Unit 6
Bread is the Staff of Life
Learning Objectives
1. Share some good restaurants in China with
specialty foods;
2. Discuss the meaning of the saying “you are
what you eat” ; and
3. Analyze the differences between Chinese and
Western dining customs.
Starting point 2 (91)
Answer the following questions.
1. What is your favorite food? Why do you like it?
2. Can you recommend some restaurants in your hometown with
specialty foods?
3. Look at the pictures of two students’ diet on a typical day. Can you tell
what kind of people they are? Do you agree with the saying “you are
what you eat”? What does your diet tell others about you?
Starting point 2 (91)
The meaning of the expression “you are what you eat” is that our
lifestyle and diet choices impact our health and well-being. You
are what you eat defines your health status, and if you’re feeling
sick or dealing with chronic health issues, your diet is usually to
blame for your current problems.
Vocabulary
1. moderation(noun) /ˌmɒd.ərˈeɪ.ʃən/
- the quality of doing something within reasonable
limits
Example:
You can eat whatever you want as long as it's in
moderation.
Vocabulary
2. interrupt(verb) /ˌɪn.təˈrʌpt/
- to stop a person from speaking for a short period by
something you say or do
Example:
He's very impatient and always interrupts me midsentence.
Vocabulary
3. stock (noun) /stɒk/
- a liquid used to add flavor to food, made by
boiling meat or fish bones or vegetables in water
Example:
My mother always adds chicken or beef stock
when she cooks noodles.
Vocabulary
4. etiquette (noun) /ˈet.ɪ.ket/
- the set of rules or customs that control accepted
behavior in particular social groups or social
situations
Example:
Social etiquette dictates that men cannot sit while
women are standing.
Vocabulary
5. revered (verb) /rɪˈvɪəd/
- to very much respect and admire someone or
something
Example:
Chairman Mao is widely revered for his courage
and leadership.
Listen to Dialogue 2 and pay attention to how Chinese and
Western elements are combined in this get-together meal at
Lucy’s place and fill in the following table.
Chinese dining customs
What to drink before meal
Who serves the guests
What kinds of guests are
served first
What goes with fish
In China, people drink tea
before meal.
The host or hostess serves
everybody.
The most senior is usually the
first to be served.
Western dining customs
Drinking gin and wine is not
compulsory but quite normal if
you have guests.
The host or hostess serves
everybody.
The guests are served first.
White wine goes with fish.
Chinese Dining Etiquette
Quiz
20/20
If you could change one Chinese dining
etiquette or custom, what would it be and
why? Try to speak for at least 30 seconds.