An Invitation to Tea

Strictly speaking, tea is not a meal at all, but a suitable occasion for communication when people come for a chat over their cup of tea. There are two kinds of tea, “afternoon tea”, and “high tea”. “Afternoon tea takes place between three-thirty and consists of tea, bread, butter and jam, followed by cakes and biscuits. “High tea”, however, is a substantial meal and is eaten between five-thirty and six thirty by families which do not usually have late dinner. In a well-to-do families it consist of ham or tongue and tomatoes and salad, or a kipper, or tinned salmon, with strong tea, bread and butter, followed by stewed fruit, or tinned pears, apricots or pineapple with cream and cake.

Tea making is an art. The hostess first of all rinses the teapot with boiling water (this is called “warming the pot”) before adding four or five teaspoonfuls of tea. The amount of tea varies according to the number of people present. The pot is then filled with boiling water and covered by a tea-cosy to allow the tea to infuse for five minutes. English people seldom put lemon in their tea.

Language Work

Find English equivalents for the following words and word-combinations.

Подходящий случай, поболтать за чашкой чая, происходить (иметь место), поздний обед, состоятельные семьи, консервированный лосось, крепко заваренный чай, компот, добавить, варьироваться, настаиваться.

Give opposites of the following words..

Suitable, substantial (meal), well-to-do, strong (tea), to add, to allow.

Insert suitable prepositions.

A suitable occasion … communication, to come … a chat …a cup of tea, to consists …smth, to be followed … smth, the amount … tea, according … smth, to be filled … boiling water, to infuse … five minutes.

2.5 Compare Russian and English traditions of drinking tea. Discuss the following issues:

1) time when people drink tea;

2) what is added into tea;

3) what dishes and food products people have with tea;

4) how tea is made.

Section 3 Listening and Watching

Watch the video-fragment and be ready to answer the questions listed below.

1. What traditional well-known English are mentioned at the beginning of the fragment?

2. What do the Robinsons eat usually for breakfast?

3. What does Mr. Robinson prefer to have for breakfast?

4. What do people have for lunch when they are short of time?

5. What food is called convenience food?

6. Is lunch or dinner the main meal of the day in Britain?

7. What do British people usually have for dinner?

8. How many people represent their national cuisine in London restaurants?

9. What national restaurants are especially popular in Great Britain?

10. Is fish and chips an expensive dish?