1 . Unique outdoor restaurants around the world

Many things come to mind when I think of a great vacation. Remarkable scenery and delicious food are certainly on my list. Those two features can’t always be found in the same location. However, amazing views and great food are both on the menu at the following three restaurants.

The Rock, Zanzibar

On an enormous boulder (巨石) off the coast of the East African island of Zanzibar sits The Rock. The freshest seafood, much of it straight from the surrounding ocean, is always available here. At low tide (潮汐), customers can walk out to The Rock. As the water rises, though, customers must take a short boat ride to it. Once they arrive, they’re greeted by friendly staff and 360-degree views of beautiful blue-green water. The Rock, sometimes called the “floating restaurant”, is available for weddings and other small group events.

The Labasin Waterfalls Restaurant, Philippines

Striking waterfalls sometimes have restaurants at the top. But the Labasin Waterfalls, in San Pablo City, Philippines, is different. A restaurant sits at the bottom of the falls. Guests dine on authentic (地道的) Filipino meals at bamboo tables that stand right in the water. They cool their feet in the water that flows under their tables. The surrounding jungle makes a perfect background for this one-of-a-kind dining experience.

The Grotto, Thailand

The Grotto Restaurant on Thailand’s Phra Nang Beach offers delicious food and an incredible dining experience. The restaurant is partly positioned inside a cave and partly on the beach. Guests seated toward the front look out at Happy Island in the lovely Andaman Sea. Those seated at the back enjoy an authentic cave-dining experience. Comfortable tables, which are arranged inside the cave, sit next to large stalactites (钟乳石). International food with a Thai influence is featured.

1. What can you do at The Rock?

A．Host small ceremonies.

B．Have meals at bamboo tables.

C．Cool your feet under your tables.

D．Go through a cave-dining experience.

2. What do the three restaurants have in common?

A．They are based in hotels.

B．They adopt modern cooking methods.

C．They are surrounded by eye-catching waterfalls.

D．They offer both breathtaking views and delicious food.

3. What is the purpose of the text?

A．To report.

B．To explain.

C．To analyze.

D．To introduce.

2 . In the West you can order any Chinese food with only 10 words of Chinese (the numbers 0 to 9) as everything on a Chinese takeaway menu is numbered! However, most takeaway staff in the West speak English and Cantonese, not Mandarin, so efforts to be cross-cultural tend to fall flat. In China, by contrast, ordering food can be a real cultural experience, and there are no English speaking staff to help often or even English menus, and certainly no numbers.

When arriving in a restaurant, after sitting down at the table, and a pot of tea has been served, the next thing that will arrive is the menu. If the menu has pictures, you are in luck as this offers an easy way to order. Just point to what you want and say yi fen. In northern China ‘one portion’ is pronounced yi fenr. You could also do the same if you see someone else eating something you would like by pointing at their food. However, although people will usually excuse you for being foreign, this is a little impolite and strange.

Some Chinese menus, particularly in big restaurants or those that have a Western theme, have English menus. This is the ideal situation, but be ware-sometimes the English is incorrect factually, quite apart from the Chinglish and spelling mistakes. In English menu restaurants the staff will still often not be able to speak English, so you will still have to point at the menu and say yi fen as above. If you have a phrase book with you or an ability to remember Chinese characters, then you could point to the Chinese for the food you want.

Typically one more dish is ordered than there are people eating, but this often leaves food spare. The Chinese custom is always to order too much to show generosity and hospitality. A dish per person is usually enough. There is a Chinese superstition about the number 4, as it sounds like the word for death in Chinese, so four dishes are seldom ordered. Largely such customs are ignored now apart from on special occasions, and Westerners would certainly not be expected to follow them.

1. What does the underlined phrase “fall flat” in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．Meet expected goal.

B．Work out well .

C．Break into pieces.

D．Come to nothing.

2. Which is the last choice for a foreigner to order food?

A．Pointing to the food pictures in the menu.

B．Pointing at some else’ food on anther table.

C．Referring to a phrase book he carries about .

D．Remembering Chinese characters carefully.

3. Why does Chinese always order more food than needed?

A．To show the host’s hospitality.	B．To avoid the unpopular numbers.
C．To praise a chef’s satisfying work.	D．To stress the excellence of the food.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Real Culture Experience in China.	B．How to Remember Chinese Characters.
C．A Well Designed Page about Chinese Food.	D．How to Order Food in Restaurants in China.

