1 . My poor mother would be the first to tell you that having a food scientist for a daughter was not always easy.
One weekend visit home, I stood in her kitchen and surveyed her food preparation techniques.
“You know,” I said, "there's no nutrition left when you overcook the vegetables like that"
She smiled at me patiently and said, “Oh, my! It's a miracle that after all these years, my kids even survived at all!”.
Survived we did. Mom's meals were simple but well-balanced. My sisters and I grew up with a variety of food on our family table. When it came to vegetables, we ate almost everything- from green chilies to turnip greens.
On school mornings, Mom switched on our bedroom light to silently tell us it was time to get up. Then she'd rush to the kitchen to make a nourishing breakfast we'd eat before heading out of the door. I didn't understand why Mom was always so busy until I had a child myself.
Mom went back to work when I was in high school, no longer a housewife, so I was often the first one home. She LOVED it when I took the initiative to prepare a meal. One day, after I'd finished homework and taken care of the dogs and horses, I decided to try a recipe from one of Mom's cookbooks.
It wasn't a perfect meat. But when she got home and saw the table set and dinner ready, she was so happy. That was an enjoyable moment for me.
Now I understand that food is only one way we receive nutrition. We also need soul food, and my mom did a good job with that. She taught me humility, thankfulness and unconditional love.
I hope I could cook a meal for her this year, I'd even try not to overcook the vegetables.
1. What does the underlined word "that" refer to?| A．Seeing her mother was happy. | B．Being able to cook on her own. |
| C．Finishing her homework early | D．Taking care of the dogs and horses. |
| A．She doesn't care about nutrition any more. |
| B．She is grateful for her mom's teaching and love. |
| C．She thinks soul food is more important than real food. |
| D．She is sorry for criticizing her mom's cooking. |
| A．To encourage readers to cook their families a meal. |
| B．To teach readers how to cook nutritious food. |
| C．To stress the importance of having meals with our families. |
| D．To share the author's thoughts about her mom's cooking. |
