In China, there are many places where people prefer spicy food, but no place like Zaozhuang     1     (have) spicy chicken dominating the locals’ dining table for hundreds of years.

According to legend, in the late Qing Dynasty in Zaozhuang, Shandong Province, there was a chef named Xu Zihua,     2     used to work as a royal chef in the palace. He opened a restaurant after     3     (return) to his hometown and created ”spicy chicken“. The dish has a spicy flavor, which made diners sweat but hard     4     (resist). There was a saying, “The guests sitting ten miles away can still smell the fragrance of the chicken”.

Zaozhuang spicy chicken is     5     (extreme) bright in color, spicy and fragrant, with traditional and particular workmanship, and strict ingredients. Genuine spicy chicken needs     6     (make) with Zaozhuang local chicken, peppers and peppercorns. In the dish, the chicken and peppers are equally important. They go fifty-fifty, with the whole chicken     7     (bury) in the peppers.

Zaozhuang Spicy Chicken is     8     unique local delicacy that carries food     9     (memory) of generations. The custom of eating spicy chicken has been passed down for 300 years. In 2016, Zaozhuang City was named “Hometown of Spicy Chicken in China” and its spicy chicken cooking skills were selected into the     10     (five) batch of representative projects of Shandong provincial intangible cultural heritage in 2021.

Tea is one of the three major drinks in the world,     1     (produce) in more than 60 countries and regions worldwide and enjoyed by over two billion people. In November 2019, the United Nations declared May 21 as International Tea Day.

The resolution invites the international community     2     (observe) International Tea Day in     3     appropriate manner and in accordance(一致) with the most important thing the nation has to do, through education and activities aimed at raising public     4     (aware) of the importance of tea,     5     (especial) for rural development and sustainable livelihoods.

Tea production and processing is a main source of livelihoods for     6     (million) of families in     7     (develop) countries, and tea is the main means of survival for millions of poor families who live in a number of the least developed countries.

Tea production and processing contributes     8     the fight against hunger, the reduction of extreme poverty, the social position of women     9     the sustainable use of land ecosystems.

The tea industry is a main source of income and export taxes (税收) for some of the poorest countries and, as a labor-intensive industry,     10     (provide) jobs, especially in remote and economically disadvantaged areas.

What is your first memory of being in the kitchen? Perhaps it’s making biscuits with your parents,     1     helping your family prepare a large meal for a special festival. Cooking can let you remember the people you love. It can also be a comfort when you are feeling down.

Cooking     2     (find)to lessen stress and improve well-being so far, according to the Mental Health Foundation. Like other     3     (create)hobbies, it allows you to use your imagination, try new things and express your personality     4     (free).

Cooking encourages being in the present moment, because by     5     (focus)on cooking, you are less likely to think about your worries. When life throws up unexpected     6     (event)and situations, cooking can feel like a safe and calming activity. For example, during the COVID-19, ingredients(原料)such as eggs, flour and butter, were     7     high demand because so many people turned to make cakes and bread to fill the time and lift their spirits.

Cooking is a great way     8     (learn)about different cultures and taste your way around the world. For example, pizza transports you to Italy and sushi provides a taste of Japan.

Cooking also brings people together. Sitting down to eat with friends and family     9     (build)strong social connections,       10     is known to be good for people’s mental and physical health.

007 in the Kitchen

As a man who cheerfully sing in the shower without any embarrassment, I won’t feel shameful to admit that I also love playing loud music when cooking in the kitchen. But     1     might make things a tiny little bit awkward is the type of music I play, and consequently the feelings I derive (获得) from it.

One of     2     all-time favourites is the James Bond Theme. Immersed (沉浸) in the tension it creates while chopping veggies into small pieces, I always find it impossible     3     (not picture) myself as a well-trained special agent with license to kill. And all of a sudden moving to the music without missing     4     beat seems to have a lot to do with national security.

As the music plays, the killer instinct in my blood is unleashed (被释放), which makes     5     (fry) a piece of bloody steak as easy as taking candy from a diabetic (糖尿病的)man who no longer wishes to eat candy. All I need to do is to act promptly without mercy.

However, there will be other times when the success of the whole mission counts on whether I    6     remove the bones from the fish. Believe it or not, the complexity of this process is no     7     (great) than that of defusing (拆除)a time bomb. So in this scenario,     8     giving in to the music easily, I must constantly and consciously control myself so as not to be carried away. After all, a fish-bone     9     (catch) in the throat is as uncomfortable as it can be.

Of course, in the end,     10     impossible the mission seems, like the plot of every Hollywood spy movie, the cook can always save the day.

As a vast country, China currently has eight major cuisine (烹饪) types. Climates, histories and dining customs differ greatly,     1     (lead) to differences in coking methods and flavor preferences.

For example, the Sichuan cuisine is famous     2     its spicy flavor and red color; the southern Guangdong kitchen, with is mild and fresh taste,     3     (keep) the food’s natural flavors; while the Shandong cuisine from the     4     (relative) northern part of China tastes salty.

Huaian is located on the north-south divide of China, with Yangzhou nearby. The geographical location provides the district with     5     combination of both northern and southern Chinese cooking. Thus the Huaiyang kitchen is a general term for dishes from Huaian and Yangzhou,     6     is also known as one of the four major     7     (tradition) Chinese cuisines.

The Huaiyang menu takes fish as its main feature, as both the cities are not far from the Yangtze River, the     8     (three) longest waterway in the world. Its cooking has a light and sweet flavor. As the cuisine drew     9     (inspire) from specialties (特色菜) across the country, it also spread to the more northern parts of China. According to historic records, emperors of the Qing Dynasty     10     (attract) to the place for its reputation as a delight and paid regular visits to have a bite.