Food expressions are popular with language learners. They combine two things important to every culture: food and language. Today we are going to talk potatoes!
Whether you like them boiled, baked or fried—potatoes are what we call a staple. This means they are a kind of basic food that you can build on. You can cover them in butter, salt and pepper or sour cream and herbs. And for people who eat pork, you have not lived until you have eaten a baked potato topped with cheese and bacon!
We have a potato expression to describe a person like that: simple, basic, common. If someone is a “meat-and-potatoes” kind of person, they prefer eating simple meals such as—well, meat and potatoes. They are not interested in complex, expensive food. They are unpretentious.
Men are often described by this expression. When I hear about a “meat-and-potatoes” man, I picture a big, beefy-guy. He likes to wear blue jeans and a simple T-shirt. He probably drives a truck and can fix it himself. He is a simple, no-nonsense kind of guy.
It is a little less common, but we can also describe a woman as a “meat-and-potatoes” kind of person. This type of woman not only likes to eat steak and hamburgers, she is also a down-to-earth (实际的) person. She likes simple things and can take care of herself.
People can also be called “small potatoes”. It is a way of saying they are not a danger. If police in a big city do not have enough resources, they probably won’t waste manpower on small potatoes, like bicycle thieves(小偷). Please note that we may say “small potatoes” for unimportant matters, but we do not say “big potatoes” for important ones. English is funny that way!
1. Why does the author mention different ways to cook potatoes in Paragraph 2?| A．To recommend his favourite potato dish. |
| B．To introduce different types of potatoes in different countries’ cooking. |
| C．To show that potatoes are a main food for most people in their lives. |
| D．To show that people have not lived until they have eaten a baked potato. |
| A．Special. | B．Straightforward. | C．Rich. | D．Lazy. |
| A．Women who like to wear blue jeans. | B．Women who can look after themselves well. |
| C．Women who do not like to eat hamburgers. | D．Women who like expensive things. |
| A．Women are not willing to be described as “meat-and-potatoes”. |
| B．A boy who stole a piece of bread might be called a “small potato” by the police. |
| C．People often use “big potatoes” to describe very important things. |
| D．If someone is in danger, he can be called “meat-and-potatoes”. |
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Beijing Roast Duck enjoys the reputation of being the most delicious food in Beijing, and it is a dish well known among gastronomes all over the world. China is one of the first countries to domesticate ducks for the table. Cooking methods include steaming, boiling, stewing, roasting, frying and so on. The history of the roast duck can be traced back to as early as the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368) when it was listed among the imperial dishes in the Complete Recipes for Dishes and Beverages, written in 1330 by Hu Sihui, a dietician of the imperial kitchen.
In the early 15th century, when the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) capital was shifted from Nanjing to Beijing, roast duck remained one of the famous dishes on imperial court menus. According to local history, the earliest roast duck restaurant in Beijing was the old Pianyifang Restaurant, which opened during the Jiaqing reign (1522-1566). Distinct from the method in which the duck is hung from a hook in the ceiling of the oven and roasted over burning wood, the old Pianyifang Restaurant roasted its ducks with radiant heat. The walls of the oven were first heated with sorghum stalks whereupon the duck was placed inside and cooked by the heat given off by the walls. A duck roasted in this manner is crisp to the touch and golden brown in appearance; its flesh is both tender and tasty.
During the Qianlong reign (1736-1796), roast duck was a favorite delicacy of the upper classes. Other scholars, after dining on roast duck, were inspired to poetry.
Quanjude Restaurant 
The roast duck in Quanjude Restaurant is said to be the most genuine of Beijing Duck. The history of the restaurant can be traced back to more than 130 years ago. The first restaurant to bear the name Quanjude opened in 1864 during the reign of the Qing Emperor Tongzhi. Due to its high standards, the restaurant’s fame spread rapidly and for many years the supply of roast ducks could hardly satisfy the demand. For this reason, the restaurant was quickly rebuilt and expanded.
For more than a century, specialized chefs have developed the idea that the skin of the duck should be so soft and crisp that it melts in the mouth.
