Do you like to eat many different foods at the same time? Most of us do, but to buy twenty dishes at a restaurant is just too expensive for most Americans. A good way is to eat a potluck (百乐餐).
The idea is to have each family in a community prepare one or two dishes only and bring them to a large room. Many soups, salads, meats, hot dishes, cold dishes, desserts, and drinks are put on the table at one time. Each family member then takes a paper plate, a plastic knife, a fork, a spoon and a paper cup. In turn, they pick out the food they want to eat and fill their own plates with a balanced meal. Then, they sit with either their family or friends.
When they finish, they may go back to the table and eat more food for there is always more than the group can eat at one time. Following the meal, everyone puts their paper plates and cups as well as the plastic knives, forks, and spoons into the rubbish container.
At many potlucks, the people then begin having fun. A group of four men may sing as a Barbershop Quartet. A pianist or a violinist may play a solo. Often there is group singing. Sometimes there is a liars contest. Three people are chosen to tell a story. They leave the room and come back and two tell a true story while one tells a lie. The lie must be a clever story so it will be hard to choose which of the three stories is not true. The liars contest always causes everyone to laugh loudly.
Everyone leaves the potluck in good spirits as they have all eaten a very good meal and they have enjoyed themselves very much.
1. How does the author explain a potluck?| A．A meal contained in a pot that will bring you good luck. |
| B．An ordinary meal for several families. |
| C．A big meal for some special guests. |
| D．A meal where many families eat together each preparing one or two dishes. |
| A．A group of three men may sing as a Barbershop Quartet. |
| B．A pianist or a violinist may play as a Barbershop Quartet. |
| C．Three people are often chosen to have a liars contest. |
| D．Three people are chosen to tell a true story. |
| A．Because the lie is also a true story. |
| B．Because the lie is told by a clever liar. |
| C．Because the lie is required to be a clever story. |
| D．Because the true stories are easy to tell. |
| A．To introduce a community activity. |
| B．To speak highly of a social activity. |
| C．To show a very effective way to eat well. |
| D．To show the importance of a potluck. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Raising a baby takes a lot of work, especially when that baby is a king penguin. Now, it looks like climate change will make life even harder for these birds.
Most king penguins live on the Crozet Archipelago, a group of islands in the Indian Ocean, about 1，000 miles north of Antarctica. After the penguin chicks are born in November，which is summer in the Southern Hemisphere，both parents spend 4 months collecting fish to feed their offspring (后代)．
When the fish move to deeper waters in March, the adults swim hundreds of miles south. There, near the Antarctic ice, they spend the winter eating seafood to add to their own energy stores. In October, the parents return to their babies and finish raising them.
Scientists from France have been studying king penguins for a decade. Starting in 1998，Yvon Le Maho and his colleagues put electronic ID tags under the skin of hundreds of penguins. These are the same types of tags you might put in your dog or cat so that you can track them if they're lost. The tags have allowed researchers to get everything about penguins, such as how long they live, whether they return from their winter trips, and if their babies manage to survive the winter.
To see whether water temperatures affect the penguins, Le Maho compared his data with temperature records. Ocean surface temperatures vary from year to year. And previous research had shown that fewer fish and other creatures grow when the water is warmer. Le Maho suspected that this drop would make it harder for adult penguins to survive the hard times ahead. Indeed, his results showed that fewer adults survived during winters when the water was especially warm.
King penguins can live for up to 30 years. And for now, the population still appears healthy. But a warming trend could spell big trouble for a bird that depends on cold and ice.
1. What do adult penguins do in March?| A．They swim south to find food for their offspring. |
| B．They leave their offspring alone for months. |
| C．They take their offspring elsewhere to search for food. |
| D．They teach their offspring some living skills. |
| A．help penguins recognize each other |
| B．help researchers tell one penguin from another |
| C．keep track of the details of the penguins |
| D．help researchers find the lost penguins |
| A．Worried. | B．Optimistic. |
| C．Indifferent. | D．Satisfied. |
| A．To call on people to fight against global warming. |
| B．To call on people to protect the endangered penguins. |
| C．To tell global warming is threatening the survival of penguins. |
| D．To explain how global warming affects the life of sea animals. |
【推荐2】Stay in style: Europe’s 4 best new design hotels
Casa Cook Samos, Greece
The laid-back island of Samos, birthplace of Pythagoras and, in legend, of the goddess Hera, is the heavenly location for the fourth hotel from Casa Cook. Its low-cost, high-style pads in Greece and Egypt are perfect for the Insta generation. It’s relaxed here, with a yoga salon, a wellness centre, six swimming pools and terraces dotted with earthy-toned daybeds — all set among wild olive trees, agave, pines and palms, echoing the verdant landscapes of this hilly Aegean island.
