Question

    Once eating alone was just that: sitting down in a restaurant on one’s own and eating a meal. Everyone did it sometimes, and when they did so, 1. . To eat alone might suggest that you didn’t have any friends. There was a kind of shame attached to it.

Nowadays, however, there is more and more solitary (独自的) eating for pleasure. 2. . “Foodies”—people with a passionate interest in cuisines—do it because all they need is the chance to eat good food. They don’t want company or conversation, but only the joy of eating some special dish. Other people eat alone because it’s simply practical for them to do so. For instance, it’s estimated that nearly a third of all the customers of fast-food restaurants eat alone. They are served with their food fast， eat it fast and then leave fast. 3.

But the appeal of eating alone is quite different. 4. . For the hour or so that it takes to have a meal, they can forget all the pressures of their lives. They don’t have to deal with their family or job. They can relax and let their mind wander. Maybe they’ll bring a book, a newspaper to enjoy a quiet time.

David Annand, editor of Conde Nast Traveler magazine, who delights in dining alone, speaks of his pleasure in the “rhythm of a meal in a restaurant—its ebb and flow (人来人往), the periodic arrival and departure of the waiter”. 5. .

A.It’s an experience of freedom

B.they might be a little embarrassed

C.People choose to eat alone for various reasons

D.none of them would feel bad about themselves

E.Sometimes staying alone is quite cosy when you don’t work

F.This restaurant rhythm allows him to sit back, observe and think

G.It saves time if they have a meeting or a child to pick up from school

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.G

4.A

5.F

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章说明了现在有越来越多的人以独自吃饭为乐。人们选择独自吃饭有各种各样的原因，同时独自用餐对人们来说更是一种自由的体验。

1.根据下文To eat alone might suggest that you didn’t have any friends. There was a kind of shame attached to it.（独自吃饭可能意味着你没有任何朋友。这是一种耻辱。）可知每当一个人独自吃饭的时候可能都会觉得尴尬，故选B。

2.根据下文“Foodies”—people with a passionate interest in cuisines—do it because all they need is the chance to eat good food. They don’t want company or conversation, but only the joy of eating some special dish. Other people eat alone because it’s simply practical for them to do so.（“美食家”——对烹饪有强烈兴趣的人——这么做是因为他们所需要的只是有机会吃到美味的食物。他们不想有人做伴，也不想有人聊天，只想享受吃特殊菜肴的乐趣。另一些人独自吃饭是因为这样做对他们来说很实用。）可知是在说明人们独自的吃饭的各种原因。故选C。

3.根据上文They are served with their food fast, eat it fast and then leave fast.（他们被快速地送上食物，快速地吃完，然后快速地离开。）可推知独自吃饭可以快速吃完，如果他们有会议或孩子要去学校接，这能节省时间。故选G。

4.根据下文For the hour or so that it takes to have a meal, they can forget all the pressures of their lives. They don’t have to deal with their family or job. They can relax and let their mind wander. Maybe they’ll bring a book, a newspaper to enjoy a quiet time.（在吃饭的一个小时左右的时间里，他们可以忘记生活中的所有压力。他们不需要处理他们的家庭或工作。他们可以放松，让他们的思想漫游。也许他们会带本书、报纸来享受安静的时光。）可知独自吃饭给了人们更多独处的时间，让人们更加自由。故选A“这是一种自由的体验”。

5.根据上文David Annand, editor of Conde Nast Traveler magazine, who delights in dining alone, speaks of his pleasure in the “rhythm of a meal in a restaurant—its ebb and flow, the periodic arrival and departure of the waiter”.（《康泰纳斯特旅行者》杂志的编辑大卫•阿南德喜欢独自用餐，他说他喜欢“餐厅里的一顿饭的节奏——它的起起伏伏，服务员的定期来来回回”。）中rhythm可对应到F选项中restaurant rhythm。表示“这种餐厅的节奏让他能够坐下来，观察和思考”符合语境。故选F。