Two Types
Beijing Roasted Duck has two kinds: Menlu Roasted Duck (duck roasted in the oven) and Gualu Roasted Duck (duck roasted over the hire). The preparations include: first rubbing the ducks with spices, salt and sugar, and then hanging them in the air for some time. To make a Menlu Roasted Duck, first burn the Kaoliang stalks in the oven till the sides of the oven turn hot, then put the ready-duck inside until the duck is baked date-red and shining with oil by the heat of the oven and the remaining heat of the ash. To make a Gualu Roasted Duck, the ready-duck is baked in the oven directly over the burning wood of peach, jujube or date trees, which give off a special fragrance, with very little smoke; bake until the duck becomes brown with rich grease perspiring outside and have a nice odor. The best roasted duck has a crisp skin and tender meat. (534 words)
1. Please list some methods of cooking ducks.2. It was in _______ the roast duck first appeared in the imperial dishes.
A. the Ming Dynasty B. the Qianlong reign
C. the Tongzhi reign D. the Yuan Dynasty
3. Why was Quanjude Restaurant quickly rebuilt and expanded?
4. Tell some differences between Menlu Roasted Duck and Gualu Roasted Duck?
【推荐2】It is quite natural for all of us to want to preserve and protect the foods we purchase. With that in mind, we often think that the best way to do that is by putting them in our refrigerators. However, that is not always the case.
Bread
Nothing dries out bread faster than your refrigerator. In the event that you have made sandwiches with the bread, then you can place them in the fridge. The cold temperature will make the bread tough and chewy.
Tomato
We all love tomatoes for their taste. But putting them in the refrigerator will cause them to lose all of their flavor （ 口味）. Plus, the cold air in the cooler stops the ripening process as well. And as we all know; ripening is what gives every tomato more taste and flavor. For best results, keep tomatoes out, and inside a basket or a bowl on your counter.
Salad
Oil or vinegar-based salad can be stored for a long period of time without refrigeration. Moreover, refrigeration of salad dressings brings bad smell to them. Keep in mind that some salads that are mayo （蛋黄酱） or yogurt based should be refrigerated in order to keep them fine. So if you have some salads that have been already dressed, you can keep them away from your fridge without any hesitation.
Egg
It is a long debate whether you should keep eggs inside your refrigerator or not. One study suggests that keeping eggs whether in a refrigerator or not does not change their normal qualities, so it can be said that if you keep eggs at room temperature, there should not be any problem. There is another study that shows that keeping eggs inside the refrigerators has a bad effect on the natural taste and flavor of eggs, so it is wise to keep eggs outside of your fridge.
1. Which of the following lose（s） water quickest in the cooler?| A．Bread. | B．Tomatoes. |
| C．Salad. | D．Eggs. |
| A．Put them in the cooler. | B．Cook them at once. |
| C．Make them ripen faster. | D．Leave them in the shade. |
| A．Dressed salad. | B．Mayo and yogurt. |
| C．Oil and vinegar. | D．Salad dressings. |
| A．It's interesting. | B．It's brilliant. |
| C．It's ridiculous. | D．It's controversial. |
【推荐3】Avoiding unseen food hazards (危害) is the reason people often check the dates on food packaging. And printed with the month and the year is often one of the following phrases: “best by”, “use by”, “best if used before”, “best if used by”, “guaranteed fresh until” and “freeze by”.
People think of them as expiration dates, or the date at which a food should go in the trash bin. But the dates have little to do with when food becomes less safe to eat. I am a microbiologist and I have studied the spread of bacteria (细菌) in food. A more science-based food dating system could make it easier for people to differentiate foods they can safely eat from those that could be hazardous.
It’s reported that in 2020 the average American household spent 12 percent of its income on food, but a lot of the food is simply thrown away, despite being perfectly safe to eat. And nearly 31 percent of all available food is never consumed. The current food dating system may be to blame for the problem.
It’s logical to believe that date labels are there for safety reasons, since the USA government enforces rules including printing nutrition and ingredient information on food packaging. The dates on those food packages, however, are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Rather came from food producers.
A food brand may survey consumers in a focus group to pick a “use by ” date that is six months after the product was produced because 60 percent of the focus group no longer liked the taste after six months. Smaller manufacturers of a similar food might play copycat and put the same date on their products.
One industry group, the Food Marketing Institute and Grocery Manufacturers Association, suggests that its members mark food “best if used by” to indicate how long the food is safe to eat, and “use by” to indicate when food becomes unsafe. But using these marks is voluntary and often causes consumer confusion.
