Shake Shack is a new kind of restaurant becoming more popular in the U.S. The restaurants are not“fast food” . They are known as“fast casual” .

Observers say Americans want more choices and fresh food when choosing where and what to eat. This trend is one reason why the fast food restaurant McDonald’ s has struggled financially. In the last quarter of 2014, McDonald’ s net income dropped by about $300 million. The January earnings report brought more bad news. Worldwide sales dropped for the eighth month in a row and even more than expected. While McDonald’ s is struggling to get their customers back, Shake

Shack, is doing well in making money. The New York-based burger chain had a very successful IPO, or initial public offering, of shares at the end of January. On its first day of trading, Shake Shack went from $21 a share to just under $46 a share. Being part of the “fast casual ”trend has helped Shake Shack. Other fast casual restaurants in the U.S. include Chipotle and Panera.

Bonnie Riggs, a restaurant expert with NPD has studied Americans’ restaurant habits for almost 30 years. She says one reason why Americans like fast casual food is that it’ s new. It’ s creative, it’ s something different and people like to try new things. Her study shows Americans made 61 billion visits to restaurants last year. Three out of four visits were to fast food restaurants, like McDonald’ s. Fast casual is still a small percentage of restaurant visits, but it has developed fast. Just as Ms. Riggs says,“It’ s growing by leaps and bounds, because they meet consumers’ needs. They know it’ s being prepared while they wait, it’ s fresh, quality food, good tasting food at what they say are reasonable and affordable prices.”

Many Americans still like their fast food. They just are not going as often. They are finding other ways to have a meal.

1.What’ s the trouble with McDonald’ s?

A. Its share goes down to $21.

B. Shake Shack has taken its place.

C. It’ s not popular with Americans.

D. Its sales and income have dropped.

2.We can learn from Bonnie Riggs that Americans ________.

A. don’ t like fast food any more

B. care only about the quality

C. like to try something new

D. pay more restaurant visits to fast casual

3.What does the underlined phrase“by leaps and bounds”in Para. 3 mean?

A. Steadily. B. Rapidly.

C. Slowly. D. Normally.

4.Which of the following best describes fast casual?

A. Fresh-made and tasty.

B. High-quality and expensive.

C. Farm-to-table and traditional.

D. Time-consuming and special.

Three boys and three girls boarded a bus to Lauderdale, Florida, dreaming of golden beaches. When the bus passed through New Jersey, they began to notice Vingo, who sat in front of them, dressed in a plain, ill-fitting suit.

Deep into the night, the bus pulled into Howard Johnson Restaurant, and everybody got off except Vingo. He sat rooted in his seat, and the young people began to wonder: perhaps he was a sea captain, a runaway from his wife, an old soldier going home.

Shortly after a snack, they went back to the bus and one of the girls sat beside him and introduced herself.

After a while, slowly and painfully, he told his story. He had been in prison in New York for the past four years. Last week he was released from imprisonment and now going home.

“When in prison I wrote to my wife,” he said. “I told her that I was going to be away a long time, and that if she couldn’t stand it, she could just forget me; I’d understand. We used to live in Brunswick, and there’s a big oak tree just as you come into town. Last week, I wrote her again. I told her that if she’d take me back, she should put a yellow handkerchief on the tree, and I’d get off and come home. If she didn’t want me, forget it and I’d go on through.”

She told the others, and soon all of them were in it, waiting for the approach of the great oak tree. Then, suddenly, all of the young people were up out of their seats, screaming and crying, doing small dances of joy. The oak tree was covered with yellow handkerchiefs, 20 of them, 30 of them, maybe hundreds, a tree that stood like small flags of welcome flying in the wind. As the young people shouted, Vingo rose and made his way to the front of the bus to go home.

1.What attracted the six young people when their bus passed through New Jersey?

A. The Howard Johnson Restaurant.

B. A silent man.

C. Golden beaches.

D. A well-dressed man

2.The young people on the bus try to imagine Vingo may be a person EXCEPT_________.

A. a sea captain

B. an old soldier going home

C. an old soldier going home

D. a prisoner escaping from prison

3.Vingo wrote a letter to his wife again last week to ________.

A. ask for her forgiveness

B. beg her to allow him back home

C. tie a yellow handkerchief to the oak tree

D. make sure if she was still in love with him

4.Why did all the young people shout with joy when they arrived in Brunswick?

A. They were approaching their destination.

B. They were surprised to see so many welcoming people.

C. They were sure that Vingo’s wife was expecting him home.

D. The oak tree was still standing there welcoming Vingo back home.

5.What can be the best title for the passage?

A. Going home

B. Vingo and his wife

C. Yellow handkerchiefs

D. The relationship between Vingo and the young people

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网