Food and eating together - Test 3

C2 Proficiency · Essay · Cambridge English: Proficiency 1, Cambridge University Press

Write your answer in 240–280 words in an appropriate style.

Use your own words throughout as far as possible, and include your own ideas in your answers.

Write an essay summarising and evaluating the key points from both texts.

It is often said that a pleasure shared is a pleasure doubled, and who can deny that conversation around the dinner table provides opportunities for a family or friends to share their happiness, express their feelings and learn from one another. Meals taken together foster warmth, security and love, as well as feelings of belonging. This unifying role that food can play in our lives can be seen on a much bigger scale, too. Many cultures have rich culinary traditions, and the distinctiveness or the quality of their food can be a powerful source of pride, strengthening a sense of cultural or national identity.

Eating together

In today's undeniably stressful, fast-moving world, the increasing popularity of convenience food should come as no surprise. Despite warnings from doctors about the possible health risks of such food, it is all too easy to pop something in the microwave every day, and in so doing miss out on one of life's great experiences, which is cooking fresh food. Not only does preparing home-made food give satisfaction, and the results taste immeasurably better than the tinned or packaged variety, but, more significantly, it gives the opportunity to display care and affection through hospitality shown to guests.

Food, glorious food!

Read the two texts below.

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