1 . I started cooking when I was thirteen. Both of my parents worked, so I was usually ________ after school. One day, my parents forgot to ________ dinner before they went to work. As we were short of money, eating out was beyond ________ . So I decided to be the ________ of the day.

A few moments later, I ________   to cook fried rice, the best option out of ________ resources, including my cooking knowledge. After ________ a pan on the stove and turning on the heat, it soon began to sizzle (咝咝作响). I was so hungry that I ________ and threw everything into the pan all together. In went rice, pieces of meat and vegetables. Little did I know that the   ________ of ingredients was crucial in cooking. I ________ waited for the meat to be thoroughly cooked, but other ingredients were   ________ . At first, I mistook it as steam from cooking, but I soon ________ something went horribly wrong when smoke came out to ________ the kitchen.

Later that day, my mother told me, “You cannot rush yourself when cooking.” Rather, I should take steps, turning to the basics, such as learning about the ingredients and ________ the recipe.

I’ve learned that the first ________ seems hard but we should just start and let the journey teach us.