American Food

In the USA people have a wider choice of foods than consumers in any other country. Meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, nuts are available during any season of the year. Frequently, the problem for a person is not the lack of brands, but rather the bewildering assortment from which one

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must choose. In addition, people can buy foods that are fresh, frozen, canned and cooked. Currently, all stores have an array of stuff especially prepared to be heated in a microwave oven which has changed the preparation of meals. It, along with the supermarket, where you can buy almost anything, makes the process of cooking the most time-efficient in the world. A family can experience only one trip a week to a hypermarket to purchase food for an entire week. Americans already have access to computer-based shopping enabling them to make their buying decisions at home and picking up the needed things at the shop or having them delivered to their homes, so no efforts are actually required.

Since the nineteen fifties fast-food and take-out restaurants have had a phenomenal spread, first in the US, and more recently throughout the world. The chains like McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy's which offer sandwiches, hamburgers, French-fried potatoes, hot dogs, pizzas, pancakes and grilled chicken, have been joined by those with Mexican, Chinese and other ethnic meals. The prices in such places are relatively cheaper than if one were to prepare similar food in the kitchen. Consequently, families may often go out for convenience and economy.

The latest development in the American food industry has been the demand for healthier things. It has made a variety of low-fat dairy and meat products. The second demand is for foods grown and produced free of fertilizers and pesticides. This has led to the boosting of an "organic food" industry. Of course, the cost of it is substantially higher than for nonorganic food. But still the market for the first is expanding, though it remains debatable!

Topic Eight: Daily Routine

Dictation 21

A Typical English Day

An Englishman's day begins when he sits down to breakfast with his morning newspaper. As he looks through the headlines there is

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nothing he likes better than his favourite cornflakes with milk and sugar (porridge if he lives in the North), fried bacon and eggs, marmalade on toast and tea or instant coffee. After breakfast, except on Saturdays and Sundays which are holidays, he goes to work by train, tube, bus, car, motor scooter or bike. He leaves home at about seven forty.

At offices or factories there is a short break at eleven. Then at midday everything stops for lunch. Most shops close for an hour from 1 to 2 p.m. Englishmen are fond of good plain food, and they usually want to know what they eat. They like beefsteaks, chops, roast lamb and Yorkshire pudding, fried fish and chipped potatoes. There are usually two courses in the afternoon – a meat course with a lot of vegetables and a sweet dish to follow, perhaps sundae and custards with hot beverages to finish. Then back to work again with another break in the middle of the day, for tea or coffee, sometimes with a scone or biscuits.

The working day finishes at six. When an Englishman gets home he likes to inspect his orchard before the evening meal called high tea, dinner or supper depending on its size. When his meal is over, he may do a little gardening and then have a walk to the "local" (the nearest beerhouse) for a drink. There are a lot of people at the pub and he can play darts, dominoes, billiards and draughts or discuss the weather and current events. But if an Englishman stays at home, he listens to the radio or watches TV. Then at any time between 10 and 12 p.m. he is ready to go to bed.

Dictation 22