Marian Bechtel sits at West Palm Beach’s Bar Louie counter by herself, quietly reading her e-book as she waits for her salad. What is she reading? None of your business! Lunch is Bechtel’s “me” time. And like more Americans, she’s not alone.
A new report found 46 percent of meals are eaten alone in America. More than half（53 percent）have breakfast alone and nearly half（46 percent）have lunch by themselves. Only at dinnertime are we eating together anymore, 74 percent, according to statistics from the report.
“I prefer to go out and be out. Alone, but together, you know? “Bechtel said, looking up from her book. Bechtel, who works in downtown West Palm Beach, has lunch with coworkers sometimes, but like many of us, too often works through lunch at her desk. A lunchtime escape allows her to keep a boss from tapping her on the shoulder. She returns to work feeling energized. “I prefer to go out and be out . Today I just wanted some time to myself.” she said.
Andrew Mazoleny, a local videographer, is finishing his lunch at the bar. He likes that he can sit and check his phone in peace or chat up the barkeeper. “It’s a chance for self-reflection(自我反思). You return to work energetic and with a plan.” said he.
That freedom to choose is one reason more people like to eat alone. There was a time when people may have felt uncomfortable about asking for a table for one, but those days are over. Now, we have our smartphones to keep us company at the table. “It doesn’t feel as alone as it may have before all the advances in technology,” said Laurie Demerit, whose company provided the statistics(数据)for the report.
1.What are the statistics in Paragraph 2 about?
A.Food variety. B.Eating habits.
C.Table manners. D.Restaurant service.
2.Why does Bechtel prefer to go out for lunch?
A.To meet with her coworkers.
B.To catch up with her work.
C.To have some time on her own.
D.To collect data for her report.
3.What is the text mainly about?
A.The advantage of wireless technology.
B.The importance of self-reflection.
C.The stress from working overtime.
D.The popularity of having meals alone.
Twelve years ago, I arrived in Central Florida from Puerto Rico. I had heard of a job opportunity and decided to pursue it. But it never became a reality. I quickly learned that being alone without resources in an unfamiliar city was not a comfortable situation to be in.
Once my limited funds ran out I became homeless and spent a year and a half living on the streets of Orlando. Apart from feeling not being noticed and missing my family, I had to face another challenge — hunger.
For the first time in my life, I, as a foreign man, who had lived my life in the relative comfort of the middle class, understood the desperation someone feels when they don’t get enough to eat. I clearly remembered having run a distance of more than 7 miles on many occasions just to make it to a local feeding program before they closed at 7 pm.
Once the need for food was met, the next challenge would arise — where to find a place to sleep for the night. Fortunately, local programs like the Coalition for the Homeless, Second Harvest Food Bank and the Wayne Densch Center were an important part of my ability to survive my painful experience.
With the assistance of these programs, I was accepted by a college scholarship program through the Coalition and obtained two degrees from Valencia.
My experience has helped me understand that devoting my life to helping others offers lasting rewards. Today, I am employed as Childhood Hunger Programs Manager at Second Harvest Food Bank and oversee the summer feeding, Hi-Five Kids Pack, and Kids Café programs. I am so proud to be able to distribute food resources to those wonderful programs and help hundreds more like me.
1.What can be inferred from Paragraph 1?
A.The author rejected many chances to get a job in Florida.
B.Florida was not a good place for people living there.
C.It was impossible for the author to get a job then.
D.Many local people were out of work in Florida.
2.Before being accepted by a college scholarship program, the author_____.
A.had been struggling financially
B.had won his degree in a university
C.had lived with his relatives happily
D.had lost hope of facing the future
3.From his experience, the author learns that ______.
A.a friend in need is a friend indeed
B.one good turn deserves another
C.misfortune may be an actual blessing
D.where there is a will there is a way
It was February and Danny Filippidis and his friends were skiing around. After a few days of fun and relaxation, their annual trip was coming to a close. Danny wanted to capture(捕捉) a few more memories of it to post online when they got home. The problem was, he’d left his cell phone in the car.
By the time Danny realized this, he and his friends were already halfway up Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid. Not wanting to miss a moment, he told his friends to wait while he skied back down to fetch the phone. Danny was an adult and an experienced skier, so they had no reason to doubt his return.
