At a Restaurant

(S – student, W – waiter)

Ex. 7. Scan the text and answer the questions that follow.

Pubs

Pubs have become an important part of British social life. These are quiet, rather private places, large or small, new or old, in cities or in the countryside, with a friendly atmosphere where local people meet in the evening for company and conversation. They come to relax, talk, play games like darts or billiards and have their usual drink or a meal. You can buy many kinds of drinks in pubs, alcoholic and non-alcoholic. The typical drink is beer. There are many different types of beer both draught and bottled, which is served in pints (0,57 of a litre) or half pints. You never ask for a pint of beer, but for a pint of lager, bitter, keg, mild, Guinness or other particular name of the beer. You can also buy spirits (e.g. whiskey, gin, vodka) and usually wine (by the glass, but not by the bottle). There are also a lot of soft drinks, e.g. coca-cola (coke), fruit juice or lemonade. A very refreshing drink on a hot day is a shandy (lemonade mixed with beer).

People come to pubs to meet their friends and get to know other “regulars”. They talk about the weather or how the English cricket team is doing in the Test Match against Australia. And although the regulars see each other almost every night for years, they never go into each others homes.

There are strict laws regulating opening time and who is allowed into pubs. The times vary in different parts of the country but most of them are open from 11 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays. Children under 14 are not allowed to get into a pub, and young people under the age of 18 are not allowed to buy alcoholic drinks.

Picnics are also popular, especially with women and children. Children are fond of picnics chiefly because there are no tables at picnics and consequently no table manners and they have an opportunity to eat things that don’t agree with them. Women are happy because they don’t have to trouble about thinking of a meal. There should be hard-boiled eggs and something from a paper bag. It is not food that matters. They are looking forward to start a fire, to play guitar, cards and to amuse themselves.

1. What is a pub?

2. Is it more popular than a restaurant?

3. Why do English people go to a pub?

4. What drinks do they normally have there?

5. Are there such places as pubs in our country?

Ex. 8. Act out the following dialogues.

In a Pub

(S – student, W – waiter)

Quick Snack

(S – student)

Discuss: Which do you prefer to do at the weekend: to have a picnic or to spend a quiet evening at home? Why?

Keep these Conversations Going

Ex. 1. Reply the waiter.

- You are being served, aren’t you?

- Do you like your tea strong?

- You have ordered some salad for two, haven't you?

- Do you still need the wine list?

- You don't seem to like the cutlet. Shall I change it?

- The steak is just to your taste, isn't it?

- Shall I lay another place, madam?

- Shall I add the bill to your hotel bill, sir?

- Will you have the strawberries with sugar, madam?

Ex. 2. Read the texts and say what new you have learnt about shops in Great Britain and in the USA.

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 1393