CONNECTORS TO USE IN YOUR WRITINGS

TEXT 1

TIME IS MONEY

Japanese restaurants, which are suffering from the recession in Asia, are looking for new ways to attract customers. Some of them have adopted a new approach which, although it may not be good for a person’s health, is attracting a growing number of customers. They are offering meals which you pay for, not according to what you eat, but according to how long it takes you to eat them.

Hiroyuki Shiga, a 20-year-old student, has made an art out of eating in these “fast food” restaurants. He advises diners to “take large quantities of everything”. In this way, he continues, “you won’t need to waste time going back to the serving table for second helpings.”

The Totenko restaurant chain offers their customers Chinese food at a rate of 36 yen (0.26 € ) per minute, so a half-hour meal will cost approximately 682 yen (5 € ), instead of the normal 1904 yen (14 € ). Cost-conscious diners queue up outside the restaurant to take advantage of this offer. They can choose whatever they want to eat, from egg rolls and noodles to shrimps or crabs in chilli sauce.

Where did this idea come from? The manager of the first Totenko restaurant to introduce this system got the idea when he heard about a nearby fishpond where fishermen were charged according to the time they spent fishing and not to how many fish they caught. Since then, the idea has caught on and there are now at least 176 restaurants in Japan which are operating on this principle.

Masako Kobayashi visited one of these restaurants and finished her meal in 32 minutes. Although her rapid meal saved her a lot of money, her conclusion was, “It’s not good to rush when you’re eating.”

Questions

1. Decide whether the following statements are true or false, and justify your answers from the text.

a. Japanese restaurants have adopted the new approach in order to save money. b. In the restaurants mentioned in the text, you pay according to how much you eat. c. Many people go to these restaurants. d. These restaurants do not offer a wide choice of food. e. This system of payment was originally used at fishponds in Japan.

2. Write down one advantage and one disadvantage of eating at a Totenko restaurant.

3. Find a word or phrase in the text which means:

a. people who buy things (p1) b. amounts (p2) c. stand one behind the other (p3) d. became very popular (p4)

4. Join sentences. Add words if necessary.

a. Customers at the Totenko restaurant eat quickly. The restaurant charges according to the time it takes to eat.

b. Japan is suffering from a recession. Some restaurants continue to attract many customers.

5. Write 100 – 120 words on one of the following topics.

.a. In your opinion, what is more important – the quantity or the quality of the food? Give examples.

b. Write suggestions on how to use your time better.

TEXT 2

PHOTO TIPS

Are you going to a celebration soon – a family reunion, party or graduation? Try these tips for taking great photos.

• To get photos that capture the feeling of the day, start taking pictures just as the event begins. For instance, get a shot of the birthday cake before it is cut and of the banquet table before everyone eats.

• To take natural or unposed shots, try to be unobtrusive as possible. This means you should stay in the background. Take plenty of shots. If you take a lot of pictures quickly, one after the other, you’re likely to get at least one or two good ones. Also, your subjets will get used to the clicking of the camera’s shutter and will stop paying attention to you.

• For group portraits, balanced lighting is essential. If you are shooting outdoors on a cloudy day, no special arrangements are needed. On a sunny day, find a shaded area. The group should be assembled so that everyone’s face is equally illuminated and no one is squinting. When using a flash for an indoor shot, make sure that all the faces are about the same distance from the flash.

• Arrange the group in a way that heightens the interest of the composition. Try a circular or triangular configuration. Surfaces on a incline, such as the side of a hill or the steps of an attractive building, are ideal settings.

• Don’t forget to enjoy yourself! Your pictures shouldn’t be your only memory of the event! 

Questions

1. Answer the following questions without copying from the text.

a. What is the best way to take natural shots? b. Name some interesting ways to arrange the people in a group portrait.

2. Complete the following sentences:

a. You can be unobtrusive by ............... b. You need to worry about balanced lighting when ............... c. In addition to taking pictures at an event ...............

3. Find a word or expression in the text with a similar meaning to each of the following:

a. helpful hints b. for example c. pictures d. looking at something with almost closed eyes e. increases

4. Write a composition of 100 – 120 words. Choose one option.

a. Describe your favourite photograph and the circumstances when it was taken. b. Write a list of tips for someone who wants to organise a party for 100 people.