Читать книгу English through Dialogues, Puzzles and Jokes - М. М. Битюкова - Страница 2

Two British men, John and Michael, are talking about vegetarians. Read their dialogue and answer the questions:

1. What does one of the speakers say in favour of vegetarianism?

2. What does the other speaker say against vegetarianism?

John: You know, I listened to the program on the radio the other day about these vegetarians – they definitely live longer than people who eat meat.

Michael: Live longer? Vegetarians? Oh, come on, don’t be stupid.

John: No, no, no, it is the healthy alternative to eating. It’s, you know, the best way to…

Michael: No, I know a load of veggies, and they eat in healthy food restaurants, they buy, and they’re sick all the time. They’re pasty, pale…

John: Well, OK, maybe it doesn’t make you look so good, but, you know, a lot of people say they’re vegetarians and they don’t really know about cooking; but if you eat a good healthy balanced diet of vegetarian food you will live longer.

Michael: Balanced diet? Of vegetarian food? A balanced diet includes meat, doesn’t it? I mean, we’re designed to eat meat. That’s part of…

John: There are alternatives to meat. You can have pulses, you can have soya. There are loads of things, and, you know, if you’re vegetarian, you’re helping to protect animals.

Michael: No, I mean. You know, basically a lot of these animals wouldn’t exist if they weren’t made for meat.

John: Yeah, well, look at, we have all these problems, we’ve got foot and mouth disease, you’ve got, the, erm, what’s that disease called?

Michael: Yeah, but that’s, like, diseases. I mean, you know, there are diseases in humans, but that doesn’t really stop humanity, does it? It’s just, you know, it’s just natural. These things happen.

John: Hey, what’s that I can smell in the kitchen. Smells nice.

Michael: Mmm… That’s right. It’s some bacon. Fancy a sarnie?

John: Oh, I’d love one. I love the smell of a good bacon sarnie.

Vocabulary

Come on – people say this when think someone’s comments are incorrect or stupid

A load of – a lot of

A veggie – a vegetarian – someone who doesn’t eat meat

Pasty – with a sick, unhealthy look on your face

Pale – with no colour on your face

A balanced diet – food that you eat that includes food from all the major food groups

A pulse – food such as lentils (small, round, brown seeds) and beans

Soya – food made from soya beans

Foot and mouth disease – an illness that animals catch such as cows, sheep, etc.

Fancy a …? – would you like a …?

A sarnie – a sandwich (informal)

Discuss in small groups of 3-4 students. Then give your resolution to the whole class.

– What is your attitude to meat? How much meat a day/a week do you need? Which meat do you prefer: pork, beef or mutton?

– Can you stay without meat? For how long?

– Do you know any veggies personally? How have they come to such way of life? How do they feel without meat? Does their way of life influence on their health? In what way?

– What could make you become a veggie? Why/Why not?