A joint study by the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic and the National Resources Defense Council recommends the elimination (取消) of dates aimed at consumers. Instead, it suggests manufacturers and distributors use “production” or “pack” dates, along with “sell by” dates, aimed at supermarkets and other retailers. The dates would indicate to retailers the amount of time a product will remain at high quality.
1. What does the author think of the current food dating system?| A．It is not scientific enough. |
| B．It is no better than the old one. |
| C．It leads to more food hazards. |
| D．It will fall out of use some day. |
| A．Food poisoning. |
| B．High food cost. |
| C．Food waste. |
| D．Poor food quality. |
| A．To present a fact. |
| B．To explain a rule. |
| C．To reveal a secret. |
| D．To make a comparison. |
| A．A warning to food producers. |
| B．A better way to label food dates. |
| C．The science behind food date labels. |
| D．The dark side of current food date labels. |
【推荐1】There is an old saying that America and Britain are “two nations divided by a common language.” No one knows exactly who said this, but it reflects the way many Brits feel about American English. But are American and British English really so different?
Vocabulary
The most obvious difference between American and British English is vocabulary. There are hundreds of everyday words that are different. For example, Americans go on vacation while Brits go on holidays; New Yorkers live in apartments while Londoners live in flats. There are far more examples than we can talk about here. Fortunately, most Americans and Brits can usually guess the meaning through the context of a sentence.
Past Tense Verbs
You’ll also find some differences with past forms of irregular verbs. The past tense of “learn” in American English is “learned”. British English has the option(选择) of “learned” or “learnt”. The same rule applies to “dreamed” and “dreamt”, “burned” and “burnt”, and “leaned” and “leant”. Americans tend to use the -ed ending; Brits tend to use the-t ending.
Spelling
There are hundreds of slight spelling differences between British and American English. Noah Webster, an author, politician and teacher, made an effort to reform English spelling in the late 1700s.
Webster wanted to spell words the way they sounded. You can see Webster’s legacy(遗产) in the American spelling of words like color (from colour), honor (from honour), and labor(from labour).
Not So Different After All
British and American English have far more similarities than differences. With the exception of some regional dialects, most Brits and Americans can understand each other without too much difficulty. They watch each other’s TV shows, sing each other’s songs and read each other’s books. They even make fun of each others’ accents.
1. Which of the following is a group of American words?| A．Vacation; holiday. | B．Apartment; flat. |
| C．Vacation; apartment. | D．Holiday; flat. |
| A．They both have some strange words. |
| B．They are affecting people using them. |
| C．They connect people of the two countries. |
| D．Their differences have little effect on communication. |
| A．Ways to tell British English from American English |
| B．Differences between British and American English |
| C．Development of British and American English |
| D．Difficulty for Brits and Americans to understand each other |
【推荐2】I met the last speaker of Naati on an empty stretch of beach on Malekula, an island in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu. I told the man, Ariep, that I was in the country to study one of its native languages. When he learned I was a linguist, he excitedly shared that he speaks Naati.
Ariep explained the relationship between Naati and the other languages of the area. With a mix of pride and sorrow, he revealed that he is the last fluent speaker of Naati. Although a few of his family members have some knowledge of the language and make an effort to use it together, he fears that with his death, Naati will soon disappear. Naati’s situation is not unique. Of the about 7000 languages spoken on the planet today, 50% to 90% are considered vulnerable to extinction by the end of the century.
Languages are an invaluable source of culture. Understanding different languages is vital to understanding human cognition. A world with diverse languages benefits us all. Each language isa piece of the puzzle that we need in order to determine how language works in the mind. With each missing piece, we are further from seeing the full picture.
There are enough commonalities among language systems. In terms of sentence structure, all languages use the three basic elements: subject, object, and verb. Although these can be ordered in different ways, about 80% of known languages put the subject first, while only about 1% put the object first. Analyzing these patterns has real impacts for our lives. The more we understand about how language functions, the better equipped we are to improve our therapies for communication disorders and our methods for language teaching.
However, taking into account all languages is a huge challenge. Many languages are in danger of disappearing before they have been documented, taking with them irreplaceable information about human culture. For the sake of the speakers of endangered languages, for the sake of us all, we must preserve the world’s languages as we search for answers and work to ensure language diversity for generations to come.
