Comprensión

ON THE TABLE

Level: Beginners/Intermediate

30 Minutes

In the typical house or apartment, many things might be put on the dining table during the day. Many of these things will not relate to eating, and they will have to be removed at meal times.

Among the objects that people put on a table are: keys, letters, newspapers, coins, pens, toys and so on.

Some people even put shoes on the table. This is usually because they start to talk to someone and forget what was in their hands. Putting shoes on a table is very bad manners. In many countries around the world they say that putting shoes on a table brings bad luck.

When the people who live in the house are ready to eat, the table changes quickly. All the things like keys and toys are removed and all the things needed for eating are placed on the table.

For lunch and dinner we usually need knives, forks and spoons, which are called ‘cutlery’. In many countries a knife is all that is needed for breakfast. However, a spoon might be needed too, if the breakfast includes cereals served with fresh milk.

Salt usually appears at every mealtime. Normally there will be some sort of bread or rolls on the table, and it is common to have serviettes. These are used to clean our fingers.  There might also be glasses and cups for fruit juices, coffee and tea. On a special occasion there might be flowers too.

Various things, like butter, olive oil, vinegar, wine, avocado, bottled sauce and mustard will be present on some tables, but not on others. When it comes to eating, people have many different tastes.

QUESTIONS:

1.   What kind of house or apartment is mentioned in the first sentence?
2.   Only one of the following statements is TRUE:
a. People eat all the things that are on the table.
b. Some people put newspapers on the table.
c. People eat parts of the table.
d. No one ever puts shoes on a table.
3.   State one thing the writer says about putting shoes on a table.
4.   What happens to the objects on the table when people are ready to eat?
5.   When would someone need a spoon to eat breakfast?
6.   The article mentions three items of cutlery: knives, spoons and – what?
7.   At what times does the article say ‘Salt usually appears?
8.   The article mentions two popular hot drinks. Name one of them.
9.   What might we find on the table on a special occasion?
10. At the end of the article, what is said about people’s tastes?


ANSWERS – key words, phrases

1.   typical
2.   b.
3.   bad manners/bad luck/ people do this
4.   they are removed/taken away/cleared away
5.   cereal with milk
6.   spoons
7.   at every mealtime
8.   coffee OR tea (it’s a mistake to say both)
9.   flowers
10. they are different

Hits at date of correction (29.07.10): 225