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Fast Food
Fast Food

Learn English with this 'fast food' English lesson

Date: Oct 03 2018

Themes: Food, Health

Grammar: Reflexive Pronouns

Intro

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Using the drive-thru to buy dinner is the ultimate example of convenience. You drive your car forward, tell the worker what you want, pay some money, and drive away with food. It’s a great quick fix when you don’t have time to cook at home. But is it a good substitute?

If you don’t eat for a long time, you can experience low blood sugar. If that happens, buying fast food is probably a good idea. But most of the time, it’s not the healthiest thing to put into your body. Why do things that taste great have to be bad for us? It’s not fair!

Marni is telling Gary a little secret about fast food. How will he respond? Find out in today’s English lesson about choices.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Marni

Gary

Gary

Marni:  So, the other day…

Gary:  Yeah?

Marni:  …I found myself somewhere that I don’t find myself very often.

Gary:  Oh?

Marni:  And that’s in a fast food drive-thru.

Gary:  Oh my goodness.

Marni:  I know. It was terrible!

Gary:  You went through the drive-thru, even.

Marni:  I did! The ultimate in convenience.

Gary:  It’s super convenient. They literally hand you the food. It’s so handy.

Marni:  And you just eat it in your car, and it’s the worst, most gluttonous thing. But I was so hungry.

Gary:  Yeah.

Marni:  And I was so busy that day.

Gary:  You needed a quick fix, right?

Marni:  I did. I felt like I was having low blood sugar. And I know it’s a poor substitute for real, good, nutritional, wholesome food, but I did it.

Gary:  So, here’s the funny thing, though… is that fast food restaurants aren’t just for meat stuff. You can actually get vegetarian fast food, vegan fast food…

Marni:  Exactly.

Gary:  It’s fast food because it’s quick. It’s given to you fast.

Marni:  I didn’t do any of that. I went for the burger. But I could have gotten some healthier fast food. And maybe next time I will heed your advice.

Gary:  I might need some, actually, for dinner.

 

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Discussion

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Marni’s a little embarrassed because she recently bought fast food. She knows the food isn’t very healthy, but she was hungry and feeling a little strange. Marni knew she needed to eat something, so she chose convenience over eating something nutritious, like a salad.

Gary teases her a bit, but he understands that sometimes going to a drive-thru is what people have time for. We can’t always cook for ourselves, so fast food can be a substitute for a meal at home. Gary points out that there are many fast food restaurants today that offer vegetarian food, which might be healthier than a hamburger. Marni says that she may look for it next time.

Do you eat fast food? Can fast food be healthy?

 

Comments

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sungchous

United States

if you really care of your health.you shouldn’t go fast food restaurant. fast food restayrant is only for getting stuffed. the things which make restaurant serve food fast is totally upto how to preserve food long time in intermediate state. healtht food resource cant be stores in that way long time.

07:47 PM Oct 02 2018 |

jackiepamela

United States

I think that fast food restaurants are places whereyou eat bad, I agree but sometimes that can be different. Here in Brazil some restaurants are called Self Service. You help yourself, you can choice what will eat. You can have a good, cheap and fast meal.

08:59 AM Nov 14 2014 |

ghost.w0506

Germany

hehhehe  fcf515….... don t worry. you shouldn t feel guilty. all food are bad, when you are eating too much. If you just eat normal quantities, it will be okay. That is  for sugar, coke, chocolate, ice cream or tea.


It s same as for medicine. When you overdose the pills, it becomes dangerous.


03:02 PM Oct 18 2014 |

fcf515

fcf515

Taiwan

I also wonder why those tasting good have to be bad for us, like chocolate, candy, chips, and fast food. I understand it is healthy to avoid eating junk food, but sometimes it’s hard for me to resist the desire for eating them. I do feel a bit guilty after eating such oily food though. 

08:44 AM Oct 14 2014 |

max1983max

max1983max

Germany

Girls learn how to cook!  No matter who you eventually get married, it’s anyone will want to eat!

06:37 PM Oct 07 2014 |

kimnga

kimnga

Viet Nam

Although fast food is not a healthy good, it is very convenient to eat especially when we are in a hurry. Sometimes I am so busy that I have no time to sit for lunch, I just stop by a fast food restaurant on the way to grab something to eat ,and that solves my lunch need. However I don’t like to consume fast food very often because I can easily put on weigh and to avoid that problem I have to do more exercise to keep myself fit.

