Have You Filled In the Arrival Card?

Reception Clerk: Have you filled in your arrival card, Mr. Rogov?

Rogov: Oh yes, here you are.

Reception Clerk: May I have your passport, please? Thank you. We can give you a very good single room with bath overlooking the street. Will it suit you, sir?

Rogov: I think it will. By the way, what's the rate per night?

Reception Clerk: Bed and breakfast is three pounds fifty.

Rogov: I hope there is a telephone in the room, is there?

Reception Clerk: Yes, of course.

Unfortunately We Are Full

Mr. Phillips: Good morning. I'd like a double room with bath.

Reception Clerk: I'm very sorry, but we are full. With so many delegates arriving now to take part in the inter­national congress, accommodation must be scarce at any town hotel.

Mr. Phillips: What can you recommend?

Reception Clerk: Well, there is a small private guest-house just round the corner. You may try there. I'm very sorry, sir.

How Long Will You Stay?

Desk-Clerk: May I ask you, Mr. Pavlov, how many days you are planning to stay with us?

Pavlov: I expect to stay for at least a week, probably more, until the eighteenth of June.

Desk-Clerk: Very good, sir. Would you mind letting us know the day before you leave the hotel? We can then have your bill ready for you.

Pavlov: I'll let you know, to be sure.

Desk-Clerk (to the bell-boy): Please show Mr. Pavlov up to his room.

 

III. Make up your own dialogues using the situations described in the previous conversations.

?	Writing Practice

I. Read and translate the models:

A Business Letter

Dear Sir,

We would like to inform you that Mr. Petrov is arriving in Little Rock on the 14th February to begin talks with you.

Please make the necessary hotel reservation for him and let us know the name of the hotel.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Yours faithfully,

...

 

A Reply

Dear Sirs,

We regret to inform you that we cannot reserve the hotel accommoda­tion for Mr. Petrov for the week of the 14th February. Our three hotels are completely booked up for the week. They have no rooms available because the National Word Processors Association will be holding their convention in Little Rock during the week of the 14th February. As you will surely understand they have to reserve as many rooms as possible for the members of the Association.

We propose to postpone your visit for a week. We can safely book a room for Mr. Petrov for the 21st February. We hope this will suit you and we look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours faithfully,

...

II. Write your own letters using the given models.

 

 

Lesson 6

Reading Practice: Eating Out.

Speaking Practice: At a Restaurant.

Writing Practice: Covering letter.

 

Pre-text Exercises

I. Pay attention to the following words and word combinations and make up your own sentences with them:

 

to eat out – есть;

a waiter – официант;

to serve customers – обслуживать покупателей / клиентов;

self-service restaurant – ресторан самообслуживания;

to have meals – принимать пищу, есть;

self-service cafeterias – кафетерий (кафе-закусочная) с самообслуживанием;

a pub – пивной бар в Англии;

cosy and friendly atmosphere – уютная и благоприятная атмосфера;

to consist of... courses – состоять из... блюд;

a menu – меню;

to by hungry – проголодаться.

 

&	Reading Practice

I. Read the texts and be ready to discuss them.

 

Eating Out.

A

Although the English do not eat out as much as other Europeans do, there are many kinds of restaurant in England. Some of them are traditional restaurants where a waiter serves customers, and others are self-service restaurants.

There are small restaurants and cafes which are very popular and crowded, especially during the lunch-hour, but it is getting more and expensive to have meals there.

At self-service cafeterias a customer serves himself, and he can get a meal more quickly and less expensively there than in other types of restaurants. But the most popular place "for a drink and a chat " has been and still is the famous English pub with its cosy and friendly atmosphere. People go to pubs not only for some beer or whisky, but to meet their friends and they often spend the whole evening there till closing time.

 

B

Once after the talks Mr. Stanley invited Borisov to have dinner at the Savoy restaurant in the West End.

They came into the restaurant, took their seats at a table near the window and ordered cocktails.

