Lunchtime dilemma 午饭时间的“选择困难症”

随身英语 Lunchtime dilemma 午饭时间的“选择困难症”

Play audio file 在忙碌的工作日中午休息一小段时间固然可以放松身心，然而很多人在午休前都面临一个难题——到底该吃什么？由于工作紧张而繁忙，大部分上班族都会在中午吃同一类食品，其实我们最好偶尔换一换口味。本季《随身英语》探讨可供选择的几种常见午餐类型。

课文内容 Vocabulary: food 词汇: 食物 Whether at school, college or work, most of us take some sort of lunch break. It's a good time to have a rest, catch up with friends and eat some food – but here lies the dilemma – what to eat? There are a feast of options but because of limited time or money, many of us stick to what we know – usually the humble sandwich.

Some of us make our own sandwiches in the morning before heading out, whilst those in a rush tend to grab-and-go at a snack bar or a cafe or buy a meal deal at a supermarket. A packet of crisps may be an additional staple to our predictable lunch. What we eat is usually the same everyday. Sheila Dillon from the BBC Food Programme says more than a third of office workers have eaten the same midday meal for the last nine months.

In the UK, bread has become the mainstay of our lunchtime snack, sometimes eaten at your desk – a style known as 'al-desko'. Bread is cheap and fills you up and with average lunch hours now reduced to 25 minutes, 24 seconds, it's quick and convenient to eat. But it's also boring! Some people have broken the mould by bringing in leftovers from their previous night's dinner, which they then heat up in a microwave but even that isn't very exciting.

We are creatures of habit but philosopher Julian Baggini says "we’re never going to break out of our midday malaise unless we think outside the box." There are alternatives that will fill you up. With just a microwave and a kettle, there a number of hot satisfying meals than can be made such as soups and jacket potatoes served with a dollop of baked beans or cheese. And then there are the ubiquitous instant noodles in a pot – although you may question how nutritious they are.

If you've got time for more exotic munchies, then look out for trendy 'Ottolenghi' style food such as fava bean salad wrap. There is also the healthy Japanese style 'bento box' or lunchbox that normally contains a mix of carbohydrate, protein and vegetable. And of course another healthy Japanese treat is sushi.

But if I've got time for a proper lunch, I head to my local greasy spoon and tuck into a fry-up. Not very healthy but delicious and it sets me up for an afternoon of hard work. Then it's time for the next dilemma – what to have for dinner?! What do you usually eat for lunch?

词汇表 a feast of 丰盛的，一应俱全的

humble 简单而普通的

grab-and-go 带走即食

meal deal 优惠套餐

staple 主食

mainstay 必备品，事物的主要依靠

al-desko 在桌边吃饭

break the mould 打破常规

leftover 剩饭剩菜

malaise 昏昏沉沉，低迷不适

think outside the box 跳出思维定式，跳出固有模式思考

satisfying 令人满足的

dollop （食物的）一小份，一小勺

ubiquitous 随处可见的

nutritious 营养价值高的

munchies 小吃，零食

carbohydrate 碳水化合物

protein 蛋白质

sushi 寿司

greasy spoon （供应油腻食物的）便利廉价的小饭馆

fry-up （肉、菜、蛋等的）油煎菜拼盘

测验与练习 1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. How many different things have a third of office workers eaten for lunch in the last nine months? 

2. Name one advantage of eating bread for lunch.

3. What piece of equipment do you need to make instant noodles?

4.True or false? Sushi is a delicious but unhealthy treat you can have for lunch.

5. Which word used in the article means 'easy to use or suitable for a particular purpose'.

2. 请你在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处 。

1. Because of the hurricane, shops are running out of ______ such as rice and cooking oil.

staple        staples        stapled        stapables

2. A sandwich, crisps and a drink for a dollar?! That's the best ______ I've ever seen!

grab-and-go        fry-up        meal deal        al-desko

3. I like a healthy and ______ salad for my lunch and then maybe a cake as a treat afterwards!

nutritious        protein        humble        dollop

4. Jane had the ______ so she popped out and bought a packet of biscuits.

munchings        malaise        leftovers        munchies

5. Sheep farming is the ______ of the country's economy.

mainstay        ubiquitous        satisfying        protein

答案 1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. How many different things have a third of office workers eaten for lunch in the last nine months?

None. More than a third of office workers have eaten the same midday meal for the last nine months.

2. Name two advantages of eating bread for lunch.

It's cheap and it fills you up.

3. What piece of equipment do you need to make instant noodles?

Something to boil water in such as a kettle.

4.True or false? Sushi is a delicious but unhealthy treat you can have for lunch.

False. Sushi is delicious but also healthy.

5. Which word used in the article means 'easy to use or suitable for a particular purpose'.

Convenient.

2. 请你在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处 。

1. Because of the hurricane, shops are running out of staples such as rice and cooking oil.

2. A sandwich, crisps and a drink for a dollar?! That's the best meal deal I've ever seen!

3. I like a healthy and nutritious salad for my lunch and then maybe a cake as a treat afterwards!

4. Jane had the munchies so she popped out and bought a packet of biscuits.

5. Sheep farming is the mainstay of the country's economy.