VIP Class Notes (Vicki)

Writing exercise

About some good restaurants around the Jinan Temple
1. Ping Cheng house å¹³ęˆå±‹
Japanese food is the first choice after class. Iā€™ve been to Japan six times, so I know which is the best taste. The soup is made with bones and some seasonings. This storeā€™s soup tastes richerĀ ęµ“厚ēš„than others. People can chooseĀ choice the degree of hardness or softness of the noodles. Sometimes I order two to three barbecueĀ skewerēƒ¤äø² to go with my noodlesę­é…é¢ę” because I canā€™t be full otherwiseĀ eat enough normally.
2. Yu Fen Wang é±¼ē²‰ēŽ‹
This restaurant is located on the B1 floor of Jing Pin. There are some kinds of fish noodleē²‰ to choose. In addition, they provide free brown sugarĀ red-sugar water , cilantro /corianderļ¼Œshallotå°č‘± and garlicč’œę³„. brown sugarĀ Red-sugar water could reduce the spicy degree ofĀ spiciness.

Vocabulary

pore – mao kong
i.e. I need to clean my pores.

cure – heal
i.e. I don’t think doctors can cure depression right now.

taboo – forbidden
i.e. Mental health has some kind of taboo around it.

warning – č­¦å‘Š
i.e. Warning! DO NOT TOUCH!

endure – ren nai / cheng shou
i.e. As we endure the winter, we need some happiness.

be tempted to – be attracted to
i.e. I am tempted to eat the entire cake.

comfort food – your go-to feel good food

sugary (adj.) – sweet, lots of sugar
i.e. I don’t like sugary drinks.

vary (v.) – differ / change

palate – taste
i.e. Different people have different palates.

association – relation
i.e. There is an association between you and me.

universal – everyone likes
i.e. Money is a universal thing.

edible – ke shi yong de
i.e. In this drink there’s some edible gold.

chef – the person that cooks
i.e. He is a famous chef.

cavity – zhu ya
i.e. I have many cavities because I like sugary things.

electric toothbrush – dian dong ya shua
i.e. I have an electric toothbrush.

floss – ya xian
i.e. I bought a lot of floss.

charge – chong dian
i.e. When you charge your phone, it will get hot.

mouth wash – she koi shui

Reading

Warning! This article could be bad for your health! As many of us endure the long, cold winter, we are tempted toĀ tuck intoĀ someĀ fillingĀ andĀ fatteningĀ foods. This is sometimes because it helps us to keep warm and to give us energy, but often itā€™s because we need something to cheer us up. And, for a short while at least, it makes us feel better ā€“ which is why we call it ā€˜comfort foodā€™.

The type of food that makes us feel good varies from person to person ā€“ it depends on yourĀ palateĀ and the association you have with particularĀ tastes,Ā texturesĀ andĀ smells. But probably the most universally popularĀ edibleĀ comforter is the biscuit. Itā€™s thought this go-toĀ snackĀ often brings back happy memories of childhood and family, as well as giving us that all-importantĀ sugaryĀ pick-me-up.

Moving on from theĀ sweetĀ and sugary snacks, famousĀ chefĀ and food writer Mary Berry knows about the kind of meals that warm us up and give us comfort in the winter. She told BBC Food magazine: ā€œI think it becomes natural to think about comfort food as soon as the weather chills and the nights become darker.ā€ She suggestsĀ soupĀ andĀ warming foodsĀ as feel-good winter treats.

Homework

Finish the reading and write down your reflection

The other thing about comfortingĀ dishesĀ likeĀ mac and cheese,Ā noodlesĀ orĀ pizzaĀ is they donā€™t requireĀ culinary skillsĀ in the kitchen; they are easy to make so you can get your fix of feel-good food quickly. However, we often feel so good that we eat too much, and even though we know the ingredients are high inĀ carbohydrates, sugar orĀ salt, we continueĀ toĀ pig out. Psychologist Shira Gabriel told the BBC: ā€œWe feel guilty because we donā€™t realise that whatā€™s happening is our minds [are] finding a way to trigger a really positive emotion and theyā€™re making us eat that food to do so.ā€

Maybe we should take comfort from the fact that eating certain food just makes us feel happy. But, for some people, eating any kind of food brings joy, warmth, happiness and comfort.