IN THIS EXERCISE, THERE ARE TWO TASKS: FIRST, YOU HAVE A TEXT (WITH 5 PARAGRAPHS) TO READ ABOUT ITALIAN AND ENGLISH EVENING MEALS, THEN YOU WILL SEE A LIST OF DISHES TAKEN FROM BRITISH/AMERICAN RESTAURANT MENUS. YOUR TASK IS TO DECIDE - BASED ON THE READING TASK - WHAT SECTION OF THE MENU THEY BELONG TO.

Have you ever read a menu in a restaurant in the UK? You won't find any 'first' dishes (translated from 'primi') and you might find 'pasta carbonara' among the main courses together with 'fish and chips'. Reading a menu in English might be confusing, but there is a logic to it. You just need to understand the differences between Italian and British dining habits.

You won't have any problems to find starters/appetizers (ergo 'antipasti') on the menu, they might look different, though. You will find soups, salads and even 'garlic bread' (yes, you read it correctly: bread covered with garlic-butter). Soups and salads might also appear in separate groups if the restaurant offers more than one type of them.

As for 'primi', pasta is not part of the British daily diet. So you should look either for a category called 'Pasta & Rice' or just look at the 'Main course' section (which equals to the Italian 'secondi'). This is the most important part of a meal and if you eat meat, this will contain it. In some cases, you also find the side dish (potato, rice, etc.) given with the main dish, but some restaurants give you the freedom to choose what you want your meat with and opens a 'Side dishes' (= contorni) section.

Finally, after a nice starter and a rich main course, you arrive at the sweet part of your meal: the dessert. Don't be surprised if you even find coffee or tea listed here: people often start or finish their meals with some warm liquid (soup vs tea/coffee).

Having a starter, a plate of pasta and then a 'second' meat- or fish-based dish is pretty much an Italian habit and typical for all big holiday meals. It doesn't mean, though, that a British menu is lighter: where pasta is missing, you will definitely find 'gravy/brown sauce' or any other salad dressing. Important is to have nice company with your meal: this is an international rule.