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. “Today, I just wanted some time to myself,” she said.
Just two seats over, 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 with whom he’s on a first-name basis if he wants to have a little interaction(交流). “I reflect on how my day’s gone and think about the rest of the week,” he said. “It’s a chance for self-reflection. You return to work recharged and with a plan.”
That freedom to choose is one reason more people like to eat alone. There was a time when people may have felt awkward 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 Demeritt, whose company provided the statistics 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 do we know about Mazoleny?
A.He makes videos for the bar.
B.He’s fond of the food at the bar.
C.He interviews customers at the bar.
D.He’s familiar with the barkeeper.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.The trend of having meals alone.
B.The importance of self-reflection.
C.The stress from working overtime.
D.The advantage of wireless technology.
For the past two years I have been travelling and living abroad. Home has become more of a feeling than a place. I feel at home when I am with my family in London, but I also feel at home in Italy with friends I love. Home is no longer a picture of a house with a front door and some windows. It is more complicated than that.
This is one of the reasons that celebrating the new year has become very important for me. I do not care about "New Year’s resolutions(愿望)” - living abroad has made me constantly reconsider what kind of person I want to be and how I will live my life, so I don't feel the need to plan for change: I live for change.
New Year’s Eve has become my time to reconnect with the friends that makes me feel at home. Every year we try to reunite wherever we are and remember the time when we knew each other so well that we felt like a family. It is a moment to reconnect and get to know each other again. Last year, we travelled to a cottage in Ireland where we had no internet and no neighbours. In the middle of the countryside, away from our big and constantly changing lives, we were able to become like a little family again.
This year, we went to Barcelona. It was a very big change. We were surrounded by culture and life and joy. There were bars and parties. It was different, but one thing stayed very much the same-I felt at home again and we felt like a family again.
A lot of people feel that New Year’s Eve cannot live up to expectations. Ideas such as the "New Year's kiss" and "resolutions" create a lot of pressure for people to have a night to remember, a night that will change their lives and perhaps make the next year one worth living. I think those people are missing the point. If Christmas is about family, why can't New Year be about friends?
1.What does the underlined word "It" in Paragraph I probably mean?
A. Family. B. Living abroad.
C. Home. D. Staying with friends.
2.Why doesn't the author care about "New Year's resolutions"?
A. New Year’s resolutions cannot be reached.
B. His lifestyle makes him always ready for change.
C. It's meaningless to make any big changes in life.
D. Making New Year's resolutions creates much pressure.
3.What does the author try to convey through his experiences in Ireland and Barcelona?
A. Life is peaceful and enjoyable.
B. Living abroad is a happy experience.
C. Staying with friends makes one feel at home.
D. Travelling abroad enriches one's life experience.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. New Year's Celebration:How? B. True Friendship: What?
C. Living Abroad: Comfortable or Complicated? D. Change:Plan it or Make it?
Broken Wings
1-4 Aug: Musical adaptation of the poet Kahil Gibran's 1912 masterpiece. Set in New York in 1923, it transports you to turn-of-the-century Beirut.
7:30pm (& 2. 30pm 4 Aug). Tickets:￡l0-￡96. so. www. trh. co. uk. Theatre Royal Haymarket, Haymarket, SWIY 4HT. T: 020-7930 8800. E7. Station: Piccadilly Circus.
Chicago the Musical
Martin Kemp stars as Billy in this jazz musical based on real murder cases which shocked Chicago in the 1920s.
Mon-Sat 7:30pm; Wed & Sat 2:30pm Tickets: ￡25-￡150. www. phoenixtheatrelondon co. uk
Phoenix Theatre, 110 Charing Cross Rd, WC2HOJP. T: 0843-316 1082. E7. Station: Tottenham Court Road
Dreamgirls
Musical about a female singing group from Chicago. Classic songs include I Am Telling You I'm Not Going, I Am Changing , and Listen and One Night Only. Join these friends as they go on a musical rollercoaster ride through a world of fame, fortune and the ruthless realities of show business, testing their friendships to the very limit.
Mon-Sat 7: 30pm; Wed & Sat 2:30pm Tickets: ￡15-￡75. www. savoytheatre org. savoy.
