Parisians tuck into coffee, croissants again as cafes reopen for outdoor dining

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Category: Lifestyle/Entertainment

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. contain / kənˈteɪn / (v.) – to prevent something, usually an illness or disease, from affecting many people or things by keeping it within certain limits
    Example:

    Health officials are ordering people to stay at home as much as possible to contain the deadly virus.


  2. spread / sprɛd / (n.) – the growth or increase of something that causes it to affect a large area or great number of people
    Example:

    The firefighters are doing everything they can to slow the spread of the fire.


  3. feel at home / fil æt hoʊm / (idiom) – to feel like one belongs or is accepted
    Example:

    After a few weeks, I began to feel at home in my new apartment.


  4. off bounds / ɔf baʊndz / (adj.) – outside the area that one is allowed to go to
    Example:

    The back of the store is off bounds to customers. Only employees can go there.


  5. bit by bit / bɪt baɪ bɪt / (adv.) – gradually or slowly
    Example:

    I managed to finish the 1000-piece puzzle bit by bit.


Article

Read the text below.

French cafes and restaurants were allowed to start serving customers in outside areas on May 19. The change ended a six-month shutdown mandated by the government to try to contain the spread of the coronavirus.


One of the Parisians who was back at their favorite cafe was Elie Ayache, a worker in the financial markets sector.


Ayache said he used to come to the cafe every day, including at weekends. It was part of his morning routine.


“I feel at home because I know the place, I know the people,” he said. A coffee and croissant sat on his table beside an open laptop.


His routine was not completely back to normal. His favorite spot is inside the cafe — still off bounds because of COVID-19 restrictions — and he said the terrace was a little chilly.


“But things are going to come back, bit by bit, and I’m very happy,” Ayache said. (Reuters)


This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • French cafes and restaurants were allowed to start serving customers in outside areas on May 19. Do you think outdoor dining is safe right now? How about indoor dining? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Parisians experienced a very strict six-month lockdown to try to contain the spread of the coronavirus. If your country did the same, how would you feel? What would you do while waiting for the lockdown to end? Why? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • For Ayache, coming to the cafe was part of his morning routine. What’s a part of your routine that was greatly affected by the Covid-19 crisis (ex. going to the gym, shopping on weekends)? How did you deal with this change? Discuss.
  • Ayache said that things are going to come back, bit by bit. Do you think we should try to go back to our normal routines before the pandemic happened, or should we start making new routines? Why? Discuss.