题目内容
New York’s high-class restaurant scene is in the depression, according to the newest Zagat survey __31___ (release) Tuesday, with price increase coming at a time __32__ diners say they _ 33__ (eat) out less often and spending less in the face of dreadful economic conditions.
“Restaurants are clearly feeling the pinch (拮据) from the economic crisis”, said Tim Zagat, founder of the survey now in _ 34 30th year which bases the food, decoration and service ratings for some 2,000 restaurants on feedback from restaurant patrons (食客).
The influence was not _ _35 __ (limit) to diners, either, the survey found. Restaurant openings declined for the first time since 2003,down to 119 from last year’s 163, and 187 just three years _ _36___.
Nearly 40 percent of the survey’s 38,000-plus respondents said they were coping _ _37_ _ the shaky economy by eating out less often and by going to __ 38_ _ (expensive) restaurants.
As a matter of fact, high-end diners were hit even harder, with a nearly 10 percent price increase. The findings were one _ _ 39___ (explain) for a number of new burger, pizza and barbecue places that popped up this year, the survey noted. Even well-known chefs such as Alain Ducasse and Jean-Georges Vongerichten opened small restaurants _ _40_ _ noodle shops.
31. released 32. when 33. are eating
34. its 35. limited 36. ago
37. with 38. less expensive/inexpensive
39. explanation 40. or
I stood outside New York’s Madison Square Garden and just stared, almost speechless. I was a farm boy from County Kilkenny, a child who some thought would never walk, let alone go as far as I had in the world.
From the day I was born, there was a problem. The doctors at the Dublin hospital told my parents I had phocomelia, a deformity that affected both legs below the knee, which were outward and shorter than normal and each foot had just three toes.
Life was tough. I couldn’t stand, much less walk. I rarely left the farmhouse—and then only in someone’s arms. Mom bundled me up whenever she took me to town, no matter the season.
“The world will see him when he can walk,” she told Dad. “And he will walk.”
Mom devoted herself to helping me. She tried everything to get me on my feet. When I was three, she and Dad took me to a clinic in Dublin.
A few weeks later we returned to Dublin with my artificial limbs (肢). Back home I practiced walking with my new limbs.
“There’s nothing anyone can do but you can’t,” Mom said. “You and I are going to walk through town.”
The next day Mom dressed me in my finest clothes. She wore a summer dress and fixed her hair and makeup. Dad drove us to the church. We stepped out of the car. Mom took my hand. “Hold your head up high, now, Ronan,” she said.
We walked 300 meters to the post office. It was the farthest I’d walked, and I was sweating from the effort. Then we left the post office and continued down the street, Mom's eyes shining with a mother's pride.
That night, back on our farm, I lay exhausted on my bed. It meant nothing, though, compared to what I’d done on my walk.
Then I began to pursue my dream of singing. And at every step Mom's words came back to me—Ronan, you can do anything anyone else can do—and the faith she had in God, who would help me do it.
I’ve sung from the grandest stages in Europe, to music played by the world’s finest musicians. That night, I stood at the Madison Square Garden, with Mom’s words chiming in my ears. Then I began singing. I couldn't feel the pulse of the music in my feet, but I felt it deep in my heart, the same place where Mom’s promise lived.
【小题1】What was the problem with the author as a baby?
A.He was expected unable to walk. |
B.He was born outward in character. |
C.He had a problem with listening. |
D.He was shorter than a normal baby. |
A.shortcoming | B.disadvantage |
C.disability | D.delay |
A.To hide their depressed feeling. |
B.To indicate it an unusual day. |
C.To show off their clothes. |
D.To celebrate his successful operation. |
A.determined | B.stubborn | C.generous | D.distinguished |
A.His consistent effort. | B.His talent for music. |
C.His countless failures. | D.His mother’s promise. |
London taxis, with their friendly drivers who actually know where they are going, are ranked best in the world, according to an annual taxi poll(调查).
The survey by travel website hotels.com found London taxis, despite being the most expensive, beat rivals across the globe to head the list for the third consecutive years, scoring a total of 59 percent in votes on several categories by travellers.
London taxi drivers were voted both friendliest and most knowledgeable. Drivers in the English capital must pass a rigorous examination called The Knowledge to earn their taxi licence.
New York’s yellow taxis came second in the list, scoring 27 percent which was up 10 percentage points from last year even though Manhattan’s cab drivers tied with Parisian taxi drivers as the rudest.
Travellers said New York had the most available taxis.
Cabbies in Rome were voted the worst drivers in the world with almost one in 10 travellers thinking the Italian capital had the world’s worst taxi drivers when it came to the quality of driving.
“Travelling by taxi is one of the first experiences that many travellers have upon arrival in a new city. In fact, the research found that cabs are by far the most popular method of travelling from the airport to their hotel,” a spokesman for hotels.com said in a statement.
The global poll scored city based taxis for their levels of cleanliness, value, quality of driving, knowledge of the area, friendliness, safety and availability.
Rounding out the top five were Tokyo with a total score of 26 percent, Berlin with 17 percent, and Bangkok famed for its tuk-tuks scoring 14 percent.
Madrid’s taxis were ranked sixth in the poll, followed by Copenhagen and Dublin with 11 percent and Frankfurt and Paris with 10 percent.
Taxis in Sydney fell short of the top 10, scoring badly in the areas of value for money, availability and knowledge of the area.
The survey for hotels.com, part of the Expedia group, was conducted among over 1,900 travellers between May 11-28 this year.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “rigorous” in the third paragraph mean _______?
A.official | B.lawful | C.strict | D.important |
A.listing the ranks of the taxi service of the European cities |
B.listing the ranks of the taxi service of the cities concerned |
C.different kinds of reading forms and famous travel websites |
D.interviewing the taxi drivers and travellers of the cities |
A.driving skills | B.good manners |
C.the sense of cleanliness | D.the sense of safety |
A.The global taxi drivers should be trained strictly. |
B.The global taxi drivers should be given an exam. |
C.The global taxi drivers have different driving skills. |
D.The global big cities’taxis service is scored by a travel website. |