Daily listening.- Rice, by My English Pages

Rice

Nov 01 2017

Intro

Some foods can be eaten any time of day. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, these basic items are super versatile. One especially common staple, rice, is a go to food for people around the world.

For breakfast, rice is delicious when mixed with cinnamon and sugar, along with some milk and raisins. For lunch and dinner, it’s tasty with a variety of meats and vegetables. Because rice is so starchy and bland, serving it with different sauces is a good way to switchmeals up.

Of course, many people have a strong opinion about rice. Either they like it or they don’t care for it at all. Even if it’s not one of your favorite comfort foods, though, rice is an easy and inexpensive dish.

Find out who’s a rice lover and who’s not in today’s English lesson about food.

Dialogue

Jessica: I just made a big pot of rice, Marni. Would you like some?
Marni: Oh, thank you. But I have to be honest. I don’t really care for rice.
Jessica: Really?
Marni: I know. It’s such a staple of so many cultures’ food, and I don’t really like it. I don’t know what it is. It’s so starchy.
Jessica: It’s so versatile. It’s one of my favorite comfort foods.
Marni: Really? You think of it as a comfort food?
Jessica: I do. I crave it. I eat it with almost every meal. I’m trying to switch to brown rice, so it’s a little healthier for me.
Marni: Right.
Jessica: But it’s definitely a go to food in our house.
Marni: Well, there are so many different types of rice. And I’ve really tried a lot of different kinds. It’s just one of those things. I just don’t like it.
Jessica: How about if you mix it with other things, like red beans and rice, or fried rice?
Marni: Sure. I can have a little bit of that here and there, but after awhile, it just feels like the same. Starchy, kind of bland...
Jessica: Well, you’ll have to come over to my house for dinner more often, and I will turn you into a rice lover.

Discussion

essica offers Marni some rice. Instead of accepting her friend’s offer, Marni tells Jessica that she actually doesn’t really like rice. Jessica seems surprised. Rice is one of her favorite foods. She eats it with almost every meal!

Marni knows that rice is an important basic food and that it’s part of many cultures around the world. But try as she might, she just doesn’t care for it. Jessica asks Marni if she’s tried mixing it with other foods. Marni has, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference. She’ll eat a little rice sometimes, but it’s never going to be one of her favorites.

How important is rice in your culture? How often do you eat rice?

Grammar Point

Simple Future Tense

Jessica tells Marni, “You’ll (you will) have to come over to my house for dinner more often, and I will turn you into a rice lover.” Jessica uses the simple future tense.

We use the simple future tense to talk about things that will happen at a time later than now.

Using be going to is one way to form the simple future tense, as in, “I am going to watch a movie tonight.” Another way to form the simple future tense is with will, as in, “I will see you soon.”

In some situations, like when you’re making a prediction about the future, you can use either be going to or will. But to talk about something that’s already planned or decided, it’s best to use be going to, as in, “I’m going towatch a movie later. Want to watch it with me?”

Which is correct, “We are going to a Giants game next week,” or, “We will to a Giants game next week”?

Quiz

1. What does Marni think about rice?
   
   •  It’s a comfort food.
   •  It’s a staple for many cultures.
   •  It’s starchy.
   •  Both #2 and #3.
2. What does Jessica want to switch to?
   
   •  Eating less rice.
   •  Eating more rice.
   •  Eating brown rice.
   •  Not eating rice.
3. Which word doesn’t belong?
   
   •  Crave.
   •  Comfort Food.
   •  Bland.
   •  Go to.
4. Which sentence uses the simple future tense?
   
   •  I’m going to travel to Lebanon next week.
   •  We share a bathroom.
   •  She’s buying a red car.
   •  Our new house is almost ready.