Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. vegan
    • ex. Vegan meals do not include any animal products.
    • ex. Vegans do not eat or use any animal products.
  2. a serving
    • ex. The hungry child asked for a big serving of rice.
  3. launch
    • ex. The company launches new smartphones twice a year.
  4. population
    • ex. The country’s population is increasing.
  5. make up
    • ex. Boys make up half of the class.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Popular fast-food restaurant McDonald’s introduced a vegan Happy Meal in its Swedish branches. Called the McFalafel, the new menu item is a deep-fried ball that is made of healthy ingredients like chickpeas, parsley, and garlic. Customers can enjoy their McFalafel with a side of carrots, apples, or a small serving of fries.

The McFalafel is not McDonald’s first vegan menu item. McDonald’s Swedish branches first launched a popular McVegan sandwich in 2017. Similarly, McDonald’s U.K. launched a vegan Happy Meal last January. British customers can choose between two kinds of vegan veggie wraps: regular and spicy.

According to a recent survey by Animal Rights Sweden, around 10% of Sweden’s population is either vegan or vegetarian. Vegans in the United Kingdom make up more than 7% of the population. Worldwide, the number of vegans has been increasing. Because of this trend, companies are creating new products to serve the growing vegan market.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Vegan Lifestyle

  • Do you think that it’s easy to be a vegan in your country? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you think that vegan trends in other countries are influencing people in your country? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Should restaurants offer more vegan options? Why or why not? Discuss.

Fast Food

  • Do you think that people in your country want to buy healthy fast food like the McFalafel or McVegan? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Should healthier fast-food options be more expensive? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you think more people in your country prefer convenient food or healthy food? Why? Discuss.