Doubles from €148 a night, casacook.com
MOB House, Paris, France
This hotel has come up with a new formula — “3-in-1” rooms, incorporating bed, office and meeting room. But even those not “workationing” will find this a fun stay, especially when the organic beerhouse, gym, large garden and 20-metre outdoor pool are taken into account. Trendsetting rooms, painted in sandy and mossy colours, are typical of the team behind the hotel, which includes designer Philippe Starck and Cyril Aouizerate.
Doubles from €200 B&B, mobhouse.com
Hôtel de Cambis, Avignon, France
With an extremely well-stocked wine bar and an “artistic concept based on wine and the French art of living”, the freshly uncorked Hôtel de Cambis is one for wine lovers. It may have the exterior of a grande dame, but inside, the rooms — categorized as millésime, premier cru or grand cru.
Doubles from €130 B&B, hoteldecambis.com
The Baro, southern Finland
Black timber cabins with picture windows are raised on stilts in a pine forest overlooking the sea at this pared-back retreat in the Inkoo region. Guests can explore several large islands, offering beaches, galleries and smart cafes, or just hang out in the black wooden sauna on the beach, go mushroom picking or borrow kayaks.
Doubles from €238 B&B, one under-four can share the room for free, extra beds €50, thebarofiland.com
1. Which hotel is the most appealing to the Insta generation?| A．Casa Cook Samos, Greece. | B．MOB House, Paris, France. |
| C．Hôtel de Cambis, Avignon. | D．The Baro, southern Finland. |
| A．They are the birthplace of the Goddess of Greek mythology. |
| B．They both cater to people with fitness needs. |
| C．They both embody an artistic concept which is based on wine and the French art of living. |
| D．They are both located in a pine forest. |
| A．€130. | B．€200. | C．€238. | D．€288. |
【推荐3】A young woman sits alone in a cafe sipping tea and reading a book. She pauses briefly to write on a nearby notepad（便条薄）before showing her words to a passing cafe waiter，"Where are the toilets please？"This is a familiar scene in Tokyo's so-called" silent cafes"，where customers are not allowed to speak，and only communicate by writing on notepads.
The concept rises from a desire to be alone among young Japanese，a situation brought by economic uncertainty，a shift in traditional family support structures and the growing social loneliness. The phenomenon（现象）is not limited to coffee shops but covers everything from silent discos，where participants dance alone wearing wireless headphones connected to the DJ, to products such as small desk tents designed for conversation-free privacy in the office. One Kyoto company even offers single women the opportunity to have a "one woman wedding"--a full bridal affair, complete with the white dress and ceremony, and the only thing missing is the groom. The trend has its own media expression--"botchi-zoku", referring to individuals who consciously choose to do things completely on their own.
One recent weekday afternoon, Chihiro Higashikokubaru, a 30-year-old nurse, traveled 90 minutes from her home to Tokyo on her day off in order to enjoy some solo time. Speaking quietly at the entrance of the cafe, Miss Higashikokubaru said, "I heard about this place via Twitter and I like the idea of coming here. I work as a nurse and it's always very busy. There are very few quiet places in Tokyo, and it's a big busy city. I just want to come and sit somewhere quietly on my own. I'm going to drink a cup of tea and maybe do some drawings. I like the idea of a quiet，calm atmosphere. "
The desire to be alone is not a new concept in Japan，home to about 3.6 million" hikikomori"--a more extreme example of social recluses（隐士）who withdraw completely from society.
1. What is special about the "silent cafe"？| A．It provides various tea and books. |
| B．People are not allowed to communicate. |
| C．It has attracted many young people. |
| D．It offers service by writing not by speaking. |
| A．The increasing social loneliness. |
| B．The stable economic situation. |
| C．The rising demand for privacy. |
| D．The rapid development of the Internet. |
| A．She doesn't like to be a nurse. |
| B．She doesn't like the life in big cities. |
| C．She enjoys her solo time in a quiet place. |
| D．She travelled to Tokyo on her workdays. |
| A．Silent Cafes | B．Lonely Japanese |
| C．One Woman Wedding | D．Social Recluses in Japan |
【推荐1】Have you ever wondered what the food you eat every day can tell you about where you come from? Have you ever wondered why people from different parts of the world eat different types of food? Do you ever ask yourself why certain foods or culinary (烹饪的) traditions are so important to your culture? There is more of a connection between food and culture than you may think.
