English through Dialogues, Puzzles and Jokes

М. М. Битюкова, 2021

Учебное пособие по английскому языку для чтения и обсуждения. Уровень – Intermediate/Upper-Intermediate. Может использоваться отдельно либо в дополнение к основному учебнику для развития разговорной практики. Содержит интересные тематические диалоги, анекдоты и загадки, которые помогут увеличить словарный запас и развлекут студентов и всех любителей английского языка. Подходит как для индивидуального изучения, так и для групповой работы с преподавателем.

Unit 1. It’s all about… Food.

Part One. Healthy Eating Test

Here is your chance to take a look at your eating habits and find out whether you are on the right track.

1. How often can you eat at McDonald’s without damaging your health?

a) Once a week

b) Once a month

c) Once a year

d) Never

2. Are all McDonald’s salads low in fat?

a) Yes

b) No

3. Which is the most important meal of the day?

a) Breakfast

b) Dinner

c) Supper

4. According to experts, how much water should we drink each day?

a) 1 litre

b) 2 litres

c) 3 litres

5. Is snacking (eating between meals) good for health?

a) Yes, always.

b) No, never.

c) It depends upon what you eat.

6. According to doctors, how often should we eat fish?

a) Once a week

b) Twice a week

c) Every day

7. Are only fresh (uncooked) vegetables good for health?

a) Yes

b) No

8. Is it bad to have bread and pasta for dinner?

a) Yes

b) No

9. What is the key factor in a healthy diet?

a) Variety

b) Moderation

c) Balance

d) All of the above

10. If you are trying to lose weight, what should you do?

a) Eliminate all fat from your diet

b) Reduce the calories you consume and exercise regularly

c) Skip meals

d) All of the above

Answers to the test — at the end of the Unit.

Vocabulary

On the right track — на правильном пути

To damage — причинять вред

To snack — перекусить (например, между обедом и ужином)

Healthy diet — здоровое питание

Key — ключевой, основной

Variety — разнообразие

Moderation — умеренность

To lose weight — худеть

Eliminate — исключать

To reduce — уменьшать, сокращать

To consume — потреблять

To skip — пропускать, не есть

Fizzy drink — газированный напиток

Dressing — приправа, соус

Canned — консервированный

Starchy — содержащий много крахмала

Discuss in small groups of 3-4 students. Then give your resolution to the whole class.

— Is food important for you? How much is it important? What role does it play in your life?

— How much time a day do you spend on eating?

— Are you good at cooking? Who taught you? What is your favourite dish? Can you cook it yourself? What is the receipt?

— If you had to stay without appropriate meal for a day, what snack would you take with you?

— If your friends were going to visit you, what dishes would you prepare? Would you cook them yourself or would you order them in the restaurant?

Part Two. Vegetarians

Two British men, John and Michael, are talking about vegetarians. Read their dialogue and answer the questions:

1. What does one of the speakers say in favour of vegetarianism?

2. What does the other speaker say against vegetarianism?

John: You know, I listened to the program on the radio the other day about these vegetarians — they definitely live longer than people who eat meat.

Michael: Live longer? Vegetarians? Oh, come on, don’t be stupid.

John: No, no, no, it is the healthy alternative to eating. It’s, you know, the best way to…

Michael: No, I know a load of veggies, and they eat in healthy food restaurants, they buy, and they’re sick all the time. They’re pasty, pale…

John: Well, OK, maybe it doesn’t make you look so good, but, you know, a lot of people say they’re vegetarians and they don’t really know about cooking; but if you eat a good healthy balanced diet of vegetarian food you will live longer.

Michael: Balanced diet? Of vegetarian food? A balanced diet includes meat, doesn’t it? I mean, we’re designed to eat meat. That’s part of…

John: There are alternatives to meat. You can have pulses, you can have soya. There are loads of things, and, you know, if you’re vegetarian, you’re helping to protect animals.

Michael: No, I mean. You know, basically a lot of these animals wouldn’t exist if they weren’t made for meat.

John: Yeah, well, look at, we have all these problems, we’ve got foot and mouth disease, you’ve got, the, erm, what’s that disease called?

Michael: Yeah, but that’s, like, diseases. I mean, you know, there are diseases in humans, but that doesn’t really stop humanity, does it? It’s just, you know, it’s just natural. These things happen.

