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95 Eating-Alone Can
95 Eating-Alone Can
Eating Alone?
What’s for dinner? Are you dining in or grabbing a
bite on the go? In a busy household, it’s difficult to
find time to sit down together for a daily meal. In this
lesson, you will read and discuss six reasons why
dining together is better than eating alone.
Pre-Reading
A. Warm-Up Questions
3. W
hy is mealtime with family important
for all members of a family?
B. On the Go
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Eating Alone?
Health Matters
Pre-Reading cont.
C. Vocabulary Preview
Match up as many words and meanings as you can. Check this exercise
again after seeing the words in context in the reading on page 3.
Eating alone?
In advertisements, -ing verbs are often used at the
beginning of a question without a subject or a Be
verb. This shortened form is common in informal
spoken or written English.
• Buying a car?
(Are you buying a car?)
• Flying solo?
(Are you going alone?)
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Eating Alone?
Health Matters
Reading
6 Reasons Why Dining Together Is Better than Eating Alone
1. You tend to eat more nutritious food. 4. You can reconnect with others.
Dining together often coincides with dining at Sitting down to a meal with friends or family
home. At home, parents can offer kids nutritious members gives you time to reconnect. Family
meals. Picky eaters tend to try food that their mealtime may be the only time of the day when
brothers or sisters are eating. Dining alone, on the the whole family is together. The dinner table is a
other hand, tends to involve fast-food restaurants. good place to share highs and lows from the day.
Fast food tends to be high in fat, salt, and sugar. People tend to feel better about themselves after
social interaction.
2. You tend to think about portion sizes.
5. You can learn or teach something new.
Dining alone causes people to overeat. In contrast,
home-cooked meals allow for portion control. A dinner table tends to be a bit like a classroom.
The host or parent who serves the food shares it Friends or family members can teach each other
out evenly and mindfully. This cuts down on food interesting things at mealtime. Parents tend to use
waste and obesity. this time to teach morals and manners. Children
get a chance to voice their opinions too.
3. You tend to eat more slowly.
6. You can save money.
Eating too quickly can cause indigestion.
People who eat alone tend to eat more quickly Eating at home with a group of people is more
because they have no distractions. When you’re economical than eating out or eating alone. You
in a conversation, you naturally eat more slowly. tend to save money at the grocery store if you buy
When you eat more slowly, your food has a chance enough for a group of people rather than buying
to digest. Likewise, you don’t tend to eat as much single portions. When you save money, you tend
when you eat slowly. to feel happier about your life.
Grammar Tip
The verb tend is used to describe something Note:
that often happens, such as a habit.
In English, tend / tend to + noun means to
look after or give something one’s attention.
tend + to + base verb
• I need to tend (tend to) my garden.
• She tends to bite her nails when she’s nervous. • He is tending (tending to) his sick father.
• He tends to call at dinnertime.
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Eating Alone?
Health Matters
Speaking Practice
A. Portions
The intensifier too has a negative The word enough has a Sometimes you are served just the
meaning. It means “in excess.” positive meaning. It means right amount of food. Here are a
“a sufficient amount.” few informal ways to express your
A: Is this good? satisfaction.
B: No, that’s too much. A: Did you get enough?
B: No, I’m still a little bit hungry. A: Do you want some more?
A: Is this too many grapes? B: No, this is plenty, thank you.
B: Yes. She won’t eat that many. A: Are you full?
B: I’ve probably had enough, but I’d A: Can I get you some more coffee?
A: Is this too much pasta? like a bit more. Is there any left? B: No, I’m good, thanks.
B: Yes. I can’t eat all that.
A: How are you doing for bread? A: Are you still hungry?
A: Did I give you too much? B: I ’ll take another slice if there B: No, I’m stuffed, thanks.
B: Yes. I’m afraid I’m full. is enough for everyone.
A: Should I add more sugar?
A: You aren’t full, are you? B: No, this is perfect.
B: Yes, I’ve had enough.
B. Practice
1. A: Did you get enough? 4. A: Can I get you some more turkey?
B: No, I’m full. B: Yes, that’s perfect.
2. A: There’s more. Would you like some? 5. A: Would you like some more pizza?
B: Yes, please. This is plenty. B: Actually, I’ve had enough. Is there any more?
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Eating Alone?
Health Matters
Vocabulary Review
A. Vocabulary in Context
# Vocabulary Example
1 picky
2 portion
3 cut down on
4 indigestion
5 distraction
6 interaction
7 moral
8 voice an opinion
9 economical
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Eating Alone?
Health Matters
AT THE TABLE
Writing
A. Brainstorm
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
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Eating Alone?
Health Matters
Writing cont.
B. 5 Reasons NOT to Eat Alone
Now, write your own list of tips from your ideas in Part A. Write at least
one sentence after each tip. Use the verb tend at least three times.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Eating Alone?
Health Matters
Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION: LEVEL: Int – Adv
In this lesson, students learn six reasons why dining together is TIME: 1.5–2 hours
better than eating alone. Students practise related vocabulary
TAGS: discussion, stress, health, intensifiers, food,
and create their own list of reasons why it’s not good to dine
dining, too, enough, portions, dialogue, lists
alone all of the time.
Discuss the quote and questions as a class or in small groups. Review practical expressions that students can use at a
restaurant or dinner table. For teaching tips on intensifiers,
B. ON THE GO see our editor’s blog posts:
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Eating Alone?
Health Matters
A. VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT
B. ROLE-PLAY
Place students into small groups for this activity. Invite your
students to perform their skits. You can decide whether or not
you want to see a written dialogue. Encourage your students
to use some of the vocabulary from the reading.
Writing
A. BR AINSTORM
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