On an individual level, we grow up eating the food of our cultures. It becomes a part of who each of us is. Many of us associate food from our childhood with warm feelings and good memories and it ties us to our families, holding a special and personal value for us.
On a larger scale, food is an important part of culture. Traditional cuisine is passed down from one generation to the next. It also operates as an expression of cultural identity. Immigrants bring the food of their countries with them wherever they go and cooking traditional food is a way of preserving their culture when they move to new places.
In China, harmony is a vital quality in almost every aspect of life. This is reflected in Chinese cuisine, where almost every flavor is used in a balanced way creating delicious dishes with flavors that go well together. The cuisine of the United States also reflects its history. The European colonization of the Americas brought European ingredients and cooking styles to the U.S.
As the world becomes more globalized, it is easier to access cuisines from different cultures. We should embrace our heritage(传统)through our culture's food but we should also become more informed about other cultures by trying their foods. It's important to remember that each dish has a special place in the culture to which it belongs, and is special to those who prepare it.
1. What does the author want to express in Paragraph 1?| A．A link between food and culture. |
| B．Connections between food and the growth of people. |
| C．Different types of food. |
| D．Concerns about food and culture. |
| A．Traditional food. | B．Traditional culture. |
| C．One generation. | D．Childhood. |
| A．It is rich in all kinds of vitamins. |
| B．It balances the dishes of different countries. |
| C．It is extremely crucial to balance people's daily life. |
| D．It contains abundant dishes with various flavors. |
| A．It binds us to the society, holding a special and personal value for us. |
| B．The European colonist in Americas brought the ingredients and cooking styles from their hometown to the USA. |
| C．In Chinese culture, harmony in cuisine is of little significance. |
| D．We should refuse the cuisines in other cultures. |
【推荐2】For the first time ever, more than half of all meals eaten out in the UK are from fast food restaurants. Burgers, fried chicken, pizzas, and takeout curry now account for 50.4% of meals bought outside the home. That’s up from 47.3% in 2008. And it represents a shocking 5.54 billion fast food meals a year.
But why? The answers are simple. For a start, many see fast food as a cheap option, which is a priority (优先考虑) for a lot of people in these times of economic hardship. And it seems that most people prefer familiar chains. “Families want to know what they are getting, and with the likes of McDonald’s and KFC they know it’s a consistent experience and good value,” an industry expert explained.
Many fast food chains are adapting their menus to appeal directly to middleclass families. McDonald’s, for example, has started using free-range eggs and organic milk, together with fruit and vegetables for children’s Happy Meals. And most chains are offering good discounts to attract customers. In London, for example, more than 25% of fast food purchases are made with a promotional voucher (促销券).
But is fast food really such good value for money? Not according to some. “Actually, healthy ingredients are cheaper… and offer better value for money,” a food expert explained. “On the face of it, it may seem like the cheapest option, but when you look at the labels, you’ll find that you’re only getting 50% of meat in your chicken nuggets, for example.”
So, what’s the solution? An online survey on food has a number of suggestions.
“If you want to eat well and cheaply, simply buy lots of basic ingredients, then cook in large amounts. Afterwards, you can freeze any leftover food and eat it later,” says Molly Bates of Birmingham.
“Beans, lentils and pulses are all excellent forms of protein and a lot cheaper than meat and fish. They’re also very tasty,” says Kylie Jones of Brighton.
1. What do the statistics in paragraph 1 show?| A．More people in the UK than before prefer to eat out. |
| B．More than 50 percent of UK people eat out every year. |
| C．An increasing percentage of meals eaten out is fast food. |
| D．There are more fast food restaurants in the UK than before. |
| A．it contains various foods | B．it helps save money |
| C．it provides healthy diets | D．it brings convenience |
| A．The harmful influences of eating fast food. | B．Another reason for the popularity of fast food. |
| C．Different methods of cooking delicious food. | D．More practices of eating well and cheaply. |
【推荐3】Eating out in the United States is not much different than eating out in other parts of the worlds. There are still fast-food chains such as McDonalds and KFC for those hamburgers. However, what makes the restaurants in the US unique is that there is a cultural diversity of restaurants serving food from almost every part of the world. When you arrive in Irvine, and travel around the city, you will find many restaurants of many different cultures, ranging from European, to the Middle East and Asia. So, when you first arrived, there are always restaurants close by that offers the food you prefer.
