1 . Frato’s Pizza looks like a typical family restaurant, with its black-and-white checkered floor and red chairs. But in the kitchen, the cooks are cooking for four other restaurants at the same time.
There is, of course, the delicious pizza that customers have come to expect from Frato’s when they walk through the door. But there are also spicy chicken gyros for Halal Kitchen, barbecue chicken tenders for Tenderlicious, salmon grilled cheese for Cheesy Deliciousness and Butterfinger milkshakes for Heavenly Shakes, all of which can only be ordered through online sites Grubhub, DoorDash and UberEats.
Owner Michael Kudrna launched the four spin-offs (分店) earlier this year in a matter of weeks as he races to keep his Chicago-area business ahead of a growing trend: restaurants designed only for delivery or take-out.
Thousands of restaurants are experimenting with these virtual spin-offs tucked (隐藏) inside their own kitchens. Others are opening “ghost kitchens”, where all food is prepared to go.
Both concepts have come out to take advantage of the rising popularity of ordering out instead of dining in. The trend also speaks to the growing power of third-party delivery companies, which have transformed the way many people find restaurants and raised expectations for speed and convenience.
The $26.8 billion online ordering market is the fastest-growing source of restaurant sales in the United States, according to David Portalatin, a food industry adviser for The NPD group. Digital orders, while still accounting for just 5% of all restaurant orders, are growing by some 20% each year. Restaurant visits, meanwhile, are remaining mostly flat.
In this case, UberEats has helped launch 4,000 such virtual restaurants worldwide and about half of them are in the U.S. and Canada, according to Kristen Adamowski, head of Uber’s virtual restaurant program.
Grubhub and UberEats say their virtual restaurant programs help small businesses compete in this landscape. Both actively reach out to restaurants with suggestions for online spin-offs based on data collected from customer searches — extending their influence from how people get their food to what should go on the menu.
Virtual restaurants also have the obvious benefit of testing new concepts without taking on the high rent or hiring more staff, said Rick Carmac, head of restaurant management at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York.
1. What is the purpose of paragraphs 1-3?| A．To introduce a famous restaurant. | B．To list some examples of diverse food. |
| C．To add some background information. | D．To introduce the topic of the passage. |
| A．People find restaurants have changed. | B．Ordering out has become a trend. |
| C．Customers expect speed and convenience. | D．The delivery companies grow quickly. |
| A．Smooth. | B．Calm. | C．Inactive. | D．Boring. |
| A．The Rise of Virtual Restaurants | B．The Benefit of Online Restaurants |
| C．Restaurants Designed for Delivery | D．Booming Stores on the Internet |
2 . What will restaurants look like in the future? What would your dinner taste like if a robot cooked it? A robot restaurant in Tianjin may give you the answers.
Covering an area of over 400 square meters with a total of 112 seats, the X Future Restaurant is a robot restaurant opened in November 2018. The restaurant has amazed customers with its fully-automated technology, which covers every step of the dining experience, from ordering to cooking to serving the dishes and even taking payment.
Entering the restaurant, one can order dishes by simply scanning the QR codes on the table. There are over 40 choices of dishes. After taking the order, “robot cooks” prepare dishes using fixed time, temperature and ingredients designed by famous Chinese cooks.
“As the cooking is controlled by a computer system, the taste and quality of dishes can be good,”said Li Xiaokui, manager of the X Future Restaurant.
Robots also complete the delivery of dishes. Without following any designed route, the robot waiters serve meals thanks to automated driving technology, which helps each robot timely change its route when something is in the way.
These eye-catching technologies have received wide praise from customers. “The dishes taste surprisingly good. I couldn’t believe that they were made by robots, especially dishes that were difficult to cook”, one customer said. “The application of robots has increased our efficiency and cut down our costs,” Li said, “I think robot restaurants will develop fast and have a bright future.”
