Part V Reading
Passage 1
Becoming a good waiter
Waiting can be a great job.You can make lots of money in tips.Your schedules can be flexible，allowing you time to do other things.You can talk to people all day long.
However，to get the job，the flexible schedules，and the high tips，you must be good at it and becoming a good waiter or waitress isn’t easy.Here are some hints:
Keep busy
Learn how to multi-task.As you walk down an aisle of tables，people will call out for more coffee，a clean spoon，the check，etc.You’ll have to remember all these little things without getting stressed out.You may have to memorize the menu and prices too，as well as daily special.
Unless you’re on a break，you shouldn’t stand in a corner doing nothing.If the restaurant is slow，you should do your routine jobs:refill the salt and pepper，wipe down empty tables，take out the rubbish，etc.
Learn how to deal with customers
You mustn’t get angry when a customer behaves like an idiot.If you feel that you cannot handle the situation yourself，then you should say，“I think the manager will be able to help you better than I can” and get the manager.
Pay special attention to your regular customers.Use their names and remember their likes and dislikes.If Mrs.Johnson likes extra cream with her coffee，you should always bring it to her instead of making her ask for it.
Learn how to carry several objects
Your most difficult task is carrying plates to and from the tables.At first，you shouldn’t try to carry several plates at once.It doesn’t matter if you have to make six trips from the kitchen to the table.Your customers may get annoyed with you，but they’ll be a lot more annoyed if you spill hot soup over them.
Finally，remember that working in a restaurant is a social job.So talk to the customers and smile as you work!
Words：
1.flexible adj.灵活的，易变通的
2.multi-task n.多重任务
3.schedule n.时刻表，工作安排
Notes：
在当代英语中，表示职业的单词已经很少有男女的区别了。这里说的waiter/waitress和actor/actress都可以用一种形式（waiter，actor）来表示，无需区分性别。
Exercises:
1.Oral practice
1)Summarize the advice in Chinese for a new colleague with about 100 words.
2)Try to summarize more hints to your new colleague from your own working experience.
2.Translate the following sentences into English，using the words given in the brackets.
1)在世界上大多数国家，给服务员小费已经成为一种惯例。(tip)
2)一切都按计划进行。(schedule)
3)成年人适应性不强;他们移居异地会感到不舒服。
4)学会多任务处理是高效工作的有效方式。(multi-task)
5)这只是例行的体格检查，没有什么可担心的。(routine)
Passage 2
“The Chinese eat everything with four legs，except tables，and everything that flies，except airplanes”.Here，we find out about some of the unique dishes of a nation who are willing to eat just about anything.Wild animals，household pets，reptiles，amphibians，mollusks，insects，fish and birds，you name it—if they can find a tasty way to prepare it，the Chinese will eat it with gusto.
Rice
Rice is the staple food of Chinese people in everyday meals.
China is the world’s largest rice producer，and one of the earliest centers of rice cultivation.For thousands of years，the Chinese people have been diligently cultivating their land for favorable harvests.The agricultural way of life，with rice as the center，has played an important role in China’s history.In the past，people held the belief that the precious things of life are the five grains with rice being number one，instead of pearls or jade.
For the Chinese people，rice is the staple food in everyday meals.They eat it as Westerners do with bread.Rice is cooked by boiling or steaming，till it absorbs as much water as it can.
There is a rich collection of rice dishes in China.Among them，fried rice might be the most popular not only in China，but also around the world.Depending on the types and amount of added ingredients，such as beans，chopped meat，vegetables，eggs，etc.，as well as different manners of preparation，there have developed endless variations of fried rice.
Rice may also be made into rice porridge (congee).When cooking porridge，more water than usual is added to make the rice saturated with water and become very soft and viscous.It is often served and eaten with pickles，bamboo shoots，salted duck eggs，pickled tofu and many other condiments.Besides a common food on the dining table，rice porridge can also serve as food therapy for the unwell by adding ingredients of therapeutic value.
Noodles
Noodles are another staple food in Chinese cuisine，with a long history and wide popularity.Its first appearance can be traced back to the East Han Dynasty (25 - 220 AD)，and it became very popular during Song Dynasty (960 - 1279 AD).Its cooking methods are numerous，though relatively simple.People can，according to their likes and tastes，add different ingredients and materials to make a great variety of noodles.
Chinese noodles vary in width.They can be thin as needles，or thick as chopsticks.However，when it comes to length，they are usually served long and uncut.This is because long noodles are a symbol of longevity in Chinese tradition.Thus，during birthday celebrations，people will serve“longevity noodles” in good hope for longevity.
Because of different methods of preparation and use of materials and ingredients，there are over a thousand types of noodles from all over China with local characteristics.Among them，the most famous ones are soy bean paste noodles (or Zhajiang Mian)in Beijing，hand-pulled noodles(or Lamian)in Shanxi Province，sliced noodles (or Daoxiao Mian)in Shanxi Province，dandan noodles (or Dandan mian)in Sichuan Province，to name just a few.
Noodles are served and eaten hot or cold，boiled，steamed，stir-fried，deep-fried，or served in soup.Whichever way，you’ll first need to，using chopsticks，stir the noodles till all the materials are evenly mingled before enjoying it.Noodles are an excellent food for the nutritionally-inclined，providing harmonious dietary balance.They are low in calories，and high in protein and carbohydrate.
The most famous noodles dishes include Guilin Rice Noodles，Guangzhou Shahefen，and Lanzhou Hand-Pulled Noodles，one of the most popular Muslim dishes in China.
What are you waiting for?Come to China and have a taste.
(From China Highlights)
Words:
1.amphibian n.两栖动物；水旱两生植物
2.carbohydrate n.碳水化合物，糖类
3.cultivate v.耕作；种植
4.diligently adv.勤奋地
5.gusto n.热情，津津有味
6.ingredient n.成分；原料
7.insect n.虫，昆虫
8.jade n.玉，翡翠
9.longevity n.长寿；长命
10.mollusk n.软体动物
11.nutritionally adv.在营养上；营养地
12.paste n.面团；肉酱
13.protein n.蛋白质
14.reptile n.爬行动物
15.saturate v.浸透，浸湿
16.staple n.主要产品；订书钉；主食；主要部分
17.therapeutic adj.治疗的，疗法的
18.therapy n.治疗，疗法
19.variation n.变化；变化形式