English meals

The English usually have 4 meals a day: breakfast, lunch, tea (5 o'clock) and dinner. Breakfast can be a full " English breakfast" of cornflakes with milk and sugar, or bacon and eggs, toast and marmalade, tea or coffee. Some people, however, have just a cup of tea or coffee with a toast or something similar. This is usually called a " continental breakfast".

At midday everything is stopped for lunch. Most offices and small shops are closed for an hour and the city pavements are full of people on their way to cafes, coffee bars, restaurants. Factory workers usually eat in their 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.

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 weekends afternoon tea is a special occasion. Friends and visitors are often invited to have a chat over a cup of tea.

Dinner is the most substantial meal of the day. It is usually eaten at 7 o'clock. The first course may be soup (though the English don't like it very much). The main course will often be fish or meat, perhaps the traditional roast beef of old England, and a lot of vegetables. The next course will be something sweet and often cooked, such as a fruit pie. Last of all there may be cheese, often with biscuits.

It is common knowledge that the English are very fond of tea. They like to have " a nice cup of tea" 6 or 8 times a day, sometimes even more.

On Christmas Day a roast turkey is traditionally cooked for dinner. It is usually followed by Christmas pudding. Long before Christmas housewives begin to plan what cake to make for Christmas. Usually they make fantastic Christmas cakes.

2. Learn the following:

Eat at pleasure, drink with measure. — Ешь вволю, (а) пей в меру.

Help yourself to some salad. — Попробуйте салат.

I've got that. — Я понял.

Good health is above wealth — Здоровье всего дороже.

The table-cloth is so dirty — Скатерть такая грязная

Bring me a napkin, please — Принесите мне салфетку, пожалуйста.

Pass me some salt, please — Передайте соль, пожалуйста.

Have a drop of brandy — Выпей немного бренди.

3. Translate the following words into Russian and learn them by heart:

Boil, boiled, bread, butter, cabbage, carrot, cream, ice-cream, fried, hungry, be hungry, instead, instead of somebody, jam, juice, knife (knives), lunch, marmalade, meal, meat, milk, order, plate.

4. Answer the questions:

1. How many meals a day do the English have?

2. What is usually called a " continental breakfast"?

3. When do the English usually have lunch?

4. Why do the English like " good plain food"?

5. What kind of meal is five o'clock tea in England?

6. What do the English usually have for dinner?

7. What is the traditional dish for Christmas table?

8. What other dishes are popular in England?

5. Finish the sentences:

1. The English usually have soup, meat and salad and an apple pie for...

2. I like porridge with milk and a cup of coffee for...

3. Do you take your tea with...

4. The last meal of the day is...

5. Here is the menu. What would you like to...

6. What would you prefer for dessert? — I'd like...

7. Let's go to the cafe. — Thank you,...

8. I'm on a slimming diet so for breakfast I only have...

9. I usually have four...

10. Where are you going to celebrate your birthday? — I think...

6. Learn the following words by heart:

toast – хлеб, нарезанный ломтиками и подрумяненный в тостере или на огне

Yorkshire pudding – йоркширский пудинг (жидкое пресное тесто, которое запекается под куском мяса на рашпере и впитывает стекающий сок)

marmalade — джем, конфитюр, обычно из апельсинов и лимонов, часто с цедрой (подается к утреннему завтраку)

fish and chips – рыба с картофелем во фритюре (популярное дешевое блюдо)

similar – подобный, похожий

pavement – тротуар

it can hardly be called... – вряд ли это можно назвать...

coffee bar – кафетерий

biscuit – печенье, галета

fruit pie– фруктовый пирог

special occasion – особый случай, событие

to have a chat – побеседовать, поговорить, поболтать

substantial – зд. плотный

soup – суп, main course – второе блюдо

it is common knowledge – всем известно

roast turkey – жареная индейка

Christmas pudding – рождественский пудинг (с изюмом, цукатами и пряностями)

it goes without saying – само собой разумеется

7. Translate the following words into Russian and learn them by heart:

Chop, to prefer, watery, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, cocoa, pancakes, stewed fruit, short of time, delicious, couple, various, sandwich, to begin with, to have a snack, tomato, to keep smb going, canteen, cucumber, mixed, leave much to be desired, noodle soup, to serve, mushroom soup, cabbage soup, salt, poultry, prefer, sugar, pudding, salad, be thirsty, cornflakes, canteen, bacon and eggs, plain food, steak, roast beef.