When I was a little boy, the dinner on the eve of the Spring Festival was    1    I looked forward to most. It was not only for the delicious food that we seldom got to eat, but also an opportunity to have the family gathered together. I would run     2     (happy) with my sister in the house, while my mom was preparing food in the kitchen. She would put some tokens in some dumplings; candies for a sweet life, and peanuts for a long and healthy     3    . In the evening, we would sit around the table, toasted each other and enjoyed the homemade dishes, which tasted much better than anything     4     (cook) in the restaurant.

However, for the last three years, we     5     (eat) out for the Spring Festival family dinner, and we have enjoyed it no less than eating at home.    6     I don’t understand why some people refuse this change. Can’t they admit that the     7     (prepare) for a dinner is hard work? It is not worth the effort of spending so much time cooking a single meal. We work all year, so why can’t one day be about spending time with family and     8     (relax). Eating out is a good choice and it has nothing to do     9     loss of traditions. We still have the dinner with the same people, just in a different place. The occasion is more     10    (enjoy) without that tiring cooking.

I remember that every year in lunar December in my hometown, Xinyang, each family begins to prepare bunches of bacon and sausage hanging from yard to yard     1     (embrace) the upcoming New Year. Walking in such a street view and sniffing the smell of pickled bacon(腊肉), I always have a sense of    2     (happy).

Xinyang, located on the boundary between the north and the south, is rich in rice, wheat and fertile land due to its unique     3     (geography) position and climate. Therefore, it cultivates the characteristics of Xinyang people who have a good appetite     4     delicacies. According to relevant records, the history of Xinyang’s pickled bacon dates back to the Ming Dynasty,     5     the locals learned to keep its special taste by preserving it in a special bean. People in Xinyang love their life so much that even during     6     (tough) times, they still inherited the soul of taste and made delicious pickled bacon. Actually, Xinyang’s pickled bacon is made in     7     seemingly simple way by drying the meat in the shade but it brings out the flavor of the food     8     (it) and stays with our memory for long.

You’ll never become fully conscious of how much you value it until you     9     (tear) apart from it. Such is Xinyang’s pickled bacon, one of my unforgettable memories of my hometown despite time     10    (tick) by.

3 . Kimchi, which tastes similar to the Chinese Pao Cai, is not only a main dish eaten at nearly every meal by Koreans, but also an important ingredient(配料)in many other Korean foods.

While the most popular variety is the spicy kimchi made of cabbage, there are more than 100 different types of kimchi made of various vegetables, like radish(小萝卜), onion or carrot. Thanks to its unique fermentation(发酵)process, kimchi is selected by the American magazine Health as one of the top five healthiest foods in the world and helps prevent the growth of cancer.

Cabbage Kimchi

Enjoyed by most Koreans, Cabbage Kimchi is made with a whole, uncut salted cabbage mixed with Korean chili powder, garlic, fish sauce(酱)and other spices.

Radish Kimchi

The basic ingredients used for creating this kimchi are the same to those used to make Cabbage Kimchi, except that the cabbage is replaced with radish. The distinct characteristics of this kimchi are that it is pleasantly hard and that it makes a noise when you chew it.

Water Kimchi

This is a less spicy kind of kimchi that uses both cabbage and radish. Using a great deal of kimchi water, it tastes sweeter than other types of kimchi due to the addition of sliced fruits such as apple and pear.

Young Radish Kimchi

Young Radish Kimchi is prepared and eaten in summer when cabbages are not yet ready for harvest. This kimchi is made using young summer radishes, mixed with Korean chili powder and green onions, giving it a unique smell and taste.

6 . When you hear the phrase cultural heritage, what comes to mind? Maybe you remember going to see folk dances with people wearing traditional costumes. Perhaps you were exposed to the music and arts of this culture.     1    . It might begin with the memory of your mother’s cooking, or visiting grandma’s house and receiving a special treat as a reward for good behavior. As you close your eyes, can you picture your favorite dish? Is it a salad with a special dressing, or a delicious dessert?       2     Maybe you’re far away from home and eating your favorite soul food makes you feel closer to those you’re separated from.

Many of us have missed spending a holiday or two with our loved ones, only to find ourselves calling to ask what they had for dinner. It doesn’t matter if it’s the same thing that is served year after year.     3    . These recipes, cherished family favorites, handed down from each generation to the next might experience subtle changes, but there still remains a sense of unity. It is this unity that constructs the bridge between families and generations.     4    

Good food knows no boundaries. It makes a great bond between young and old. Here, in the kitchen the old master works hand in hand with younger family members and friends, passing on traditional skills used in the cooking arts. However, more is taking place than a mere transfer of information about ingredients and mixing instructions.     5     It becomes an opportunity for a parent to teach family values while passing the sugar and beating the eggs. Confidences can be exchanged along with the natural flow of conversation.