Task 2. Answer the questions and discuss.

1. Can you compare Russian character to that of a) English, b) American? What are general differences? Can you find similar features? Which nation seams to be closer to you by character?

2. What don’t you like in English people or Americans? What would you like to learn from them?

Task 3. Discuss the proverbs:

a. “So many countries so many customs”.

b. “East or West, home is best”.

Task 4. Speak about a) English character; b) American character. Give your opinion on the topic (the reasons due to which you like or dislike some features, the importance of this information, etc.).

TOPIC 6. MEALS

Task 1. Learn the words and word combinations given. Read the texts to get some basic information about English and American meals.

Black pudding –кровяная колбаса pavement –тротуар cereal – блюдо из круп, злаков wheat –пшеница steak – бифштекс roast beef – ростбиф Yorkshire pudding– йоркширский пудинг (жидкое пресное тесто, запекается под куском мяса на рашпере и впитывает стекающий сок и растопленный жир) fish and chips – рыба с картофелем во фритюре

biscuit – сухое печенье substantial – питательный, сытныйcourse – блюдо, кушанье gravy –подливка sauce – соус; подливка roast turkey – жареная индейка brunch – поздний завтрак scrambled eggs – омлет omelet(te) – омлет, яичница luncheon – обед; легкая закуска to serve – подавать; служить fowl – птица, дичь ground beef – рубленое мясо

English Meals

The English usually have 4 meals a day: breakfast, lunch, 5 o’clock tea and dinner. In many European countries it is normal to have a long break in the middle of the day when all members of the family return to their houses to eat together. This is not very common in Britain because normally it is a long way from the place of work or school to the home, consequently, the British people tend to have a big breakfast. Generally speaking the British breakfast is much bigger than in most other countries.

Many people like to have a fried breakfast which can consist of fried bacon and eggs with fried bread and possibly fried tomatoes or black pudding. Of course not everybody wants to eat a lot early in the morning and many people prefer to just eat toast and marmalade with tea or coffee. This is usual called a “continental breakfast”. Cereals are also very popular. The most common is cornflakes. They are made with different grains such as corn, wheat, oats etc.

Lunch is normally eaten between 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm. Most offices and small shops are closed for an hour and the city streets are full of people on their way to cafes, coffee bars, restaurants. Factory workers usually eat in the canteens.

The English like what they call “good plain food”. They must be able to recognize what they are eating. Usually they like steak, roast beef, Yorkshire pudding and fish and chips.

On Sundays people don’t have to work so they take the opportunity eat together with their family. Sunday lunch is usually the best meal of the week and many of the meals which are considered typically British are eaten for Sunday lunch. For example roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.

Afternoon tea is taken at about 5 o’clock, but it can hardly be called a meal. It is a cup of tea and cake or biscuits. At the weekend afternoon tea is a special occasion. Friends and visitors are often invited to have a chat over a cup of tea.

Most people finish work at five thirty. It often takes at least an hour to get home from the school or workplace so people tend to eat their evening meal or “dinner” between 6.30 pm and 8 pm.

Dinner is the most substantial meal of the day. The first course may be soup (Though the English don’t like it very much). Things are changing and most British people eat meals from many different countries for example spagetti or curry. However the most typical thing to eat for dinner is “meat and two veg”. This consists of a piece of meat accompanied by two different boiled vegetables. It will often be fish or meat, perhaps the traditional roast beef of old England, and a lot of vegetables. This is covered with “gravy” which is a sauce made with the juice that was obtained when the meat was cooked. One of the vegetables is almost always potatoes. The British eat a lot of potatoes. The next course will be something sweet and oftencooked, such as a fruit pie. Last ofall there may be cheese, often with biscuits.

On Christmas Day a roast turkey is traditionally cooked for dinner. It is usually followed by Christmas pudding.

American Meals

Americans usually have three meals a day. Breakfast usually comes before eight o’clock in the morning, since most people have to be getting off to work and children have to leave for school.

Breakfast in America may be orange juice, toast and coffee, or juice and cold dry cereal with milk. Lunch in America is usually a small meal – a sandwich, salad or soup.

People who work must either bring it or get it near their work place. School children take sandwiches, fruit and cookies along with them or eat in the schools cafeteria.

Lunch is served between twelve and one o’clock, and dinner, the main meal, is generally between six and eight in the evening.

Brunch is a combination of breakfast and lunch that many Americans enjoy on Sunday. Scrambled eggs or omelets are often served along with other, regular luncheon dishes. It is usually served about eleven in the morning.