3 . Singapore is a lively island country known for a mix of cultures and tastes. Here are four popular dishes that offer a true taste of Singapore.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

This dish is a favorite and is very simple yet very tasty. The chicken is cooked in water to be very soft and is served with rice that has been cooked with chicken soup, along with a bit of spicy sauce. Each part of this dish is carefully made to make the eating experience even better.

Bak Kut Teh (Pork Ribs Tea)

A strong and healthy breakfast choice, Bak Kut Teh is a dish that warms you up. Even though tea is in the name, it's not a drink. It's a tasty soup made by cooking pork bones with Chinese herbs and spices. The soup is usually eaten with rice and has a bit of a spicy taste that wakes up your taste buds, a great way to start the day.

Katong Laksa

Laksa is a hot noodle soup that shows Singapore's mix of cultures. The soup has a thick coconut milk(椰奶) base with a strong smell of spices like lemongrass and tamarind. It's often filled with things like shrimp, fishcakes, and soft tofu, making it a full and satisfying meal that pleases your mouth with each bite.

Char Kway Teow (Stir-Fried Rice Noodles)

If you like food that's a bit smoky and tasty, try char kway teow. This noodle dish is a must-eat at Singapore's food stalls. It's cooked in a wok(炒菜锅) with things like clams, Chinese sausage, and long beans, then flavored with a sauce that is both tasty and a little sweet. The last step is to add a bit of chopped chili, which gives the dish a nice little spicy taste.

1. How is the chicken in Hainanese chicken rice typically prepared?

A．It is roasted in an oven.	B．It is cooked to be very soft.
C．It is cooked with a sour sauce.	D．It is roasted with herbs and spices.

2. What is Bak Kut Teh?

A．A kind of cattle bone.	B．A kind of drink.
C．A kind of rice.	D．A kind of soup.

3. Which of the following dishes is described as having a smoky and tasty flavor?

A．Char kway teow.	B．Bak Kut Teh.
C．Katong laksa.	D．Hainanese chicken rice.

4 . Thailand has somtam, India has bhel puri and South Africa has a snack of bunny chow. They are some of the most famous street foods in these countries. Around 2.5 billion people eat street food around the world. The significance of street food culture is obvious in the following areas.

●Cultural identity

Street food identifies community and tradition, keeping alive one of the most important aspects of local culture — the eating habits of the people.     1     Street food makes a community lively. It catches the attention of local people, no matter what social class they come from.     2     Food stalls (摊位) are often owned and run by a family. This makes current generations able to learn about where they have come from.

●Employment and business opportunities

    3     In Tanzania, for example, the industry provides jobs for more than 1 million people. Since street food stalls are micro-businesses, it is possible for poor people to own their own stalls with only a small amount of money.     4     It prevents these vulnerable (脆弱的) social groups from falling further into poverty.

●Food accessibility

The significance of street food culture also includes improved access to food across countries, including their poor communities. Since the cooks have low operation costs, street foods are low in price.     5    

In a word, support for street food businesses could help to preserve culturally significant recipes, provide employment opportunities and supply low-cost food options.

A．However, the industry has developed without outside assistance.

B．The street food industry has offered new positions for low-income people.

C．And the owners can also aid small farms by buying ingredients from them.

D．Street food culture is able to create a connection within specific communities.

E．Making laws to ensure the safety of street foods is important for public health.

F．Thus, people with little income can depend on street foods every day to support themselves.

G．Additionally, the street food industry protects traditional recipes that are passed down through generations.

5 . Professor Zhang Liangren from the School of History at Nanjing University has found a unique and engaging way to transmit historical and archaeological knowledge to the public—through food vlogs. His approach, combining culinary (食物的) delights with fascinating historical insights, has taken China’s social media by storm, attracting a wide audience and gathering praise for its innovative method of storytelling.

Before digging into food vlogging, Professor Zhang Liangren usually dined at the school cafeteria or restaurants near his community. However, since he started making food vlogs in the summer of 2023, he has been exploring the world extensively, dining at a variety of restaurants that were previously unknown to him. Zhang Liangren frankly admits that he is far from being a qualified “foodie”: He enjoys good food, but has not yet reached the point of searching everywhere for it. What truly led him onto the path of a food vlogger was his passion for archaeology. While watching Zhang taste the food, viewers can listen to him explaining the historical stories behind the dishes. Although the food cannot be immediately tasted, the spiritual nourishment (营养) of archaeology has satisfied the taste buds (味蕾) of netizens, who have expressed their satisfaction.

