Lay Off McDonald’s – Reading
Advanced 2 R6
Reading a newspaper article in which the author argues
that the general public should be taking more responsibility
for their eating habits, in an age of fast-food obsession
To improve reading for main ideas and for detail
To guess the meaning of sophisticated vocabulary within
context
To extend on knowledge of common idiomatic expressions
To better understand and correctly use referents in order to
avoid repetition in writing
Package developed by Kelly Skinner. Additional work and editing by Alyson
Tipping. Based on: Katz, D, “Lay off McDonald’s”, The Age, April 13 2006
Instructions
Introduction
Worksheets
Exercises
Answer Key
STUDENTS PLEASE NOTE:
This package forms part of a collection of three packages of the same name, all based on the same
text – one package practises listening skills; another, writing skills; and another builds on reading
skills. The packages do not form part of a sequential series, so you do not need to have completed
one package before you start another.
Instructions:
(1) Do not use your dictionary
(2) Read the article in Section 1
(3) Answer the TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN questions in Section 2, to practise for reading for gist
(4) Complete the exercise on vocabulary in context in Section 3
(5) Complete the exercises in Section 4: Idioms in Context
(6) Fill in the tables in Section 5 on referents
(7) Check your answers in the Answer Key
Introduction
In an era where the ‘epidemic’ of obesity increasingly plagues the Western world, the question of
how the general public should be taking more responsibility for themselves, and for the
consequences of their McDonald’s food obsession - or any fast food obsession for that matter - has
inevitably been raised.
In this reading edition of the ‘Lay Off McDonald’s’ package collection, you will practise reading an
authentic newspaper article for gist/main ideas; you will guess meaning of sophisticated vocabulary
and useful idioms in context; and you will extend on your skills of identifying referent links within the
body of a text.
The DVD documentary “Super Size Me” (Morgan Spurlock) is available at the RMIT Swanston Library,
and ties in with the themes of this package. It may be worth viewing this film after the completion of this
ILC package.
Section 1: Reading
Task 1
Read the article WITHOUT USING YOUR DICTIONARY.
Lay off McDonald’s – It’s Made in Your Image
By Danny Katz
April 13, 2006
The Age
1 Now, I'm not normally the type of person who would support a big, multinational corporation;
I've always been opposed to greedy, exploitative business practices. For instance, I never buy
running shoes from a particular shoe company that uses child labour in Pakistan, and also I
find that the insoles really seem to aggravate my bunions.
2 And I never buy products from cosmetics companies that still do animal testing - I find it
extremely disturbing to think about little bunny rabbits being forced to endure eye creams and
skin lotions, and the Bikini Waxing Hot Microwave Crotch Kit.
3 And I spent much of the 1980s boycotting the Nestle company, because it was selling breast-
milk substitutes to African mothers - although I did have one weak moment with a peppermint
Aero bar, when the wellbeing of millions of Third World children just didn't weigh up against
light and yet satisfying bubbles of air that really melt in your mouth.
4 But right here, right now, I'm about to offer my support to one of the biggest, greediest
multinational corporations of them all, and I'm not talking about my local milk bar, which just
charged me $3.50 for a couple of bananas, and they turned out to be cooking plantains, so it
was like biting into a wad of wet starch. No, I'm talking about a global food business that goes
by the name of ... McDonald's.
5 Now, for anyone who doesn't know, McDonald's is the world's biggest hamburger-selling chain
- it's a bit like Hungry Jack's, only more successful, and without the raw-onion breath.
6 And I've never really been a big McDonald's fan. After eating their hamburgers, I just want to
get in the shower and scrub out my throat with a loofah. And after sucking on their
thickshakes, I just need to lie down for a bit, because it feels like I've popped a capillary in my
brain.
7 And I've never liked their cutesy TV characters, that creepy Ronald McDonald clown, and that
psychotic, grinning Hamburglar, and that big, fat, purple Grimace thing - I have no idea what it
is, but it looks like some of the people who eat there.
8 But now, now I want to scream out to the world, BACK OFF AND LEAVE POOR
McDONALD'S ALONE.