John: Hey, what’s that I can smell in the kitchen. Smells nice.

Michael: Mmm… That’s right. It’s some bacon. Fancy a sarnie?

John: Oh, I’d love one. I love the smell of a good bacon sarnie.

Vocabulary

Come on — people say this when think someone’s comments are incorrect or stupid

A load of — a lot of

A veggie — a vegetarian — someone who doesn’t eat meat

Pasty — with a sick, unhealthy look on your face

Pale — with no colour on your face

A balanced diet — food that you eat that includes food from all the major food groups

A pulse — food such as lentils (small, round, brown seeds) and beans

Soya — food made from soya beans

Foot and mouth disease — an illness that animals catch such as cows, sheep, etc.

Fancy a…? — would you like a…?

A sarnie — a sandwich (informal)

Discuss in small groups of 3-4 students. Then give your resolution to the whole class.

— What is your attitude to meat? How much meat a day/a week do you need? Which meat do you prefer: pork, beef or mutton?

— Can you stay without meat? For how long?

— Do you know any veggies personally? How have they come to such way of life? How do they feel without meat? Does their way of life influence on their health? In what way?

— What could make you become a veggie? Why/Why not?

Part Three. The English Breakfast

Two British men, Frank and Daniel, are talking about the famous English breakfast. Read their dialogue and answer the questions:

1. What does the British breakfast consist of?

2. What arguments are there in favour of the English breakfast?

3. What arguments are there against the English breakfast?

Frank: Oh, I feel great! I just had a British brekkie. I’m absolutely stuffed.

Daniel: But if you think having a breakfast then feeling like that afterwards is good, then I don’t understand you.

Frank: Ah, it was brilliant! It was sausages, beans, tomato, bacon, egg, black pudding, potatoes, mushrooms, toast, fried bread, tea, orange — the works. It was the business.

Daniel: You’ve just made a long list of all the types of food that none of us should be eating. It’s just completely unhealthy. Why, why abuse your body like that?

Frank: Unhealthy? It’s got everything, it’s got carbohydrates, it’s got protein, it’s got vitamins in the orange juice. It’s good. It’s a complete meal and it’s enough to keep you going.

Daniel: Whatever it’s got in it, it’s, then you just ruin it. You just pour a load of grease on it and fry it up and that must kill any nutrient or vitamin it’s got inside it.

Frank: Oh, it’s wonderful. Anyway, what do you fancy for lunch today?

Daniel: Oh, I don’t know. Bit of bacon, a bit of egg, few beans…

Frank: What? You mean, er, a British breakfast?

Daniel: Ah, that’s not a breakfast. This is lunch. That’s different.

Vocabulary

A brekkie — a breakfast (informal)

Absolutely stuffed — you have eaten too much and you are full (informal)

The works — everything (informal)

It was the business — it was really, really good (informal)

To keep you going — the food is very filling and you don’t need to eat again for a long time

To pour — to move liquid from one container to another

Grease — fat from food

To fry up — to cook food with a lot of oil

Anyway — people use this expression to change the direction of the conversation

Er/erm — this is the noise that people make while they are thinking about what to say next

Discuss in small groups of 3-4 students. Then give your resolution to the whole class.

— Is breakfast important for you? When do you usually have breakfast? What do you usually have for breakfast?

— What is ideal breakfast for you?

— Have you ever stayed without breakfast? How did you feel?

— After breakfast when do you usually want to eat again?

Part Four. You Are What You Eat

What do your tastes in food and drink reveal about your character? Read about Charlie Chilli, Suzie Sweet-Tooth, Hungry Harry and Picky Polly and see which one you identify with! The character analysis is at the end of the Unit.