Speaking of the situation at the beginning of filming, Zhang Liangren frankly admitted, “Because I rarely did these things before, I was quite uncomfortable in front of the camera at first. My Mandarin was not very good either, so my speech and movements were very awkward. But gradually, I got used to it, and overall, it’s much better than before.”

As for which places he prefers to visit for check-ins, Zhang Liangren states that he prefers shops with a certain level of fame, “It must be down-to-earth, the kind of place that caters to the common people.” He mentioned that he usually chooses small stands or shops with a long history and good reputation. Sometimes he also selects based on festivals, tasting the food while narrating the methods of preparation and the cultural significance behind the dishes.

1. What is most Chinese audiences’ attitude to Professor Zhang’s food vlogs?

A．Supportive.

B．Critical.

C．Indifferent.

D．Hopeful.

2. Why does Professor Zhang become a food vlogger?

A．Because he is a competent “foodie”.	B．Because the netizens like his vlogs.
C．Because he is crazy about archaeology.	D．Because he wants to share various food.

3. What kind of shops will Professor Zhang choose for his vlogs?

A．Small shops full of influencers.	B．Little-known small stands or shops.
C．Fancy stores with good reputation.	D．Small shops with century-old brands.

4. What can best describe Professor Zhang?

A．Caring and talented.	B．Creative and devoted.
C．Intelligent and generous.	D．Passionate and humble.

6 . World’s Best Spicy Foods

When it comes to the world’s best spicy dishes, we have some of the world’s hottest peppers to thank. The following spicy dishes from around the world bring the heat in the most delicious way.

Piri piri chicken, Mozambique

The Portuguese introduced this spicy dish into Mozambique as far back as the 15th century, when they mixed African peppers with European ingredients. And it’s the red pepper that brings the spiciness to this complex, layered and delicious dish. The dish is also popular in Namibia and South Africa.

Sichuan hot pot, China

The joy of this dish is not only the delightful warming ingredients of the Sichuan peppercorns, but the fact that you can cook exactly what you like in the spicy soup. Duck, seafood, chicken, pork, lamb and seasonal vegetables are all fair game for throwing into the pot to boil in a soup made with Sichuan peppercorns and dried Sichuan peppers.

Som tam, Thailand

From northeastern Thailand, this fresh and spicy salad is a main dish at Thai restaurants around the world. Som tam turns to green papaya(木瓜) for its main ingredient. The papaya is then put with long beans or green beans and a mix of flavorful Asian essentials that include dried shrimp(虾) and fish sauce among other ingredients. Thai peppers give the salad its necessary kick.

Aguachile, Mexico

This raw marinated(腌制) shrimp dish from the western Mexico tastes as good as it looks. Tiny but powerful peppers, grown throughout Mexico, make the spicy magic happen in the aguachile, which means “pepper water” . Marinate the raw shrimp with ingredients including lime(酸橙) juice, red onion and cucumber and enjoy with fried corn pancakes.

1. How does piri piri chicken differ from the other three foods?

A．It goes with vegetables.	B．It uses a variety of ingredients.
C．It is flavored with red peppers.	D．It originated in another country.

2. Which dish gives you the freedom to choose the main ingredients?

A．Piri piri chicken, Mozambique.	B．Sichuan hot pot, China.
C．Som tam, Thailand.	D．Aguachile, Mexico.

3. What do som tam and aguachile have in common?

A．They are raw foods.	B．They have a long history.
C．They are served with pancakes.	D．Shrimp is their main ingredient.

7 . Chinese food is well-known for its rich sorts and distinct flavors from different areas. This article highlights four classic dishes that represent the wide range of Chinese cooking.

Dongpo pork

Dongpo pork is a delicious dish from Zhejiang Province, China. It’s made by cooking streaky pork (五花肉) slowly with ingredients like soy sauce, ginger, and sugar. This makes the meat very soft and full of flavor. The tasty sauce is great for mixing with rice. The dish is named after a famous poet, Su Dongpo.

