Many countries, including the United States, have a variety of ethnic restaurants. This dialog is about a woman who is looking for a restaurant in a mall. A man at the information booth is helping her.Vocabulary
variety– many kinds
ethnic– from different countries
information booth– a small place where people can ask questions and get information
mall– a shopping center with many stores
fast food– restaurants like McDonald’s and Burger King. The food is usually prepared before you order it.
pricey– expensive
a bother– a problem
strikes my fancy– (slang) makes me interested
indecision– not being able to decide
buffet– a restaurant with many different kinds of foods. You serve yourself to whatever you want to eat.
Susan: Excuse me, sir. I’m looking for a place to eat. Can you tell me if there are any restaurants in this mall?
Woman at Information Booth: Sure. There are several. What kind of food are you thinking about?
Susan: I’m not sure. Anything but fast food.
Woman: There is a nice Japanese restaurant upstairs. It’s a little pricey but the food is good.
Susan: Oh. Sounds good, but I ate Japanese food last night. I’d rather try something else.
Woman: Okay. How about Italian*? Or maybe Chinese?
Susan: Italian sounds good, but so does Chinese. I just can’t decide. Are there any American places here?
Woman: Yes, there’s a very good steak house downstairs, and you’ll find TGI Friday’s** across the parking lot. What about either of those?
Susan: I’m sorry to be such a bother, but nothing strikes my fancy. I guess I just won’t eat anything for awhile.
Woman: Well, I’m afraid that’s all there is here in the mall.
Susan: That’s too bad. I’m sorry about my indecision. I guess what, what I really need is a good buffet.
Woman: Hmmm…. I remember going to a buffet not far from here. They have foods from several different countries. It’s about two blocks away. It’s quite good, too.
Susan: That sounds great. Maybe I should do that.***
*The word food is implied here.
**Name of a restaurant.
***Meaning go there.
Check Your UnderstandingTrue or False. Check your answers below.
1. Susan doesn’t want to eat fast food.
True
False
2. Susan hates Japanese food.
True
False
3. The Japanese restaurant in the mall is expensive.
True
False
4. Susan hates Italian food.
True
False
5. Susan wants to eat a variety of foods.
True
False
6. The woman at the information booth knows all of the restaurants in the mall.
True
False
7. Susan decides to eat Chinese food.
True
False
8. The buffet restaurant is far away.
True
False
Answers 1-T, 2-F, 3-T, 4- F 5-T, 6-T, 7-F, 8-F