Back to a home-cooked meal

湖北黄石市第一中学 殷 莉

快餐时代，回归家常菜可能会给人们带来显著的健康变化并具有一定的社会优势。

难词探意

体裁约346 6分钟说明文文章词数 建议用时

1. allergy /΄ælədʒi/ n. 过敏反应

2. indulgence /ın΄dʌldʒəns/ n. 爱好；享受

3. palate /΄pælət/ n. 味觉；品尝力

4. bound /baʊnd/ adj. 一定会；很可能会

5. contaminate /kən΄tæmıneıt/ v. 弄脏；污染

In the US, the birthplace of fast food, Americans eat fewer than 70 percent of their meals at home and less than a third of American families eat meals together more than twice a week, according to Emory University. This fact, together with the obesity epidemic, points toward a need for fundamental changes in American food culture. A collective return to the home-cooked meal may offer significant health and social advantages over current trends.

Cooking your own meals affords you the peace of mind.Preparing meals at home allows you to easily accommodate family members or guests who haveallergies, some of which, such as peanuts and shellfish allergies, can lead to life-threatening emergencies. Gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley is difficult for many people to digest.

Restaurant foods and other commercially prepared foods are high in fat, salt and sugar. These foods are fine as an occasionalindulgenceor for a special occasion, but not healthy as a regular diet. Preparing most of your meals at home helps train yourpalatetoward healthier fare. Your creative cooking skills areboundto improve considerably as you learn enjoyable ways to cook with flavorful and healthy ingredients. More meals cooked and eaten at home may reduce the risk of obesity.

Food-borne illnesses caused by bacteria-laden or under-cooked meats and vegetables regularly make headlines and occasionally claim lives. While food you buy at the grocery store might be similarlycontaminated, attention to proper food handling and cooking techniques may keep you safer.

Children benefit greatly from the ritual of eating meals together. Family meals provide opportunities for sharing the day's events and create a relaxing transition from busy daytime activities to slowerpaced evening ones. Cooking meals at home and involving your children in food preparation is the best way to teach them healthy eating habits. Statistically, children who grow up in households where meals are eaten together perform better academically and show less tendency toward engaging in risky behaviors such as smoking and drinking, according to Washington State University nutrition researchers Martha Marina and Sue Butkus.

1. What can we know about fast food according to the text?

A. It originated in America.

B. It is healthy as a regular diet.

C. It is low in salt and sugar.

D. It provides people with the peace of mind.

2. Which of the following is one of the advantages of eating at home?

A. It may cure many diseases.

B. It may reduce the risk of obesity.

C. It may guarantee children's study.

D. It may develop children's adventure spirit.

3. What's the last paragraph mainly about?

A. The meaning of home.

B. The importance of cooking skills.

C. The risky behaviors for children.

D. The benefit of eating together for children.