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Mary and Diane are at a New York City restaurant. They are not sure what to order as they have never been to this restaurant before. They discuss what to order. They want to try healthy yet tasty dishes.
Mary: This is a long menu. Where am I supposed to look at first?
Diane: Well. I'll begin with the appetizers.
Mary: That's not a bad idea.
Diane: This restaurant is quite expensive. Look, the cheapest appetizer grilled mushrooms is 9.50 dollars.
Mary: How about sharing it? We can split up the bill.
Diane: Great! Let's do it. What shall we order for the main course?
Mary: Hmm. The pork chop with wild rice sounds delicious.
Diane: I don't eat pork. It has too much fat in it. Shall we change it to salmon with wild rice?
Mary: Okay. But we also need a salad.
Diane: I'll go for spinach salad.
Mary: Good girl. Spinach contains lots of vitamin C and fiber. Let's take a large spinach salad for both of us.
healthy: adjective and adverb. Being healthy; associated with good health in this conversation. Healthy food; "Eat healthy, live long."
tasty: adjective. Pleasing to taste (used for food). Tasty soup, tasty cake
dish: noun. Food that is prepared or cooked, and served in portions. "I had three different dishes for lunch."
menu: noun. A list of food choices in restaurants in this conversation
am I supposed to: Am I expected to + verb. "Am I supposed to shake hands with visitors? It means: "Am I expected to shake hands with visitors?"
begin with: prepositional verb. To start doing something in a certain way. "Let's begin with a salad." means "Let's start our meal with a salad first."
appetizer: noun. The food people eat before the main course
the main course: compound noun. A dish we order as the main food in a restaurant
not a bad idea: idiomatic phrase. An idea worthwhile consideration
restaurant: noun. A place that serves or sells food, usually with tables for customers placed in appealingly furnished room to seat and dine
expensive: adjective. Not cheap. Antonym of cheap
Look: transitive and intransitive verb. When used in spoken English, it is a command to mean "See this" in this conversation.
grill: verb. To cook meat or vegetables over a rag with heat coming from an electrical source or fire
mushroom: noun. Vegetable found mostly in the nature, also cultivated by human
share: transitive verb. To divide an object or idea or responsibility between two people or among others. In this conversation, to divide food between two people
split up: transitive verb. To share the bill with others in this conversation
bill: noun. A check that lists dishes ordered and their prices with the total of the ordered food in a restaurant in this conversation
Great! Exclamation. We utter it when we like something
order: transitive verb. make a request for certain dishes in a restaurant in this conversation
Hmm. Exclamation. We utter it when we are not exactly sure about what to say or need to give a pause to think
pork: noun. An live-stock gazing animal we slaughter to eat. Religious muslims do not eat pork
chop: the bonny part of the meat served, such as lamp chop or pork chop
sauce: noun. A liquid mixture added to food to flavor it
wild rice: compound noun. Rice that is not processed, not white rice
sound: intransitive verb. To make a sound. In this conversation, to give an impression by way of talking about or expressing an idea. "You sound happy." "It sounds a good idea."
delicious: adjective. Very tasty
fat: noun in this conversation. The part of a food that contains fat. Fats contain high calories but certain fats are essential for good health. "Omega-3 fats from fish are good for you."
Shall we change it to salmon? The use "shall" in spoken English implies a need for other party's consent of a choice in order to make a decision. In conversation, when you suggest a choice to your partner for his/her approval, use "Shall we..."; "Shall I..." For example, in this conversation "Shall we have salmon...? implies "I want to know your opinion of ordering salmon instead of something else? Do you want me to order salmon for both of us?"
salmon: an orange color fish found in large rivers and seas that contains good fat, such as omega-3
spinach: A green vegetable rich in vitamin C, iron and calcium
spinach salad: noun. An American recipe of spinach salad made up of raw spinach with boiled egg wedges and grilled beacon stripes sparsely mixed into it, and a choice of dressing
take: transitive verb. To order in the conversation.
Sure: A word used to express an approval in spoken English
Good girl: An informal utterance, used in spoken English, to approve and complement a woman's behavior
contain: verb transitive. To hold within; include. Spinach contains vitamin C.
vitamin C: compound noun. A type of substance found in green leafy vegetables and citrus fruits that protects the body against inflammation and help to improve the immune system.
fiber: noun. A substance, found in vegetables and grains, responsible for regulating the body's immune system, cholesterol and blood pressure. "If you want to prevent colon cancer, high blood pressure or lower your cholesterol, eat fiber rich foods."
I'll: I will. The form of "I will' in spoken English. The sound "w" is omitted from pronunciation so "I will' sound like "Il". See the video lesson for the pronunciation of Letter L
that's: That is. The spoken form of "that is". The sound "i" is omitted from pronunciation so "that is" sound like "thats" in spoken English.
it's: It is. The spoken form of "it is". The sound "i" is omitted from pronunciation so "it is" sound like "its" in spoken English.
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