HOUSTON (Reuters) — Houston tops a U.S. magazine’s annual fattest cities list for the fourth time in five years, with four other Texas cities in the top 25.
　　Fast food restaurants — Houston has twice the national average number — are partly to blame for the dishonor, Men’s Fitness editor-in-chief Neal Boulton said.
　　“Americans work long hours, don’t take vacations, and when they’re faced with the worst food choices, they indulge (沉溺于) in those,” he said.
　　High humidity, poor air quality and some of the nation’s longest commute (每天去上班的路程) times also helped Texas’ most populous city unseat Detroit, the 2003 heavy weight champion, the magazine said.
　　Houston Mayor Bill White, who has worked with a major food company to develop healthy food products and the city’s public schools to improve lunch menus, called the report “mostly ungrounded and nonsense.”
　　“On the other hand, it calls attention to real issues the mayor is trying to deal with,” his spokesman, Frank Michel, said.
　　The magazine said it looked at factors such as the number and types of restaurants, park space, air quality, weather and the number of health clubs.
　　Philadelphia, Detroit, Memphis, Tennessee, and Chicago followed Houston on the seventh edition of the fat list. Texas cities Dallas, San Antonio, Fort Worth and El Paso were in the top 14, which Boulton said was no surprise.
　　“It’s pure big indulgence, just living big, and that’s part of the culture,” said Boulton.
　　Seattle ranked as the fittest city. Austin and Arlington, a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb, were the only Texas cities on the fit list. Austin was 19th and Arlington 22nd out of 25.
【小题1】What decides the magazine’s annual fattest list?

A．The size of fat population.	B．The number of fast food restaurants.
C．The economic growth rate of the state.	D．Things related to unhealthy ways of life.

【小题2】Which city topped 2003 fattest cities list?
　 

A．Houston.

B．Dallas.

C．Detroit.

D．Philadelphia.

【小题3】By saying “living big” (in Paragraph 9), Boulton means people _________.

A．are growing fatter

B．are living wastefully

C．eat too many fatty foods

D．are spending too much time working

【小题4】Which of the following is best supported by the text?

A．Texas has the most fat cities in the U.S.

B．Bill White is happy with the newspaper report.

C．People in Texas are the most hardworking in the U.S.

D．Most school children in Houston have weight problems.

As far back in history as we can tell , people have celebrated the start of a New Year. The people of ancient Egypt began their New Year in summer. That is when the Nile River flooded its banks bringing water and fertility（肥沃）to the land. The people of ancient Babylon and Persia began their New Year on March 21, the first day of spring . And some native American Indians began their New Year when the nuts of the oak trees became ripe. That was usually in late summer.

Noise-making is another ancient custom on the New Year. The noise is considered necessary to drive away the evil spirits of the old year. People around the world do different things to make a lot of noise. They may hit sticks together, beat on drums, blow horns, or explode fire-works.

　 Americans celebrate the New Year in many ways. Most do not have to go to work or school. So they visit family and friends, attend church services, share a holiday meal, or watch New Year’s parades（游行） on television. Most years university teams play in special holiday games. For those who have been busy at work or school, New Year may be a day of rest. They spend the time thinking about and preparing for the demands of the New Year.

1. Which of the following statements is right?

A. The people of ancient Egypt began their New Year in spring.

B. The people of ancient Babylon began their New Year on March 21, the first day of spring.

C. Some native American Indians began their New Year in early summer.

D. The people of ancient Persia began their New Year in late summer.

2. Why do people make a lot of noise on the New Year according to the passage?

A. The noise is considered necessary to frighten the evil spirits of the old year.

B. The noise is considered necessary to show people’s excitement.

C. They spend the time thinking about and preparing for the demands of the New Year.

D. People have no other better ways to show their happiness.

3. Americans celebrate the New Year by doing things as follows except___________ .

A. resting at home

B. visiting family and friends

C. attending church services

D. having sports and games

 

完形填空

　　DC Hilton was one of the first American to find out that there was money to be made in the middle of the night. 42 years ago be bought a small __1___on US highway 69, in Oklahoma. His___2___customers were truck drivers and___3___salesmen who drank coffee and ate cheese-burgers when they stopped to___4___their journey.

　　

　　It was they who first tried to____5____Hilton to remain open all night. He thought about it for a while, and then suddenly made up his___6____. He took the door key and threw it across the road. He hasn't closed the door____7___.

