Don’t Have the Time or Know How to Cook

Although the tradition of home-cooked meals remains strong in the U.S., a new survey shows a growing fact of life for many Americans: they don’t know how to cook.

The survey, which polled 998 adults ages 18 and over, also finds that because the majority of women now work outside the home, whether Americans can cook or not, few have the time to prepare complete meals from scratch. This has lead to dramatic changes in how consumers buy and prepare their meals and to an explosion of ready-to-cook food items.

According to the new survey, more than half of Americans (53 percent) feel they have less knowledge and fewer cooking skills today than their mothers and grandmothers had in the past. In contrast, 16 percent say they have more knowledge, while 30 percent believe they know about the same as their mothers and grandmothers.

Not surprisingly then, the survey finds that despite such innovations in the meat case as fresh meat products wrapped in individual portions or marinated products, many consumers still find meat preparation difficult. Nearly two-thirds of those polled (64 percent) say that the level of difficulty in preparing red meat is the same as five years ago. Only 22 percent believe meat preparation is easier and 10 percent actually think it is more difficult.

In addition to the decline in cooking skills, the survey points to another reason why more Americans have the anxiety in the kitchen: less time available for preparing meals. Compared to 30 years ago when the evening meal took an average of two hours to prepare half of Americans spend less than 45 minutes cooking and one in six (15 percent) typically spends less than 30 minutes. Of those who spend the most time, 23 percent take an hour or more to prepare dinner and 28 percent spend 45 minutes to an hour.

Because of these time constraints, more working families are using supermarket meat departments and other venues to buy prepared foods that are eaten at home, giving rise to a new phenomenon in food consumption called “TOTE” or “Take Out To Eat”. Not surprisingly then, the survey finds that the number of week days that Americans cook is steadily declining.

Further examining this trend, women (41 percent) are much more likely than men (16 percent) to cook dinner at home during the week. In fact, 25 percent of men say they never cook dinner at home during the week, while this applies to only seven percent of women.

“These findings make it clear that consumers’ food preparation and eating patterns have changed dramatically in recent years,” said J. Patrick Boyle, president of the American Meat Institute. “As more Americans use convenience foods, take-out meals and quick methods of food preparation to meet the demands of both family and a career, the meat and poultry industry is responding with wide range of partially and fully cooked meat products.”

FOOD for THOUGHT

Read the following idioms and their meanings. Think of their Ukrainian equivalents. Complete each sentence with the correct idiom.

cook the books: change facts or figures dishonestly or illegally off the boil: less good than before on the boil: very active boiling point: the point at which one loses one’s temper half-baked: not thought out or studied carefully out of the frying pan and into the fire: go from something bad to something worse

1.We have several projects all..... at once.

2.He has a..... idea about starting a new business but most of us think that it will fail.

3.His accountant often.....

4.She quit the job because of some small problems but she has jumped..... because now her problems are much worse.

5.The second series of the show really went.....

6.You’ve just about pushed me to the...... In a minute I’m going to lose my temper.

GRAMMAR

1.Study the following tables.

Future Forms

Future Simple	Be going to	Future Continuous	Future Perfect
decisions taken at the moment of speaking Since it’s getting dark, I’ll turn on the light.	actions intended to be performed in the near future She’s going to visit her parents tomorrow.	actions in progress at a stated future time He’ll be sunbathing in Hawaii this time next week.	actions which will be finished before a stated future time She will have come back by the endof July. Note: by or not … until/till are used with Future Perfect. Until/till are normally used with future Perfect only in negative sentences.
hopes, fears, threats, offers, promises, warnings, predictions, requests, comments etc, esp. with: expect, hope, believe, I’m sure, I’m afraid, probably etc. I’m afraid I’ll bea little late.	planned actions or intentions Now that they’ve settled in their house, they’re going tohave a party.	actions which are the result of a routine (instead of Present Cont.) I’ll be seeing John tomorrow. (We work in the same office so we’ll definitely meet.)
actions or predictions which may (not) happen in the future She’ ll probably buy the dress. (prediction) or actions which we cannot control and will inevitably happen He will beten next year.	evidence that something will definitely happen in the near future Ann is going tohave a baby. Look at the dark clouds in the sky! It’s going torain.	when we ask politely about people’s arrangements to see if they can do sth for us or because we want to offer to do sth for them Will yoube goingto the supermarket? An you buy me some tea?	Future Perfect Continuous
duration of an action up to a certain time in the future By the end of this year she will have been workinghere for two years.
things we are not sure about or haven’t decided to do yet She’ll probably bepromoted. (not sure yet)	things we are sure about or we have already decided to do in the near future He’s going tobe promoted. (The boss has decided to do it.)	Present Simple (future meaning)	Present Continuous (future meaning)
timetables/programmes The plane reachesLondon at 9.45.	fixed arrangement in the near future Sally is seeing her dentist this week. (Sally has fixed an appointment)

Time expressions used with:

Will / Be Going To / Future Continuous	tomorrow, tonight, next week/month, in two/three days, the day after tomorrow, soon
Future Perfect	before, by, by the time, until
Future Perfect Continuous	by … fore.g. By next year he will have been working here fortwo years.

