1. A Rainbow Nation
One of the most exciting things about a multiracial and multicultural country like ours is the wide range of
food available at reasonable prices. Eating out is a favourite Malaysian pastime.
Read this conversation with the members of your group.
Situation: Nida and KokHou are at a food court with AyumiHamasaki, a Japanese exchange student.
AYUMI : Nida, I can’t believe there are so many varieties of food in Malaysia. Most Japanese
only eat Japanese food.
NIDA : Ayumi, we are a multiracial country; Japan isn’t.
KOK HOU : Here, we even have the equivalent of your raw fish dish, sashimi. You must try the
Kadazanhinavatongii, also made with raw fish. We have food from the three main races
- Malay, Chinese, Indian, and the other ethnic groups – Portuguese, Kadazan and Iban.
NIDA : KokHou, you talk as if they are all separate types of cuisine. In actual fact, Ayumi,
each group borrows cooking styles and ingredients freely from the others.
AYUMI : Yes, I went to a Chinese restaurant yesterday and we had delicious chicken curry.
KOK HOU : I read in a newspaper article that the only authentic Malaysian dish is roti canai.
Malaysians love to eat. All our festivals are food festivals.
NIDA : That’s true, KokHou. This is especially true of the Chinese.
KOK HOU : What can I say? We eat bird’s nest, bear’s paws, shark’s fin, tiger’s eyes…
NIDA : Stop eating endangered species, please. Not all of us are like that, Ayumi. Muslims
have restrictions. For example, we don’t eat pork and the meat of amphibians.
KOK HOU : And Ayumi, Hindus don’t eat beef. In fact, many Hindus and Buddhists are
vegetarians.
AYUMI : I’ve heard about that. Some Japanese are vegetarians too.
NIDA : Ahh.. Oh look, here comes our food. Let’s eat.

2. Complete the cloze passage. Find the information from the conversation that you have done.
AyumiHamasakicannot believe that there are so many (1) ____________ of Malaysian food.
Nida explained that it is mainly because Malaysia is a (2) ________________ country. In
Malaysia, we have food representing the three main races, Malay, (3) ______________, (4)
____________, and also nearly every (5) ____________ group in the nation. Each ethnic
group (6) ____________ freely the cooking styles and (7) ____________ used by the others.
In fact, it is said that the only truly Malaysian dish is (8) ____________. Malaysians love to
(9) ____________ and all Malaysian celebrations are (10) ____________. There is an ethnic
joke that says that they eat everything. However, some religions have (11) ____________.
For example, Muslims cannot eat (12) ____________ and the meat of (13) ____________.
Hindus do not eat (14) ____________ and some Buddhists are (15) ____________.
Complete the cloze passage. Find the information from the conversation that you have done.
AyumiHamasaki cannot believe that there are so many (1) ____________ of Malaysian food.
Nida explained that it is mainly because Malaysia is a (2) ________________ country. In
Malaysia, we have food representing the three main races, Malay, (3) ______________, (4)
____________, and also nearly every (5) ____________ group in the nation. Each ethnic
group (6) ____________ freely the cooking styles and (7) ____________ used by the others.
In fact, it is said that the only truly Malaysian dish is (8) ____________. Malaysians love to
(9) ____________ and all Malaysian celebrations are (10) ____________. There is an ethnic
joke that says that they eat everything. However, some religions have (11) ____________.
For example, Muslims cannot eat (12) ____________ and the meat of (13) ____________.
Hindus do not eat (14) ____________ and some Buddhists are (15) ____________.