Now how do you find those restaurants and know if they are good or not? The most common way is through the Internet. In the US, most restaurants can be found through a smartphone app called Yelp. It is a commonly used search engine for restaurants and it is very convenient to use! All you need is to enter the cuisine you want such as “Indian, Sichuan, Sushi, Vegetarian, etc.” In addition, each restaurant on there is also rated and reviewed by some of their past customers. At some restaurants, you can also sign up for the waiting list through the app to save time!
If you don’t have access to a car or don’t have time to go out and eat, there are food delivery services available. Traditionally, pizza is the most common food for delivery. Some delivery services you can try are DoorDash, UberEats, or Postmates. All you would need to do is just make free account, select the restaurants on their webpage, order from the menu, and enter your address to have the food delivered to your home. They usually have a delivery discount the first time you sign up for an account, so make sure to take advantage of that!
1. What’s special about American restaurants?| A．They offer food delivery service. |
| B．They are mainly fast -food chains. |
| C．They are rated and reviewed by past customers. |
| D．They offer different foods from diverse cultures. |
| A．Various. | B．Particular. | C．Convenient. | D．Historical. |
| A．Buying meals is inconvenient in the US. |
| B．The delivery charge will be reduced for the first sign-up. |
| C．You will be charged for opening a delivery account. |
| D．Delivering hamburgers is the most common in the US. |
| A．American traditional food. | B．American diverse culture. |
| C．Guide to eating out in the US. | D．Delivery service in the US. |
【推荐1】Some of the oldest art in human history is being damaged, scientists say. And climate change may be speeding up its loss. New research reports that ancient rock art in Indonesian caves is degrading over time, as bits of rock slowly break off from the walls. It's a huge loss for human history.
Salt crystals（结晶）building up on the walls are a key part of the problem, the study suggests. These salt crystals go into the cave walls, changing sizes as temperatures rise and fall. This process causes the rock to slowly break down.
Salt crystals may become larger when exposed to repeated changes between wet conditions and periods of drought. These kinds of changes are expected to become more obvious as the climate continues to warm.
In particular, the researchers say, climate change may cause more intense El Nino （厄尔尼诺）events in the future. These events can strengthen the kinds of conditions that help salt crystals form Scientists are still debating the exact influence of climate change on El Nino, a natural climate cycle that drives changing patterns of warming and cooling in the Pacific Ocean.
The new study, led by Jillian Huntley, examined 11 ancient cave art sites in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The researchers found evidence of salt formation at all 11 sites. It's merely a small part There are more than 300 known eave art sites around the region. The researchers note that salt crystals may indeed be part of the problem, adding that climate change is a growing threat, one that deserves more attention.
1. What is the main cause of the rocks breaking off from the wall?| A．Weather patterns. | B．Salt crystals. |
| C．Wet conditions. | D．Drought Periods. |
| A．El Nino events prevent salt crystals forming. |
| B．Climate change makes little difference to El Nino. |
| C．Salt crystals may become much larger in wet conditions. |
| D．Constant warm weather may cause salt crystals to change size. |
| A．Worried. | B．Curious. | C．Doubtful. | D．Positive. |
| A．The formation and patterns of salt crystals. |
| B．The impact of climate change on ancient rock arts, |
| C．The historical value of ancient rock art in cave sites. |
| D．The threats of human activities to ancient eave art sites. |
【推荐2】If you are ever planning to buy a telescope and want to get yourself involved in astronomy, it is always a good idea to know a bit of the sky. Know about a few constellations (星座) so that it will be easier for you to recognize the constellations when you are using your telescope.
It’s a good idea to buy a few astronomy magazines to help you know about the constellations in the sky and also read a few comments on different types of telescopes on the market. This will help you gather all the information that is out there regarding telescopes and what people say about them.