Hot candied milk tofu

Hot candied milk tofu is a sweet specialty from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It is crisp (酥脆的) on the outside and soft on the inside. It tastes sweet and is suitable for people of all ages to eat. It’s also great for getting more calcium.

Steamed Chinese cabbage in supreme soup

Steamed Chinese cabbage in supreme soup is a famous Sichuan cuisine. It is made with the hearts of Chinese cabbage from the north. It’s cooked with chicken, duck, and pork bones to make a clear flavourful soup, which is seasoned with minced chicken or pork. Some chicken oil is drizzled on top. The Chinese cabbage, cooked in the soup, keeps its crisp freshness and soaks up (吸收) the soup, offering a tasty experience.

Steamed fish head with chopped hot chilli peppers

In Hunan Province, the love for spicy food is obvious in a famous traditional dish, steamed fish head with chopped hot chilli peppers. The fish head is marinated (腌) with a generous amount of red chilli peppers and then steamed to perfection. The combination of the fish’s natural freshness and the chilli peppers’ heat creates an unforgettable taste experience.

1. What is the first dish named after?

A．A famous chef.	B．A historical figure.
C．A traditional festival.	D．A specific cooking technique.

2. Which dish uses several kinds of meat as ingredients?

A．Dongpo pork.

B．Hot candied milk tofu.

C．Steamed Chinese cabbage in supreme soup.

D．Steamed fish head with chopped hot chilli peppers.

3. What are the key tastes of steamed fish head with chopped hot chilli peppers?

A．Sweet and sour.	B．Sweet and fresh.
C．Salty and sweet.	D．Spicy and fresh.

8 . After skating, skiing or shoveling snow, nothing warms you up better than a cup of hot cocoa. Though today it will be topped with marshmallows (棉花软糖) or stuff like that, you may not know that chocolate was first consumed in liquid form by the Olmec people of northwestern Central America around 1500 B.C.

However, the Olmec people didn’t serve their cocoa hot. And since sugar had not yet arrived from Europe back then, the drink was often flavoured with peppers and spices. After the Spanish arrived in the Americas in the 1500s, liquid chocolate made its way across the pond, where wealthy Europeans added sugar and drank it warm. According to Chocolate: History, Culture and Heritage, hot chocolate became “the drink of the aristocracy (贵族)”, as sugar was still a luxury.

Soon enough, though, hot chocolate caught on with the masses. Chocolate houses started springing up around 17th-century Europe. In these lively places, hot chocolate was poured from pots into elegant cups. But by the end of the 18th century, chocolate houses had mostly died off, because the input of chocolate was much dearer than that of coffee or tea.

Marshmallows first came into the picture in 1917, when the company Angelus Marshmallows published a recipe for hot cocoa topped with their product. Instant cocoa is another American invention, created in the late 1950s when dairy company owner Charles Sanna faced an oversupply of powdered coffee creamer. His solution was mixing the creamer sugar and cocoa powder together, thus creating a formula (配方) favored by many.

Taking a tour of international cups of cocoa, you can try cioccolata calda, a thick, pudding-like version in Italy. In Colombia and Ecuador, chocolate is served with a teaspoon of soft farmer cheese, and Filipino hot chocolate, sikwate, is served with mango chunks.

However, you choose to jazz up your own cup, the simple pleasure of drinking a warm, chocolaty drink is one that hasn’t gotten old for thousands of years.

1. Which of the following is unlikely to happen in the 1500s?

A．Angie used sugar to add flavour to hot chocolate.

B．Eva enjoyed drinking hot cocoa during breakfast.

C．Barton consumed hot cocoa at a chocolate house.

D．Leo couldn’t afford to put much sugar in the cocoa.

2. What led to the disappearance of chocolate houses?

A．Public health awareness.	B．High cost of material.
C．Policy reform of the time.	D．Changing drinks’ trend.

3. What can we learn from Charles Sanna’s story?

A．A man can do no more he can.

B．One good turn deserves another.

C．Constant dripping wears away a stone.

D．Innovation unlocks the door of success.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．A Journey To A Cup Of Comfort

B．An Accidental Invention Of A Drink

C．Hot Cocoa: A Combination Of Global Cultures

D．Hot Cocoa: From The Aristocracy To The Public

9 . The kitchen, often referred to as the heart of the home, is a place where delicious meals are prepared, cherished memories are made, and families are united.     1    . To ensure a safe and enjoyable cooking experience, it’s important to obey kitchen safety guidelines.

