Unit 3 Let’s Eat!

 

Listening and Speaking

Audio Track 2-3-1

I love fresh vegetables such as cabbage, celery, and tomatoes. They are crunchy and tasty and also healthy. I also like chicken and fish because they are nutritious and they provide me with energy.

 

Audio Track 2-3-2/ Audio Track 2-3-3

Bill: Hi, Marta. What did you do last night?

Marta: I had dinner at my friend’s house. Her mother cooked.

Bill: Oh, really? What was on the menu?

Marta: It was a big meal. Let’s see … We had fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, grits, and … oh yes, Mississippi mud pie for dessert.

Bill: Fried tomatoes? Grits?

Marta: Yes. My friend’s mother is from the southern United States. It’s a typical southern menu.

Bill: Interesting! Did you like it?

Marta: Well, the chicken was delicious. Crispy on the outside and really juicy inside.

Bill: Sounds yummy! And the grits? What are grits, anyway?

Marta: Grits are made from crushed corn. They look something like oatmeal.

Bill: I’ve never had grits.

Marta: Well, typically they are very bland. But I added lots of butter so they had a strong, buttery flavor. They went well with the fried green tomatoes. Those were a little oily, but they were really good.

Bill: Did you enjoy the dessert?

Marta: Well, the Mississippi mud pie was tasty, but too sweet. I couldn’t finish it all.

 

Audio Track 2-3-4/ Audio Track 2-3-5

Today our lives are busier than they were 10 or 20 years ago. For some people, this is a problem. They think we should slow down and enjoy life. The Slow Food movement was started to celebrate and support the local food traditions of the world. Its members don’t like fast food or instant foods because they think those foods are unhealthy.

The Slow Food movement started in Europe, but now it is an international movement. There are more than 65,000 members in 45 countries. The Slow Food movement’s members think we need to slow down and appreciate delicious, traditional foods. They also believe in protecting the environment. In addition, they believe in supporting local farmers and their products.

 

Audio Track 2-3-6/ Audio Track 2-3-7

Adam: I’m about 20 pounds overweight. I went on a diet. There’s only one problem: I just love buttery foods. Everyone says that I should eat less butter. It’s hard!

Janet: I lived in Thailand for six months. It was really fun. I really like Thai food! It’s too spicy for some people, but not for me; I love the peppers. I came home a month ago. The food here tastes so bland — I don’t like it anymore.

Abby: My mother says that I have a “sweet tooth.” That means I like to eat sweet foods. Dessert is my favorite part of any meal. I like anything with chocolate in it!

Minh: I’m training for a swimming competition. I have to eat healthy foods all the time. At first I didn’t like it, but now I do. I actually prefer healthy foods to sweet or buttery foods. And I feel better, too!

 

Audio Track 2-3-8/ Audio Track 2-3-9

Here are eight surprising facts about chili peppers

1. Chili peppers are one of the oldest food crops in the world. Farmers grew the first chili peppers more than 9,000 years ago.

2. The first chili peppers probably grew in Bolivia. From there, the plant spread through South America and the Caribbean. Christopher Columbus brought the first chili peppers to Europe.

3. The heat in the chili comes from a chemical called capsaicin. Capsaicin has no smell or flavor, but it makes your mouth feel “hot.”

4. Scientists believe that chili peppers are a very healthy food because they are rich in vitamins. Research shows that chilies do not damage the stomach, and Indian scientists discovered that eating chilis can help people lose weight.

5. Indian food is well-known for using lots of chili peppers, but Thai food is spicier. The average person in Thailand eats five grams of chili pepper everyday — the most in the world!

6. The Aztec Indians of Mexico loved chili peppers so much that they gave them to their king as a gift.

7. The hottest chili pepper in the world is the habanero. It is bright orange and grows in the Caribbean.

8. There are chili sauce factories on every continent except Antarctica.\

 

Audio Track 2-3-10/ Audio Track 2-3-11

The healthiest lifestyle in the world?

In many countries around the world, people are living longer than before. People have healthier lifestyles, and healthcare is better, too.

Okinawa is an island off the coast of Japan. The people on Okinawa, the Okinawans, may have the longest lives and healthiest lifestyles in the world. Researchers did a study. They started their study by looking at city and town birth records from 1879. They didn’t expect to find many centenarians in the records. They were very surprised to find so many old and healthy people living in Okinawa. The United States, for example, has 10 centenarians per 100,000 people. In Okinawa there are 34 centenarians per 100,000 people!

