China’s colorful picture menus
Different countries have different customs and cultures, such as they greet each other in different ways, celebrate festivals in their own special ways and so on. There are many habits and customs that are special to China and Chinese people. Because of the powerful influence that China around neighboring cultures, some of these customs are repeated in other Asian peoples—including Japanese and Korean. The following example is from a menu.
When I first arrived in China, some of the first Chinese vocabulary I learned had to do with food. I learned the names of a few dishes, but still didn’t know most of the items I saw on Chinese restaurant menus. Luckily, there were pictures to help me decide.
Nearly every restaurant menu in China has pictures of food in it. But many restaurants I’ve been to in the US don’t. It’s the biggest difference between them. What is the reason of the difference?
One thing I’ve definitely noticed about China is that food is a bigger part of their culture than it is in the US. A common way to greet someone in China is to ask them, if they’ve eaten yet. My Chinese friends post pictures of their meals online way more often than my US friends.
Food is just a bigger deal here—and having pictures of food in menus is part of that. Some menus are almost like works of art, with lively and well-framed photos.
Another factor(因素)is the names of the dishes. Chinese dishes sometimes have fanciful names like “Palace guard chicken” or “three fresh things from the soil”. These are interesting names, but they don’t really tell you what the dishes are like. Therefore, it’s helpful to have pictures so you can actually see what’re going to be eating.
There’s probably even more to it than that. All I know is that I was very grateful to have those picture menus when I first came here all those years ago.
61. One of the biggest differences between Chinese restaurant and American restaurant is that ________
A.the restaurant in China have many old buildings but American’s don’t |
B.the restaurant menus in China have pictures of food but American’s don’t |
C.the restaurant menus in China have many robot cooks but American’s don’t |
D.the restaurant menus in China have many traditional food but American’s don’t |
62. How many different factors are mainly mentioned in this passage?
A.One. | B.Two. | C.Three. | D.Four. |
63. What does the underlined word “fanciful” mean in Chinese?
64. How does the writer like the pictures in the menus Chinese restaurants?
A.Helpful. | B.Useless. | C.Beautiful. | D.Peaceful. |