Question

It is reported that one in three of us eats more meals by ourselves than we do with other people.But before you accept that somewhat depressing statistic，there is some good news—a lot of us are perfectly happy to eat alone because the computer and TV provide us with solitary entertainment.

Perhaps unsurprisingly，half of the UK's singles eat a meal alone at least once a day.And even one in four mothers with families have dinner mostly by themselves according to a major report on eating trends and social change by the Future Foundation.However，eating alone doesn't seem to matter anymore if you can chat away on social networks—in fact it's now a both quick and entertaining affair.

“Suppertainment” is the phrase created for the current major trend that reflects the number of people who eat in front of the computer，TV or game controller.Single men are the majority leading this trend，with 60 percent of them spending mealtimes entertaining themselves with something.However，40 percent of mothers and 30 percent of students also eat meals while being on the PC or laptop several times a week.

Boyd Hilton，TV and reviews editor of Heat magazine says，“Setting yourself up in front of the TV to suppertain comes naturally，especially when you've been busy all day.If I'm on my own I always tend to make a quick and easy meal and settle down to watch something entertaining or I'll get on the laptop and catch up with comedies like the new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm on More 4 or Outnumbered on BBC 1.”

“I think it's such a bonus that healthy and tasty convenience meals now mean you can relax about eating good food without having to worry about preparation time.”

36．Why don't many people eating alone feel lonely?

A．They are too busy to feel lonely.

B．People are happy to eat alone.

C．They eat with solitary entertainment.

D．They have good news at mealtimes.

37．Which of the following best defines the term “suppertainment”？

A．The trend of eating alone among single people.

B．Eating alone accompanied by the computer，TV or game controller.

C．Entertaining oneself with advanced technology.

D．Getting relaxed by watching comedies on TV or playing games on the computer.

38．What is the purpose of the author by quoting what Boyd Hilton said in the last paragraph?

A．To emphasize the importance of healthy and tasty meals.

B．To tell people to have good meals without doing preparing work.

C．To prove that “suppertainment” is a good idea.

D．To call people's attention to eating meals in relaxing manners.

Answer 1

研究发现，有三分之一的人独自用餐的次数比和其他人在一起吃饭的次数多。人们可以边吃饭边看电视或上网，并不感到孤独。

36．C　细节理解题。根据文章第一段中的“…a lot of us are perfectly happy to eat alone because the computer and TV provide us with solitary entertainment”，即人们在独自用餐时可以玩电脑或看电视，并不会觉得孤独，故选C。

37．B　词义猜测题。文章第三段介绍了“suppertainment”的含义，即在独自用餐的同时通过电视或电脑娱乐，故选B。

38．C　推理判断题。作者在文章第一段说独自用餐渐成风尚，字里行间透露出作者的赞成态度，最后一段借用Boyd Hilton的话进一步说明边独自吃饭边娱乐的优点。