1. What do we know about Ariep?| A．He looks forward to leaving Malekula. |
| B．He speaks many foreign languages fluently. |
| C．He is worried about the disappearance of Naati. |
| D．He is devoted to studying endangered languages. |
| A．Ways to break down language barriers. |
| B．The significance of language diversity. |
| C．Reasons for the extinction of languages. |
| D．The impact of human cognition on languages. |
| A．To show the difficulty of learning grammar. |
| B．To present the functions of language systems. |
| C．To analyze the methods of language teaching. |
| D．To prove the connection among different languages. |
| A．How Do Native Languages Develop? |
| B．Why Are Languages Worth Preserving? |
| C．How Can We Protect Endangered Languages? |
| D．What Makes Naati Unique in Human Language? |
“Why pick on my family?” Jessica’s father said with anger. “Your family history isn’t so good, you know. Wasn’t you great-great grandfather a prisoner who was transported to Australia for his crimes?” “Yes, but people these days say that you are not a real Australian unless your ancestors arrived as prisoners.” “Gosh, sorry I asked. I think I understand now,” Jessica cut in before things grew worse.
After dinner, the house was very quiet. Jessica’s parents were still quite angry with each other. Her mother was ironing clothes and every now and then she glared at her husband, who hid behind his newspaper pretending to read. When she finished, she gathered the freshly pressed clothes in her arms and walked to Jessica’s closet. Just as she opened the door and reached in to hang a skirt, a bony arm stuck out from the dark depths and a bundle of white bones fell to the floor. Jessica’s mother sank into a faint (晕倒), waking only when Jessica put a cold, wet cloth on her forehead. She looked up to see the worried faces of her husband and daughter.
“What happened? Where am I?” she asked. “You just destroyed the school’s skeleton, Mum,” explained Jessica. “I brought it home to help me with my health project. I meant to tell you, but it seemed that as soon as I mentioned skeletons and closets, it caused a problem between you and Dad.” Jessica looked in amazement as her parents began to laugh madly. “They’re both crazy,” she thought.
1. According to Jessica’s mother, “a skeleton in the closet” means ________.
| A．a family honor | B．a family secret |
| C．a family story | D．a family treasure |
| A．They were brought to Australia as prisoners. |
| B．They were the earliest people living in Australia. |
| C．They were involved in some crimes in Australia. |
| D．They were not regarded as criminals in their days. |
| A．knocked | B．frightened | C．injured | D．surprised |
| A．She was curious about it. | B．She planned to keep it for fun. |
| C．She needed it for her school task. | D．She intended to scare her parents. |
| A．they were crazy |
| B．they were overexcited |
| C．they realized their misunderstanding |
| D．they both thought they had won the quarrel |
【推荐1】A long time ago, and still in some countries today, the dollar and penny did not even exist. Actually, trading a cow for two pigs is still the norm (常态) for many cultures. So how is it that we get to use paper and coins?
The biggest challenge for ancient cultures was to have a system that would allow people to exchange products with each other. However, the problem came up when one person was in need of something immediately that they didn’t have a product to trade. For example, a farmer that needed wheat only had fruit to exchange but the fruit wasn’t ready to hand over for another two months. This is what started the idea of a “common currency”. The farmer could buy what he needed with “currency” and just as important, the value of the goods he was exchanging was standardized. He did not have to worry about giving anything in return now or later; his deal was complete. Thus “money” was born.
Over time, each country has developed its own currency and something that might cost 1,000,000 lire in one country might be 1 dollar in the US currency. Most countries also frequently use powerful political people as the “face” of their currency. The US currency is the best example of this. Can you name all the presidents that currently appear on not only paper money but also coins?
The real excitement, however, is the future of how we buy things. People have started to use debit cards (借记卡) that allow you to pay using your bank account rather than cash. That has given way to something called Mondex. Mondex allows you to “wave” your card past any special device that can read these cards. You no longer have to insert, swipe (刷) and then punch in numbers, which could cause security problems.
