The man,_______ is often parked in front of our house, is a famous surgeon.

What makes Americans spend nearly half their food dollars on meals away from home? The answers lie in the way Americans live today. During the first few decades of the twentieth century, canned and other convenience foods freed the family cook from full-time duty at the kitchen range. Then, in the 1940s, work in the wartime defense plants took more women out of the home than ever before, setting the pattern of the working wife and mother. Today about half of the country’s married women are employed outside the home. But, unless family members pitch in with food preparation, women are not fully liberated from that housework. Instead, many have become, in a sense, prisoners of the completely cooked convenience meals. It’s easier to pick up a bucket of fried chicken on the way home from work or take the family out for pizzas or burgers than to start opening cans or heating up frozen dinners after a long , hard day. Also, the rising divorce rate means that there are more single working parents with children to feed. And many young adults and elderly people, as well as unmarried and divorced mature people, live alone rather than as part of a family unit and don’t want to bother cooking for one.

Fast food is appealing because it is fast, it doesn’t require any dressing up, it offers a “fun” break in the daily outline, and the outlay of money seems small. It can be eaten in the car--- sometimes picked up at a drive-in window without even getting out---or on the run. Even if it is brought home to eat, there will never be any dirty dishes to wash because of the handy disposable (一次性的) wrappings. Children, especially, love fast food because it’s finger food, no struggling with knives and forks, no annoying instructions from adults about table manner.

Americans enjoy fast food mainly because __________.

   A. it can be eaten in the car

   B. it is much more tasty than home-made food

   C. one only uses his fingers while eating it

   D. it is time-saving and convenient

It can be inferred that children __________.

   A. want to have more freedom at table

   B. never wash dishes after each meal

   C. are good at using forks and knives while eating

   D. take eating time as a fun break

Many Americans are eating out and not cooking at home partially because __________.

   A. they want to make a change after eating the same food for years at home

   B. the food made outside home tastes better than food cooked at home

   C. many of them live alone and don’t like taking trouble to cook

   D. American women refuse to cook at home due to women’s liberation movement

According to the text, a drive-in window is a __________.

   A. car window from which you can see the driver

   B. window in the restaurant from which you get your takeout in the car

   C. place where you check the mechanic condition of your car

   D. place where you return the used plates after eating

We lived in a very quiet neighborhood. One evening I heard a loud crash in the street. Earlier that evening my wife had asked me to go to the store to get some soft drinks. It seemed like this would be a good time to let my teenage daughter Holly practice her driving, so I sent her to the store in my truck.
At dinner my son talked about how much he liked my truck. I enjoyed having it, but I said: "Guy, my heart is not set on that truck. I like it but it is just metal and won’t last forever. Never set your heart on anything that won’t last."
After hearing the loud noise, the whole family ran outside. My son shouted: "Dad! Dad, Holly crashed your truck."
My heart sank and my mind was flooded with conflicting thoughts. Was anyone hurt? Who else was involved? As I ran to the door, I heard a voice in my heart say: "Here is a chance to show Holly what you really love. She’ll never forget it."
The accident had occurred in my own driveway. Holly had crashed my truck into our other vehicle, the family van (搬运车). In her inexperience, she had confused the brakes and the gas pedal. Holly was unhurt physically, but when I reached her, she was crying and saying: "Oh, Dad, I’m sorry. I know how much you love this truck." I held her in my arms as she cried.
Later that week a friend stopped by and asked what had happened to my truck. I told her the whole story. Her eyes moistened (湿润) and she said: "That happened to me when I was a girl. I borrowed my dad’s car and ran into a log that had fallen across the road. I ruined the car. When I got home my Dad knocked me to the ground and began to kick me."
Over 40 years later, she still felt the pain of that night.
I remember how sad Holly was and how I comforted her. One day, when Holly thinks back on her life, I want her to know what really matters in my life.
【小题1】How did the crash happen?

As a substitute teacher, my daily routine involves driving to a new school almost every day so I’m usually unable to anticipate the day’s events, good or bad!

On one particular day, I was teaching in a very difficult classroom. I was managing behavior all morning and by lunch time, I knew I needed coffee to even consider surviving the afternoon. So on my lunch break, I drove to a nearby plaza（购物中心）to get a cup of coffee. Upon returning to the car I realized I had locked my keys and my phone inside! I had about 15 minutes to get back to the school which was a good 4 or 5-minute drive away. I contemplated  (思考）sprinting（冲刺）back, but it being winter, I thought a nasty fall on ice would only make the situation much worse.