9 They've been having a hell of a time lately. First it was that Morgan Spurlock guy with his
Supersize Me movie - my kids watched that film and decided they never wanted to eat
McDonald's again for the rest of their lives, or at least until there were some new toys in the
Happy Meals.
10 And then there were all those nutritionists laying into the new McDonald's Deli Choices range,
saying that the Chicken Caesar Roll had the same kilojoule count as a 300-kilogram croissant.
11 And now it's the customer lawsuits. Every time I open the newspaper, there seems to be
someone, somewhere in the world, suing McDonald's for the food they serve: fat people
saying the hamburgers made them fat, and vegan people saying the French fries are
contaminated with meat, and people with food allergies saying the meals contain undeclared
dairy and eggs and glutens.
12 I just say, FOR GOD'S SAKE, IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE OBESE OR VEGAN OR ALLERGIC
TO FOOD, THEN DON'T EAT AT A GREASY BURGER JOINT WHERE PRETTY MUCH
EVERY FOOD PRODUCT, AND WALL SURFACE, AND MOLECULE OF AIR, IS GOING TO
BE SATURATED IN FAT AND DAIRY AND GLUTENS, MUCH OF IT OOZING FROM THE
PORES OF A PIMPLY 14-YEAR-OLD CREW MEMBER, LEANING OVER THE DEEP
FRYER, SCOOPING OUT THE NUGGETS.
13 I'm sick of it. I'm sick of people blaming others for their own lack of self-control - it's like
cigarette smokers blaming the cigarette companies, and alcoholics blaming the beverage
manufacturers, and junkies blaming the poor, defenceless little heroin cartels who are just
trying to run a small business.
14 We live in a world where no one wants to take responsibility for themselves any more, and I
wonder how far it's going to go.
15 Can I sue the Google corporation for slowing down my work efficiency because I'm wasting
too much time on the computer, Googling the words "Jessica" and "Alba" and "cowgirl bra-
top"?
16 Come on world, let's start blaming ourselves for our weaknesses. Next time you drive past a
McDonald's, pull into the drive-thru, stop at the ordering window and say to the girl there, "I'm
with you, I support you, I hope you survive this cruel and unjust persecution," and if she says,
"Do you want fries with that?" just say, "No thanks" and get right out of there - I've heard
they're cooked in rendered mutton suet.
Section 2: Reading for gist
WORKSHEET
Task 2
Tick either TRUE / FALSE or NOT GIVEN for the following questions:
True False Not
Given
1. The purpose of the first three paragraphs is to persuade us not to support
big, multinational corporations.
2. The writer wants us to support McDonald’s by eating their food.
3. According to the writer, people shouldn’t be blaming McDonald’s for any
harmful effects that may result from eating McDonald’s food.
4. In the author’s opinion, the people who are suing McDonald’s are starting
to blame themselves for their own weaknesses.
Check your answers before continuing.
Section 3: Vocabulary in Context
WORKSHEET
Task 3
Match each word in the table below with the correct meaning by writing the letter in the space
provided. Sometimes the word form in the article is different from the word form provided in the
example.
One has been done for you.
Word Meaning
P aggravate (v) High levels of pollution may A. stop supporting (a company,
event, country) by not buying
1 result in the aggravation of medical from, attending or dealing with
conditions such as asthma, which may lead
to sufferers having asthma attacks.
P cosmetics (n) The woman at the cosmetics B. people addicted to a
substance or behaviour, such
2 counter is a qualified beauty therapist, so as drugs or eating
she can advise you on colours and products.
P boycotting (v) The biggest boycott in C. a group of businesses set up
to limit competition
3 Olympic Games history occurred in 1980 A
when 62 countries refused to attend.
P capillary (n) Capillaries are the smallest D. significantly overweight
6 tubes that carry blood around your body.
P contaminate (v) Water contamination E. a protein substance found in
cereal grains
11 occurs when man-made products such as
petrol, oil, and chemicals are dumped into it
and make it unsafe and unfit for human use.
