I know that Mike and Jenny, our neighbours, cut meat out11 entirely from their diet. They both have gastric ulcers and meat causes stabbing pains in their stomachs. It does not agree with12 them, so my wife usually cooks steamed vegetables and chicken for them. That goes well with olives and lettuce. I think we have to follow them if we want to feel healthier. They say a lot of raw vegetables can fill me up13 even though I suspect it’s not true, but my wife thinks vegetables can help her stay slim and she won’t put on14 weight. She says I can put away15 three steaks, a pizza and some beer in one meal, and it’s unhealthy. Of course, it’s much better be off picking at a salad for half an hour pretending it’s so delicious. Oh, those women!
1 gobble smth down – проглатывать ч-л., глотать ч-л., не пережёвывая
2 wolf smth down – сметать, проглатывать ч-л.
3 eat out – питаться не дома
4 eat in – питаться дома
5 have a knack for smth – иметь талант к ч-л., быть мастером в ч-л.
6 send out for smth – заказывать на дом ч-л.
7 have smb round – приглашать в гости к-л.
8 serve up / serve food – готовить, предлагать ч-л., обслуживать
9 slice smth up – нарезать ч-л.
10 let everyone help themselves to – помогать раскладывать по тарелкам
11 cut smth out – исключать ч-л.
12 agree (disagree) with smth – подходить к ч-л./быть вредным
13 fill smth up – наедаться ч-л.
14 put on smth – набирать (вес)
15 put/tuck smth away – уплетать ч-л.
• EXERCISE
1. В детстве я постоянно глотал пирожные и пирожки, не жуя.
2. Если вы проведёте в лесу без еды несколько дней, то вы съедите всё, что только сможете проглотить.
3. Мы редко едим не дома и предпочитаем кушать дома.
4. Ты часто выужден есть не дома из-за этой работы?
5. Ты – прямо мастер готовки!
6. Давай закажем пиццу и суши на дом?
7. Мы часто приглашаем соседей в гости.
8. Как они могут предлагать такую гадость?
9. Не мог бы ты нарезать лимон, пожалуйста?
10. Помоги им разложить еду по таралекам, пожалуйста.
11. Пора убрать сахар и сладости из моего рациона.
12. Алкоголь у меня не усваивается, и это не так уж плохо на самом деле.
13. Я не могу жить только на овощах. Мне надо мясо, чтобы чувствовать себя сытым.
14. Кажется, я набрала вес немного.
15. Когда я служил в армии, мы уплетали всё, что только могли найти.
***
1. In my childhood I used to gobble down cakes and pies.
2. If you spend a few days without food in the forest, you will wolf down anything you could swallow.
3. We seldom eat out and prefer eating in.
4. Do you often have to eat out because of this job?
5. You have a knack for cooking!
6. Let’s send out for a pizza and some sushi.
7. We often have our neighbours round.
8. How can they serve up such rubbish?
9. Do they serve nice food over there?
10. Could you slice the lemon up, please?
11. It’s time to cut sugar and sweets out of my diet.
12. Alcohol doesn’t agree with me, and that’s not such a bad thing.
13. I can’t live on vegetables alone, I need some meat to fill me up.
14. I seem to have put on some weight.
15. When I was in the Army, we put away whatever we could find.
♦ IT STARTED SO INNOCENTLY
You know pizza is a kind of meal that takes some drink to wash it down1. It might be either spicy or quite dry, and water helps me swallow it. My friends usually drink beer, and they say «let’s drink to2 the teetotaller», bantering with me. Today I woke up late and had some chocolate biscuits with milk and cereal. I didn’t really want it and just was dipping a biscuit in3 milk. It soaked up4 the milk, and I was enjoying it very much. I felt great that morning after being out the night before at a party with my mates. Even dark stains on the tablecloth didn’t make me feel sick. I was smiling, recalling Jane trying to water down5 neat whiskey with sweet cola. Her hands were shaking and cola spilled over6 the edge of the