What is the Okinawans’ secret? First, they eat a healthy diet. They eat many fresh fruits and vegetables. They also eat fish often and drink a lot of water and green tea. But researchers think that the Okinawans have other healthy habits as well. They don’t do hard exercise such as weightlifting or jogging — instead, they prefer relaxing activities like gardening and walking. Researchers say that older Okinawans also have a good attitude about aging. They sit quietly and relax their minds with deep breathing exercises. They also enjoy massage.

 

Audio Track 2-3-12

Oranges are sweeter than grapefruit. Potato chips are saltier than crackers.

 

Audio Track 2-3-13

1. Math is harder than English.

2. Apples are juicier than carrots.

3. The curry is spicier than the chili.

4. August is hotter than July.

 

Audio Track 2-3-14

Jill: Where do you want to go for dinner?

José: I don’t know. Why don’t we go to the pizza place on the corner?

Jill: Pizza again? I don’t like their pizza. It’s too spicy.

José: You’re right. It’s spicier than the pizza at Pizza House.

Jill: Well, I still want to go out tonight. How about that new Japanese restaurant downtown?

José: OK! Let’s go!

 

Audio Track 2-3-15

A: Are we going out to eat after class?

B: Yes. Let’s go to the KFC opposite our school. It’s not too expensive.

C: OK, that’s good for me. We don’t have to walk far. I have only an hour.

A: But I don’t like oily foods. I’m a vegetarian

B: Then, why don’t we go to the Italian restaurant next to the KFC? They serve delicious salads and other dishes.

C: It’s my favorite restaurant. And it’s not expensive.

A: You’re right. OK! Let’s go there after class!

 

Audio Track 2-3-16

Get ready for the grand reopening of the new Veronica’s Restaurant! Yes, we are open again on New Year’s Day! Come and see the improvements for yourself: The portions were large, but now they are larger! The seats were comfortable, but now they are more comfortable! Our food was good, but now it’s better than ever! …

 

Audio Track 2-3-17

I think the most popular food in my hometown is rice. We cook rice in all kinds of ways. We mix it with pork, we mix it with beans, we mix it with eggs … vegetables … We make New Year Cakes with rice. We make rice in every way possible.

One specialty in my hometown is Zongzi, which is glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves stuffed with meat, beans, salted egg yolks and many other ingredients. It used to be eaten only during the Dragon Boat Festival in honor of Quyuan, an ancient poet, but now it has become a favorite food for most people in my hometown. I love it.

 

Video Course

Video Track 2-3-1

Brad: My favorite food is jambalaya, which is a Cajun food from New Orleans. Jambalaya contains chicken, beans, and rice.

Dennis: I like spicy food, and I like my vegetables really crispy. I don’t want them overcooked or soggy.

Dayanne: My favorite food is rice and beans. And why do I like rice and beans? I’m Brazilian! Rice and beans are very healthy for you, but I don’t like them if they are too salty or too buttery.

Thallus: My favorite food is chicken … is grilled chicken, because it’s healthy. It has less oil than other foods.

Dan: There’s nothing better than a big juicy steak.

Julianna: I do not like to eat greasy or buttery food … like bacon for example.

Alejandra: I do not like oily foods, but I do like sweet ones … like chocolate.

 

Video Track 2-3-2

Brad: My favorite food is jambalaya, which is a Cajun food from New Orleans. Jambalaya contains chicken, beans, and rice.

Dennis: I like spicy food, and I like my vegetables really crispy. I don’t want them overcooked or soggy.

 

Video Track 2-3-3

Catherine: I like this restaurant called Trident Café. They serve typical American food — pizza, hamburgers, french fries. My favorite dish from the restaurant is their hamburgers.

Dave: My favorite Mexican food is chilaquiles, which is fried pieces of tortilla with salsa. Chilaquiles are very spicy, and I love that.

Lourdes: I think the most popular food in Colombia is rice and we make rice, or “arroz” en Espanol, in all kinds of ways. We mix it with meat, we mix it with fish, we mix it with beans … vegetables … We make it as a dessert also with milk and sugar. You name it — we’ll make rice any way possible … and we’ll eat it at least twice a day.

