Please sit down and enjoy your meal.Just don't talk about it.
These are the requirements at a popular dining party that is known as "silent dinners".It encourages people who take part in the dining party not to speak for one to two hours and not to use electronic devices.Instead,the idea is to just on the food.
"Silent dinner parties are fast growing," said Honi Ryan,who has hosted 32 silent dinner parties in 11 cities across eight countries,including Germany,Australia and the United States."The way we communicate is changing so fast that we need to stop and think about it."
According to a 2013 nationwide survey,restaurant noise came in second only to poor service among customer(顾客) complaints.And 19 percent of diners who took part in the survey said noise and crowds disturbed them most while eating out.
Though silent dinners may seem curious,the idea is not a new one.Yogis(瑜伽信徒) have long enjoyed silent meals as part of a deepened practice.In fact,it was a trip to a temple(寺庙) in India by a man that encouraged one Brooklyn restaurant recently to add a silent dinner to its event programming.
"We'll make a small speech at the beginning of the meal to make sure everyone understands what is happening and ask them not to speak or use their mobile phones for at least an hour," said EAT Greenpoint owner Jordan Colon.And background music will be turned off,too.
"It's funny;when I first opened EAT,I didn't play music for some time and people had very different reactions(反映) to that," said Colon."Some people who come out to eat are ready to party,but it was so quiet without music.But I wanted to create an environment that makes you relaxed."
Although personal reactions to a silent dinner may be various,in general they are more likely to get into a lot of talk afterwards,said Ryan."At the end of the night people always have a lot to say about silence.But the most reaction is that there is always a good laugh."
1.The first paragraph is written to be a(n)____ .
A.conclusion B.introduction
C.argument D.warning
2.At silent dinner parties,people should not____.
A.leave before they finish eating
B.just pay attention to the food
C.use a mobile phone or listen to music
D.take electronic devices to the party
3.What does the writer try to tell us in Paragraph 5?
A.Silent meals help people live longer.
B.Yogis are the first to hold silent dinners.
C.More and more people like eating in silence.
D.The idea of eating in silence appeared long ago.
4.In Jordan Colon's opinion,silent dinners ____.
A.make people comfortable and relaxed
B.are hard to be accepted by most people
C.can help him to attract more customers
D.provide a chance to get to know others
Biking is an amazing family activity,but finding a route that is suitable for different,ages is a little difficult.Lee McNeil and his family ate crazy about biking.They have seven children,from 4 to 24 years old.When looking for a route,they look for enough protection from traffic,good surface condition and interesting views.
Here are some great routes for biking with your whole family which are suggested by McNeil.
Iron Horse Trail
This is the McNeil family's favorite ride.The route ~s 26 miles and goes through the 2.1 mile Snoqualmie Tunnel."Beautiful views,the tunnel,and places to stop and watch the rock climbers make it special," McNeil said."All our kids have taken their turn to go through the black tunnel bravely for the first time and we celebrate it at the end of the ride." If you prefer,check http://bit,ly/Mlt9y4 for more information.
Centennial Trail
The Centennial Trail runs for 23 miles from Snohomish to Bryant.The trail is wide and smooth,and is safe for kids as it is off the roads.A nice stop is Lake Cassidy east of Marysville.A dock(码头) on the lake is fun to explore.It also has picnic tables and washrooms for a convenient(方便的) lunch-time stop.For a map,go to http://bit.ly/L5qCeY.
Cascade Trail
The Cascade Trail is 23 miles.The slope(斜坡) is gentle and it makes for an easy family ride.McNeil said it is a "beautiful ride up the Skagit Valley,with lots of places to watch wildlife along the river".Go to http://bit,ly/PR4wOW to see a map showing the trail,parking areas and bus stops.
Other good choices
Snoqualmie Valley Trail: http : / / L.usa.Gov/n WGWO
Guemes Island: http://bit,ly/LJ3RxL
Burke-Gilman Trail: http : / /l.usa.gov/ s33li
1.Which of the following route do McNeil's family like best?
A.Cascade Trail. B.Iron Horse Trail.
C.Centennial Trail. D.Burke-Gilman Trail.
2.If you choose the Centennial Trail,you can ____.
A,watch the rock climbers B.see a small valley
C.go through a tunnel D.have a picnic for lunch
3.The main purpose of the passage is to ____.
A.ask people to learn from Lee McNeil
B.tell people how to make a family ride
C.introduce some routes for family rides
D.encourage more people to ride bikes
完形填空(共l5小题;每小题l分。计15分)
阅读下列短文,从文后各题所给的四个选项中选出一个最佳答案。
Joe Azougar was walking his dog when a bear appeared suddenly.
"When it came up,the first thing my dog did was me and attack the bear," Azougar said from his in Lady Minto Hospital.
Then Azougar ran into his house and began to his neighbors,warning them what was going on."As I looked around I saw the bear pull my dog into the .And to my great sadness,the dog was killed," he said.
Then suddenly,the bear and it broke through the house's back window.Azougar began throwing things at the bear and making loud noises.Then he stood on a chair to make himself look much .
"It seemed as if the bear was very , said Azougar.“I thought my best chance was to run outside someone could find me."
Azougar began running,but the bear him.
"It had four paws on top of me," he said.“Then,it my body and tried to bite my stomach.That gave me just a few to turn into and protect my head."
The bear began to pull Azougar's body.“By that time I could feel my body becoming ," Azougar said.
Luckily,two women,who were ,saved him.Their car was such a(n) thing in the bear's eyes,that it ran quickly into the woods.
"I am just thankful to those two angels that saved me in time," he said.
People,who have lived here for 20 or 30 years,said they had seen anything like this," said Azougar.He is the first one,and he hopes that he will be also the last one."Now I'm planning to move somewhere else once I come out of hospital."
1.A.protect B.follow C.leave D.stop
2.A.office B.lab C.bed D.desk
3.A.calm B.visit C.save D.call
4.A.water B.fire C.woods D.grass
5.A.ran away B.came back C.gave up D.jumped up
6.A.larger B.kinder C.smaller D.cleverer
7.A.sick B.lazy C.bored D.hungry
8.A.ever since B.so that C.even if D.as if
9.A.ate B.forgot C.caught D.changed
10.A.turned over B.put up C.cut off D.poured into
11.A.days B.hours C.minutes D.seconds
12.A.warm B.lifeless C.strong D.healthy
13.A.walking by B.running by C.driving by D.cycling by
14.A.funny B.interesting C.modern D.frightening
15.A.sometimes B.once C.never D.often
-The young man who entered our factory last month has made some mistakes this week.
--Well.____.
A.He that climbs high falls heavily
B.He who makes no mistakes makes nothing
C.He who laughs last laughs best
D.He that will not work shall not eat
Ladies or gentlemen,whether young or old,____ some money of yours to the poor people in the mountain area who are suffering.
A.to donate B.donating
C.donate D.will donate
--How do you like this piece of music by Tan Dun?
--Well,of all the music that he has written,I think this is his ____ one.
A.better-known B.well-known
C.best-known D.most-known