Why do so many people around the world love Chinese cooking? In China, cooking is an art, just like music, dancing and painting. H    1    , there is more than just one kind of Chinese food. Different areas in China have their s    2    ways of cooking because of the differences in weather and geography.

There is much more to Chinese food than just taste. Behind many dishes are traditions with different m    3    . One Chinese food tradition is to eat long noodles on your birthday as a symbol（象征）of long life. A    4     traditional food, yuan xiao, suggests that a family will always stay together. On Spring Festival, people often eat fish, because it s    5     like the word meaning “more than enough”.

From north to south, east to west, people always can find some kinds of Chinese food to suit their taste and interest.

Have you ever heard of the story of dumplings?     1     dumplings first appeared, it was a dish only for rich people. Later, dumplings became     2     common traditional dish. On Chinese New Year’s Eve, people put coins in some dumplings. People     3     eat dumplings with the coins are considered to be lucky. Popular fillings (馅) of dumplings are vegetables and different kinds of meat. Dumplings can be made into many shapes in China, such     4     yuanbao, flower and moon. People in northern China would like     5     make yuanbao-shaped dumplings because they are the symbol of wealth and health. Dumplings carry Chinese people’s deep feelings that are about their hopes for future and love for family.

Eating habits are different in different     1     (country). The Chinese have a saying “Eat good things for breakfast, eat a big meal for lunch,     2     eat less at dinner.” Many Americans agree that a man should start the day with     3     good breakfast, but their ideas about lunch and dinner are quite different.

How to eat for lunch and dinner is quite different in the two countries. Most Americans only have a short time to eat for lunch. So they eat a small lunch. After work they will have more time     4     (eat) a big dinner. Also, a big dinner at home with all the family talking about their days is a way     5     (take) a good rest after a long, hard day of work.

Eating at restaurants is quite different. In China, people like talking and laughing while eating. Very often you can hear people     6     (talk) and laughing loudly and they are just having a good time.     7    , in America it is not     8     this. They want a quiet place where they can eat a good meal far away from the noises of the outside world. If someone is talking too     9     (loud), the manager of the restaurant may come and ask them     10     be quiet.

【推荐3】Weeks before Tomb-Sweeping Day on April this year, hundreds of qingtuan were sold each day. The snack was still     1     must-have for many people.

In the southern part of China, eating qingtuan at the beginning of spring is an old     2     (traditional). Chinese people started to eat it more than 2,000 years ago. It     3     (make) of sticky rice (糯米) and red bean paste (红豆沙), and is famous     4     its softness and sweetness. The secret behind its mouth-watering taste     5     (be) one of its materials — mugwort leaves (艾蒿叶) .

People in Zhejiang Province usually put qingtuan on their dead family members     6     (memorize) the past memory. Making qingtuan is also a chance for family members to get together at home. It usually     7     (take) time and effort to make the snack.

Now, qingtuan has spread its special taste to the     8     (north) part of China. Li Yuan, a 30-year-old engineer     9     grew up in Zhejiang Province, brought qingtuan back to Beijing where he works.

Although there is warm weather and green     10     (leaf) in spring, the season wouldn’t be complete without a taste of qingtuan.