So I ran into a McDonald’s which was in the same plaza and asked the man at the counter who happened to be the manager to please call me a cab. I briefly explained my situation to him, and I could tell by the look in his eyes, that he empathized. He hurried to the back to use the phone while I paced in the restaurant. I had less than 10 minutes to get back to my school at this point.

The manager returned only to tell me that the cab company had put him on hold and then the line got disconnected, and that he was now on hold again, but had not yet been able to request the cab yet. My expression, I assume, began to resemble some combination of hopelessness and fear.

Without a thought, he grabbed his coat and offered to drive me to the school. Without hesitation, I followed him into his car and made it back into my classroom with 2 minutes to spare before the bell!

Upon arriving at the school, I thanked this man endlessly. His calm demeanor（举止）and kind nature made me think he was probably a wonderful manager to work for, and also a wonderful human being to have on this earth. This experience makes me realize that out of every seemingly hopeless situation, there is the opportunity for acts of kindness to transpire（发生）, which can have an unimaginable impact on those who receive them.

1.Why did the author go to get a coffee?

A．Because he needed to eat something as lunch.

B．Because he was very thirsty.

C．Because he had to refresh himself for the classes in the afternoon.

D．Because he wanted something hot to drink.

2.What happened to the author after he got a cup of coffee?

A．He fell on the icy road.

B．He realized his keys and phone were locked inside the car.

C．His car was broken.

D．He lost his keys and phone.

3.How long probably had the author stayed in the McDonald’s?

A．For about 15 minutes.                    B．For about 10 minutes.

C．For about 8 to 9 minutes.                 D．For only 2 minutes.

4.What kind of person is the manager?

A．Kind-hearted.      B．Active.            C．Good-mannered.    D．Thoughtful.

C  
Maybe ten-year-old Elizabeth put it best when she said to her father, “But, Dad ,you can’t be healthy if you’re dead.”
Dad, in a hurry to get home before dark so he could go for a run, had forgotten to wear his safety belt- a mistake 75% of the US population make every day. The big question is why.     
There have been many myths about safety belts ever since their first appearance in cars some forty years ago. The following are three of the most common.
Myth Number One: It’s best to be “thrown clear” of a serious accident.
Truth: Sorry ,but any accident serious enough to “throw you clear” is also going to be serious enough to give you a very bad landing. And chances are you’ll have traveled through a windshield(挡风玻璃)or door to do it. Studies show that chances of dying after a car accident are twenty five times greater in cases where people are “thrown clear”.  
Myth Number Two: Safety belts “trap” people in cars that are burning or sinking in water. Truth: Sorry again, but studies show that people knocked unconscious(昏迷)due to not  
wearing safety belts have a greater chance of dying in these accidents. People wearing safety belts are usually protected to the point of having a clear head to free themselves from such dangerous situations, not to be trapped in them.
Myth Number Three: Safety belts are not needed at speeds of less than 30 miles per hour  
(mph) .  
Truth: When two cars traveling at 30mph hit each other, an unbelted driver would meet the windshield with a force equal to driving headfirst into the ground from a height of 10 meters.
64. Why did Elizabeth say to her father, “But Dad, you can’t be healthy if you’re dead?”  
A. He was driving at great speed.
B. He was running across the street.  
C. He didn’t have his safety belt on .  
D. He didn’t take his medicine on time.
65. According to the text, to be “thrown clear” of a serious accident is very dangerous because you_____________  
A. may be knocked down by other cars
B. may get seriously hurt being thrown out of the car
C. may find it impossible to get away from the seat
D. may get caught in the car door
66. Some people prefer to drive without wearing a safety belt because they believe______.  
A. the belt prevents them from escaping in an accident
B. they will be unable to think clearly in an accident
C. they will be caught when help comes
D. cars catch fire easily
67. What is the advice given in the text?
A. Never drive faster than 30 miles an hour.  
B. Try your best to save yourself in a car accident.
C. Never forget to wear safety belt while driving.
D. Drive slowly while you’re not wearing a safety belt.