1. What do we know about the X Future Restaurant?| A．It covers over 112 square meters with 400 seats. |
| B．Customers could enjoy fully-automated services |
| C．Robot waiters deliver dishes following fixed routes. |
| D．Robot cooks design dishes by themselves. |
| A．They are prepared by human cooks. | B．They are not accepted by customers. |
| C．They are ordered by scanning QR codes. | D．They are not easy for robots to prepare. |
| A．Worried | B．Doubtful. | C．Puzzled. | D．Hopeful. |
| A．A Robot Restaurant Was Opened in Tianjin. | B．Robots Cook Delicious Dishes like Humans. |
| C．The X Future Restaurant Has Become Popular. | D．Robots Are Helpful in Many Restaurants. |
3 . If you are visiting New York City this year, don’t miss the events where you can taste food from different countries.
Chinatown Restaurant Week—March 14-30
Various meals will be offered for $18.88 per person at participating Chinatown restaurants such as Golden Unicorn, Nom Wah Tea Parlor, Red Egg and Shanghai Gourmet. Peking Duck House will offer a special at lunch only.
More Info.: www.Chinatownrestaurantweek.com
Malaysian Restaurant Week—June 18-24
Malaysian restaurants will offer various $ 20.12 meals while Asian-influenced restaurants will feature a special limited-time-only menu inspired by the country’s special flavors. Participating restaurants include Fatty Crab, Michelin-starred Laut, and Spice Market.
More Info.: www.Malaysiakitchennyc.com
Italian Restaurant Week—June 26-July 6
Celebrate New York City’s fifth Italian Restaurant Week—the Italian Dine Out, offering diners special 3-course menus for lunch and dinner. The 11-day event will offer discounted prices of $23 at New York City’s most authentic(真正的)Italian restaurants.
More Info.: www.Italianmade.com
Belgian Restaurant Week—July 21-28
This is your chance to enjoy tasty multi-course meals and some of the world’s finest beers. The Belgian restaurants in NY bring you amazing cuisines(菜肴)and great beers during a week-long celebration of Belgian food.
More Info.: www.Belgianrestaurantweeknyc.com
I’m sure you’ll have a great time during the events. Remember: don’t eat too much for the sake of your health.
1. Where should you probably avoid going to enjoy an $18.88 supper during Chinatown Restaurant Week?| A．Shanghai Gourmet. | B．Nom Wah Tea Parlor. | C．Golden Unicorn. | D．Peking Duck House. |
| A．Belgian Restaurant Week. | B．Italian Restaurant Week. |
| C．Malaysian Restaurant Week. | D．Chinatown Restaurant Week. |
| A．Bringing you free Chinese food. | B．Offering some of the world’s finest beers. |
| C．Having a special limited-time-only menu. | D．Providing authentic Italian food. |
4 . Download an app, open it, place your order, and wait for your food to be delivered to your home — this is a picture of how many people eat in China these days. According to the latest data from the China Internet Network Information Center, 421 million Chinese people use online food delivery services. That’s equal to half of the total number of internet users in China.
Which group of people is ordering food online the most? Unsurprisingly, it’s mainly young people. A recent report that was jointly (联合) published by the China Hospitality Association and Meituan, a food delivery service, showed that 86.3 percent of the service’s users are between 20 and 34 years old. These people, who are more likely to live in small families, are the major force driving the development of the food delivery industry.
Small families depend greatly on food delivery services. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Chinese families have changed in size over the past decade. In 2002, only 7.7 percent of families were single-person households. But this number increased to 15.6 percent in 2017. The percentage of two-person families rose from 18.4 in 2002 to 27.2 in 2017. For small families, relatively, people spend more time and resources in cooking, they think it’s a waste of time and resources, so ordering food online has become more popular, which is so convenient.
The improvement of China’s food delivery services has also attracted more customers. According to Meituan’s report, the average time it takes to make a food delivery dropped from 38 minutes in 2016 to 29 minutes in 2019. Many delivery platforms are also offering more services, delivering products such as toys, fruits, vegetables, medicine and flowers, even furniture and electrical equipment and so on. As its services continue to improve, it’s more likely that the food delivery industry will keep growing.
