Задания 10-17
Fast Food
When people all over the world are looking for a quick, easy meal, fast food is the most common choice. With good service, low prices and a relaxed atmosphere, fast food looks like the ideal choice. In fact, over 25 percent of Europeans eat fast food every day. Fries and hamburgers are sold everywhere: in big cities, small towns, shopping malls, airports, bus stations, schools, and even hospitals! There are 31,000 McDonald’s worldwide.
However, fast food companies make clients eat more. They offer over-sized burgers, extra-large French fries, and big portions of Coke. What’s more, these “large versions” are usually cheaper. The products have lots of calories, sugar and fat. A typical hamburger at a fast food restaurant weighs 170 grams. In 1957, it was just 50 grams. According to scientists, your fast food meal is like three ordinary meals.
Fast food doesn’t spoil. This is because it has lots of “special” ingredients. There’s a video on YouTube that illustrates this. It is based on a true story. In 1991, an engineer from the USA, Tom Scarvell, met with friends for New Year’s Eve. They stopped at McDonald’s on the way home. He bought some cheeseburgers, ate one and put the other in his coat pocket. Then he forgot about it. A year later, he took the coat out of the wardrobe, put it on and discovered the cheeseburger in his pocket from New Year’s Eve. It looked exactly the same. He was absolutely shocked. He told his friends and family but nobody believed him. So he decided to start a “burger museum” to show everyone that these cheeseburgers and hamburgers don’t decompose.
He started collecting burgers, one every year. He kept them on bookshelves in his living room in the open air. These burgers looked exactly the same, the bun, the meat, the cheese, the special sauce, the cucumber, even the lettuce. They all kept their shape and colour for over five years!
It is surprising that although most people don’t think that fast food is the best choice they can’t stop going to fast food restaurants, like McDonald’s. The chain has healthy dishes on the menu, such as fruit and vegetables. Why not order them? But you don’t go to McDonald’s for a green salad or a yoghurt! The unhealthy hamburgers, French fries and milkshakes are more common and attractive and to many people they are tastier than low calorie dishes.
There is no problem with eating fast food from time to time. If you really are dreaming about a hamburger, go and get it. But if you’re having a stressful day, remember that lunch in a fast food restaurant is not a good choice. Doctors strongly recommend avoiding all fast food and takeaways these days. You can occasionally allow yourself a fast food meal. However, if you are eating it more than once a week, think of giving up.
Fast food should play a small role in your life. If you don’t have a way out, have a fast food meal in one of McDonald’s restaurants but choose the healthier dishes. You should be aware of what you eat and try to develop healthy eating habits.
10. McDonald’s is the main fast food chain in the world.
1) True
2) False
3) Not stated
11. Nowadays fast food portions are getting smaller.
1) True
2) False
3) Not stated
12. Burgers look the same for a long time.
1) True
2) False
3) Not stated
13. The “burger museum” showed hamburger making equipment.
1) True
2) False
3) Not stated
14. The collection of hamburgers was kept in a large fridge.
1) True
2) False
3) Not stated
15. It’s possible to find some healthy food in McDonald’s.
1) True
2) False
3) Not stated
16. Fast food dishes can help when you feel stressed out.
1) True
2) False
3) Not stated
17. McDonald’s is cheaper than other fast food restaurants.
1) True
2) False
3) Not stated