P gluten (n) Gluten can be extracted from the F. make-up or personal care
products, such as lipstick or
11 flour of wheat and other grains by washing moisturising cream
the starch out.
P obese (adj) Parents should help their G. to make something worse
12 children to maintain a healthy weight
through diet and exercise, as obesity is
becoming a health issue in many countries.
P junky (n) He describes himself as a sports H. tiny blood vessels
13 junky. If he isn’t playing footy, cricket or
tennis, then he’s watching sport at the
stadium or on TV.
P cartel (n) The Government will change the I. tainted or made impure by
contact with something dirty or
13 laws governing anti-competitive business undesirable
behaviour. The main point of the changes is
to criminalise cartel activities.
Section 4: Idioms in Context
WORKSHEET
Task 4
Part A: The following table lists some of the idioms Katz uses in the text. Use the
contextual sentence underneath each idiom to help you guess the meaning. Study the table.
Title: Lay Off McDonald’s
He doesn’t like it when I criticise him, in fact he tells me to lay off when I do.
P3: … although I did have one weak moment with a peppermint Aero bar …
I saw Harry smoking yesterday. He has been very strong and hasn’t had a cigarette
for over six months, so he must have had a weak moment and given in.
P3: the wellbeing of millions of Third World children just didn't weigh up against light and yet
satisfying bubbles of air.
I’ll have to weigh up the options of either going to the UK to work or taking the job the
bank has offered me here.
P9: They've been having a hell of a time lately.
Jamie must have had a hell of a time trying to study while he was sick with the ‘flu.
P10: And then there were all those nutritionists laying into the new McDonald's Deli Choices
range …
I would really like to lay into him about wasting his time watching TV but he never
listens to me!
Part B: Using the examples in the above table, write the correct idiom next to its
meaning.
a brief relapse; briefly going back to former behaviour after improving for a
_______________ while
Weigh up make a decision after considering advantages and disadvantages of two or
more options
_______________ a difficult period
_______________ attack; criticise or scold sharply
_______________ stop annoying or bothering
WORKSHEE
T
Task 5
Complete the following two tasks using the idioms provided in Task 4: Part A.
1. I had ________________________ trying to get the kids to go to bed.
2. He left without washing the dishes. I’m gonna really ________________________ him when he
gets home!
3. In ________________________, I agreed to work on Saturday, even though I’d promised myself
the weekend off.
4. I’ll need to ________________________ all the information before I decide which computer to buy.
5. I’ve had enough of your complaints, so just _________________________ me for a while!
Task 6
His mother used to really ____________him about eating McDonald’s after class everyday,
telling him how bad it was for him. She really gave him a _______________________. She
went on and on – she wouldn’t ____________________. I guess he finally
___________________ the options of quitting to please her or listening to her complaints. He
has the occasional ___________________ and has a Big Mac but she doesn’t say anything.
Section 5: Referents
WORKSHEET
Task 7
To avoid repetition when we write and speak, we use pronouns and synonyms to refer back to
something that was mentioned earlier. These pronouns and synonyms can refer to nouns, noun
phrases or whole clauses. The original noun, noun phrase or clause is called the referent.
For example in the sentence;
And I spent much of the 1980s boycotting the Nestle company, because it was selling breast-milk
substitutes to African mothers
‘Nestle’ is the referent and ‘it’ is the pronoun which refers back to the original noun
Part A - Pronouns:
The pronouns listed below have been underlined in the article. For each of the pronouns listed, write
down the original referent noun, noun phrase or clause.
Paragraph Pronoun Referent (What the pronoun refers to)
Number
4 they
5 it
7 it
7 there
9 They
9 that
9 their
13 it
16 they
Part B – Synonymous Expression:
Sometimes words or expressions that have a similar meaning to the referent are used. To do this the
writer will often give an example of the referent. In the following sentence from paragraph 1, ‘a
particular shoe company’ refers to and is an example of ‘a big, multinational corporation’.
