Tommy’s house

Marina Nitsinska

Дорогие читатели!Я бы хотела превратить изучение английского языка для вас в увлекательный процесс с помощью книги, где за языковым слоем – лексикой, грамматикой стоит более глубокий подтекст.В этой книге удивительная история, раскрывающая внутренний мир героя, сопровождается упражнениями, направленными на отработку лексико-грамматического материала и развитие навыков устной речи и логического мышления.

CHAPTER 3

The Kitchen

Every morning Tommy ran to the kitchen.

He liked eating scrambled eggs with a slice of ham and a toast with cheese and having a big cup of mint tea for breakfast. Sometimes he had a plate of porridge, but it was his least favourite dish. Pancakes with honey or cranberry jam Tommy preferred to cornflakes with milk. He adored eating them, it was his best breakfast.

When his granny Kate, who lived not far from his place, visited the house, she made a real feast. She started cooking the most delicious things in the world: grilled meat or fish with herbs, spices and vegetables, baked mushrooms, wonderful pumpkin or cherry pie. The kitchen was filled with tasty flavours and warmth.

She often allowed Tommy to help her and gave him some errands. In spite of Granny’s control, the boy could find a piece of freedom at those moments. He was glad to learn how to slice tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, to peel potatoes and carrots. He grated cheese and garlic, listening to granny’s wise advice. With great pleasure and care the kid blended different ingredients of granny’s special dough for biscuits. Then Tommy decorated them with flavorous plum jam.

When Lilly unexpectedly entered the kitchen, Tommy wasn’t glad to see her. She was constantly breaking the order. He knew her habit of tasting almost all products that she could see on the table or in the fridge.

“Oh, it is so sweet! Wow! The cookies smell vanilla! Ah, the steak looks so juicy! Tommy, taste the blueberry cake, it’s terrific!”

She gave comments to everything, what was happening there at that moment. She kept her eyes on Tommy’s and Granny’s every motion and gesture.

“Tommy, what are you doing?”

“I am washing onions.”

“Are you crying over the onions?”

“I am not crying now. Why are you saying that?”

“I’m just joking! Oh, your mum is waiting for you in the library.”

“We are finishing here. I’ll be there in several minutes’

“Ok. Tommy, what is your favourite food?”

“Pancakes.”

“Oh, I adore pancakes! Do you prefer eating them with sour cream or honey?”

“Both.”

“What about chocolate?! Don’t you like it?”

“I do.”

“Tommy,..”

“Lilly, please, let me finish preparing vegetables for the stew!”

“Let me help you, Tom.”

“Thanks, I’ll do it myself.”

“Have you tasted this mushroom soup? Oh!..”

When Lilly was trying to smell it, she turned the bowl upside down by accident. The girl was standing, staring at the puddle of soup on the floor and at her wet clothes. She was so embarrassed that didn’t know what to say.

“You see? You are always making a mess, silly-billy!”

Her cousin said it with a smile, and then they started to laugh.

“Tommy, I’ll help you later by all means!”

“O, no! Don’t distract me anymore!”

Granny helped Lilly to wipe her hands and sent the little girl to change her clothes.

The process of making tea was pure magic. Granny Kate had her secret recipe to mix some herbs and berries, fragrant dry leaves, pomegranate grains and ginger, orange peels and candied fruit. It looked like boiling a potion. This brew was a remedy for all diseases. After drinking it, Tommy was full of energy and ready to discover some wonders of the house, exploring room after room.

HELPFUL WORDS AND NOTES

porridge [pɔrɪʤ] — каша (овсяная)

herb(s) [hɜb(z)] — трава(ы), лекарственные растения

spice(s) [spaɪs(ız)] — специя(и)

baked [beɪkt] — печёный, выпеченный

to slice [slaɪs] — резать ломтиками,

слоями

to peel [pi l] — чистить, снимать кожуру

to grate [greɪt] — тереть, натирать на тёрке

to blend ingredients [blend] [ɪngridɪənts] — смешивать ингредиенты

dough for biscuits [dəu] [fə] [bɪskɪts] — тесто для печенья

flavorous [flāvərəs] — ароматный

to break (broke, broken) the order [breɪk] [ðɪ] [ɔ də] — нарушать порядок

stew [stju ] — рагу, тушёные овощи, мясо

to be embarrassed [ɪmbærəst] —

смутиться

pomegranate grains [pɔmɪgrænɪt] [greɪnz] — зёрна граната

ginger [ʤɪnʤə] — имбирь

to boil a potion [bɔɪl] [ə] [pəuʃ(ə)n] — варить зелье

brew [bru ] — напиток, варево

remedy for all diseases [remədɪ] [fərɔ l dɪzi zız] — лекарство от всех болезней

VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR TASKS

I Fill in the gaps with the verbs from the list below in the appropriate form.

to peel; to slice; to decorate; to grate; to bake; to taste; to blend; to boil;

to mix.

1. Granny ______________ a delicious pumpkin pie every month.

2. Mum is going to cook a stew for dinner. She _________________ potatoes.

3. Dad’s idea ________________ milk cocktails is brilliant, but today we are going to eat the best ice-cream in the city!

4. Could you help me ____________some cheese for your favourite pasta, please?

5. First you should ______________ the ingredients of the salad in a bowl, and then add the dressing to the dish.

6. I’m trying to prepare a quick snack, so I _____________________ tomatoes to serve them with mozzarella and herbs.

7. His girlfriend is always coming earlier to parties and ______________ each dish on the table.

8. The girls are playing with their toy dishes. Now they_________________ a potion for their teddy bears.

9. Mum __________________ the birthday cake with cream flowers. Look at these lovely petals and leaves!

II Give a recipe for a dish.

Provide a list of ingredients and a set of instructions, then tell how to cook it using the verbs from exercise I.

III Complete the crossword puzzle.

Across

1. Having a pleasant flavour. (adj)

3. A dish consisting of oatmeal or another meal or cereal boiled in water or milk. (noun)

6. Any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavouring, food, medicine, or perfume. (noun)

7. A thick mixture of flour and liquid, used for baking into bread or pastry. (noun)

8. The root of a plant that is used to flavour food. It has a sweet spicy flavour and is often sold in powdered form. (noun)

9. A dirty or untidy state of things or of a place. (noun)

Down

2. A round fruit with a thick reddish skin. It contains lots of small seeds with juicy flesh around them. (noun)

4. An aromatic or pungent vegetable substance used to flavour food, e.g. cloves, pepper. (noun)

5. Tidiness, neatness. (noun)

10. A particular kind of tea or coffee. (noun)

DISCUSSION TASKS

I Say true or false. Correct the false statements.

1. Tommy’s favourite dish was porridge.

2. Tommy preferred cornflakes with milk for breakfast.

3. The boy ate pancakes with plum jam.

4. Mum allowed Tommy to help her in the kitchen.

5. Tom could find a piece of freedom when Granny was in the kitchen.

6. Tommy was glad to learn how to slice vegetables.

7. Tommy was happy to see Lilly in the kitchen.

8. Lilly was quiet and accurate there.

9. Granny turned over a bowl of fish soup.

10. Granny’s tea was a remedy for all diseases.

II Explain why:

1. Tommy really liked to spend time in the kitchen.

2. The boy did his granny’s errands with pleasure.

3. Tom wasn’t glad to see Lilly in the kitchen.

4. Lilly behaved like that in the kitchen.

5. Tommy didn’t want the girl to help him.

TALKING POINTS

I Describe your kitchen.

II Tell about your favourite dish.

III Answer the following questions.

1. What is your least favourite food?

2. Do you like cooking?

3. What do you prefer for breakfast/lunch/dinner?