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.
“You can use me as a last resort(选择), and if nobody else volunteers, then I will do it.” This was an actual reply from a parent after I put out a request for volunteers for my kids’ lacrosse(长曲棍球) club.
I guess that there’s probably some demanding work schedule, or social anxiety around stepping up to help for an unknown sport. She may just need a little persuading. So I try again and tug at the heartstrings. I mention the single parent with four kids running the show and I talk about the dad coaching a team that his kids aren’t even on … At this point the unwilling parent speaks up, “Alright. Yes, I’ll do it.”
I’m secretly relieved because I know there’s real power in sharing volunteer responsibilities among many. The unwilling parent organizes the meal schedule, sends out emails, and collects money for end-of-season gifts. Somewhere along the way, the same parent ends up becoming an invaluable member of the team. The coach is able to focus on the kids while the other parents are relieved to be off the hook for another season. Handing out sliced oranges to bloodthirsty kids can be as exciting as watching your own kid score a goal.
Still, most of us volunteers breathe a sigh of relief when the season comes to a close. That relief is coupled with a deep understanding of why the same people keep coming back for more: Connecting to the community(社区) as you freely give your time, money, skills, or services provides a real joy. Volunteering just feels so good.
In that sense, I’m pretty sure volunteering is more of a selfish act than I’d freely like to admit. However, if others benefit in the process, and I get some reward too, does it really matter where my motivation lies?
1.What can we infer about the parent from her reply in paragraph l？
A.She knows little about the club.
B.She isn’t good at sports.
C.She just doesn’t want to volunteer.
D.She’s unable to meet her schedule.
2.What does the underlined phrase “tug at the heartstrings” in paragraph 2 mean?
A.Encourage teamwork.
B.Appeal to feelings.
C.Promote good deeds.
D.Provide advice.
3.What can we learn about the parent from paragraph 3?
A.She gets interested in lacrosse.
B.She is proud of her kids.
C.She’ll work for another season.
D.She becomes a good helper.
4.Why does the author like doing volunteer work?
A.It gives her a sense of duty.
B.It makes her very happy.
C.It enables her to work hard.
D.It brings her material rewards.
My Favourite Books
Jo Usmar is a writer for Cosmopolitan and co-author of the This Book Will series(系列) of lifestyle books. Here she picks her top reads.
Matilda
Roald Dahl
I once wrote a paper on the influence of fairy tales on Roald Dahl’s writing and it gave me a new appreciation for his strange and delightful words. Matilda’s battles with her cruel parents and the bossy headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, are equally funny and frightening, but they’re also aspirational.
After Dark
Haruki Murakami
It’s about two sisters—Eri, a model who either won’t or can’t stop sleeping, and Mari, a young student. In trying to connect to her sister, Mari starts changing her life and discovers a world of diverse “night people” who are hiding secrets.
Gone Girl
Gillian Fynn
There was a bit of me that didn’t want to love this when everyone else on the planet did, but the horror story is brilliant. There’s tension and anxiety from the beginning as Nick and Amy battle for your trust. It’s a real whodunit and the frustration when you realise what’s going on is horribly enjoyable.
The Stand
Stephen King
This is an excellent fantasy novel from one of the best storytellers around. After a serious flu outbreak wipes out 99.4% of the world’s population, a battle unfolds between good and evil among those left. Randall Flagg is one of the scariest characters ever.
1.Who does “I” refer to in the text?
A.Stephen King. B.Gillian Flynn.
C.Jo Usmar. D.Roald Dahl.
2.Which of the following tells about Mari and Eri?
A.Cosmopolitan. B.Matilda.
C.After Dark. D.The Stand.
3.What kind of book is Gone Girl?
A.A folk tale. B.A biography.
C.A love story. D.A horror story.
假定你是李华，你的留学生朋友Jack发邮件向你咨询当地即将举办的民间美食节（the Folk Food Festival）的情况，请给他回一封电子邮件。内容包括：
1. 举办时间和目的；
2. 活动内容（展示传统美食，品尝美食等）；
3. 邀请他参加。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。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。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，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。
Every country has its own culture and way of life, and many people wonder that it would be like to living in a country like Australia. It’s the six biggest country in the world. Surrounding by the ocean, Australia has population of about twenty-two million. It’s a country of deserts, beaches, mountains, rivers and lakes, mostly on a hugely scale. It’s a country of blue skies and large farrr1s that measured thousands of square kilometers. It’s a country whose population consists in of natives and people from many other country. It’s also a country of kangaroos but koalas.
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Why does autumn have two names? According to Merriam-Webster, “autumn” appeared first in English in the 1300s, coming from the Lation word “autumnus”. “Autumn” caught on quickly, likely because it replaced the 1. (origin) name—”harvest”. As you might imagine, when crops were collected from the fields, calling the season “harvest” might make people 2. (confuse) because “harvest” is also the name for the act 3. (it).
So “autumn” appeared instead of “harvest”. Then the term, “autumn”, 4. was referred to the season between summer and winter, lasted for a couple of 5. (century). “Fall” as a name for the season came about sometime in the 1500s, a shortened version of the very poetic phrase for “the fall of leaves”. The English phrase had true meaning of the season without leading 6. any confusion. Not even a century later, the phrase became a simple word: fall.
Around this same time, the English language was traveling across the globe as Britain expanded, and it was 7. (go) through some changes, as many languages did. This was 8. (particular) true in the American colonies (殖民地). Some English words changed in the US, whether in terms of spelling 9. in terms of general usage. In the mid-1800s, British and American English speakers further developed in different ways and “fall” was the common word for “autumn” in the US, while autumn 10. (regard) as the word for fall in England.