Strand WC2R OET. T: 0844-871 7687. E8. Station: Covent Garden.
Everybody ' s Talking about Jamie
This feel-good musical is set on a council estate in Sheffield, northern England, and tells the story of 16-year-old Jamie and how he overcomes bullies and prejudice. This is inspired by a true bully story.
Mon-Sat 7: 30pm; Wed & &t 2 30pm Tickets: ￡20-￡85. www. everybodystalkingaboutjarmie.co. uk
Apollo Theatre, 31 Shaftesbury Ava WID 7ES T: 0330-333 4809. E7. Station: Piccaddly Circus
1.Which number can one call to get more information on the musical about a murder story?
A.020-7930 8800. B.0843-316 1082.
C.0844-871 7687. D.0330-333 4809.
2.Which one of the musicals isn’t set in the U. S. ?
A.Dreamgirls. B.Chicago the Musical.
C.Broken Wings. D.Everybody's Talking about Jamie.
3.If one wants to enjoy classic songs, which website should he visit to book tickets?
A.www. trh. co.uk. B.www. phoenixtheatrelondon. co. uk.
C.www. savoytheatre. org. savoy. D.www. everybodystalkingaboutjamie.co. uk
阅读下面短文，根据其内容和所给段落的开头语续写一段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的字数应为80词左右。
One day Mom and I were driving through the countryside. Back then I was 13 years old and always felt unhappy with Mom. However, little did I know that this trip was going to be a special one.
A pot of flowers sat in the back seat, whose pleasant smell filled the car. Suddenly, Mom pulled over. She hopped out of the car, grabbing the flowers from the back seat.
''It'll just be a minute,'' she said.
Impatiently, I caught sight of a little sign showing that it was a nursing home. I looked back to the building, somewhat annoyed, as my mom reappeared empty handed.
Before she started the car, curiosity drove me to ask, ''Do you know someone there?'' She shook her head. ''Then what did you do with the flowers? '' She smiled slightly, ''I gave them to the receptionist. '' ''What?'' She laughed at my confusion. ''I told the receptionist to give the flowers to whoever needed them.''
I kept silent for a moment. Then I asked her, ''Did you leave your name? '' To this she answered instantly, ''No. Leaving flowers there for someone who will appreciate them makes me feel good, which is enough of a thank for me.''
Lost in thought, I heard something burst loudly. It was our car that broke down! Nothing could be worse, because neither my mom nor I understood how to repair it, and we didn't know where the garage was.
Not knowing what to do, Mom and I decided to walk back to the nursing home and seek help. When we arrived, the receptionist was surprised, but warmly helped us contact the garage. There, the old men who had received the flowers were excited to meet us, talking about how great that day was. It amazed us what random actions of kindness could mean to the people who received them. While we were laughing and talking merrily, we received the news that the garage had got our car repaired.
As we drove along the road, a flower shop came into sight. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
假定你是李华，你的英国笔友 Peter将要到你校交流学习，请你给他写一封邮件，内容包括：
1.表示欢迎；
2.提出建议（关注气候差异，准备日常汉语等）；
3.表达祝愿；
注意：1.词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节.以使行文连贯。
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
根据汉语及首字母提示写出单词的正确形式，每空仅限一词。
1.The harvest festival takes place after all the crops have been g__________(收割) in.
2.Over 300.000 lives were c__________ (失去生命) death in the1906 San Francisco earthquake and the series of fires that occurred after it.
3.Carl and his friends stayed with a g_________ (慷慨的) family who offered them bread with butter and honey that was homemade.
4.The country has a long history of producing great writers and p________ (诗人).
5.He wanted to m_________ (保持) a good relationship with the ambassador in case others found out just how poor he really was.
6.The Sputnik 1 satellite was I________ (发射) by the USSR in1957and successfully orbited around Earth.
7.I a________ (绝对地) enjoyed the archery, but the horse race were my favourite part.
8.To be f________ (坦率的), the fireworks going off through the night was really annoying.
9.To a person nothing is more p_______ (珍贵的) than their life.
10.However, others feel this is a s___________ (肤浅的) view which fails to realize how exploring space helps us.