2.Match the following sentences with the correct tense description.

1.Look out! That dog is going to bite you. 2.I’ll be flying to Morocco this time tomorrow. 3.She is worried that he’ll be angry. 4.By 11 o’clock she’ll have been waiting for five hours. 5.The London train arrives at 4.45. 6.I’m seeing my bank manager this morning. 7.When I’m older, I’m going to learn to drive. 8.I think I’ll make some tea. Do you want some? 9.He’ll have finished by tomorrow afternoon. 10.Will you be going into town today? 11.I’m sure he’ll pass the test. 12.She’ll probably come early. 13.I’m going to buy a new car tomorrow.

a) fixed arrangement in the near future b) actions\ which will be finished before a stated future time c) timetable d) fear about the future e) evidence that something will definitely happen in the near future f) future intention g) actions in progress at a stated future time h) duration of an action up to a certain time in the future i) action intended to be performed in the near future j) on-the-spot decision k) something we are not sure about yet l) polite enquiry about people’s arrangements m) prediction

3.Complete the following dialogue using Future Simple or Future Continuous.

Graham: Suzy: Graham:   Suzy: Graham: Suzy: Graham:     Suzy: Graham:   Suzy:   Graham: Suzy:

Can I phone you tomorrow, Suzy? What time? Well, I’m not working tomorrow so I 1) ‘ll phone (phone) you at 9 o’clock in the morning. Oh, no! I 2)....... (sleep) then. OK. I 3)....... (call) you at noon. Well, I 4)...... (wash) my hair. Perhaps I 5)....... (come) and visit you in the afternoon, then. What 6)....... (you/do) around 3 o’clock? I 7)...... (get) ready for my aerobics class. Well, if I phone you at 5, 8)...... (you/be) at home? No, I’m afraid not. I 9)....... (visit) my aunt in hospital. When can I see you, Suzy? Phone me tomorrow evening. I 10)....... (not/do) anything then.

4.Put the verbs in brackets into Future Perfect or Future Perfect Continuous.

1.By 7.00 pm they will have been playing (play) cricket for eight hours.

2.I....... (finish) painting your room by the time you get home.

3.By the end of next month I....... (live) in London for exactly three years.

4.Tom....... (write) his third novel by the end of this year.

5.By the time he arrives in London, John..... (drive) for five hours.

6.This film...... (probably/not/finish) until midnight.

7.How long....... (you/study) English by the end of this term?

8.Don’t worry! You...... (forget) all about it by this time next year.

5.Choose the correct form.

1. It’s raining/It’s going to rain tomorrow.

2. Do you do/Are you doing anything this evening.

3.”ll write to you when I arrive/I’ll arrive in Brazil.

4.I feel terrible. I think I’ll be/I’m going to be sick.

5.’I’ve got wine or beer. Which would you like?’ ‘Oh, thank you. I’ll have/I’m going to have beer, please.’

6.If the weather is/will be nice this afternoon, we’ll have a picnic.

7.’What are you doing with that ladder?’ ‘ I’ll repair/I’m going to repair the roof.’

8.’It’s raining outside. Would you like to borrow an umbrella?’ ‘Oh, thank you. I’ll bring/I’m going to bring it back tomorrow.’

9.We’re going on holiday next Monday. This time next week we’ll be lying/we’ll lie on a beach in Turkey.

10.Ben and Patty Crawford are on holiday in Europe. They’ll visit/They are going to visit seven countries.

6.Fill in: will or be going to.

1.A: I’ve lost my keys!

B: I’ ll help you look for them.

2.A: Watch out! You........ knock the vase over.

B: OH! I didn’t see it.

3.A: This ice-cream is delicious!

B: Don’t eat any more. You....... be sick.

4.A: Here’s the waiter! Would you like a drink?

B: Yes, please. I....... have a glass of wine.

5.A: I’ll park the car here.

B: Be careful, you....... hit the wall.

6.A:........ you have a biscuit with your tea?

B: No, thank you. I’m on a diet.

7.A: Have you decided what to wear tonight?

B: Yes, I....... wear my black velvet dress.

8.A: Have you seen John today?

B: No, but I....... visit him this afternoon.

7.Complete the dialogue using the correct future form.

A: What 1) are you doing (do) tonight?

B: I 2)....... (try) to finish my homework because I 3)...... (go) to my cousin’s wedding on Saturday and I 4)....... (not/be able) to do it then.

A: What time 5)........ the wedding...... (start) on Saturday?

B: The ceremony 6)...... (begin) at 2 o’clock, then I 7)....... (go) to the party in the evening.

A: 8)....... any of your friends...... (be) there?

B: Well, my cousin says I can bring a friend. 9)........ (you/do) anything on Saturday night?

A: No, but I 10)....... (feel) shy if I don’t know anyone.

B: Never mind. It 11)....... (be) a big party and I’m sure you 12)....... (have) a great time.

A: OK, then. Thanks very much.