A Bite of China

    No trip would be complete without experiencing the local food culture. Actually, China has various kinds of delicious food,{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (include) a wide variety of local snacks (小吃).

    Without a doubt, for the majority of the foreigners I contacted, and myself included, Peking Duck, Dim Sum, Mongolian Hot Pot were the favorite Chinese {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (dish). China is a place{#blank#}3{#/blank#} the food is not only delicious, but the {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (cheap) I've ever found.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}my last night in Beijing before returning to the States, I went to a Peking Duck restaurant that had been suggested for me to try. What a beautiful place! Splendid woodblock prints on the walls, fresh flowers in the vases on the table,{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (attract) silverware (镀银餐具) and beautiful chopsticks. I was handed {#blank#}7{#/blank#} menu and found most of the prices{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(be) especially low for the high quality of the food. The duck came in whole or half, along with all the little decorations that you know if you've ever eaten Peking duck—a little tortilla (玉米饼) to put the sliced duck and vegetables in chopped onion, sauce.

    Anyway, I ended up ordering a whole duck and thought I'd just take the rest back to my hotel{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(eat) later if I couldn't finish it. Unbelievably, in the end there was none of the whole duck{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(leave) on the plate. Umm, yummy!

    One night, a mother and her daughter went out for dinner together. The mother was a heavy smoker, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(make) her daughter feel very upset and worried. She would often tell her mother that smoking was very bad {#blank#}2{#/blank#}her health. But her mother wouldn't listen and refused to stop smoking.

    However, at {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(they) dinner that night, she noticed that her mother didn't have a single cigarette. As a matter of fact, she realized that she hadn't seen her mother smoke for {#blank#}4{#/blank#} whole day.

    “I can see that you're not smoking at all today. Are you trying {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(give) up smoking?” the daughter asked hopefully.

    The mother answered, “No, I'm just feeling a little bit sick right now. I don't smoke {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(cigarette) when I'm sick, because if I do, it takes me {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(long) to get better.”

    The daughter{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(reply), “Well, I guess you would{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(probable) live a better life {#blank#}10{#/blank#}you got sick a bit more often!”

    Table manners vary {#blank#}1{#/blank#} culture to culture. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} is acceptable in one country may be considered extremely rude in another. Here we will tell you about the traditional table manners and the modem table manners in Korea.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (traditional), it was the woman's job {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (cook) food and set the table. The woman would sit by her husband to make sure that he {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (have) everything he needed for a pleasant meal. Only after the husband finished would the woman and her children eat. Nowadays, table manners {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (change) a lot. All of the family members eat together at the same time. It is common to see everyone help with the meal, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (include) the husband. One tradition, however, remains unchanged.

    {#blank#}8{#/blank#} is the oldest person that starts the meal.{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (stay) until the oldest person is finished is considered to be {#blank#}10{#/blank#} basic tradition of Korean table manners.