Now, I'm not normally the type of person who would support a big, multinational
corporation; I've always been opposed to greedy, exploitative business
practices. For instance, I never buy running shoes from a particular shoe
company that… There
are many examples of this in the article. Read the text again to find the referents below. Then find
the synonymous expression or example which has been given in the paragraph.
Paragraph
Referent Synonymous Expression / Example
Number
2 cosmetics
3 something made by the Nestle
company
4 one of the biggest, greediest
multinational corporations of them all
7 Cutesy TV characters
10 new McDonald's Deli Choices range
11 people who are suing McDonald’s
13 people who lack self-control
ANSWERS
Task 2
True False Not
Given
1. The purpose of the first three paragraphs is to persuade us not to support
big, multinational corporations.
The writer is giving examples of ways in which he doesn’t support big,
multinational corporations.
2. The writer wants us to support McDonald’s by eating their food.
The writer doesn’t mention whether or not we should eat McDonald’s food.
3. According to the writer, people shouldn’t be blaming McDonald’s for any
harmful effects that may result from eating McDonald’s food.
Par 9 “They’ve been having a hell of a time lately.” After that, there are
several examples of how people are blaming McDonald’s. Par 13 “I’m sick of
people blaming others for their own lack of self-control.”
4. In the author’s opinion, the people who are suing McDonald’s are starting to
blame themselves for their own weaknesses.
Par 13 “I’m sick of people blaming others for their own lack of self-control.”
and Par 16 “Come on world, let’s start blaming ourselves for our
weaknesses.”
Task 3.
Word Meaning
boycotting (v) A. stop supporting (a company, event, country) by not buying from,
attending or dealing with
junky (n) B. people addicted to a substance or behaviour, such as drugs or
eating
cartel (n) C. a group of businesses set up to limit competition
obese (adj) D. significantly overweight
gluten (n) E. a protein substance found in cereal grains
cosmetics (n) F. make-up or personal care products, such as lipstick or moisturising
cream
aggravate (v) G. to make something worse
capillary (n) H. tiny blood vessels
contaminate (v) I. taint or make impure by contact with something dirty or undesirable
Task 4
Part B
a weak moment a brief relapse; briefly going back to former behaviour after improving for a while
weigh up make a decision after considering advantages and disadvantages of two or more
options
a hell of a time a difficult period
lay into attack; criticise or scold sharply
lay off stop annoying or bothering
Task 5
1. I had a hell of a time trying to get the kids to go to bed.
2. He left without washing the dishes. I’m gonna really lay into him when he gets home!
3. In a weak moment, I agreed to work on Saturday, even though I’d promised myself the
weekend off.
4. I’ll need to weigh up all the information before I decide which computer to buy.
5. I’ve had enough of your complaints, so just lay off me for a while!
Task 6
His mother used to really lay into him about eating McDonald’s after class everyday,
telling him how bad it was for him. She really gave him a hell of a time. She went on
and on – she wouldn’t lay off. I guess he finally weighed up the options of quitting to
please her or listening to her complaints. He has the occasional weak moment and
has a Big Mac but she doesn’t say anything.
Task 7
Part A:
Paragraph Pronoun in context Referent
Number
4 they a couple of bananas
5 it McDonald’s
7 it that big, fat purple Grimace thing
7 there at McDonald’s
9 They McDonald’s
9 that Supersize Me
9 their [the writer’s] kids
13 it people blaming others for their own lack of self-control
16 they fries
Part B
Paragrap
h Referent Synonymous expression / Example
Number
1 a big, multinational corporation a particular shoe company
2 cosmetics eye creams and skin lotions
3 something made by the Nestle company a peppermint Aero bar
4 one of the biggest, greediest McDonald’s
multinational corporations of them all
7 (cutesy) TV characters Ronald McDonald clown, Hamburglar, and the
Grimace thing
10 new McDonald's Deli Choices range Chicken Caesar Roll
11 people who are suing McDonald’s fat people … vegan … people with food
allergies
13 people who lack self-control cigarette smokers, alcoholics, junkies
REFERENCE:
Katz, D, 2006, Lay off McDonald’s – It’s Made in Your Image. The Age. April 13.