What do a student in China, an office worker in the UK and an astronaut in space all have in common? They all eat instant noodles. And they’re not alone — over 100 billion servings of instant noodles     1    (consume) globally each year, making them one of the world’s most successful industrial foods. But how did this happen?

Put     2    (simple), they’re cheap to produce and cheap to buy, which was exactly what their creator intended. Momofuku Ando, a Japanese entrepreneur, spent roughly a year     3    (perfect) the recipe just after the Second World War. He wanted to make something similar to traditional Japanese ramen noodles, while using the wheat flour given to Japan as food aid by the US government. His creation was instantly popular,     4    (play) a part in Japan’s post-war economic rise. Even in the year 2000 — according to a poll by the Fuji Research Institute — instant noodles were voted Japan’s most successful invention, ahead of high-speed trains, laptops and karaoke.

But Japanese people are not alone     5     their devotion to instant noodles. According to the World’s Instant Noodles Association, China, Indonesia, Vietnam and India — in that order — all consumed more instant noodles than Japan in 2021. Instant noodles’ popularity abroad is in part due to how easy they are     6    (adapt) to local tastes. In Thailand, for example, you can get green curry flavor, while in Mexico the noodles are garnished with lime and salsa. And     7     seems that consumers have grown to expect innovation. Nissin, the food company founded by Ando, launches over 300 products yearly, just in Japan.

Instant noodles have their critics, too. Their rise in popularity has come at an     8    (environment) cost — they’re made with palm oil, contributing to deforestation, and their packaging is plastic. And     9     they are a hot, tasty and filling meal, instant noodles don’t have much nutritional value, and include high levels of salt and fat. Nevertheless, instant noodles are undoubtedly lifesavers in emergency     10     extreme situations.

Does Takeaway Exist in Ancient China?

As early as in the Song Dynasty, “takeout” services were already available. In Zhang Zeduan’s popular painting Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival, there is a restaurant boy who has just come out of the shop with “to-go boxes” in his left hand and tableware(餐具) in his right, still     1    (wear) the shop apron and seeming to deliver the food somewhere. That image is believed to be a reflection of the original takeaway boy.

In ancient times, there were three ways to order food. The first is servant order. Send a family servant to go to a restaurant and make     2     order. When the food is ready, there is someone who     3    (particular) delivers the food to the customer’s home, and then gets paid. The second is agreed delivery. Sign a long-term     4    (agree) with the restaurant. The store,     5     every agreed day, will pack the food well and send     6     to the customer’s home. The last one is door-to-door selling. The sellers from restaurants sell the food door to door, especially in the entertainment places like theaters,     7     are crowded with many people.

The to-go box, wenpan (warm tray),    8    (consist) of two layers of porcelain(瓷). When     9     (use), hot water is injected into the interlayer of the plate     10    (keep) the dishes warm. In this way, the dish is still warm when it arrives at the customer’s home.

Millions of Chinese students have received new versions of Chinese language textbooks.     1     (write) by the Ministry of Education, the textbooks attach more     2     (important) to traditional culture.

Text-books for three-year junior high schools have more content on traditional Chinese articles and poems — 132 in total. They make up 51.7% of all the texts. And primary school students’ books contain 129,     3     is 30% of all the texts.

The articles were chosen     4     classical essays, and poetry dating back to Han, Tang and Song dynasties.

Before the official release (发行), the textbooks     5     (test) in schools across several provinces, but it turns out that not everyone is a fan.

Some parents have questioned the added emphasis on classical Chinese. “They are too young     6     (understand) so many pieces with classical Chinese language. ” they said.

    7    , others welcomed the new books. “ Students at that age may not be able to understand well, but they are like     8     (seed) that will grow one day. Some wisdom delivered through the Chinse classic might help children face the challenges in their own lives     9     (brave).”

In fact, the textbooks arrive at a time     10     ancient Chinese culture is gaining popularity in China.