I. Fill in the blanks with the correct words.

1. The English had long been famous for their ___, and foreigners, especially those from warmer countries, were astonished at the vast ___of meat they ate.

2. In Elizabethan England the main meals were ___ and ___.

3. Scottish national dish, ___, using oats, is eaten only with a pinch of salt.

4. Hams also have a regional character and are ___ in different ways in Yorkshire, Wiltshire, Cumberland and Suffolk.

5. A characteristic feature of British food is the high quality of the ___ and the simplicity of the way in which they are used.

6. Summer puddings and bread and butter puddings are made from ___ bread.

7. But over the last twenty-five years many of the British people have changed from full fat to ___ milk.

8. Some people like a glass of light ___ with lunch.

9. Afternoon tea is a ___ sort of thing.

10. Dinner usually begins with ___, which is followed by fish, roast chicken, potatoes and vegetables, a sweet, fruit and nuts. Coffee and cigarettes are served in the___.

II. Complete the sentences with the best answer (a, b, or c).

1. At dinner, as much food as possible was put on the table at once, to show the master's

a) hospitality.

b) generosity.

c) wealth.

2. Today the best British food is supposed to be surprisingly regional. It is greatly influenced by local agricultural conditions and depends on

a) tradition and custom.

b) geography and climate.

c) climate and weather.

3. England is famous for the hard cheeses the names of which derive from the rich dairy farming areas, such as

a) London, Derby, Rochester, Cheddar.

b) Cheddar, Cheshire, Leicester; Derby.

c) Derby, Chester, Kent, Leicester.

4. The forerunner of today's Christmas pudding was

a) apple porridge.

b) plum porridge.

c) oats porridge.

5. A special place in the life of the British is occupied by

a) beer.

b) coffee.

c) tea.

III. Are the statements true or false? Correct the false statements.

1. Even the poor man fed far better than peasants abroad, enjoying his bacon and rabbit when he could not get beef, and only falling back on vegetable broth when times were hard.

2. On the Queen's breakfast table there were chickens, rabbits, mutton, veal and beef, ale and wine, served late in the morning.

3. Pigeon and game pies are connected with sporting estates.

4. Steak and kidney pies and puddings are everywhere, but Black Pudding, made from pig's blood, is a speciality of south England.

5. Alongside with puddings Britain can boast of a wide variety of cakes, which are also part of the British tradition.

6. The British people are the world's greatest coffee drinkers.

7. No alcoholic drinks may be served to young people under eighteen, and no children under sixteen are allowed inside the bar.

8. Breakfast is generally a bigger meal than they have on the Continent, though some English people like a continental breakfast of rolls and butter and tea.

9. Afternoon tea first became popular with the upper and middle classes after the discovery of the Indian plant in Assam in the 1820s and is now a national institution.

10. High tea, on the other hand, is the main meal in Scotland and the south of England.