近期，国内外疫情反复，为了防止疫情传播和交叉感染，很多居民都选择在家隔离或是尽可能减少出入公共场所。周一早晨的地铁，周末中午的餐厅都逐渐变得空荡荡的，越来越多的人开始居家办公或是自己在家做饭。

　　这也让新航道托福小编联想到托福独立写作的一道考题：“Some people like to buy and eat their meals at restaurants frequently, while others like to cook most of the meals at home and rarely go to the restaurant. Which do you prefer and why ?” 此题在2017年6月10日及2019年8月24日的托福线下考试中均出现过。今天，就让我们一起来聊聊自己在家做饭的好处吧~

　　● one of the best ways to keep healthy

　　When people cook by themselves, they tend to choose higher-quality and more fresh food materials, and the cooking environment is always clean. Meanwhile, most foods which are served in restaurants contain high amounts of fat and calories, and they can be detrimental to（对...有害的）people’s health if they are consumed on a regular basis（定期地；经常地）. The amount of salt, butter, oil, and sugar a restaurant puts in its food is exponentially（急剧地）higher than what a sane person would put into his or her home cooking. If we eat at home, we can choose our own low-fat and low-calorie ingredients to prepare our meals.

　　● save money

　　Meat, vegetables, and other ingredients from supermarkets or grocery stores are very affordable, so the total cost of a homemade meal is much less than that of a meal at a restaurant. What’s more, eating out means people have to pay for the service, for the locations, or even for the parking.

　　●provide a chance to strengthen family relationship

　　Cooking with children will be an enjoyable experience. Besides, at home, people can enjoy having some of their own music on, eat in front of the TV, and chat around the dinner table with family. Eating in such a cozy environment offers an excellent opportunity for family bonding（增进感情，形成亲密关系）, which may not be achieved in a noisy atmosphere of a restaurant.

　　discover one’s interest

　　Cooking at home may be an interesting in itself. Someone may like to experiment with new recipes（食谱，烹饪法）and techniques, which will bring a person the sense of self-satisfaction, and gradually he or she may treat cooking as a hobby.

　　当然，在外面的餐厅也有很多好处，比如：it is a great way to sample new and unusual cuisines（菜肴）; it is more convenient and time-saving. 还是希望疫情能快速过去，我们能像原来一样自在地尝遍天下美食！

　　【其他词汇拓展】

　　1. starter  n. 前菜

　　2. appetizer  n. 开胃菜

　　3. main course  主菜

　　4. dessert  n. 甜点

　　5. side dish  配菜

　　6. beverages  n. 饮料

　　7. bistro  n. 小酒馆

　　8. tip  n. 小费

　　9. brunch  n. 早午餐

　　10. takeout   n. 外卖

　　11. on the house  免费招待

　　12. special  n. 特色菜

　　13. make seat reservations  订座