上海新世纪英语高二全部课文
上海新世纪英语高二全部课文（包括Additional Reading）及重点词组
高二第一学期
1. Food in the United States
Many changes are taking place in food styles in the United States. The United States is traditionally famous for its very solid and unchanging diet, chiefly made up of meat and potatoes. Now people in America have many different choices: ethnic food, health food, and fast food, in addition to the traditional home-cooked meal.
Ethnic restaurants and supermarkets are common in the United States. Being a country of immigrants, the United States enjoys a wide variety of ethnic food. Most American cities and towns are filled with restaurants serving international cooking. Many even have ethnic sections: Chinatown, Little Italy, or Germantown. Having vast ethnic choices, Americans can enjoy food from all over the world. Besides sections of cities, there are ethnic regions, which are well-known for certain food because of the people who have settled there. For example, in southern California, there are many Mexican restaurants.
Health food became popular when people began to think more seriously about their physical well-being. Health food is fresh, natural, and unprocessed food, which does not contain preservatives to make it last longer or chemicals to make it taste or look better. People who are keen on health food are usually vegetarians. They don’t eat meat, but live on beans, cheese, and eggs.
Fast food restaurants are now expanding rapidly all over the country. In the United States, speed is a very important concept. People usually have a short lunch break because they just do not want to waste their time eating. Fast food restaurants are places that take care of hundreds of people in a short time. There is usually very little waiting, and the food is always cheap. Burger and pizza places are just two examples.
Americans’attitude toward food is changing, too. The traditional big breakfast is no longer popular. However, coming to rediscover the social importance of food, Americans find that dinner with family and friends is a very special of enjoying time together. Like so many people in other cultures, many Americans are taking time to relax and enjoy a wider variety of tastes at dinner, even if they still rush through lunch at a hamburger stand.
2. The world’s best ethnic food
How can you travel the world without leaving your own country? Visit an ethnic restaurant! Trying foods from other countries is a great way to experience different cultures. People around the world have unique and creative ways of preparing food. The ingredients they use may surprise you.
So what are the world’s best ethnic foods? Everyone has his or her own personal favourites, and so do we. The following are the world’s three best ethnic foods---other than Chinese food, of course! ITALIAN When you visit an Italian restaurant, order a pasta(意大利面食) dish. The Italians have hundreds of ways of preparing this food. Pastas usually come with flavourful tomato or cream sauces, which give the dishes a powerful, rich flavour. There are also different kinds of cheese. When ordering Italian food, you choose one main dish for yourself. You may, however, order an appetizer to share with everyone at the table.
MEXICAN What’s great about Mexican food? Most of it you can pick up and eat with your hands!
One major Mexican food is the tortilla(尤指墨西哥人食用的玉米薄饼). Mexican chefs mold this
corn or flour-based material into round, flat shapes. The tortilla then gets filled with ingredients such as cheese, meat, sour cream, beans and other vegetables. Tortilla dishes can be fried, baked or toasted. Don’t forget to add hot sauce---Mexican food is great with a bit of spice!
INDIAN India is the land of curries and strong flavours. You can smell a good Indian restaurant even before you walk through the door!
The eating method of Indian food also takes a bit of getting used to. Peal off some flat fried bread and use this “spoon” to get food from a shared dish. You can finish the meal with Indian-style milk tea.
While Chinese food is great, try something new and expand your horizons. After all, variety is the spice of life!
3. The global drink
Tea, the global drink, is consumed around the world more than any other drink except water. Originating in China, tea has long established itself as the national drink of this country, the nation with the biggest population on earth.
A century before the birth of Christ, tea was described in Chinese texts as a health drink that made one live longer. Tea is still being regarded as such. Scientific studies have suggested that drinking five cups of tea a day can be compared to having two servings of vegetables. Both green and black teas are claimed to be effective for preventing cancer, heart disease, and many other deadly disease. There is only one point people need to be aware of when they drink tea---it should not be drunk along with meals. This is because an element contained in tea can interfere with the body’s absorption of iron.
Tea, a popular drink in China and many other countries, is carefully prepared according to local customs. The Chinese put loose tea in teapots, add boiling water, and serve it in teacups. The strong tea from China’s Fujian Province is drunk in tiny cups before dinner. Lighter teas with jasmine, rose or other flowers, are special to China’s Changjiang River regions. These are usually served after dinner to help digestion.
In England people use teabags and mugs. Many English people, travelling away from home, feel at a loss if their favourite teabags are not available. Afternoon tea in England is still a time-honoured tradition. It’s a good opportunity for people to socialize or discuss business matters, though now more young people prefer a cola.
In Japan, a tea ceremony is often held while people are drinking tea. The ceremony, usually held in a teahouse, dates back to the sixteenth century. Guests follow strict rules set up then and the tea used is a powdered green tea. Though still practised today, the tea ceremony may not be as popular as it used to be. Young Japanese tend to favour other drinks.
4. Coffee
When coffee was first introduced in Europe in the 1600s, there was a great deal of controversy about it. Many doctors said that coffee was a strong poison and should be forbidden. Others, however, insisted it was good to drink coffee. Then, “coffee houses” sprang up everywhere. Today, coffee has become a global drink and it is consumed by one third of the world’s population.
Tests show that when coffee is given in large doses to animals, it can actually act as a poison. Coffee can also produce negative or even poisonous effects on small children. But for adults who drink it moderately, it is by no means a poison.
Coffee contains caffeine. Most people believed that it is the caffeine that produces all the effects that coffee has on the body. Of course, the other elements in coffee have a role to play.