French restaurants and eateries will soon have to put a new logo on menus to inform customers whether or not their food is home-made. France's government has come up with a simple sign so that both French people and tourists will have a better idea of what they are eating. Restaurants could start using the sign from July the 15th and it will be compulsory for eateries from January. The move comes after complaints about the quality of food being served in French restaurants. Many customers expect top-quality food when dining in France. The country is, after all, supposed to be the home of fine dining and gastronomic delights. French cuisine is world famous for its rich history, taste and presentation.

The new symbol is an attempt by the French government to improve the quality of restaurant food and boost tourism. A spokesperson said: "French gastronomy represents 13.5 per cent of foreign tourists' expenses. It is undeniable that if we add value to the quality of our restaurants, it will have an impact on tourism." He added that the government wants to, "reign in the amount of processed foods used and preserve France's high gastronomical standing". A poll conducted last year found that only around half of restaurant meals were cooked from scratch on the premises. The French Union of Hotel Skills and Industries believe that around 85 per cent of restaurants secretly use frozen or vacuum-packed food.

1. TRUE / FALSE:Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

a.The 'home-made' logo is only for tourists visiting France.T / F

b.Restaurants can already start using the logo.T / F

c.Eateries will be able to choose whether or not they will use the logo.T / F

d.French food is often said to be the home of fine dining.T / F

e.The French government hopes the logo will increase tourist numbers.T / F

f.Tourists spend over 20% of their travel budget on eating out.T / F

g.The French government wants restaurants to use less processed food.T / F

h.A hotel group said 85% of restaurants do not use frozen food.T / F

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.What will new menus tell customers about?

2.When were restaurants first able to use the logo?

3.When will eateries have to put the logo on their menus?

4.What do many diners expect when eating at French restaurants?

5.What else is French food famous for besides a rich history and taste?

6.What does the French government hope to boost?

7.What proportion of their budget do tourists spend on eating out?

8.What does the French government want to reduce?

9.According to a poll, what proportion of food is cooked on the premises?

10.What is the percentage of restaurants that supposedly use frozen food?

答案

TRUE / FALSE

a F b T c F d T e T f F g T h F

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.Whether or not it is home-made

2.15th July

3.January

4.Top-quality food

5.Presentation

6.Tourism

7.13.5%

8.The amount of processed food used

9.Around half

10.Around 85%