Form 5 (9)

Test
Food in Our Life
Task I. You are going to hear a radio programme about an unusual restaurant. For
questions 1-5 choose the correct answer a, b or c.
1. Why is it dark in the restaurant?
a) To save energy.
b) To make the atmosphere more romantic.
c) To let you imagine what it’s like being blind.
2. How do you find your table?
a) You follow little lights in the floor.
b) The waiter leads you there.
c) There’s just enough light to do it.
3. Which of these difficulties is NOT mentioned?
a) Getting the waiter’s attention.
b) Finding things on the table.
c) Pouring drinks.
4. What was special about the meal Lily and Julian ordered?
a) It was vegetarian.
b) They didn’t know what they’d get.
c) It was fried in a mustard sauce.
5. Which of these statements best summarises how Lily and Julian felt about the
restaurant?
a) They felt uncomfortable.
b) It felt odd at first, but they liked it.
c) They loved it from the start.

Task II. Choose the best word for each description:

Bitter, bland, hot, sweet, salty, spicy, mild, rich, sour
1. Taste characteristic of sugar or honey; not salty or bitter.
2. Having a sharp, pungent taste or smell; not sweet.
3. “Tasteless” unseasoned or otherwise uninteresting.
4. Having an acid taste like lemon or vinegar.
5. Food of strong flavor, usually sweet, but not always.
6. Plenty of chilli, usually, or occasionally only pepper.
7. Food tasting of, containing, or preserved with salt.
8. Full of flavours such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger.
9. Food easy to digest.
Task III. Choose the correct word for each gap.

tough tasty balanced tender take-away root

instant lean pie raw beans bun fast food

1. If you want to be healthy you should be sure to eat a ……….. diet.

2. Kevin enjoys eating the fat on the meat, but his wife says it's better to eat only
……….. meat.
3. A number of nutritionists point out the value of eating uncooked food, such as salad
and ……….. vegetables.
4. I sent back my steak because it was ………… .
5. ………….. vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips and turnips taste very good when
made into thick winter soups.
6. Anna made a lovely jam …………. .
7. The lamb Sara cooked was so …………. it seemed to melt in the mouth.
8. When Richard and Kate turned up unexpectedly, Sam dashed out and got a …………..
from the Chinese restaurant.
9. Most children love the sort of .................. they serve in places like burger restaurants.
10. Mary doesn’t like …….. coffee. She prefers to buy the ………. And grind them
herself.
11. Jane manages to prepare really ……….. dishes from the simplest ingredients.
12. Tom’s favourite dish is steak and kidney ………… .

Task IV. Read the text about the most important mineral in our diet and decide if
the statements below are true or false.
Salt and our Diet
Life depends on it as much as on water or oxygen. Human beings and animals need
salt for the proper functioning of their bodies. But it is strange to think that a mineral as
cheap and commonplace as this has played such an exotic and dramatic role in history.
Salt sparked off wars in 250 BC; it caused North American Indians to hand over land and
furs to European settlers; and in Tibet, Ethiopia and Rome it was so highly valued that it
became a form of money.
People were not aware of just how much they needed salt until they discovered that
it had a very practical use. If meat or fish could be kept in a barrel of salt, or brine, the
food could be stored for months without it going bad. So salt became very valuable, and
demand began to exceed supply. For Julius Caesar, the news that there was salt in Britain
provided a good reason for invading the country. And Roman soldiers were even paid in
salt, so it is the origin of the word salary.
It is hardly a great surprise, then, to find that salt — like gold — acquired magical
properties, and stories and superstitions grew up around it. Primitive people put it on the
head of an animal that was about to be sacrificed to the gods; babies in medieval Europe
were washed in salt water and children made to wear little bags of the stuff around their
necks to keep them from harm. Even today, in many countries, the accidental spilling of
salt still makes people throw a pinch of the spilt salt over the shoulder to counteract bad
luck — just in case there is some truth in it.
1. Salt was one of the causes of wars and division of territories.
2. Salt was used as a means of paying for goods.
3. People have always valued salt.
4. People used salt for preservation of meat and fish.
5. Each country is rich in salt.
6. Salt was used as an award in military actions.
7. All superstitions connected with salt show that it brings bad luck.

Task V. Here is a part of a letter you've received from an English-speaking friend:

... and that's why I'm so curious to know about your country's food. I mean, what are the
national dishes? What are your own personal favourites? When do you eat your main
meal of the day? Is everything very traditional, or is it, like in so many countries these
days, all changing?...
Write your reply to your friend, answering the questions. Write no more than 150 words.