Leading-in Question

1. Speaking of American culture, what comes into your mind?

High-tech

Leading-in Question

2. What’s your favorite fast food restaurant?KFC; McDonald’s; Pizza Hut; Dairy Queen; Dico’s 3. Why do you think many Chinese people like to go to McDonald’s or KFC? the food is served fast; the food is tasty and clean; the environment is clean and comfortable

Warm-up Video McDonald’s is getting more and more popular in the whole world. Besides the tasty food and comfortable environment, commercials works a lot.

Key Words and Phrases tear down in danger of agree with line of thinking/thought afford to do close down have nothing to do with make sense stop…from even so take away

fry southern golden arch danger destroy damage earthquake resident public location inspector structure afford amount claim actually deny local explanation register abandon peace board

Proper Names McDonald’s California Downey Golden arches Illinois Dick McDonald Mac McDonald National Register of Historic Places

Getting the message

Answer the following questions without referring to the original text.1. Why does McDonald’s want to tear down the restaurant?Because the building was damaged in an earthquake and the restaurant was losing money.

2. Why do some people want to save the first McDonald’s?Because they have good memories of that original McDonald’s. 3. According to the historians, what is McDonald’s real purpose to tear down the restaurant? They believe that McDonald’s real purpose is to rewrite the history. 4. What’s the author’s purpose in writing this article.

His purpose is to tell the story of the first McDonald’s and show people’s different attitude toward the restaurant.

StructureHow is the text organized?

Part one: (Para.1-_) 3 the history of McDonald’s and related background

Part two: (Para.__-__) 4 10 the different opinions held by the Downey people and the McDonald’s managers and their reasons

Part three: (Para.__-12) 11 the final situation of the McDonald’s restaurant and people’s hope

Text Reading

The First McDonald's Restaurant

1. Even though the first McDonald's restaurant sold only hamburgers and French fries, it still became a cultural symbol. Now, in the Southern California city of Downey, people are trying to save the first McDonald's restaurant in history. McDonald's, though, says the building should be torn down.

Text Reading

2. Built in 1953, the restaurant in Downey, California, is the oldest of all the Golden Arches in America, and has the earliest McDonald's building design. 3. Many people have good memories of that old McDonald's. These people are angry that the building is now in danger of being destroyed, along with their memories.

Text Reading

4. McDonald's explains that the building was damaged in an earthquake, and therefore needs to be torn down. Many people in the town of Downey don't agree with this line of thinking, t

hough. 5. One woman says, "I think it's terrible. They are using the earthquake as an excuse. It's a big lie."

Text Reading

6. Another Downey resident remarks, "I am so upset. They don't respect the public at all. They haven't even tried. They could do some small repairs and make it a good restaurant again." 7. McDonald's managers say the restaurant is losing money at that location. There is no room for a drive-thru window, or for seating inside. After the earthquake, they say it was impossible to fix. The managers want to build a copy of this building at another location instead.

Text Reading

8. Building inspectors, on the other hand, say that the structure can be repaired, but that it will be expensive. Many people say that McDonald's can certainly afford to pay that amount. Some think that McDonald's real reason for wanting to close down the restaurant has nothing to do with money.

Text Reading

9. Modern McDonald's restaurants often have a sign claiming that a man named Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald's restaurant in Illinois in 1955. The truth, however, is that Mr. Kroc actually learned the fast food business from Dick and Mac McDonald in Downey. Later, Mr. Kroc bought their restaurants. Thus, many people in Downey think McDonald's is trying to change history, though the company denies this.

Text Reading

10. To local historians, this explanation makes total sense. One historian said, "We should not rewrite the past. Ray Kroc did not invent McDonald's. The McDonald brothers did." 11.These days, a group of historians want the building to be added to the National Register of Historic Places so that the city of Downey will be able to stop McDonald's from tearing the building down. The McDonald's managers are very angry, and have abandoned the structure.