1. What’s the purpose of Paragraph 1?| A．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| B．To explain what money was like in history. |
| C．To tell us that there was no money long ago. |
| D．To compare the difference between a cow and two pigs. |
| A．he had a product to exchange | B．he had made a lot of money |
| C．he had nothing to trade for what he needed | D．he would harvest his fruit |
| A．keep you safe if you are in trouble |
| B．save you a large amount of money |
| C．help you trade safely and conveniently |
| D．make you happy whenever you are bored |
| A．The evolution of payment. | B．The trade in ancient times. |
| C．The use of money in the world. | D．New ways of payment. |
【推荐2】In 1901, H. G. Wells, an English writer, wrote a book describing a trip to the moon. When the Explorers (探险者) landed on the moon, they discovered that the moon was full of underground cities. They expressed their surprise to the “moon people” they met. In turn, the “moon people” expressed their surprise. “Why,” they asked, “are you traveling to outer space when you don’t even use your inner space?”
H. G. Wells could only imagine travel to the moon. In 1969 , human beings really did land on the moon. People today know that there are no underground cities on the moon. However, the question that the “moon people” asked is still an interesting one. A growing number of scientists are seriously thinking about it.
Underground systems are already in place. Many cities have underground car parks. In some cities, such as Tokyo, Seoul and Montreal, there are large underground shopping areas. The “Chunnel”, a tunnel (隧道) connecting England and France, is now complete.
But what about underground cities? Japan’s Taisei Corporation is designing a network of underground systems, called “Alice Cities,” The designers imagine using surface space for public parks and using underground space for flats, offices, shopping, and so on. A solar dome (太阳能穹顶) would cover the whole city.
Supporters of underground development say that building down rather than building up is a good way to use the earth’s space. The surface, they say, can be used for farms, parks, gardens, and wilderness, H. G. Wells’ “moon people” would agree. Would you?
1. The explorers in H. G. Wells’ story were surprised to find that the “moon people”________.| A．understood their language |
| B．knew so much about the earth |
| C．lived in so many underground cities |
| D．were ahead of them in space technology |
| A．Traveling to outer space. | B．Using the earth’s inner space |
| C．Meeting the “moon people”again. | D．Discovering the moon’s inner space. |
| A．Tunnels, gardens, offices. | B．Gardens, car parks, power stations. |
| C．Tunnels, car parks, shopping areas. | D．Offices, shopping areas, power stations. |
| A．Taisei is a Korean company. |
| B．Supporters of underground development prefer to build down rather than build up. |
| C．The designers of Taisei corporation imagine using surface space for flats. |
| D．The designers of Taisei corporation imagine using underground space for public parks. |
| A．Enjoy living underground | B．Building down, not up |
| C．Alice Cities—cities of the future | D．Space travel with H. G. Wells |
【推荐3】If you find yourself hitting the snooze button(闹钟延时按钮) every morning, don’t blame yourself. Your work schedule could be to blame.
Research now shows that, for many of us, our work schedules don’t go with our natural body clocks—and experts are urging employers to take notice. Sleep is a “strategic resource” that most companies are ignoring. When work schedules are aligned with people’s natural sleep patterns, they produce higher quality and more innovative work because they are more focused, less stressed and generally healthier. The opposite is also true—when employees are not getting enough sleep they are more likely to make major mistakes and suffer from workplace injuries.
But it’s not just about the amount of sleep you get. It’s important that people recognize every living thing, from primitive bacteria to human beings, has a biologically determined internal body clock. This determines whether you are a night owl(夜猫子), an early bird or somewhere in the middle. We don’t have any choice. “It’s like feet，” said Till Roenneberg, a professor of chronobiology(生物钟学). “Some people are born with big feet and some with small feet, but most people are somewhere in the middle.”
Many companies start the workday at 8 a.m. or 9 a.m., putting their work schedules in disagreement with their employees’ body clock. This mismatch, along with the pressure to be productive and be available to respond to email or take calls at all hours of the day and night, means that many people suffer from what is called “social jet lag” .
1. The underlined word “aligned” in Paragraph 2 means “________”.| A．matched | B．cooperated |
| C．conflicted | D．shortened |
| A．The amount of sleep you get counts much. |
| B．An early bird does better than a night owl. |
| C．We are born to have a body clock. |
| D．Most people have neither too big nor too small feet. |
| A．not be as clever as other people |
| B．fail to finish their daily tasks |
| C．fail to adjust their body clock |
| D．act as if they were in the wrong time zone |
| A．Body clock and good work habits |
| B．Late for work? Maybe not your fault |
| C．How to improve your work efficiency |
| D．Urgent need to change your body clock |
