Level 1 · Reading series
Lesson 46 · Breakfast in Three Countries
Audio track 46
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
Open the English passage and hover for word help
What is a typical breakfast? In one Japanese family, it may include rice, fish, and soup. In France, some people eat bread with butter or jam. In parts of India, a warm dish with vegetables may be popular.
But no country has only one breakfast. Breakfast changes by region, family, season, and person. Cereal can be normal in one family, while noodles are normal in another. A menu is a starting point, not a rule for everyone.
Sentence practice
Play any sentence in Dicvo’s Jenny English voice. Before playing all, choose how many times each sentence plays. A practice pause about as long as the sentence follows each play, including before the next sentence. The complete reading remains above.
Choose a sentence to begin.
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What is a typical breakfast?
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In one Japanese family, it may include rice, fish, and soup.
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In France, some people eat bread with butter or jam.
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In parts of India, a warm dish with vegetables may be popular.
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But no country has only one breakfast.
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Breakfast changes by region, family, season, and person.
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Cereal can be normal in one family, while noodles are normal in another.
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A menu is a starting point, not a rule for everyone.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
什么样的早餐才算‘典型’？在一个日本家庭，早餐可能有米饭、鱼和汤。在法国，有些人吃涂黄油或果酱的面包。在印度的某些地区，热乎乎的蔬菜餐食可能很受欢迎。
但没有哪个国家只有一种早餐。早餐会因地区、家庭、季节和个人而异。一家人习惯吃麦片，另一家人习惯吃面条，都很正常。菜单只提供一个认识饮食文化的起点，不是所有人都必须遵守的规则。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- typical
- 典型的；不代表每个人都如此。
- breakfast
- 早餐。
- family
- 家庭；家人。
- rice
- 米饭；稻米。
- soup
- 汤。
- bread
- 面包；英语里通常作不可数名词。
- popular
- 受欢迎的。
- country
- 国家。
- region
- 地区。
- normal
- 常见的；正常的。
Background notes (Chinese)
介绍饮食文化时，如果说‘日本人全都吃……’，就会抹去家庭与地区间的差异。英语中用 some people（有些人）和 may（可能），既能举例，又能保留多样性。