Every country has its own way of cooking. American people also have their way of cooking, don’t they?

Most people in the United States like fast food, but if you think that American people don’t like cooking, you are wrong. It’s true that most Americans eat fast food for their breakfast and lunch, but they also think cooking is interesting. Parents see the importance of teaching their children how to cook, and most Americans say that home-cooked meals are the best.

Americans have their own way of cooking. For example, baking (烘烤) is the most popular way of cooking in America. Most American families have ovens. American cooks pay attention to (注意) the balance of food. In planning a big meal, they try to cook meat, a few vegetables, some bread and often some sweet food. They also like to make the dishes look beautiful. There are many kinds of food of different colors, so the meal is healthy and looks beautiful, too.

The best known vegetable in the world is the potato. It grows in many places and does not need rich soil like many other crops. But until four hundred years ago the potato was not known to the Europeans. But today it’s one of the main foods in Europe. About half of the world’s potatoes are grown in Europe.

In France the potato was not grown for a long time. Here is a story about Louis. In 1778 he saw some potato flowers for the first time. He liked them so much that he picked one and put it in his buttonhole. He was interested in the flowers not the potatoes themselves.

Henry is little fatter than he     56     to be. He wants to lose some weight(减肥). So he is on a diet(节食). He tries not to eat too     57     and he eats very     58     sugar because it will     59     him fat. He also does exercise every day. He swims very     60    , and he     61     about two kilometers a day. Now he is stronger than before. Henry's sister, Susan, is healthier than Henry. She is also     62     and thinner than he is. She does exercise every day, too. She doesn't     63     much meat. But she eats a lot of fruit and     64     because she thinks they are     65     for her health.