1 . Chinese cuisine has a long history, and is one of the most diverse cooking heritage in the world. More than just delicious dishes, it reflects the distinctive and profound Chinese culture. With its long history, some of the Chinese food is listed into the intangible cultural heritage（非物质文化遗产) of the nation. We’ve chosen four dishes from the list, some of which you may find quite familiar with.

1. Nanxiang Steamed Bun

With a history of about 150 years, Nanxiang steamed bun (also known as Nanxiang xiaolongmantou or Nanxiang xiaolongbao), is still one signature dish of Chinese cuisine. It is famous for its thin wrapping and rich filling. When having the steamed bun, keep in mind to take a small bite first and enjoy the tasty juice that flows into your mouth.

2. Zhoucun Sesame Seed Cake

Zhoucun sesame seed cake is a healthy and nutritious snack suitable for the young and the old. It has a long history of around 1,800 years, and is named after its place of origin, Zhoucun village of Zibo, Shandong Province. It is widely known for being "shaped like the full moon, thin as an autumn leaf; breaking into pieces of jade (玉) when dropped on the floor, leaving a strong flavour in your mouth".

3. Dragon Beard Noodles

With great popularity in northern China, dragon beard noodles have a history of more than 300 years. It is not clear exactly how they were created in the first place, but the legend says that a royal chef first made them to please the emperor in the Ming Dynasty. It is said that they got the name for being almost as thin as a human hair.

4. Beijing Roast Duck

The history of Beijing roast duck can be traced back to the 13th century, when it was on the menu of the imperial family. It later became popular among the common people, as some royal chefs began to open their own restaurants. Today, it’s without any doubt one of the most famous

3 . I have dreamed of taking a trip to Hawaii since I graduated, but the best thing always needs waiting.

I took a trip with my friends to Haleakala National Park, which lies in Hawaii.

When we arrived at Haleakala National Park, we were advised to watch the early morning sunrise. I was lost in the sightseeing (观光) that afternoon, so I could hardly wait to see the sunrise. The next morning, we all got out of bed very early and got to the seaside at 3 o’clock. In the first half an hour, we imagined how wonderful it would be when the first light came out through the thick clouds and how soft it would be when the light touched our skin, so we waited and waited. However, another half an hour later, I gradually lost my patience since there was nothing but the chilly darkness, and I felt that I was frozen to death. (冻死) But my friends were still extremely cheerful.

Nearly another one hour later, “Amazing!” Judy burst out and we all shouted to welcome the light, which was really unbelievable. Until today, I dare say that it is the most impressive sunrise in my life. However, waiting in the morning darkness is also one memory I can’t forget forever.

Waiting sometimes is really a hard thing for most of us as it needs patience and strong-willed determination (决心) , but what about the result after that? It might turn out to be pleasing and unbelievable. So, it is really worth (值得的) waiting for the best.

4 . Last year I ruined my summer vacation by bringing along a modern convenience: the iPad. Instead of looking at nature, I _________ my e-mail. Instead of paddling an old boat, I followed my Twitter feed. Instead of reading great novels, I stuck to reading four _________ each morning.

And that was the problem: I was acting _________ I were still in the office. My body was on vacation but my head wasn’t.

So this year I made up my mind to try something _________—getting away from the Internet. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, since I’m not good at _________. But I was determined. I started by handing the iPad to my wife. Then, a stroke of luck: The cell phone signal at our cabin was worse than in the past, meaning that I couldn’t cheat. I was trapped, forced to carry out my plan. Largely _________ from e-mail, Twitter and my favorite newspaper websites. I had little way to connect to the world _________ radio —and how much radio can one listen to, really? I had no _________ but to do what I had planned to do all along: read books.

This experience has had a _________ ending — for now, at least. With determination and the strong support of my wife, I succeeded in my vacation struggle against the Internet. I __________ realized that it was me, of course, not the iPad, that was the problem.

I knew I had __________ when we passed a Starbucks and my wife asked if I wanted to stop to use the WiFi. “Don’t need it,” I said. __________, as we return to post-vacation situation, a test begins: Can I __________ when I’m back at work? And I don’t plan to give up my convenience completely. But I hope to __________ the temptation to check my e-mail every five minutes, which often leads to following my Twitter feed.

I think a vacation is supposed to help you rest your __________ to become more productive. Here I hope this one worked.

5 . Today was my first day at senior high and it was hard. In high school, we have 4 minutes to get to our next class. My high school is very big and those 4 minutes to go from one class to another really isn’t a lot of time. Today I had to go from one end of the building to the other to get from science class to math class. I wanted to go to my locker (储物柜) first and leave my science book there, but that took time. I was worried about being late, and I was. The math teacher said, “Just be on time tomorrow, or you’ll have detention(放学后留校).”

After math, I went to art class. I like my art class a lot because I get to create things. The teacher there showed us how to make portraits(肖像). He explained, “A portrait is a way of communicating with a person. It does not just show how the person looks but what is important to understand the person.” We just did drawings today, but I know it’s going to be great. I like drawing.

I like my English class, too. I think the teacher is really supportive. Today we wrote about ourselves. The teacher said that we just needed to write what we thought, and we would pay attention to punctuation(标点) later. We could write a paragraph or a poem, and I wrote a poem about myself. I thought it was a good poem, and the teacher said I had used good images (意象) to communicate my feelings.

Lunch was very hurried. I arrived at the dining room with 12 minutes to eat. I sat with people I didn’t know, and everyone was eating quickly. After lunch I signed up for a computer club. I needed to learn how to use a computer well because my social studies teacher said it is the one skill we need in every class.

9 . To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains, but at first the umbrella was not invented as protection against the rain. Its first use was as a shade against the sun! Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very ancient times. Probably the first to use it were the Chinese in the eleventh century B.C.

We know that the umbrella was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade. And there was a strange thing connected with its use: it became a symbol of honor. In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by those in high office.

In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. And the umbrella was commonly used in ancient Greece. But it is believed that the first persons in Europe to use the umbrella as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans.

During the Middle Ages, the use of the umbrella practically disappeared. Then it appeared again in Italy in the late sixteenth century. And again it was considered as a symbol of power. By 1680, the umbrella appeared in France and later in England.

By the eighteenth century, the umbrella was used against rain throughout most of Europe. Umbrellas have not changed much in style during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight. It wasn’t until the twentieth century that women’s umbrellas began to be made, in a whole variety of colors.