Speaking Boost · A1 · Lesson 24 of 50
Speaking Boost A1 · Block 5: Food and Drink

Why do so many people eat rice?

Rice is the main food for a very large part of the world. In this lesson you order food and say what you want. You use would like and want.

1

Warm-up

5 min
1.1

Rice and meals

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

  1. Do you eat rice?
  2. What is your favourite meal?
  3. What would you like for dinner today?
  4. Do you eat with a fork or a spoon?
  5. Are you hungry now?
  6. Do you like noodles?
2

Words and phrases

12 min
2.1

New words

Read each word and the example. Then say one sentence with the word.

2.2

Which word?

Choose the word that fits.

  1. Sushi, plov and paella all have white in them.
  2. A grows food and works in the fields.
  3. A is a big piece of land where plants grow.
  4. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are each a .
  5. In China and Japan, many people eat with .
  6. You eat soup with a .
  7. You eat hot soup or rice from a deep .
  8. You eat meat or pasta with a .
2.3

Opposites and pairs

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

  1. rice is made of small
  2. a farmer grows
  3. chopsticks are two thin
  4. a menu is a list of
  5. a waiter brings
  6. hungry = wanting to
2.4

Useful phrases

Use these phrases to order food and to say what you want.

  • I would like...Я хотів би...I would like a bowl of rice.
  • I'd like to order.Я хотів би замовити.I'd like to order, please.
  • Would you like...?Хочете...?Would you like some tea?
  • Yes, please.Так, будь ласка.Would you like some rice? Yes, please.
  • No, thank you.Ні, дякую.No, thank you. I am not hungry.
  • I want...Я хочу...I want some noodles.
  • Can I see the menu?Можна меню?Can I see the menu, please?
  • The bill, please.Рахунок, будь ласка.The bill, please. Thank you.
3

Read and react

8 min
3.1

Rice around the world

Read the text. Hover over the dotted words for help.

Why do so many people eat rice?

Why do so many people eat rice? One reason is that rice is cheap, and it grows well in warm and wet places. People say that rice is the main food for about half of the world's people, but nobody knows the exact number. Most rice grows in Asia, and India and China are among the biggest producers.

A farmer grows rice in a wet field. After the harvest, people cook the rice and eat it with vegetables, fish or meat. In Japan, people make sushi with rice. In Spain, people cook paella. In Italy, they cook risotto. In Ukraine and Central Asia, people like plov, a dish with rice, meat and carrots.

In many Asian countries, people eat rice with chopsticks. In Europe, people often use a fork or a spoon. In a restaurant, you can say: "I would like a bowl of rice, please." It is a polite way to order.

Rice is not only food. In some countries, rice is a part of weddings and holidays. People say that it brings luck, but this is a tradition, not a fact.

What would you like for dinner today?

3.2

True or false?

  1. Rice is cheap.
  2. Most rice grows in Asia.
  3. Everybody eats rice with chopsticks.
  4. Sushi is made with rice.
  5. Nobody in Ukraine likes rice.
3.3

What do you think?

  1. Is rice better than potatoes?
  2. Would you like to try sushi?
  3. What is your favourite dish with rice?
  4. Is it hard to eat with chopsticks?
4

Grammar for speaking

10 min
4.1

Grammar for speaking

Would like

Use would like to order or to ask politely. After would like, use a noun or to + verb. Do not add -s: she would like. In questions, put would first.

I would like a bowl of rice. I'd like to order. She would like some tea. Would you like some soup? Yes, please. No, thank you.

Want

Want is less polite than would like. Use want with I, you, we, they and wants with he, she, it. After want, use a noun or to + verb.

I want some noodles. He wants a spoon. They want to eat. Do you want some water? She doesn't want any rice.

Block 5 review

Use the grammar from this block.

like, love, don't like (L21) · countable and uncountable nouns, a / an / some (L22) · some, any, how much, how many (L23)

Common mistakes: use would like + noun or to + verb, do not add -s after would, and use want with I, you, we, they and wants with he, she, it. ✗ She would likes some tea → She would like some tea. ✗ I would like eat rice → I would like to eat rice. ✗ He want noodles → He wants noodles.

