Healthy eating (IELTS speaking) What foods do you consider are good for you? Why? I think that good foods are all that considered to be good and healthy all over the world. I don't differ from other people physiologically. Main groups are meat, milk products, fruits, vegetables, cereals. But not only the choice of products makes the food healthy. The way it is cooked is also important. For example, boiled potatoes are considered to be more beneficial than fried ones, raw fruits and vegetables are better than canned and so on. It's crucial to diversify your food also. The fact that vegetables are healthy food doesn't mean that if you will eat only vegetables you would be good. And you should try to avoid 'junk foods' as chips, pizza, soda and others. But from time to time (not often) you can indulge yourself with some of it, it's ok :) (Personally I adore fried potatoes and pizza) That wouldn't be a big problem. What kind of things do people eat that are bad for them? Why do you think people eat such things, if they are not good for them? That's abovementioned junk food. People eat it because it's very tasty because of food additives or sugar or just because it contains much fats. And people like fat food because of their instincts, I think. That is on subconscious level inherited from the times of humans wild life, when there was a lack of food sometimes. Fat equals more energy equals "Great!". Now we have enough food and know that much sugar and fats are bad, but our brain and taste want us to eat some of them :)

Producing food Do you think there will be a greater choice of food available in shops in the future, or will there be less choice? I think in the future, there will be a greater choice of food available it shops. I think so, because most people like to try something new. For me, if I see new a new cookie in a shop or new sort of tea, I surely will buy some of it. Even the same product just with new covering invites you to buy and try it. And this stimulates manufacturers to make new products from time to time. And some people like one product, other like different, and it forces manufacturers to enlarge their range of products. And when population grows variety of products they need grows as well. For example, if I live in a village and I am the only man that likes, let's say, kangaroo meat, noone will deliver it to me. But if quantity of people who like this product is quite big, there would be some shops with it in that place. And financial solvency in the world is increasing constantly, so people can afford some expensive and exotic food. What effects has modern technology had on the way food is produced? At first, modern technologies make the cost of producing is much less, so the end price for customers is also less. Secondly, modern packing allow food to retain its freshness and increases its shelf life. Another one, that you have significantly bigger crops with modern technique, pesticides and fertilizers. But there is negative effect with modern technologies too. that's food supplements, that usually added to enhance taste or make the price cheaper are quite harmful to human. How important is it for a country to be able to grow all the food it needs, without importing any from other countries? I think it is critically important to supply the population by own grown food for at least at half it needs. But that's about only such products as grain, milk, meat, fruits and vegetables. Of course, if climate of your country is not favourable for some kinds of vegetables or fruits, that's not a big problem. It's not necessary to have all the food from the world grown in your country, but you should have some variety without importing. In times of peace that's not a problem at all, but for the hard times it is important to not to depend on someone.

Restaurants Why do you think people go to restaurants when they want to celebrate something? If it is a big party, like wedding or birthday with many guests - it's enough space there to hold it. Because if you live in apartments or even in a private house you probably don't have big enough room to place the dinner tables. If it's a private house you can place them outdoors of course but then you should rely on good weather, there should ne no annoying insects and other inconviences. You just can't be sure that everything will be as planned. When you've chosen restaurant as a place of your party you shouldn't calculate how much food it should be, how much drinks, what kind of food and drinks it should be, when to start preparations, what decoration should be done, maybe music, maybe something else. You probably even don't have time to make all those preparations. In a nutshell, people don't want to use their time to plan and prepare the party. It's so much easier to come to the restaurant and let them to care about those food-drinks problem. And if restaurant failed it's just the bad one, let's try another for the next party. But if you failed trying to hold it by yourself, you're the loser) Which are more popular in your country: fast food restaurants or traditional restaurants? Why do you think that is? I think traditional are more popular. Fast food often used when you have not enough time (as you think) to eat in a traditional one. When people want to have a meal quickly there are restaurants when food is cooked already, and just waiting for you to order :) There you will get your food in a one or two minutes as in the fast food, but more diverse and healthy (I suppose). But sometimes you want something harmful to eat, and if you don't have much willpower, you go to fastfood anyway (personally I love pizza) Some people say that food in an expensive restaurant is always better than food in a cheap restaurant - would you agree? Rather no. Visiting an expensive restaurant you can try something exotic and expensive that you couldn't in a cheap one. And there are usually better atmospere. Good furnishing, maybe pleasant music. But if you're ordering the same in expensive and cheap restaurant - you usually get the same food.