Americans are a very energetic and mobile people, always on the run, rushing from one appointment to another, from a PTA meeting to a social planning committee. They have very little time to spend preparing elaborate everyday meals to be eaten at leisure. In many homes it is rare for the whole family to sit down at supper together. Clubs and commitments force them to grab a quick meal rather than a sit-down supper.
When they do have the chance to eat at home often the working housewife prefers to prepare meals which can be quickly heated and consumed. It is no wonder, therefore, that America has become a sanctuary for fast food consumption.
This great transformation occurred after World War II when many women began to work full-time jobs and were spending less time at home with their families. Women, however, wanted to function well in the capacity of home-maker, as well as that of career woman but time became a precious commodity which had to be carefully used.
Therefore, it was necessary to make her life easier at home in the preparation of the family dinner. Simultaneously with women entering the job market there was also a shifting of the focus of home entertainment from the radio to the television.
Television became the latest fad in the fifties and no one wanted to miss his or her favorite televised program. The place for the evening’s supper shifted from the dining room to the living room.
As the customs changed, so did the culture. The immediate solution for this was the invention of the TV dinner. These were frozen meals which were sectioned off into portions of meat and vegetables. They could easily be popped into an oven and prepared within minutes. The tin trays in which they were served were conveniently carried into the living room and dinner was consamed in front of a TV set. Cleaning up afterwards was no problem. The tin trays were easily tossed into the garbage.
From fast dinners at home the next step was quick eating while on the road. At this time also the love for TV was combined with the fascination for the automobile. It is not odd that with the development of the superhighways America saw the beginning of fast food chains. McDonald’s paved the way with its variety of burgers and shakes soon to be followed by all kinds of other foods. Today dozens of fast-food chain franchises can be found along highways, in modem shopping malls and scattered throughout neighborhoods in America. Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Roy Roger’s, Burger King and Wendy’s are just a few of the fast-food chains which are now part of American culture. They offer chicken, donuts, tacos and pizza, all quickly produced in great quantities for the masses. These establishments have given shape to the modern lifestyles and diet of the American people.
注意：此部分試題請在答題卡2上作答。
57. Why Americans cannot eat elaborately prepared meals at leisure?
[A] Because they don’t like cooking themselves,
[B] Because there are more choices in the restaurants.
[C] Because they have many things to do.
[D] Because they can do nothing at leisure.
58. Americans have been the consumers of fast food since
[A] many women began to work full-time jobs
[B] the invention of fast food
[C] few women would like to be homemakers any more
[D] the great reform after World War II
59. Americans began to have supper in the living rooms because of
[A] the attraction of the radio
[B] their preference in fast food
[C] the shift of home focus
[D] the attraction of the television
60. The fast food chains began to flourish with __
[A] the development of the shopping malls
[B] the development of the superhighways
[C] the beginning of fast food chain franchises
[D] the change of Americans’ lifestyles
61. The main topic of the passage is __
[A] the beginning of fast food chains
[B] the changes of Americans’ eating customs
[C] the transformation of lifestyles
[D] the dieting of the American people
答案：
57.C綜合推斷題。文章首段指出，美國人精力充沛，總是四處奔忙，趕著赴一個又一個約會，趕著參加各種活動。他們沒有時間精心準備飯菜，也沒時間悠閑地吃飯，許多家庭很少坐在一起吃晚飯。為了參加俱樂部和社團活動，他們常胡亂地吃口飯，由此推斷，美國人有許多事要做，因此無法悠閑地吃精心準備的飯菜，故選C。
58.A綜合推斷題。文章第二段指出，美國成為快餐的消費大國;第三段指出，巨大的轉(zhuǎn)變是在“二戰(zhàn)”后發(fā)生的，當時許多女性開始做全職工作，在家與家人共處的時間減少了，她們想在做好家庭主婦的同時盡好職業(yè)女性的本分，因此要合理地利用時間，由此推斷，自從大量女性開始做全職工作，原本的主婦不再有時間做飯，所以美國人經(jīng)常食用快餐，故選A。
59.D綜合推斷題。文章第四段指出，在女性開始工作的同時，家庭娛樂的重心由收音機轉(zhuǎn)向了電視，沒人愿意錯過自己喜愛的電視節(jié)目，因此吃晚餐的地點由飯廳轉(zhuǎn)換到了起居室，由此推斷，美國人開始在起居室吃飯是由于電視的吸引，故選D。
60.B信息明示題。文章最后一段第三句指出，隨著高速公路的發(fā)展，美國出現(xiàn)了快餐連鎖店，由此可知，快餐連鎖店的繁榮發(fā)展是伴隨著高速公路的發(fā)展而進行的，故選B。
61.B主旨題。文章首段指出，美國人現(xiàn)在四處奔忙，很少有時間悠閑地享用家里做的飯菜;第二段提到，他們在家通常吃方便食品;第三段指出，美國人飲食習(xí)慣的轉(zhuǎn)變是由于“二戰(zhàn)”后女性開始做全職工作;第四、五段指出，隨著電視的流行，又出現(xiàn)了適合邊看電視邊吃的速凍快餐;最后一段指出，隨著高速公路的發(fā)展，快餐連鎖店開始繁榮起來。綜合可知，文章的主題是美國人飲食習(xí)慣的轉(zhuǎn)變，故選B。
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