B. Write a brief summary of the text. Compare your summary with that of your deskmate and see which one can better describe the main idea of the text. (P108)
This passage describes Chinese food culture from the point of view of an American. In his eyes, Chinese people not only think a lot about food, but they are virtually obsessed with it. Then the authordescribes from his own experience how fabulous and extravagant a real Chinese banquet could be. Even years later, he is still not accustomed to this aspect of dining out in China. Finally, he compares American food culture with Chinese food culture, and points out that the difference between the two can be very striking.

Information Organization
Complete the following table based on the text. (P108)

Topics Supporting Details
What did the author think of Chinese food culture?
(Paras. 1-2)
Food is never________
Result: ________

Food is never far from our minds.
Result: Chinese culture is often characterized as a shi wenhua, “food culture”.

Topics Supporting Details

Author's first direct exposure to
Chinese food culture.
(Paras. 3-5) My reaction: _____after six or seven dishes were served.
Chinese guests’ reaction: _____.
Reason: _______.
Result: _____ when more dishes were served.

My reaction: I dug in greedily after six or seven dishes were served.
Chinese guests’ reaction: They seemed merely to take a bite or two of each dish and then put their chopsticks down, continuing to chat.
Reason: With my American-bred expectations, I assumed this vase first wave of food was surely the total number of dishes to be served.
Result: I could only watch in a bloated stupor when more dishes were served.

Topics Supporting Details
What did the author think of this aspect of dining out in China?
(Para. 6)
He______.
He was not accustomed to it.

Topics Supporting Details
The food culture
difference between
America and China.
(Para. 7) A typical White House banquet menu would have been considered _____in the Chinese context.
an insult