When do people order food online?
1. According to the story, .
| A．most Chinese people don’t cook at home |
| B．food delivery services need to be further improved |
| C．57.2 percent of Chinese families have less than three people |
| D．one in two Chinese internet users use food delivery services |
| A．Younger than 20. | B．Between 10 and 34. |
| C．Between 20 and 34. | D．Older than 30. |
| A．How Chinese families have changed. |
| B．How food delivery services have improved. |
| C．What kinds of products can be delivered. |
| D．Why the food delivery industry has developed so quickly. |
| A．A food ordering app. | B．The food delivery industry. |
| C．Single-person families. | D．Young people’s eating habits. |
5 . Instagram is containing so many photos of food — now a pop-up diner in London is taking advantage of this new trend by letting people settle the bill for their meals simply by uploading photos of their dishes to social networks.
I always thought people's taking pictures of their food was kind of silly, but at this new pop-up restaurant in the UK, I'd probably do it too. 'The Picture House' is the world's first pay-by-photo restaurant—you order, click a photo of the food, share on Instagram and eat for free!
The restaurant belongs to frozen food giant (巨人) Birds Eye, who came up with the idea to cash in on people's addiction to photographing food and sharing the pictures online. They conducted a survey and found that more than half of the British population regularly took pictures of their meals. So they realized it was a better way to advertise their new dining range.
The pop-up diner was open in Soho, London for three days in May, and is now moving to other major UK cities. They serve two-course meals that customers don't have to pay for, if they photo and Instagram it.
The restaurant is a part of Birds Eye's 'Food for Life' campaign(活动), a new marketing project that aims at changing the way people look at frozen food. "Taking photos of food enables people to show off and to share their mealtime moments—from the everyday to the special," said marketing director Margaret Jobling.
The reaction to The Picture House has been great so far. And the pay-by-picture concept has proven to be an effective way.
1. Instagram probably is ____.| A．a restaurant free of charge | B．a new marketing project |
| C．a project used to share photos | D．a campaign of “Food for Life” |
| A．attract more customers | B．raise the price of frozen food |
| C．create a new social media trend | D．reward the regular customers |
| A．negative | B．neutral (中立的) |
| C．positive | D．angry |
| A．No Need to Pay. | B．The Pop-up Diner. |
| C．Food for Life. | D．Pay by Picture. |
6 . To foreigners Chinese food isn’t a meal. It’s an experience. Failing to order the right food and struggling with chopsticks are only parts of the adventure every time I sit down in a restaurant.
In one of our favorite Sichuan restaurants, it took 3 waiters and 15 minutes for us to order only our drinks. I simply wanted water, but my dad wanted to try the fresh juice they had listed on the menu. There were two problems, however. There were neither pictures nor English on the menu. After several hand gestures, he ended up ordering just a coca cola to simplify things.
One of our most embarrassing moments was at Xiabuxiabu, a very famous hotpot chain. As soon as we walked in, the entire restaurant seemed to stare at us. Uncomfortable already, we had the most difficulty ordering our meal, since there were so many steps to the whole process. Fortunately, the waitress was very patient and successfully gave us our food. Although it was not the best food I had in Beijing, it was certainly entertaining dropping things into the boiling pot of soup. Once, I tried picking up a dumpling to show my father and dropped it onto his pants. I looked behind me, and people were laughing secretly at my chopstick skills.
No matter how many difficulties we have regarding food, our experiences give the best stories to tell. The servers are always understanding of our situation and their friendliness is exceptional. They always greet us with a big smile even when they realize they have to clean up the noodles slipped through our clumsy chopsticks.
