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 al the advances in technology，" said Laurie Demerit，whose company provided the statistics for the report．
（1）What are the statistics in paragraph 2 about？BB
A．Food variety．
B．Eating habits．
C．Table manners．
D．Restaurant service．
（2）Why does Bechtel prefer to go out for lunch？CC
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？DD
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？AA
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．
【答案】B；C；D；A
【解答】
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發(fā)布：2024/5/27 14:0:0組卷：4引用：2難度：0.7
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（1）What can we know about Burlington School？
A．It is open all year.
B．It is located in London.
C．It provides no accommodation.
D．It offers no social practice classes.
（2）Which school offers the biggest discounts？
A．Burlington School.
B．New School of English.
C．University of Liverpool.
D．Interactive English School.
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A．It sets a strict age limit.
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D．It offers General and Specialist English courses.發(fā)布：2025/1/6 16:30:6組卷：0引用：1難度：0.6 -
2．Hi Judy!
You often complain to me that you always buy goods unreasonably on sale promotion（促銷）and feel it shameful after going back to your school dormitory with new things not needed，considering all the money you spend is your parents' income．
In fact，this is a common phenomenon，called impulsive buying，a buying unplanned and hard to control．It usually happens when a store offers discounts（打折）or sales promotion-a special way used by stores to get more customers，which means you may fall into its traps even without notice．
Stores，with a good knowledge of customers' psychology（心理），make use of it to drive business．Avoiding all the impulsive buying is a hard thing．However，knowing our psychology behind it and reducing the times when influenced by sales promotion may be useful．So you should keep calm when facing the sales promotion by keeping in mind what you really need．
Find out the conditions where you are likely to buy things blindly．When seeing a dress advertised at 20% off，do not concentrate on the discount，but warn yourself against falling into the trap of "saving money''．
Besides，do not forget the long-term effects of your choice when meeting a sales promotion．Short-term benefits，like excited feeling just after buying items encourage impulsive buying．But the long-term costs such as waste of money and the sense of shame really annoy you．When seeing the advertisements，remember what you really want to buy originally and warn yourself of that terrible feeling．Only in this way can you save money for really needed things．
Yours，
Rachel
（1）Judy felt it a shame to．
A．complain to others about the poverty of her family
B．waste her parents' money on unneeded things
C．buy cheap things at lower prices or with less money
D．rely on her parents for further education
（2）Which of the following is true of impulsive buying according to Rachel？
A．It is designed by shops to draw customers' attention．
B．It can be brought under control with the help of stores．
C．It is planned by buyers with the purpose of saving money．
D．It is done by customers without considering its bad effects．
（3）In face of sales promotion Judy is advised to．
A．have belief in her own immediate decision
B．check the quality of the goods at low prices
C．stay calm by thinking about what she really needs
D．take the chance to learn more about stores tricks
（4）How do buyers usually feel in the long run after buying discounted things？
A．Regretful．
B．Thrilled．
C．Relaxed．
D．Sceptical．發(fā)布：2025/1/10 8:0:1組卷：4引用：2難度：0.6 -
3．Ever since I graduated from high school I've worked in the factories surrounding my hometown every summer.However，making the transformation between school and full-time blue-collar work during the break never gets any easier.For a student like me who considers any class before noon to be unacceptable，getting to a factory by 6 o'clock each morning is suffering.My friends never seem to understand why I'm so relieved to be back at school or that my summer vacation has been anything but a vacation.
There are few people as self-confident as a college student who has never been out in the real world.People of my age always seem to overestimate the value of their time and knowledge.In fact，all the classes did not prepare me for my battles with the machine I ran in the plant，which would jam whenever I absent-mindedly put in a part backward or upside down.
The most stressful thing about blue-collar life is knowing your job could disappear over night.Issues like being laid off and overseas relocation had always seemed distant to me until my co-workers told me that the unit I was working in would shut down within six months and move to Mexico，where people would work for 60 cents an hour.
After working 12-hour shifts（輪班）in a factory，the other options have become only too clear. "This job pays well，but it's hell on the body，" said one co-worker. "Study hard and keep reading." she added.When I'm back at the university，skipping classes and turning in lazy re-writes seems too irresponsible after seeing what I would be doing without school.All the advice and public-service announcements about the value of an education that used to sound stale（陳腐的）now ring true.
My experiences in the factories have inspired me to make the most of my college years before I enter the real world for good.
（1）What does the author think of his summer holiday？
A．It was no holiday for him at all.
B．It brought him nothing but suffering.
C．It was a relief from his hard work at school.
D．It offered him a chance to make more friends.
（2）What can we infer about most college students？
A．They do better in the real world.
B．They are confident when they work.
C．They think too highly of themselves.
D．They are expert at handling machines.
（3）What is the biggest pressure for blue-collar workers？
A．A low income.
B．The lack of security.
C．An unstable location.
D．Less break.
（4）How did the working experiences change the author？
A．He became responsible for his work.
B．He learned to be more practical at work.
C．He began to respect blue-collar workers.
D．He came to appreciate his college education.發(fā)布：2025/1/6 16:30:6組卷：0引用：1難度：0.5