【推荐2】I asked friends on Facebook if they eat the same thing every day for at least one of their meals. I wanted to understand their reasons for doing so. As a result, I found three main reasons.

Ease (容易) of decision-making was the number one reason people gave me for eating the same breakfast or lunch every day. Choosing to drink a bottle of milk every morning takes some of the decision-making stress out of the start of the day. A bowl of cereal (麦片粥) was also among the quick, easy breakfasts people mentioned. In fact, experts say that it’s not a problem to eat the same thing every day, as long as that meal offers rich nutrition (营养). Mornings are busy for most people, so having a quick, easy breakfast makes a lot of sense.

Ease of preparation can go hand in hand with ease of decision-making, but it doesn’t have to. I sometimes prepare something that requires time or skills for my kids’ lunches if they have eaten the same thing every day.

The third reason people gave for eating the same thing every day was that an unchanged meal fits into their diet or nutrition plan. Some people who work regularly have found the right breakfast food to make them energetic, so they stick with it. Others who go on a diet prefer to eat the same thing rather than risk eating something they shouldn’t. It is easy for them to control their weight by sticking to the same breakfast daily.

The one response I didn’t receive from anyone was that they ate the same thing every day because they truly liked the food. I’ll admit: although I like eating hamburgers, I only eat them several times a week — but not every single day.

【推荐3】China has a history of more than four thousand years, and the Chinese people have established a colorful culture.     1     Most foreign travelers to China are deeply impressed by its food. Here is a general introduction to Chinese cuisine and cooking culture.

    2     Chinese chefs try to make dishes beautiful by coordinating their colors. Some dishes are plain while others can be very bright. A table of Chinese food looks very colorful and attractive. Fragrance, the way Chinese food smells, is very important. Chefs use the ingredients of a dish, as well as herbs, to make food smell good.     3     Different methods are adopted to make Chinese food delicious, which gives the tongue a lot of satisfaction.

Ingredients——varieties of material choices allow Chinese food to provide many possibilities for Chinese chefs to be more creative.     4    

The Chinese also use poultry, eggs and milk. Poultry includes chicken, duck, goose, turkey, pigeon, quail, and pheasant. Seafood and freshwater fish-hair tail, salmon, squad, sea cucumber, oyster, black carp, catfish, grass carp, variegated carp, shrimp, prawn, crab, and turtle-are also used in Chinese food.

Dried vegetables are also cooked, such as eggplant, bean, turnip, potato and pepper. Dried pork and dried fish are also often used in Chinese cooking. Drying vegetables is a way to store produce to use in winter.     5    

In the north of China, people also preserve vegetables in salty water to pickle (腌制) them. Pickling offers a special taste, in addition to that of dried vegetables.

【推荐1】Do you like cilantro(香菜)? Cilantro is a common food that people tend to either adore or abuse.     1     But the reasons behind what you like and don’t like are not always so straightforward.

    2     Your sense of smell allows you to distinguish between something like strawberry and cherry. Scientists looked at olfactory (receptors and discovered that individuals with a certain gene. OR6A2, are more sensitive to smelling cilantro. That, in turn, affects how people sense its flavor.     3     When you’re open to these foods, you learn to like what you eat. Even people who hate cilantro may be able to learn to at least tolerate it, if not like it.

Culture plays a big role in what you like, too. Food preferences vary across cultures. When it comes down to food preferences in different parts of the world, it has a lot to do with what’s available and considered a food staple (主食).    4    But there will always be exceptions-a Greek person who can’t stand olives or a Dutch person who hates cheese.

While preferences can be formed after a few attempts, negative experiences with foods, especially when you’re young, can have a lasting effect.     5     Jasmine Robinson, 29, from Athens, shared her story about olives. When she was young, another child, who wouldn’t let her have a turn on a swing, made fun of her while eating olives from a jar and being mean. She later tried olives as an adult but failed.

【推荐2】Four houseplants that anyone can grow

Filling your home with greenery is something that can improve the quality of your indoor air, and help you to relax. So turn your brown thumb green by picking some of these houseplants.

Snake Plant

Snake plants have thicker leaves for keeping water even in drought conditions. They can also tolerate (经受) medium to bright light so you should keep them near a window. But one of the best things about snake plants is that they are great for cleaning indoor air.

Christmas Cactus

The Christmas cactus is one of the most beautiful plants of the holiday season and it seems to be able to do best even if you ignore it. The cactus can tolerate low light but will produce more pink or red flowers in bright light. Getting the plant to produce flowers for the season is a bit harder because it will have to be kept cool beginning in November. Just leave the cactus beside a window at home with the heat off.

Jade Plant

Jade plants can make your home more beautiful with its bright egg-shaped leaves. The plant does well in any lighting and doesn’t need to be watered very often because it stores water in its leaves. This plant is also simple to propagate (繁殖) so you can have one in every room of your home.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera needs very little water, indirect sunlight, and can live in the same pot for years. But you may not know that aloe vera is a plant that can help heal(治愈) minor cuts and burns like sunburns so it is a great addition for your home. When you are cutting leaves to use, don’t cut off more than a third of the plant at one time.

【推荐3】FIVE UNUSUAL SPORTS

What sports are you into? Football? Tennis? Swimming? If you’re looking for a change, you might like to try one of these.

Octopush

Octopush (or underwater hockey as it’s also known) is a form of hockey that’s played in a swimming pool. Participants wear a mask and snorkel and try to move a puck (水球) across the bottom of a pool. The sport has become popular in countries such as the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. An ability to hold your breath for long periods of time is a definite plus.

Zoobombing

Zoobombing involves riding a children’s bike down a steep hill. The sport originated in the US city of Portland in Oregon in 2002. Participants carry their bikes on the MAX Light Rail and go to the Washington Park station next to Oregon Zoo (which is why it’s called “zoobombing”). From there, they take a lift to the surface, and then ride the mini-bikes down the hills in the area.

Office Chair Racing

Office Chair Racing consists of racing down a hill in office chairs that can reach speeds of up to 30kph. Strict rules are in place for competitors: they’re allowed to fit in-line skate wheels and handles to their chairs, but no motors. “We check each chair carefully in advance,” one of the organisers explained. The participants race in pairs wearing protective padding as they launch themselves from a ramp. Prizes are given to the fastest competitors and also for the best-designed chairs.

Fit 4 Drums

Fit 4 Drums is a new form of cardio-rhythmic exercise. Led by an instructor, the class involves beating a specially-designed drum with two sticks while dancing at the same time. It’s the first group fitness activity where you get to play a drum while getting an intense workout. A sense of rhythm is a definite advantage!

Horse Boarding

Horse Boarding involves being towed behind a horse at 35mph on an off-road skateboard. Professional stuntman Daniel Fowler Prime invented the sport after he strung a rope between his off-road “mountain board” and a horse. Participants stand on a board while holding onto a rope, attempting to maintain their balance as the horse gallops ahead. “The horse rider and the horse have to work together because if they don’t, the horse goes flying,” Daniel explained.

So, which sport would you like to try?