07:27 AM Oct 07 2014 |

1 person likes this

 julito

julito

Argentina

I should eat healthy but sometimes I can’t resist the temptation and buy a double-burguer with fries or onion rings. In the U.S. eating out in a restaurant is expensive ,above all if you are traveling on a budget. Fast food chains are an option if we want to keep within the budget and not going hungry.

07:03 PM Oct 06 2014 |

Olivine

Olivine

Indonesia

Fast food? just sometimes when i miss it, it tastes good, yea as always. It’s not a guarantee that food other than fast food, which is not cooked by ourselves is healthy and even maybe our home made food. Have to know the quality of vegetables or meat if wanna be totally healthy. They have fast seasoning also or instant seasoning, whatever the mixture they put inside. So what’s the point of ‘cooking at home is healthier’, if in the end using the instant seasoning and meat or veggies from nowhere. Maybe fast food is still the worst but not a certainty that other foods are good enough

05:45 PM Oct 06 2014 |

shahriarheydari

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Fast foods are similar to some people in friendship , easy to access … baneful to health … bad side-effect in future . Then let’s choice the right one in both (friend and food) :D 

02:43 PM Oct 06 2014 |

judinasve

judinasve

Russian Federation

I think that’s unfair to blame fast food for all health problems. A person can cook for himself at home, guzzle, move little and be fat.
Fast food restaurants and drive-thru are a proposal which was born out of the demand for always hurrying people.
We are in a hurry, we work hard, we do several things at once. Often we can’t get all family together for a dinner or don’t have time to spend an evening in a restaurant with a friend. We eat on the go just filling the stomach and do not get pleasure by eating.
Is not it great having bought at McDonalds food sit with the kids in a car on a bank of a river, chat, eat and watch the sunset or sit on a bench in a park, eat French fries and treat it the sparrows?

01:23 PM Oct 06 2014 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

Also I try to never miss out on fast food when going to a hockey game or any other event. I know it’ s three times more expensive, but it’s a part of having fun.

01:21 PM Oct 06 2014 |

mojtaba

mojtaba

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

Hummmmm.I thing we can eat fast food a few in month jut for diversity,but if it become daily it can be very harmful for budy☺

01:04 PM Oct 06 2014 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

Yesterday, we dropped by McDonald’s and I had the best of my time. In the beginning I thought I get only ice-cream but after a hike in the park, a sandwich would be nice to have. It was delicious! Once in a blue moon and after long hours workout, it’s ok for me to eat junk food.

12:16 PM Oct 06 2014 |

clutchmann

clutchmann

Hungary

I rarely eat fast food. I’m afraid of eating fast food is totally unhealthy.


But it is very good thing to mate it with coke :)

11:55 AM Oct 06 2014 |

ahmet55

ahmet55

Germany

Many people know about fast food’s features which are less healthy and out of nutrient but in this century i think it is a good substitute for people whom have not sufficient time to cook either don’t like cooking. For example just imagine that your home location is very far away of your office, so what should you do to solve your eating problem. Thus, the best choice is quick fix by fast foods or u might prefer to be hungry and ruin your other tasks. 


Just like others I don’t prefer to eat fast food regularly but when i have no other choice it’s better to taste them and enjoy it. In addition that, of course fast food can be healthy by selecting vegetable and other sorts of them. It depends on youu.

11:44 AM Oct 06 2014 |

mukeshbairwa

India

hghg

10:38 AM Oct 06 2014 |

mukeshbairwa

India

hi

10:35 AM Oct 06 2014 |

foz12

foz12

Saudi Arabia

I know that fast food makes our life easy, however we should not depends on it all the time, for me, even I know it’s not healthier way to intake food , but it’s really helpful in the busy time. Besides that there’s nothing like ready food in front of you when you are in need.

09:36 AM Oct 06 2014 |

Amy2014

China

I occasionaly eat it,for example, i go to a new place, i do not know its price of this place,I will choose fast food,it is a quick fix~

08:19 AM Oct 06 2014 |

Diamir

Germany

I don’t like fast food it’s not healthy  it makes you fat .

06:02 AM Oct 06 2014 |

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