Vocabulary

To reveal — обнаруживать, показывать

Sweet-tooth — сластена, сладкоежка

Picky — разборчивый, привередливый

To identify — совпадать, отождествлять

As long as — пока, если

To adore — обожать

Dessert — десерт, сладкое

Milk shake — молочный коктейль

Hot — зд. острый

Spicy — острый, пряный

Speciality — фирменное блюдо

Exotic — экзотический, необычный

Two days running — два дня подряд

I would rather go hungry — я скорее останусь голодным

To be keen on — быть без ума, очень любить

Quantity — количество

Quality — качество

I can’t stand — я не выношу

Room — зд. место

Stomach — желудок, живот

Vocabulary (Character analysis)

Adventurous — безрассудно смелый, авантюрного склада, любящий рисковать

Restless — беспокойный, неугомонный, неспокойный

Easy-going — веселый, беззаботный, с легким характером

Sociable — общительный, коммуникабельный

They lack confidence — им не хватает уверенности в себе

Sympathetic — чуткий, полный сочувствия, благожелательный

Reliable — надежный

Generous — щедрый

Ambitious — честолюбивый, целеустремленный

Sensitive — чувствительный, ранимый, впечатлительный

To lose one’s temper — выйти из себя

To fail — потерпеть неудачу

Discuss in small groups of 3-4 students. Then give your resolution to the whole class.

— Has anything in the test surprised you? Is it true about your character? Do you agree with the results?

— Do you really think that we are what we eat?

— How does food influence on our character? Give examples.

Part Five. Food Chat

Two chefs, Evelyn Winters, a British chef, and Monsieur Leblanc, a French chef, are having a hot discussion where the best food in the world comes from. Read it and answer the questions:

1. Have you ever tried British/French food?

2. What is your opinion about them?

ML: Well, I know this is going to upset you, my dear friend, but frankly speaking, French food is the best in the world. For a start we have vichyssoise. It is the best soup in the world.

EW: The best soup? It’s just cold soup. You couldn’t be bothered to heat it up. We have tomato soup.

ML: OK, but we have the great French baguette.

EW: A thin bit of bread! Rip-off! What about a good old loaf?

ML: And, for example, our coffee is some of the best in the world. “Cafe au lait” is the best thing to wake you up in the morning.

EW: Yeah, with a stupid machine. Instant coffee is easier and quicker, and tastes just as good.

ML: OK, and “pommes frites”. You don’t get better “pommes frites” in the whole world.

EW: Yeah, that’s just chips with a fancy name. And anyway we invented them. First mentioned in Charles Dickens’ book ‘A Tale of Two Cities’.

ML: And we have great dishes like “pies e pacquets”.

EW: Lamb’s feet and tripe in a vomit sauce! Yuck!

ML: How dare you! It’s our national delicacy, and our “cuisses de grenouilles”. Where do you find a dish like this?

EW: Frog legs. That’s disgusting!

ML: OK, and what about our “coq au vin”? What have you got to say about “coq au vin”?

EW: Chicken in a wine sauce. Roast chicken and a pint of beer? Can’t get better than that, can you?

ML: OK, and our internationally famous “quiche lorraine”. What have you got to say about that, mister?

EW: What do you mean, “mister”? Madame!

ML: Sorry, I thought you had changed sex.

EW: Egg with pastry and a bit of bacon. Mmm… If we want bacon and eggs, we have our breakfast.

ML: I refuse to listen to this rubbish any more. French food is the best in the world, and you cannot say anything that will make me change my opinion.

EW: Yeah, the only one saying that is you, because everyone knows that British food is the best.

Vocabulary

To upset — to make angry or sad

Vichyssoise — a type of soup made from leeks (a long, green vegetable)

Couldn’t be bothered — if you “couldn’t be bothered” to do something, you are too tired to do that thing

To heat up — to make food warm/hot

A rip-off — a trick; something that deceives you

A loaf — a rectangular piece of bread

Instant coffee — coffee grains that you use to make coffee. You just add boiling water

Pommes frites — literally, fried pieces of potato; “chips”, in British English

Fancy — expensive and elaborate in the negative sense

Tripe — an animal’s stomach

How dare you! — this is an expression of anger. It is used when someone has been disrespectful to you

A national delicacy — a plate of food that is considered representative of a country

Pastry — food made from flour, fat and water. It is then cooked in the oven

To refuse — to say that you will not do something

Rubbish — an expression used to refer to something that you think is untrue or ridiculous

Discuss in small groups of 3-4 students. Then give your resolution to the whole class.

— What cuisine do you prefer? Do you have any special likes in this cuisine? How often do you eat dishes of this cuisine? Do you cook them yourself or do you order them in the restaurants?

— Do you like restaurant food? Do you have favourite restaurants? How often do you go there? Is it expensive? What do you usually order there? Would you recommend it to your friends?