1. The author and his father find it difficult to order food, because ________.| A．he has never been to China before. |
| B．no pictures or English go with the food. |
| C．Chinese food culture is complex. |
| D．they are treated badly. |
| A．The Chinese language. |
| B．The use of chopsticks. |
| C．The name of Chinese food. |
| D．The attitudes towards foreigners. |
| A．Satisfied. | B．Thrilled. |
| C．Excited. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．the kindness of Chinese people |
| B．varieties of Chinese food |
| C．experiences of having Chinese food |
| D．the chopstick challenge in a restaurant |
7 . Hilton Head Island, in South Carolina, is a popular vacation spot on the East Coast of the US. There are 250 restaurants on the island. You can try the following excellent restaurants.
Skull Creek Boathouse
397 Squire Pope Road
843-681-3663
It’s a good place for seafood lovers. Lunch is served daily from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., dinner from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., and weekend lunch is served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The menu is mostly seafood.
Quarterdeck
32 Greenwood Road
1-866-561-8802
The view from this restaurant is wonderful. You have many choices, such as beef, burgers and soups. Open for lunch and dinner, the hours are 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for lunch, and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for dinner.
Frankie Bones
1301 Main Street
843-842-4033
They are open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For lunch you can enjoy sandwiches, salads, rice, and pasta dishes. The entrée (主菜) is served with soup or salad. The salad also has cheese, pine nuts and dried berries.
Mellow Mushroom
33 Office Park Road
843-686-2474
If you want something different, stop in at the Mellow Mushroom. They have specialty (特色菜) pizzas, salads, and sandwiches. If you enjoy wines, you’ll surely find something you like. It is open 7 days a week — Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
1. What is special about Skull Creek Boathouse?| A．It offers breakfast on weekends. | B．It is closed on Sundays. |
| C．It mainly offers seafood. | D．It is next to the sea. |
| A．843-681-3663 | B．1-866-561-8802 | C．843-842-4033 | D．843-686-2474 |
| A．At 397 Squire Pope Road. | B．At 32 Greenwood Road. |
| C．At 1301 Main Street. | D．At 33 Office Park Road. |
8 . The “Take In” restaurant in Helsinki, Finland, is currently in the news for its ingenious(有独创性)service. Instead of cooking the meals in its own kitchen—which doesn’t exist—it allows customers to order various dishes from a selection of 20 other restaurants in the city.
Sponsored by American Express and Wolt, a popular food delivery app, Take In is a pop-up(突然出现的) restaurant that opened at the beginning of November 2016, and will run through May 2, this year.
As you’ve probably already guessed, the name “Take In” is a clever play on words like take-out. The whole point of ordering take-out is to avoid going to a restaurant, and if you’re going to dress up to go out, you might as well go straight to your favorite restaurant instead of ordering food from it somewhere else. But here’s the idea behind it—when you go out with a group of friends and you can’t decide where to go for dinner, because everyone wants to order something else, Take In is the perfect solution.
“We want to be a living room in the city,” a Wolt spokesperson told Monocle magazine. “We all know what it’s like you’re about to go out for dinner with a big group of friends. Everyone wants to order what they like. What are you going to do? Well, the answer in Helsinki right now is you come to Take In because you can do all of those things in the same place.”
Customers are more than welcome to stick to the selection of drinks available at the bar. But if they want to try the “take in” experience, all they have to do is use the Wolt app, just as they would from the comfort of their own homes. Once they order and pay for their meals, all they have to do is wait for someone to deliver it to the pop-up restaurant.
1. What does the text mainly tell about?| A．American Express and Wolt. |
| B．The “Take In” restaurant in Helsinki. |
| C．The way to order "take-out". |
D．A world-wide food  service. |
| A．It can satisfy the taste of different people. |
| B．People can pay less money. |
| C．People can get together with best friends. |
| D．It can cook different meals. |
| A．It has been run for more than two years. |
| B．It will replace “Take out” restaurants soon. |
| C．You should use the Wolt app. |
| D．You can enjoy the service in your own living-room. |