However, it wasn’t until it began to get dark that his friends finally realized something may have gone wrong. They called the police, who began a ground search in no time. Before long, his family and friends came down to help as well. But Danny was nowhere to be found.
What the rescue teams didn’t know at the time was that, by the time the alarm went out, Danny wasn’t even in Lake Placid anymore. He’d taken a wrong turn on his way back to the car, falling down and becoming knocked out. It was dusk by the time he woke up, not knowing where he was.
Danny struggled his way to the road. He flagged down a truck in the hope of securing a ride off the mountain. The truck stopped and he climbed into the warm cab. After telling the trucker where he was going, he fell into a heavy sleep. When the trucker finally informed him that they had arrived, it had been midnight, when his family and friends were still searching the cold wilderness for any sign of him.
Danny often reflects on what might have happened if he hadn’t been found by that trucker. To this day, Danny Filippidis doesn’t know the trucker’s name. He doubts whether he could even point him out if he saw him on the street and the police have been unable to track the man down as well.
1.Why did Danny ski back to fetch his phone?
A.To surf the Net. B.To avoid it being stolen.
C.To make a call. D.To shoot some photos.
2.What happened to Danny on his way down the mountain?
A.He got stuck in a rock. B.He fell down the mountain.
C.He met with a snowstorm. D.He crashed into a truck.
3.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A.Danny was grateful to the trucker. B.Danny was extremely forgetful.
C.The authorities took no action at all. D.The trucker was hard to recognize.
Street Photography 2020 Contest by Blank Wall Gallery
Street Photography Contest for 2020 has opened. Here are some details for you.
☆ All photographers, amateurs and professionals who are over 18, are qualified to participate in the contest.
☆ Each photographer can participate with up to 5 files.
☆ We only accept digital submissions. Each image file should be RGB, JPG Format, 1,800 pixels (the longest side) on 72 dpi.
Entry Fee: Free to enter
Contest Category: Street Photography
Prizes:
The artists who will be chosen to participate in the exhibition and be presented at the web page of Blank Wall Galley, will have to pay the amount of € 35 if their photo is printed, and € 15 it their work is displayed on the digital screen.
This way, only the photographers who will exhibit their work will pay a small fee for participating in the exhibition. All the other artists will not be charged.
The photographs exhibited at the gallery will be printed at the labs of Blank Wall Gallery free of charge. In case an artist wishes to send us the printed photos, they are free to do it.
The exhibitions organized by Blank Wall Gallery last for 2 weeks and everything needed for the realization of the exhibition ( printing of your photographs on 260 gsm paper, framing, hanging of the photos, press releases, invitations, opening night and supervision) are provided by our gallery without any additional charge.
Submission Deadline: March 19
Exhibition Time: May 1-May 14, 2020
Copyright Information: You are the only copyright owner and creator of the photographs.
1.What is the requirement of joining in the contest?
A.Reaching a certain age. B.Paying entry fees online.
C.Submitting at least 5 files. D.Getting the photos printed.
2.When will the exhibition of photographs close?
A.March 19. B.May 1.
C.May 14. D.May 19.
3.How much will you pay to get your work displayed on the digital screen?
A.€ 0. B.€ 15.
C.€ 35. D.€ 260.
假定你是李华，你的英国网友Henry对中国的太极拳(Tai Chi)很感兴趣，来信向你询问相关事宜。请给他写封邮件，内容包括：
1. 中国武术，以动作平衡著称；
2. 有益于身体健康及精神放松；
3. 建议他学习太极拳。
注意：1. 词数100左右；2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：武术martial art
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文中共有10处语言错误。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
修改：在错的词下面画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
I am sorry to hear that you are upset about the fact what you are laughed at by your classmates because you are short and fat.
Of course, it was impolite for them to laugh at others’ physically disadvantages. You need to communicate with them and be preparing to help them when they are in need to help. And you will find that you are popular with your friend. If they continue to make fun with you, you can turn to your teachers and parents for help.
From a letter you sent to me, I knew that you gained lots of weight because of you preference for junk food. This is a bad habit and you must give them up. Besides, you’d better to do some exercise every day to lose weight.
