National cuisine and tourism reading answers

National cuisine and tourism is an IELTS reading topic for which answers with detailed explanations are provided in this post. This academic reading passage comprises 10 questions that are of two types such as matching features and multiple choice questions.

National cuisine and tourism 

Read the passage carefully and answer all the questions (1-10) given below.

Answer Table

1. K	5. E	9. C
2. G	6. D	10. A
3. F	7. B
4. J	8. D

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Passage

1. To an extent, agriculture dictates that every country should have a set of specific foods which are native to that country. They may even be unique, However, even allowing for the power of agricultural science, advances in food distribution and changes in food economics to alter the ethnocentric properties of food, it is still possible for a country “to be famous for” a particular food even if it is widely available elsewhere.
2. The degree to which cuisine is embedded in national culture within the sociology of food literature two themes suggest that food is linked to social culture. The first relates food and eating to social relationships, (Finkelsteln, Vlssor, Wood), and the second establishes food as a reflection of the distribution of power within social structures, (Mennell). However, establishing a role for food in personal relationships and social structures is not a sufficient argument to place food at the center of national culture. To do that it is necessary to prove a degree of embeddedness. It would be appropriate at this point to consider the nature of culture.
3. The distinction made by Pierce between a behavioral contingency and a cultural contingency is crucial to our understanding of culture. Whilst a piece of behavior may take place very often, involve a network of people and be reproducible by other networks who do not know each other, the meaning of the behavior does not go beyond the activity itself. A cultural practice, however, contains and represents ‘’meta-contingencies” that is, behavioral practices that have a social meaning greater than the activity itself and which, by their nature, reinforce the culture which houses them. Celebrating birthdays is a cultural practice not because everybody does it but because it has a religious meaning. Contrast this with the practice in Britain of celebrating “Guy Fawkes Night”. It is essentially an excuse for a good time but if fireworks were banned, the occasion would gradually die away altogether or end up as a cult to California. A smaller scale example might be more useful. In the British context, compare drinking in pubs with eating “fish and chips”. Both are common practices, yet the former reflects something of the social fabric of the country, particularly family, gender, class and age relationships whilst the latter is just a national habit. In other words, a constant, well-populated pattern of behavior is not necessarily cultural. However, it is also clear that a cultural practice needs behavioral reinforcement. Social culture is not immortal.
4. Finkelstein argues that “dining out” is simply “action which supports a surface life”. For him it is the word “out” that disconnects food from culture. This view of culture and food places the “home’’ as the cultural center. Continental European eating habits may contradict this notion by their general acceptance of eating out as part of family life. Following the principle that culture needs behavioral reinforcement, if everyone “eats out” on a regular basis, irrespective of social and economic differentiation, then this might constitute behavioral support for cuisine being part of social culture. That aside, the significance of a behavioral practice being embedded In culture is that it naturally maintains an approved and accepted way of life and therefore has a tendency to resist change.
5. The thrust of the argument is that countries differ in the degree to which their food and eating habits have a social and cultural meaning beyond the behavior itself. This argument, however, could be Interpreted to imply that the country with the greatest proportion of meals taken outside the home would be the one In which the national cuisine is more embedded in social culture. This is a difficult position to maintain because it would bring America, with its fast-food culture to the fore. The fast-food culture of America raises the issue of whether there are qualitative criteria for the concept of cuisine. The key Issue is not the extent of the common behavior but whether or not it has a function in maintaining social cohesion and Is appreciated and valued through social norms. French cuisine and “going down the pub” arc strange bedfellows but bedfellows nevertheless.
6. How homogeneous is national cuisine like language, cuisine is not a static entity and whilst Its fundamental character is unlikely to change in the short run it may evolve in different directions. Just as in a language there are dialects so in a cuisine there are variations. The two principal sources of diversity are the physical geography of the country and its social diversity.
7. The geographical dimensions work through agriculture to particularize and to limit locally produced Ingredients. Ethnic diversity in the population works through the role of cuisine in social identity to create ethnically distinct cuisines which may not converge into a national cuisine. This raises the question of how far a national cuisine is related to national borders. To an ethnic group their cuisine is national. The greater the division of a society into classes, castes and status groups with their attendant ethnocentric properties, of which cuisine is a part, then the greater will be the diversity of the cuisines.
8. However, there is a case for convergence. Both these principal sources of diversity arc, to an extent, influenced by the strength of their boundaries and the willingness of society to erode them. It Is a question of isolation and integration. Efficient transport and the application of chemistry can alter agricultural boundaries to make a wider range of foods available to a cuisine. Similarly, political and social Integration can erode ethnic boundaries. However, all these arguments mean nothing if the cuisine is not embedded in social culture. Riley argues that when a cuisine is not embedded in social culture It is susceptible to novelty and Invasion by other cuisines.