Many fine restaurants have a traditional Sunday brunch where it is served from around 10 a.m. until mid-afternoon.

Dinner is ordinary planned around a meat course, pork, or various fowl such as chicken or turkey. Ground beef is called hamburger and ground pork is sausage. In addition to meat, an American dinner often includes potatoes or rice, and green or yellow vegetables. Fresh salad is also frequently served. Coffee, tea and milk are generally served with a dessert after dinner, but not always. Sometimes a typical dinner may include an appetizer, such as soup or fruit salad. The word «supper» can be used in place of dinner.

Task 2. Answer the questions and discuss.

1. What is the difference between English and American Meals?

2. Compare English and American meal with our traditional. Can you find in our cuisine, English or American dishes mutually borrowed?

3. Speak about your tastes and favourite dishes.

4. Get prepared to describe the recipe of your favourite one.

Task 3. Put questions to the texts to make a logical plan. Retell the texts.

Task 4. Study the vocabulary given. Read the text to learn more about English traditional cuisine.

Pub = public house – паб, бар, трактир Stodgy fare – тяжелая, сытная пища to undergo – испытывать; подвергаться renaissance [rq`neIs(q)ns] – 1) (the Renaissance) Ренессанс 2) возрождение Mediterranean ["medIt(q)`reInIqn] – средиземноморский Pacific Rim – Страны Тихоокеанского бассейна cuisine [kwI`zJn] – кухня, стол to cater – 1) обеспечивать, обслуживать 2) угождать courtesy [`kq:tqsI] – учтивость, обходительность, вежливость; этикет vinegar – уксус lamb – ягнёнок, барашек; овечка mint – мята ploughman’s lunch [`plaumqn] – «завтрак пахаря» (хлеб с сыром) slab – кусок chutney – чатни (индийская кисло-сладкая фруктово-овощная приправа) solid – плотный, основательный spotted dick= spotted dog – «пятнистая собака» (варёный пудинг с изюмом) raisin – изюм rhubarb [`ru:ba:b] – ревень

to crumble – сыпаться, осыпаться trifle – бисквит, пропитанный вином и залитый сбитыми сливками custard [`kAstqd] – сладкий крем (из яиц и молока) salmon [`sxmqn] – лосось; семга haggis – телячий рубец с потрохами и приправой (шотландское блюдо из бараньей или телячьей печени, сердца и лёгких; заправляется овсяной мукой, салом, луком и перцем и варится в бараньем или телячьем рубце) innards – внутренности offal – требуха; голье, потроха chopped up -рубленый; покрошенный turnip – репа, турнепс laver– красная водоросль (Porphyra) seaweed [`si:wi:d] – морск. водоросль rarebit – гренки с сыром ale – пиво, эль bitters – горькая настойка (обычно на травах и кореньях) licensing laws – законы о торговле спиртными напитками (определяют часы и правила торговли пабах) to hold in high esteem – высоко ценить distillery – ликеро-водочный завод

Restaurants in the UK

British food, traditionally rather stodgy fare, underwent something of a renaissance in the 1990s and modern restaurants or gastro-pubs will serve Mediterranean and even Pacific Rim influenced cuisine.

The range of restaurants serving food from every land is such that there is something to cater for most tastes. The UK’s most popular dish is chicken “tikka masala”, courtesy of its many excellent Indian restaurants. Chinese and Italian dishes are also popular: the King of Thailand has had meals flown in from a small Thai restaurant in Stratford upon Avon. Traditional dishes are still served: bacon, eggs and sausages; fish and chips with vinegar; roast beef and Yorkshire pudding; roast lamb with mint sauce; or ploughman’s lunch – a slab of cheese, chutney, bread and salad. These may be followed by solid desserts like spotted dick (a heavy pudding with raisins), rhubarb crumble or trifle, all served with custard.

In Scotland, famous for its game and salmon, the national dish is haggis and neeps (innards and offal chopped up with spices and cooked in a sheep’s stomach, served with mashed turnip – more appetising than it sounds).

Two traditional Welsh items are laver bread, baked with oatmeal, seaweed and bacon, and Welsh Rarebit – melted cheese on toast.

Drinking is something the British are known for although local ales and bitters, served at room temperature, are rarely to foreign tastes. Strange licensing laws mean many pubs close at 11 pm, so if you hear a bell just before then, it is for “last orders”. Scotch whisky is held in high esteem worldwide; if you prefer Irish whiskey (with an “e”), visit the Bushmills distillery in Northern Ireland to sample some of their wonderful wares.