Borisov: Mr. Stanley, I've been staying in London only for a couple of weeks and I don't know much about English meals.

Stanley: Well, if you like, I can give you a general idea about that. At breakfast we usually have bacon and eggs or sausages and, of course, a cup of tea. The English lunch consists of two courses: a meat or a fish courses with vegetable and dessert. At 5 o'clock in the afternoon we have tea, often with a cake. Some people have their last meal which is rather big at 7 or 8 in the evening and call it dinner, while others have a small, late evening meal which they call supper.

Borisov: Thank you, Mr. Stanley, that was rather interesting.

Stanley: Let's study the menu now and see what's on it tonight.

Waiter: Good evening, gentlemen. Are you ready to order now?

Borisov: I'm afraid I don't understand the names of all dishes on the menu, Mt. Stanley. Could you help me and recommend what to take?

Stanley: With pleasure. H-m-m, would you like mushroom soup?

Borisov: No, thank you. I seldom eat soup in the evening.

Stanley: Then you can order roast-beef with fried potatoes. It's a traditional English dish and it's usually delicious.

Borisov: Fine.

Waiter: How about you, sir?

Stanley: Well, I'm pretty hungry, I'll start with chicken soup, then I'd like a steak with green salad. And bring us a bottle of red wine, please.

Waiter: Would you like to order dessert now? There is a choice of fruit or ice-cream.

Borisov: I prefer fruit.

Stanley: So do I. What about some cheese?

Borisov: No cheese for me, thank you.

Stanley: I think I'll have some. And we'll finish with black coffee, if you don't mind.

Borisov: That sounds nice.

Waiter: Thank you, gentlemen. I hope you'll enjoy yourselves.

 

II. Answer the following questions:

1) What kinds of restaurants are there in England?

2) Which of them are very popular?

3) In what restaurants can a customer get a meal more quickly and less expensively?

4) What is the most popular place "for a drink and a chat" in England?

5) What purpose do people go to pubs for?

6) What restaurant did Mr. Stanly and Mr. Borisov visit one day?

7) What do the Englishmen usually have for breakfast?

8) What does the English lunch consist of?

9) What do the Englishmen usually have at 5 o'clock in the afternoon and at 7 or 8 o'clock in the evening?

10) What did Mr. Stanly and Mr. Borisov order for dinner?

11) Did they enjoy themselves?

 

III. Tell some worlds about English traditional restaurant and meals.

 

J	Speaking Practice

 

I. Translate the following speech patterns and memorize them:

Please show me the bill of fares (the menu-card, the menu)

Please let me have...

Please remove (take away)...

Can I have...?

What cold (hot) dishes have you?

What fish (vegetable) courses have you today?

What can you recommend for the starter (the first, the second course)?

What would you advise me to take (have) for the sweet?

Bring the bill, please (give me the account, please)

What do I owe you? (What have I to play? How much is the bill?)

That is too dear.

1.

Will you please show (bring) us the menu?

Will you please bring me another glass (plate, spoon)?

Will you please lay the table for four?

Will you please show us the table I have reserved?

2.

What would you recommend for lunch (the first course)?

What would you offer for a good dinner?

What would you offer for the sweet (soft drinks)?

3.

I'd like to have my coffee black.

I always have my fruit juice iced.

I usually have my tea strong.

I'd like to have my steak a bit underdone.

I want you to serve my soup hot.

4.

What about an omelet? No, I'd rather have bacon and eggs.

What about a good steak? No, I'd rather have some chicken.

What about a cake? No, I'd rather have a piece of pudding.

What about a glass of milk? No, I'd rather have a glass of fruit juice.

5.

As to the steak, it was a bit overdone.

As to the coffee, it was quite cold and tasted like petrol.

As to the fish, it was a bit oversalted (undercooked, half-raw).

As to the meat, it was not very fresh and badly cooked.

 

II. Read the conversations and practice them in pairs changing the text.