4.2

Choose the right form

  1. I
    a bowl of rice.
  2. She
    some tea.
  3. you like a fork?
  4. He
    some noodles.
  5. I'd like
    now.
  6. I
    a spoon.
  7. I'd like
    noodles, please.
  8. We
    two bowls of rice.
4.3

Fix the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

  1. She would likes some tea. →
  2. I would like eat rice. →
  3. He want a bowl of soup. →
  4. Do you would like some tea? →
  5. I'd like to ordering. →
  6. They wants noodles. →
4.4

Talk about it

Answer with full sentences. Use would like and want.

  1. What would you like for dinner today?
  2. Would you like some rice?
  3. Do you want some water?
  4. What does your best friend want for dinner?
  5. Do you eat with a fork or chopsticks?
  6. What would you like to try?
5

Three people and their meals, and a short talk

8 min
5.1

Three people and their meals

Three people tell about their meals. Compare them. Who eats rice every day? Who would like noodles? What would you like for dinner?

Person 1

Mei, 30

  • Is from China
  • Eats rice every day
  • Eats with chopsticks
  • Would like some tea
Person 2

Raj, 45

  • Is a farmer in India
  • Has got a rice field
  • Eats rice with vegetables
  • Wants a good year
Person 3

Sofia, 20

  • Is from Spain
  • Likes paella
  • Would like some fish with rice
  • Eats with a fork
5.2

Mini-talk: ordering a meal

Your teacher will time you.

  1. Plan for one minute, then speak for one or two minutes.
  2. Part 1: order a meal in a restaurant with would like.
  3. Part 2: say what you want to eat and drink.
  4. Part 3: say what you would like to try in the future.
2:00
6

Personal questions

10 min
6.1

Part I: Me

  1. What would you like for dinner today?
  2. Do you want some rice?
  3. Do you eat with a fork or a spoon?
  4. What is your favourite meal?
  5. Would you like to try sushi?
  6. Do you like noodles?
  7. What would you like to drink?
  8. Are you hungry now?
6.2

Part II: Other people

  1. Who in your family eats a lot of rice?
  2. Who cooks dinner?
  3. Who wants a big meal?
  4. Who eats with chopsticks?
  5. Who would like to travel to Asia?
  6. Who always orders the same dish?
6.3

Part III: A bit deeper

  1. Is rice healthy?
  2. Is it good to eat the same food every day?
  3. Is a restaurant better than home?
  4. Would you like to be a cook?
  5. Is a fork better than chopsticks?
7

Roleplay

12 min
7.1

In a restaurant

You

Customer

You are in a restaurant (your teacher is the waiter):
  • ask for the menu
  • say you would like a bowl of rice
  • say you would like some water
  • ask for the bill
Speak for at least 1 minute. Use would like.
Your teacher

Waiter

Says things like:
  1. Hello! Here is the menu.
  2. Would you like something to drink?
  3. Here is your rice.
  4. Yes, of course.
7.2

At home

You

Host

A guest (your teacher) comes for dinner:
  • offer some rice
  • ask what the guest would like to drink
  • ask if the guest wants a spoon or a fork
  • say you are happy
You do most of the talking. Use: Would you like...? · Do you want...?
Your teacher

Guest

Says things like:
  1. Yes, please.
  2. Some water, please.
  3. A fork, please.
  4. Thank you!
8

Homework

at home

Your homework score

Do all four exercises, then press Check all homework. Correct answers will appear next to your mistakes.

– / 30
H1

Complete with a word

ricefarmerfieldmealchopsticksspoonbowlfork
  1. Sushi, plov and paella all have white in them.
  2. A grows food and works in the fields.
  3. A is a big piece of land where plants grow.
  4. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are each a .
  5. In China and Japan, many people eat with .
  6. You eat soup with a .
  7. You eat hot soup or rice from a deep .
  8. You eat meat or pasta with a .
H2

Choose the correct word

  1. I some tea.
  2. She a bowl of rice.
  3. you like some soup?
  4. He a plate.
  5. I'd like now.
  6. They some noodles.
  7. I'd like water, please.
  8. We a menu.
H3

Correct or incorrect?

Decide if each sentence is grammatically correct.

  1. I would like a bowl of rice.
  2. She would likes some tea.
  3. Would you like some soup?
  4. Do you would like some tea?
  5. He wants some noodles.
  6. They wants some noodles.
  7. I'd like to order, please.
H4

Match the two halves

  1. I would like
  2. I'd like
  3. Would you
  4. Yes,
  5. No,
  6. He wants
  7. Can I see

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© Yevheniia Kolesnykova, Academy of Languages. All rights reserved. No copying or reuse without written permission.