Woo Sung: My favorite food is a Korean dish called yukkae-jang. It’s a spicy soup with chunks of beef and vegetables. It’s delicious. I love it and I eat it once a week.

 

Video Track 2-3-4

Mike: Let’s add the grits! It’ll make our plate look better.

Roberto: Hey, do you do takeout?

Mike: This isn’t fast food. This is old-fashioned Southern home-cooking!

Roberto: This looks delicious. Mmm … crispy!

Mike: Not too oily?

Roberto: No. And it’s really juicy.

Takeshi: Not too spicy?

Roberto: Well, in my opinion, the spicier the better. Hey, how about some more hot sauce?

Mike: Yeah! My cousin is from down South. He lives in Louisiana and man! The food down there is spicy. It’s what you call “Cajun cooking.” Whoo! Is it hot!

Takeshi: I don’t know …

Mike: Oh, come on Takeshi. Just a little … (spills hot sauce on chicken)

Roberto: Look!

Takeshi: Oh my gosh! It’s Chef Jackson Dupree!

Chef Dupree: All right. Step away from your dishes. The taste testing is starting. No more cooking!

Roberto: Too late.

Chef Dupree: (to first contestant) Buttery. Not bad … not bad at all. Quite tasty … (to second contestant) This is the oiliest chicken I have ever tasted! (to Mike and Takeshi while tasting fried tomatoes) Hmm ... very good! A little sweet, but still crunchy. (tastes grits) Delicious! Try

some chicken … Whoo! Now that’s some good chicken. Hot and spicy, just like Mama’s. You know, I’m an old Cajun boy myself.

Mike: You’re from Louisiana?

Chef Dupree: Born and raised! And you two, you are the winners!

Roberto: I told you. The spicier the better!

 

Video Track 2-3-5

Mike: Let’s add the grits! It’ll make our plate look better.

Roberto: Hey, do you do takeout?

Mike: This isn’t fast food. This is old-fashioned Southern home-cooking!

Roberto: This looks delicious. Mmm … crispy!

Mike: Not too oily?

Roberto: No. And it’s really juicy.

Takeshi: Not too spicy?

Roberto: Well, in my opinion, the spicier the better.

 

Video Track 2-3-6

Roberto: ... Hey, how about some more hot sauce?

Mike: Yeah! My cousin is from down South. He lives in Louisiana and man! The food down there is spicy. It’s what you call “Cajun cooking.” Whoo! Is it hot!

Takeshi: I don’t know …

Mike: Oh, come on Takeshi. Just a little … (spills hot sauce on chicken)

Roberto: Look!

Takeshi: Oh my gosh! It’s Chef Jackson Dupree

 

Video Track 2-3-7

Chef Dupree: All right. Step away from your dishes. The taste testing is starting. No more cooking!

Roberto: Too late.

Chef Dupree: (to first contestant) Buttery. Not bad … not bad at all. Quite tasty … (to second contestant) This is the oiliest chicken I have ever tasted! (to Mike and Takeshi while tasting fried tomatoes) Hmm … very good! A little sweet, but still crunchy. (tastes grits) Delicious! Try some chicken … Whoo! Now that’s some good chicken. Hot and spicy, just like Mama’s. You know, I’m an old Cajun boy myself.

Mike: You’re from Louisiana?

Chef Dupree: Born and raised! And you two, you are the winners!

Roberto: I told you. The spicier the better!

 

Audio Track 2-3-18

Mike and Takeshi entered a cooking contest and made fried chicken, grits, and fried tomatoes. Before the contest began, Roberto suggested adding some hot sauce to make the chicken spicier. Mike thought this was a good idea, but Takeshi wasn’t so sure. When Mike added the hot sauce, the cover came off the bottle accidentally and the chicken got covered with hot sauce! It seemed a disaster for Takeshi so he tried to remove some of the sauce, but just then Chef Dupree came in and he announced the start of the taste test. The judging began. Chef Dupree tasted all the other dishes and told one girl contestant that her chicken was the oiliest he had ever tasted. When the chef tasted Mike and Takeshi’s chicken, they became extremely nervous as it was covered with hot sauce. They thought the chef would not like it, but to their surprise, he liked it! He told them it was delicious, just like his mother’s. So in the end Mike and Takeshi won the contest, quite unexpectedly!