Part Six. Jokes

1. Tom: I eaten seven hamburgers for breakfast.

Teacher: Ate, Tom! Ate.

Tom: No, Miss, seven. There were eight on the plate but I couldn’t manage the last one.

2. Mother: How was your cookery lesson?

Daughter: Awful. I was sent out of the class because I burnt something.

Mother: That wasn’t very fair. What did you burn?

Daughter: The classroom.

3. Teacher: Are you chewing gum?

Pupil: No, I’m Andrew Brown.

4. A clever butcher

A Norfolk butcher was famous for his rabbit pies, which he used to bake himself. As time went by, however, customers started to complain that his pies weren’t quite as nice as they used to be. One day a friend said:

— Frank, what happened to your rabbit pies?

— Why?

— They don’t taste as good as they used to.

— Well between you and me, — said the butcher, — my pies have been in such great demand that there aren’t enough rabbits to go round.

— So what do you do?

— I mix in a bit of horse meat.

— Horse meat! — exclaimed the friend. — How much horse meat do you put in?

— About fifty-fifty, — replied the butcher.

— What do you mean fifty-fifty?

— One horse to one rabbit.

Vocabulary

To manage — справиться

Cookery lesson — урок кулинарии

Fair — справедливый

To chew — жевать (chewing gum — жевательная резинка)

Butcher — мясник

Pie — пирог

Customer — покупатель, клиент

To complain — жаловаться

To be in great demand — пользоваться большим спросом

To mix in — подмешивать, мешать с

Part Seven. Revision Game

Throw the dice and answer the questions:

1. Name an exotic dish.

2. What is a healthy diet?

3. Your receipt of a meat sarnie.

4. Who is veggie?

5. Do you like pastry?

6. Who is sweet-tooth?

7. What is your favourite dessert?

8. What is “cuisses de grenouilles”

9. What is the most delicious food you’ve ever eaten?

10. Fancy a tripe?

11. Which do you prefer in the morning: tea or coffee?

12. Name 3 ingredients of your favourite dish.

13. Characterize Charlie Chilli.

14. What did you have for brekkie today?

15. What is the national delicacy of your country?

16. What’s the difference between kitchen and cuisine?

17. What is the worst dish you’ve ever eaten?

18. Which do you prefer for lunch: meat or fish?

19. What is a balanced diet?

20. Characterize Picky Polly.

21. Fancy pommes frites?

22. What is vichyssoise made from?

23. Name professions connected with food.

24. What are alternatives to meat for veggies?

25. What is “cafe au lait”?

26. Are you Hungry Harry?

27. Do you like hot, spicy food?

28. What food can’t you stand?

29. What are you going to have for supper?

30. Are you keen on food?

Answers to the Healthy Eating Test:

1. The correct answer is b. Once a month (sometimes twice) should be okay. A lot of fast food restaurants offer healthier choices. Try a fruit juice instead of a fizzy drink or a salad instead of a burger.

2. The correct answer is a. All salad leaves and vegetables themselves are low in fat but some salad dressings can be high in calories.

3. The correct answer is a. Do you remember the Russian proverb ‘Eat breakfast alone…’? Eating breakfast is the perfect way to start your day. Without breakfast you’ll feel tired and sleepy.

4. The correct answer is b. But it doesn’t have to be just water. Fruit juice, milk and tea count, too. So do fizzy drinks — but make sure you don’t drink these too often.

5. The correct answer is c. Healthy snacks such as fresh fruit or vegetables are good for you. Besides, such snacks can also help to prevent you from overeating at your next meal.

6. The correct answer is b. Doctors say that we should eat fish twice a week.

7. The correct answer is b. It has been proven that all vegetables — whether they are fresh, frozen or even canned — are good for you.

8. The correct answer is b. It’s a myth that eating starchy foods like pasta and bread is bad.

9. All above (d) is the correct answer!

10. The correct answer is b.

Character analysis

Chilli eaters are brave and adventurous; they like to shock, but they get bored and restless very easily.

Sweet-eaters are easy-going and sociable but they lack confidence. They are kind and sympathetic but not always reliable.

Hungry eaters are hard-working and generous; they aren’t ambitious and hate changes of any sort. They worry about the future.

Picky eaters are artistic and sensitive but they lose their tempers easily. They set themselves very high standards and don’t like to fail.