After eating a diet of bread, hamburgers and spaghetti for three     1     (month), I began to miss Chinese food. Luckily, in     2     informational city like New York, I have little difficulty     3     (find) a Chinese restaurant. However, the Chinese food, which the locals consider as their favorite, is not exactly the Chinese food I enjoy in Beijing I can always find such so-called “Chinese food” as honey chicken on the menu,     4     I actually have never even heard of it before.

One day, I went to a Chinese restaurant     5     my local friends. After the meal, each of us     6     (give) a dumpling-shaped cookie. Once I bit into it, I realized something not quite right. I found a piece of paper with a message that read, “This fortune’s no good, try another.” At first I     7     (think) it must be a trick of the restaurant. When I told this to my friends, they burst out     8     (laugh) and asked, “Are you really from China?”

But it doesn’t mean there is no place in New York where I can satisfy my stomach. I always head to China Town when I     9     (extreme) miss the food of my homeland.     10     (follow) the hot and spicy smell, I can always find the most Chinese food that excites me in the city.

3 . Chinese food is well received by the world. Who doesn’t long for a favorite Chinese dish? But there is one interesting concept concerning Chinese food which is almost unheard of in the West, and which is becoming increasingly ignored by the youth of the East — the ancient custom of “tonic (滋补) food”.

Tonic food is food which is consumed to improve one’s well-being or avoid sickness. For instance, it was once the custom for new mothers to eat a sesame oil (麻油) hot pot every day for the first month after giving birth. It was believed that this dish would benefit the muscles, reduce pain, improve circulation, stimulate sweating, and warm the body. Some foods, such as goat meat and spinach, are seen as “hot”, while others, such as Chinese cabbage and radishes, are seen as “cold”. One should be careful not to eat too much of either “hot” or “cold” food. However, how much “hot” or “cold” food one should eat depends on the time of the year, how the food is prepared and what it is prepared with, and the individual’s health.

The custom of employing tonic food for a healthier life also influences the catering industry. Chinese herbal medicines, such as wolfberry (枸杞), can be found on many a restaurant menu, either added to fruit tea or as a beneficial addition to a dish. These herbs attract customers, such as overworked office staff, in need of a modest pick-me-up.

So, whether you need to boost your strength with a large helping of chicken soup, or increase your mental powers with a serving of fish soup, you may find that this ancient Chinese custom could be just the tonic you were looking for.

5 . I started cooking when I was thirteen. Both of my parents worked, so I was usually _______ after school. One day, my parents forgot to _______ dinner before they went to work. As we were short of money, eating out was beyond _______. So I decided to be the _______ of the day.

A few moments later, I _______ to cook fried rice, the best option out of _______ resources, including my cooking knowledge. After _______ a pan on the stove and turning on the heat, it soon began to sizzle. I was so hungry that I _______ and threw everything into the pan all together. In went rice, pieces of meat and vegetables. Little did I know that the _______ of ingredients (原料) was crucial in cooking. I ________ waited for the meat to be thoroughly cooked, but other ingredients were ________. At first, I mistook it as steam from cooking, but I soon ________ something went horribly wrong when smoke ________ to fill the kitchen.

Later that day, my mother told me, “You cannot rush yourself when cooking.” Rather, I should take steps, turning to the basics, such as learning about the ingredients and ________ the recipe.

I’ve learned that the first ________ seems hard but we should just start and let the journey teach us.