Unit 9: What exactly is a...?
– Asking for clarification
– Giving clarification
Part 1
Vocabulary
Complete the questionnaire below about your eating habits.
And explain your answers.
| not at all true | somewhat true | very true | |
| 1. I eat junk food on a regular basis. | |||
| 2. I try to have nutritious food at every meal. | |||
| 3. I am a vegan diet. | |||
| 4. I’m a vegetarian. | |||
| 5. I eat only organic produce. | |||
| 6. I try to eat locally-sourced produce whenever I can. | |||
| 7. I eat a lot of processed foods. |
Part 2
Conversation
Listen and answer 2 questions.
1. Where does Julia want to go for lunch?
2. Why doesn’t Eric want to go there?
Woman: Julia
Man: Eric
Transcript
Julia: Hey, Eric. I’m starving. Do you want to have lunch?
Eric: Yeah, I’m hungry, too.
Julia: Great. How about the burger place downtown?
Eric: Oh, well, I don’t really like to eat junk food. And actually, I’m a vegan.
Julia: What do you mean by “vegan”? Is that the same thing as a vegetarian?
Eric: It’s not exactly the same thing. A vegan is a person who doesn’t eat any animal products, not even milk or cheese.
Julia: Oh, I see. Where would you like to eat?
Eric: I’ve been wanting to try the new sandwich place. All their food is organic and locally sourced.
Julia: I’m not sure what you mean by “locally sourced.”
Eric: What I mean is all the food comes from local farms.
Julia: Oh, well, that sounds great.
Example answer
- Julia wants to go to a hamburger restaurant downtown.
- Eric doesn't want to go there because he is a vegan, and because he doesn't like to eat junk food.
Practice the conversation with teacher
Listen and write the three extra sentences you hear in the conversation. Practice the new conversation.
Julia: Hey, Eric. I’m starving. Do you want to have lunch?
Eric: Yeah, I’m hungry, too. ____________
Julia: Great. How about the burger place downtown?
Eric: Oh, well, I don’t really like to eat junk food. And actually I’m a vegan.
Julia: What do you mean by “vegan”? Is that the same thing as a vegetarian?
Eric: It’s not exactly the same thing. A vegan is a person who doesn’t eat any animal products, not even milk or cheese.
Julia: Oh, I see. Where would you like to eat?
Eric: I’ve been wanting to try the new sandwich place. All their food is organic and locally sourced. ____________
Julia: I’m not sure what you mean by “locally sourced.” ____________
Eric: What I mean is all the food comes from local farms.
Julia: Oh, well that sounds great.
Answers
Julia: Hey, Eric. I’m starving. Do you want to have lunch?
Eric: Yeah, I’m hungry, too. Where do you want to go?
Julia: Great. How about the burger place downtown?
Eric: Oh, well, I don’t really like to eat junk food. And actually I’m a vegan.
Julia: What do you mean by “vegan”? Is that the same thing as a vegetarian?
Eric: It’s not exactly the same thing. A vegan is a person who doesn’t eat any animal products, not even milk or cheese.
Julia: Oh, I see. Where would you like to eat?
Eric: I’ve been wanting to try the new sandwich place. All their food is organic and locally sourced. It’s supposed to be really good.
Julia: I’m not sure what you mean by “locally sourced.” I’ve never heard of that before.
Eric: What I mean is all the food comes from local farms.
Julia: Oh, well that sounds great.
Part 3
Language Booster
Notice the different ways we ask for and give clarification.
Asking for clarification
What do you mean by (“vegan”)?
What exactly is a…?
I don’t really get what … means.
I’m not sure what you mean by…
Giving clarification
A (vegan) is a person who (doesn’t eat any animal products)
It’s a…
It means…
What I mean is…
Choose one of the words or phrases below to explain. Look them up in a dictionary if necessary. Then take turns asking and answering for clarification about the words.
- artificial ingredients (thành phần/nguyên liệu nhân tạo)
- dietary restrictions (chế độ ăn hạn chế/ăn kiêng/chế độ ăn uống đặc biệt)
- gluten-free diet (Ăn kiêng không có gluten)
Example conversation
A: I can't eat pizza. I have dietary restrictions.
B: What do you mean by, "dietary restrictions"?
Part 4
Pronunciation: Word stress in a sentences
Listen to the sentences. Notice that the most important words, or the content words, are stressed. Words like articles, prepositions, pronouns, and auxiliary verbs are not stressed.
A: I don’t really get what “locally sourced” means.
B: It means all the food comes from local farms.
Practice more
Junk food is often high in calories but low in nutrients.
A nutritious diet helps maintain good health and energy levels.
Vegan diets exclude all animal products, including eggs and dairy.
Vegetarians don’t eat meat but may consume eggs and milk.
Replacing junk food with nutritious options can improve your health.
Many restaurants now offer vegan and vegetarian menu items.
Part 5
Speak with confidence
Share information about your eating habits.
Teacher will ask and you give clarification
Food you like to eat.
________________________
________________________
Food you don’t eat.
________________________
________________________
Foods you eat frequently
________________________
________________________
Foods you should eat more often
________________________
________________________
Discuss these questions below
How often do you eat junk food?
Have you ever tried following a vegan diet?
What challenges might a vegetarian face when dining out?
Do you think organic food tastes better than conventional food?
How can we reduce our consumption of processed foods?
What are the benefits of eating locally-sourced produce?
How has your diet changed over the past few years?
Do you read food labels when you’re grocery shopping?
What’s your opinion on fast food restaurants offering healthier options?
Do you think locally-sourced food is always better for the environment?