B1 – Intermediate
Pubs are probably one of the first things you think of when you hear “the UK”. Going to pubs is a big part of not only the British culture but their day-to-day life.
However, due to the pandemic in 2020, restaurants and pubs had to be closed to prevent the virus from spreading among people.
The life that British knew was never the same.
Read the transcript and listen to this audio about British pubs and Coronavirus.
https://www.newsinlevels.com/products/british-pubs-and-the-coronavirus-level-1/
Discussion Questions:
- What is your reaction to this news? What about Lamb and Flag closing?
- How important are pubs in the UK?
- Do you have the same culture in your country? Talk more about it.
- Have there been many restaurants and pubs that had to close because they haven’t been able to recover financially in your country too? How does that make you feel?
- Talk about one favorite place you used to go to before but now has closed because of the pandemic.
- Do you think we will go back to our old ways after the pandemic is ended or would some things change?
4 replies on “British Pubs and Coronavirus”
The pandemic has affected all of us in one way or another. Pubs and restaurants suffered a lot because they were forced to close during a lot of time so they couldn´t afford their bills.
I think we weren´t prepared for facing the situation. Not the goverments and not the people. Some media didn´t help at all.
I understand pubs are a very important part of the people´s lifes. In my country, pubs and restaurants are very important too. In my town, my mother, 77 years old, goes every day to do the shopping and she has been for many many years meeting their friends in a bar. They talk about their things and they socialize with a lot of people. When suddenly they couldn´t go out and met, it was very hard for them.
In my place, not so many pubs and restaurants had to close, somehow, they managed to recover. The goverment helped them and they have reinvented their business for surviving.
None of my favourite´s pubs have closed, but I used to buy some clothes in a shop that had to close because of the pandemic. They desinged very beautiful clothes, very different from other commercial brands, its style was unique!
Now that the pandemic is not on the news every day… something have changed? Where I live we, most of the people have returned to our customs and habits, but there are some elderly people still with fear that will not come back to met anymore in some social events.
You did very well in writing your responses to your lesson’s discussion questions.
Here are a few sentences you can revise:
Keep going with this exercise to keep improving.
1) What is your reaction to this news? What about Lamb and Flag closing?
I’m very concerned about how the lock and the prohibitions affect the near commerces.
Especially to the small-medium sized. Shops, pubs, open bazars, … even big chains will suffer lot of changes after this economical crisis. The losf of some iconical spaces is always sad. There are two real important things around our lifes: space and time, and in doubt its possible to spend tons of both in pubs, not necessary in a bad way.
2) How important are pubs in the UK?
Some of the best novels of the History born in the heat of the chimneys in british pubs. Oxford and Cambridge are well known for this, however the college and universitarian traditions.
3) Do you have the same culture in your country? Talk more about it.
Yes, in my own street at Madrid, in a few squares there almost one close by each. And if continue to the center (Alcalá Street is one of the most longest of Spain, and the second in Madrid) there are big commerces closed i,e, Zara, C&A,…
4) Have there been many restaurants and pubs that had to close because they haven’t been able to recover financially in your country too? How does that make you feel?
In Spain the pubs and terrace are also typical, maybe its a different way of staying and living because the climate helps to open the space. It’s important to mention that the timings are soooo diferent in Spain, derived to the fact that we have more solar hours probably we spend more spare time at bars. Another important point is the fact that the bars are also a familiar entertainment too, not the same for the pubs.
5) Talk about one favorite place you used to go to before but now has closed because of the pandemic.
Retiro’s Park, all the parks are closed due to the sanitarian alert but also due to a strong snowfall that happens reciently, exactly two weeks ago. It was the biggest from fifty years ago.
6) Do you think we will go back to our old ways after the pandemic is ended or would some things change?
Yes, there are two possibilities:
a) We found and really effective vaccine and erradicates the virus.
b) The virus finally turns onto endemic and its like flu, happens anually with specific treatments.
When one of both finally happens, gradually we come back to the previous costumes and behaviours, because are efortless, and everything to protect are expensive in terms of money and efficiency. I.e. The maks, the protocols to stay in places,… My only hope is the hygienic manners and costumes keeps on the society.
Thanks in advance!
Manuel
Impressive work. Job well done on writing your answers this way. Your efforts are much appreciated!
Here is one sentence you can improve:
I’m very concerned about how the lock and the prohibitions affect the near commerces.