Questions

Questions 1-6:

• Choose one phrase (A-K) from the List of phrases to complete each Key point below.
• Write the appropriate letters (A-K) In Boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
• The information In the completed sentences should be an accurate summary of the points made by the writer.
• NB: There are more phrases (A-K) than sentences, so you will not need to use them all. You may use each phrase once only.

Key points. 

1. The native foods of a country, …
2. The ethnocentric properties of food …
3. Celebrating birthdays …
4. Cultural practice …
5. Drinking in pubs in Britain …
6. The link between language and cuisine

List of Phrases

1. Is a behavioral practice, not a cultural practice
2. are unique
3. varies
4. is that both are diverse
5. is a reflection of the social fabric
6. is a cultural practice
7. can be changed by economic and distribution factors
8. is fundamental
9. are not as common as behavior
10. needs to be reinforced by behavior
11. are, to a certain extent, dictated by agriculture

Questions 7-10:

• Use the information in the text to match the Authors (A-D) with the Findings (7-10) below.
• Write the appropriate letters (A-D) in Boxes 7-10 on your answer sheet.

Authors:

1. Finkelstein
2. Pierce
3. Memiell
4. Riley

7) There is a difference between behavior and cultural practice.
8) The connection between social culture and food must be strong if national cuisine is to survive intact.
9) Distribution of power in society is reflected In food.
10) The link between culture and eating outside the home is not strong.

Answers with explanation

(Note: The text in italics mentions the location and referring lines written in the reading passage)

1. Answer: K
Explanation: As mentioned in the 1st Paragraph,”agriculture dictates that every country should have a set of specific foods which are native to that country.” It's evident that agriculture dictates a country’s native food to a certain extent. Hence, the right answer is ‘K.'

2. Answer: G
Explanation: As per the lines in Paragraph 2,”advances in food distribution and changes in food economics to alter the ethnocentric properties of food, it is still possible for a country “to be famous for” a particular food even if it is widely available elsewhere.” The ethnocentric properties of food can be determined by economic and distribution factors. So, the correct answer is ‘G.’

3. Answer: F
Explanation: As mentioned in Paragraph 3,”Celebrating birthdays is a cultural practice not because everybody does it but because it has a religious meaning.” The writer states that celebrating birthdays is a cultural practice that’s based on a belief system. Hence, the right answer is ‘F.’ 

4. Answer: J
Explanation: In paragraph 3 the writer states that “a constant, well-populated pattern of behavior is not necessarily cultural. However, it is also clear that a cultural practice needs behavioral reinforcement.” A cultural practice is different from a popular behaviour. The writer gives an example by comparing drinking in pubs with eating fish and chips. Here, drinking in public is part of the social norms which makes it a cultural practice. Whereas, eating fish and chips is only a national habit. Thus, the right answer is ‘J.’

5. Answer: E
Explanation: As per the lines in paragraph 3,”In the British context, compare drinking in pubs with eating “fish and chips”. Both are common practices, yet the former reflects something of the social fabric of the country.” It’s evident that drinking in pubs in Britain is a reflection of the social fabric. So, the correct answer is ‘E.’

6. Answer: D
Explanation: These lines in Paragraph 6 states that,”how homogeneous is national cuisine like language” and “Just as in a language there are dialects so in a cuisine there are variations”. The writer compares language and cuisine and states that they each have vast variations and in that sense both are diverse. Hence, the right answer is ‘D.’

7. Answer: B
Explanation: In paragraph 3, the lines,”the distinction made by Pierce between a behavioural contingency and a cultural contingency is crucial…..behavioural practice that have social meaning greater than the activity itself and which, by their nature reinforce the culture which houses them.” confirm that it was author pierce who explained the difference between behaviour and cultural practice. So, the right answer is ‘B.’

8. Answer: D
Explanation: As mentioned in paragraph 8,”all these arguments mean nothing if the cuisine is not embedded in social culture. Riley argues that when cuisine is not embedded in social culture, it is susceptible to novelty and invasion by other cuisines.” Author Riley emphasizes that for a cuisine to keep its authenticity intact it must be embedded in social culture. Hence, the right answer is ‘D.’

9. Answer: C 
Explanation: As per paragraph 2,” the first relates food and eating to social relationships, (Finkelstein, Visor, Wood), and the second establishes food as a reflection of the distribution of power with social structures (Mennell).” It was Mennel who claimed that food is also capable of revealing the distribution of power in society. So, the correct answer is ‘C.’

10. Answer: A
Explanation: These lines from paragraph 4,”that ‘dining out’ is simply’ action which supports a surface life.’ For him, it is the word ‘out’ that disconnects food from culture. This view of culture and food places the ‘home’ as the cultural centre.” makes it clear that it was Finkelstein who claimed that the link between culture and eating outside the home is not strong. Hence, the right answer is ‘A.’

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