ukrainian food is of extremely good quality, and it really tastes of something — unlike American food, for instance,which all tastes the same," says an English television's famous cookwho has visited this country. He praises the Ukrainian national dishes, for example, ''Ukrainian borshch"with "smetana" looks good and tastes good.

You can have your meals at home, in a restaurant or a cafe', in the canteenof your factory or office. Those who stay at resthomes or sanatoria have meals in the dining hall, which is generally placed in a separatebuilding, usually a cottage with kitchen premis­es.While travelling by train you can have breakfast, lunch or dinner in the dining caras well cooked and served as if you were in a firstclass hotel or at the railway station when you are at the point of fainting from hunger you hurry to the refreshment room before the train starts. If you travel by ship your dinner or supper may be served in the dining sa­loon.

Nowadays many selfservice canteens, restaurants and cafes are being opened through­out the country. When employees or workers have a short break for dinner or lunch they find it impossible to get home for this meal and so they take it in a selfservice cafe or restaurant. There are cafes and restaurants to suit every taste and purse.

In Britain you can find table d'hoteand a la cartedinners in every restaurant. Table d'hote dinners are cheaper than a la carte ones. When you dine a la carte you order course by course, as you desire. But a table d'hote dinner consists of several courses, the choice is limited,and it is served in a canteen or a restaurant at a fixed price.

 

b) Say whether the following statements are true or false. Prove your point of view giving the information from the text.

 

1. __ Englishmen hate eating Ukrainian national dishes.

 

2. __ In Britain all food tastes the same.

3. __Those who stay at resthomes or sanatoria have meals in the dining hall.

 

4. __ Train workers serve high class dishes for passengers.

5. __ If you travel by ship your dinner or supper may be served on the deck.

6. __ British office workers never take their meal in a selfservice cafe or restaurant.

 

7. __ In Britain you can’t find table d'hoteand a la cartedinners in every restaurant.

 

8. __ Table d'hote dinners are more expensive than a la carte ones.