It’s advisable to go in for a pair of binoculars (双筒望远镜) which are very easy to carry and use before you buy your first telescope so that you can get used to locating constellations before your view of the sky is narrowed down. This will also help you know if you really want to get involved in astronomy. Many people buy a costly telescope and then discover that they’re not actually interested in astronomy.
It’s an obvious truth that experience has no replacement, and there certainly is nothing better than using different telescopes before you buy one, which will help you to get the feel of all the types of telescopes and you will know which one is easier for you to use. A large aperture refractor telescope (大口径折射望远镜) may give you an excellent picture but you may not be able to hold it firmly while using it, which may result in an unclear picture.
There are three types of telescopes that are available on the market. The first type of telescope is the refractor telescope, which provides a good picture but is not as easy to carry as the other two types of telescopes and so you will have to buy one with a small aperture. The second type of telescope is the reflecting telescope, invented by Isaac Newton.There is no added color in the picture caused by refraction of light. This type of telescope is easy to carry and the cheapest of all. The third type of telescope is known as the catadioptric telescope (折反射望远镜), which is the smallest type of all the telescopes and is more popular among astronomers.
1. What will be required if one wants to use a telescope effectively?| A．The patience to search for constellations. |
| B．The ability to recognize constellations. |
| C．The desire to learn about the history of telescopes. |
| D．The willingness to listen to others’ comments. |
| A．One must know something about astronomy and telescopes. |
| B．One can’t buy a telescope without buying several astronomy magazines. |
| C．One should check the telescopes on the market and try to find a better one. |
| D．One must be familiar with new information of astronomy and space instruments. |
| A．To seek advice from some experienced telescope users. |
| B．To get used to using at least one type of telescope. |
| C．To know whether he is really interested in astronomy. |
| D．To bargain with the seller over the price of the telescope. |
| A．Binoculars. |
| B．The catadioptric telescope. |
| C．The reflecting telescope. |
| D．The refractor telescope. |
| A．An Introduction to Astronomy |
| B．Buying A Telescope For the First Time |
| C．The Competitive Market of Telescopes |
| D．The Advantages and Disadvantages of Several Telescopes |
【推荐3】People used to say that British food was boring and bland (乏味的). Nowadays people in Britain have a world of food to choose from.
Travel around London and you'll find food from around the globe. You might come across restaurants and cafes serving foreign food from Armenia, Bangladesh, China, France, etc. Take a look on the Internet and you'll find even more, from Africa, South and Central America and the Pacific. Some restaurants mix different cuisines (烹饪) to create fusion (融合) food. It is similar across the rest of the UK, and growing.
It hasn't always been the case. Once upon a time, other Western Europeans described British food as boring and bland, too heavy and full of fat, with tasteless soups and puddings only the British could love. Sixty years ago, there were only four Indian restaurants in the UK. Now there are over 9,500. There were Italian restaurants in Britain in the nineteenth century but no real Chinese restaurant until the 1930s. The first Indian restaurant opened three hundred years ago.
So why did the British grow bored with their food? Firstly soldiers, administrators and planters who had worked overseas encouraged others to try out new food. In the 1970s, the British began to take holidays abroad and discovered new tastes. And at the same time, people from around the world settled in the UK to live and work, bringing food from home which attracted the British.
Traditionally, Britain's national dish has always been fish and chips, but it is more exotic (异国风味) than that. Many people, including former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, now consider chicken tikka masala the national dish. It contains chicken in creamy sauce, Indian style. It has come to symbolize (象征) multicultural Britain and could be considered as an example of "fusion" food.
1. What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?| A．London is a multicultural global city. |
| B．It is easy for Londoners to travel to different countries. |
| C．Many restaurants in London belong to different countries. |
| D．People in Britain have different kinds of food to choose from. |
| A．Indian cooking has a long history in the UK. |
| B．Western Europeans used to enjoy British food. |
| C．Four Indian restaurants opened in the UK three hundred years ago. |
| D．Real Chinese restaurant opened in the UK in the nineteenth century. |
| A．British people working abroad encouraged others to try out new food. |
| B．Travel offered British people opportunities to change their diet. |
| C．Non-British people working in the UK brought food from their countries. |
| D．Above all. |
| A．Because it was invented by an Indian chef. |
| B．Because it is a traditional British dish and more exotic. |
| C．Because it is a kind of fusion food and the sign of a multicultural Britain. |
| D．Because British doesn't have as many dishes to show off as other countries. |
