For those who travel to China, the scenic spots and ancient civilization are {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (attract) things, and so is Chinese food and drink. Like music, dance and painting, eating is also an art in China and Chinese cuisine{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(list) as one of the top in the field of world cuisines.

    Nobody could tell exactly how many restaurants a specific city has, let alone the roadside eateries (饭馆){#blank#}3{#/blank#} (distribute) in streets and back lanes. Wherever you would like to eat, in the restaurants {#blank#}4{#/blank#}the roadside eateries, make sure that the restaurant is clean and the food has been{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (fresh) prepared and is hot.

    Chinese regard eating as an art,{#blank#}6{#/blank#}is a comprehensive combination of sight, smell, touch, taste and even sound. Chinese cuisine is an important branch from the Chinese culture and the core is taste while the purpose is {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (preserve) health.

    It is a perfect combination of color, shape,{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (appear)and flavor. Delicious and nutritious food has been regarded the basics of ordinary life.

    Chinese cuisine has a long history and is famous worldwide {#blank#}9{#/blank#}its rich tastes and delightful colors. The difference in local climate, history and eating customs in each region has produced local dishes and snacks with their own {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (characteristic).

    As a stranger in Atlantic City, I often used to go walking outside. One afternoon, I found a little boy{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (stand) alone, and he looked very lost. I tried to get his trust, so I{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(buy) him an ice-cream cone and decided to call the police to take him home. I told{#blank#}3{#/blank#} to stay there when I went to the phone booth(电话亭), {#blank#}4{#/blank#} after I returned, he was missing. A few minutes later, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} patrol car arrived. The policeman asked me {#blank#}6{#/blank#} the child was. I felt stupid; {#blank#}7{#/blank#} was embarrassing (难堪的) to say that I had lost a lost child. I told the policeman {#blank#}8{#/blank#} had happened and gave him a {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(describe) of the boy. "What did you treat him with?" he asked. "An ice-cream cone. Why?" "That kid lives only a few blocks {#blank#}10{#/blank#} here, and you're about the fifth stranger he's conned (欺骗) for a treat!"

    The Dragon Boat Festival is a {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(tradition) holiday that commemorates the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan.

    It is a day when many people eat zongzi and race dragon boats. In ancient  China,  the festival {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (celebrate) as "Poets' Day" in honor of Qu Yuan,  {#blank#}3{#/blank#} was known as China's first poet.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} is commonly believed that the local people began {#blank#}5{#/blank#} tradition of throwing sacrificial cooked rice into the river for Qu Yuan, while others hoped that the rice would prevent Qu Yuan's body from being eaten by the fishes in the river. At first, the locals decided {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (make) zongzi in hopes that it would sink into the river and reach Qu Yuan's body. However, the tradition of wrapping the rice in bamboo {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (leaf) to make zongzi began the following year.

    A dragon boat, usually made of wood to various designs and sizes, is a human-powered boat. They often have brightly decorated designs that range anywhere from 40 feet in length {#blank#}8{#/blank#} 100 feet, with the front end shaped like open-mouthed dragons, and the back end with a scaly tail. The boat can have up to 80 rowers to power the boat, {#blank#}9{#/blank#}depend) on the length. A sacred ceremony is performed before any competition in order to "bring the boat to life" by painting the eyes. The first team {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (gain) a flag at the end of the course wins the race.

    One Sunday morning in August, I went to a local music festival. I left it early because I had an appointment later that day. My friends walked me to the bus stop and waited with me {#blank#}1{#/blank#} the bus arrived. I got on the bus and found a seat near the back, and then I noticed an old woman with shabby clothes sitting at the front. She was pretending that a tiger toy was real and talking to it. She {#blank#}2{#/blank#} be so lonely.

    Behind her were other people to {#blank#}3{#/blank#} she was trying to talk, but after some minutes they walked away and sat near me, looking annoyed. I didn't want to be laughed at for talking to her but I didn't like leaving her on her own either.

    After a while I rose from my seat and walked to the front of the bus  I sat next to the woman and introduced myself. We had an {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (amaze) conversation. She got off the bus before me and I felt very happy the rest of my way home.

    I'm glad I made the choice. It made {#blank#}5{#/blank#} of us feel good.

    Mochi (年糕) is a traditional food popular in Chinese and Japanese cooking, made from {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (special) treated rice. It is often presented in the form of a round cake, and is traditionally exchanged at the New Year.

Mochi is made by {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (put) sticky rice into water overnight, cooking it and pounding it into a sticky paste. The paste is made into shapes ranging from simple to complex rounds, some of {#blank#}3{#/blank#} are stuffed with sweet fillings. Mochi is often decorated with {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (flower) or fruits, especially when it is exchanged as {#blank#}5{#/blank#} gift at celebrations like birthdays and the New Year.

    Traditionally, wooden mortars (臼) and pestles (杵) {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (use) to pound mochi rice. Fresh mochi is usually cooked and served warm {#blank#}7{#/blank#} a variety of sauces. Steaming and boiling are both popular preparations in Japan, along with cooking. Fresh mochi is soft but it{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (hard) quickly. Prepacked mochi blocks, flattened and cut into square pieces or shaped into rounds, are available at grocery stores. Mochi can go bad easily, so it's {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (good) to cook soon than to keep it in your fridge.

    Hard mochi pieces can be cooked, deep-fried, boiled, and more. Cooked mochi is very sticky, so be careful not {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (choke) on it.