Fast Food - Big Money

1. Fast Food - Big Money McDonald’s is certainly the biggest name in the fast food business, and more than that, it is a new way of eating, a new way of life for millions of people, not only in America. For most people “fast food” is typically American. It started in America in 1954 when Ray Kroc, the real “ideas man” and owner of McDonald’s , first met the McDonald’s brothers at their hamburger stand in San Bernardino, California. What makes fast food places like McDonald’s so popular? In the first place they are what their name says, they are fast. At McDonald’s, the say, you never have to wait longer than 60 seconds for your order. Secondly, they are cheaper than restaurants – even a father of four can usually afford to take his family out for a meal if he goes to a fast food restaurant. And for teenagers it is a popular meeting (and eating) place before the disco or after the cinema. Thirdly, they are all almost clinically clean. And – you can get not only hamburgers there, as in the early days, but also chicken, sea food, pizza, tacos and pancakes. This is certainly big business for the people who own the fast food shops, but what about the people who work there? Most of them are students or housewives who like the flexible working hours: the shops are open from early in the morning until late at night. But the pay is not very good and often they have to accept difficult working conditions such as night work, stress, no special security. And there is not much time to talk to the customers, who usually leave after no longer than 15 minutes, anyway. There are no cigarette machines, no jukeboxes, no fruit machines; the atmosphere is as aseptic as the food; no quiet corners, no comfortable seats, no wine list, nothing to make the place interesting after a meal. But this is not what the typical fast food customer is looking for, it seems. “The food is good, and it’s fast,” says a young father who is enjoying a meal with his daughter. “It was her idea to come here.” And a 21-year-old student, who is enjoying the Quarter Pounder, says, “You know what you’re getting when you come to McDonald’s.” And this is perhaps the most important thing for McDonald’s customers in countries all over the world.

2. Fast Food - Big Money Task 1: Combine the matching parts of the sentences. (1) McDonald’s is the biggest name (2) Lots of people think fast food (3) People go to McDonald’s (4) It is a popular meeting place for teenagers (5) People who work there (6) There is nothing (a) haven’t got enough time to talk with the customers. (b) because it’s cheaper than other restaurants. (c) in the fast food business. (d) is typical for America. (e) to make the place interesting to stay there after a meal. (f) before they go to the disco.

3. Fast Food - Big Money Task 2: Read the text carefully. Find out which statements are true and which are false. Mark with a . Correct the wrong statements.

4. Fast Food - Big Money • Task 3: Comment on one of the following statements. • Write about 100 words. • Fast food restaurants are not a good place for romantic • evenings. • (2) Young people don’t know enough about the risks of eating too much fast food. • (3) “All my friends go to McDonald’s, so I go with them, but I don’t like it.”