●    2    

Remember, an organized kitchen is not just pleasing but also crucial for safety. Avoid accidents by keeping countertops, stovetops, and floors clean. Always store knives out of children’s reach to prevent injuries. By maintaining organization in the kitchen, you create a safer environment for everyone in the household.

●Prevent burns

When handling hot cookers or touching any hot surfaces, always wear oven gloves to avoid burns. Moreover, heat oil slowly and monitor it closely to prevent it from splattering (泼洒), which can cause serious injuries.     3    , as the escaping steam can be extremely hot.   

●Handle food safely

    4    . This is crucial both before and after handling food. Additionally, it is vital to use separate cutting boards for raw meat to avoid infection. Moreover, all food should be cooked to the recommended temperatures. Only in this way can we make sure that harmful bacteria are got rid of, thus promoting food safety.

● Watch children in the kitchen

It is important to educate children about kitchen safety and make them aware of the potential risks in the kitchen. Keep them away from hot surfaces, sharp tools, and electrical appliances to prevent accidents. Encourage them to engage in safe cooking activities under the eyes of an adult to develop their interest in cooking.     5    .

A．Be careful with fire and heat

B．Keep the kitchen clean and organized

C．Hands must be washed to prevent cross-infection

D．Anyway, don’t leave the children alone in the kitchen

E．Be careful when opening hot containers to avoid steam burns

F．Always keep your body and fingers off the sharp edge of knives

G．However, it’s also a place where accidents can happen without safety awareness

10 . Walking through his neighborhood supermarket in Australia, where packs of Chinese sauerkraut line the shelves, Huang Xiqing feels like he’s shopping in his hometown of Shenyang in Liaoning province.

Chinese sauerkraut, a pickle made of wombok, or Chinese cabbage, is a traditional specialty of the northeastern region and is now sold across the country and exported.

In the past, only a few fresh vegetables were available during the cold northeastern winters. Wombok, which was cheap and could be stored for a relatively long period of time, gained popularity with ordinary households.

In Shenyang, 70-year-old Wang Shuqing still maintains the habit of making Chinese sauerkraut every winter. After harvesting wombok from her garden, she puts the leaves into a big jar along with water and salt and two months later, it is ready to eat.

However, it is no longer the main course on her menu for Lunar New Year’s eve, which now includes braised prawn, fried beef and carp cooked with sweet-and-sour sauce. “Now that our livelihood has improved and the logistics have developed, we can find whatever we want to eat during the winter,” she says.

“Now people have more food to choose from, they don’t just want enough food to eat, but also to eat well,” says Zhang Sining, a research fellow from the Liaoning provincial academy of social sciences.

Chinese sauerkraut has become a signature northeastern dish, and restaurants there now serve sauerkraut burgers and sauerkraut pizzas to cater (满足…的需要) to the tastes of young people.

For Huang however, Chinese sauerkraut is largely about nostalgia (对往事的怀恋) and an enduring link to home.

“Now that I have tried delicacies (美味佳肴) from across the globe, Chinese sauerkraut is still one of my favorites, and reminds me of my hometown,” Huang says.

1. Where is Huang Xiqing at the moment?

A．His neighborhood supermarket in Australia.	B．Chinese sauerkraut supermarket in Liaoning.
C．Shenyang in Liaoning province.	D．Supermarket in his hometown.

2. Why did during people have Chinese sauerkraut in the cold northeastern winters in the past?

A．It is a traditional specialty of the northeastern region.	B．It is fresh vegetables.
C．It is inexpensive and kept for a long time.	D．It is a better snow artwork.

3. What can we imply from Zhang Sining’s words in paragraph?

A．When people have more food to choose from, they don’t want food to eat.

B．If people don’t want food to eat, they will eat well.

C．Chinese sauerkraut is no longer the main course on her menu for Lunar New Year’s eve.

D．People not only have enough food to eat, but want to eat healthy and good nowadays.

4. What’s Chinese sauerkraut mean to Chinese people who live abroad?

A．Nostalgia and an enduring link to home	B．Delicacies from across the globe
C．A signature northeastern dish	D．Sauerkraut burgers and sauerkraut pizzas