　　Over the years his simple cafe expanded into a 24-hour roadside ____8___,with a 100-seat restaurant, a petrol station, a mini shopping market, a car ___9___for mobile homes and all-night selfhelp laundry（洗衣店）.

　　

　　Hilton was a ___10__in a 24-hour working trend which has now ___11___ around the world. Today not only restaurants but also hanks, supermarkets, mail-order ___12___and many other businesses are___13___to be open all night. But is this really a good thing?

　　A lot of ____14____has been done in America on the effect of 24-hour working and there is growing ___15____about the long term dangers of society that doesn't sleep.

　　Americans are said to be___16___20％ less than they did 100 years ago, and 55％ claim to __17___at least occasionally from overtiredness. ___18____of the worst man-made accidents happened in the last few hours before ___19___, when even the most experienced night-worker has difficult____20____awake.　　

　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　

(1)A.market	B.business
C.station	D.restaurant
(2)A.main	B.common
C.strange	D.only
(3)A.shopping	B.clothing
C.traveling	D.cooking
(4)A.start	B.break
C.enjoy	D.continue
(5)A.persuade	B.suggest
C.order	D.warn
(6)A.plan	B.thought
C.mind	D.decision
(7)A.then	B.since
C.later	D.yet
(8)A.cafe	B.building
C.workshop	D.hotel
(9)A.garage	B.park
C.repair	D.rest
(10)A.pioneer	B.dealer
C.master	D.manager
(11)A.caught 　　 in	B.caught 　　 out
C.caught 　　 on	D.caught 　　 up
(12)A.shops	B.firms
C.markets	D.departments
(13)A.ordered	B.forced
C.performing	D.beginning
(14)A.research	B.effort
C.work	D.information
(15)A.interest	B.sense
C.concern	D.progress
(16)A.working	B.playing
C.sleeping	D.relaxing
(17)A.recover	B.suffer
C.return	D.prevent
(18)A.Some	B.Few
C.None	D.All
(19)A.dust	B.midnight
C.darkness	D.dawn
(20)A.staying	B.becoming
C.continuing	D.insisting

　

阅读理解

　　Americans like to travel on their yearly holiday. Today, more and more travelers in the United States are spending nights at small houses or inns instead of hotels. They get a room for the night and the breakfast the next morning.

　　Rooms for the night in private homes with breakfast have been popular with travelers in Europe for many years. In the past five to ten years, these bed-and-break-fast places have become popular in the United States. Many of these American's bed-and-breakfast inns are old historic buildings. Some bed-and-breakfast inns have only a few rooms, others are much larger. Some inns do not provide telephones or television in the rooms, others do.

　　Staying in a bed-and-breakfast inn is much different from staying at a hotel. Usually the cost is much less. Staying at an inn is almost like visiting someone's home. The owners are glad to tell about the area and the interesting places to visit, Many vacationers say they enjoy the chance to meet local families.

1．Americans take a holiday trip ________.

[　　]

2．Which is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

[　　]

A．Some Americans now stay in a bed-and-breakfast home instead of in a hotel.

B．The bed-and-breakfast inns are private homes opened to vacation visitors.

C．the bed-and-breakfast inns have been popular in America for a long time.

D．The owners provide a morning meal for their visitors as well as a room for the night.

3．Many of these inns ________.

[　　]

A．have a long history

B．have existed in the past

C．are historical

D．are buildings important in history

4．One reason why American travelers are beginning to stay at bed-and-breakfast inn is that ________.

[　　]

A．these inns are small and quiet

B．the travelers don't have to pay for the telephone or television

C．the travelers can meet and talk with the local people

D．the owners will show the travelers around the area

阅读理解

　　Americans are always in a hurry, they seem to be under permanent pressure to think that there is something more to do the next moment. This fast pace is reflected in the popularity of fast-food restaurants, one-stop stations and micro-ovens. They hate to waste their time and would frown if their time is wasted by interruptions or by poor service. They appreciate the practice of doing things as quickly as possible, as in their eyes,“patience is the virtue of asses.”

　　In contract, people in Indonesia believe in“rubber time”, to the extent that time can stretch or shrink. In Africa, people who do something in a rush are actually asking for trouble; they'd be suspected of trying to cheat! In their culture, a slow unusual, worth doubt.

　　Here is a contract between the slow pace people (SPP) and the fast pace people(FPP);

　　◇SPP－Consider an appointment as a target to achieve, if possible.

　　　FPP－take a promise seriously and try to keep it by all means.

　　◇SPP－are dedicated to people and human relationship.

　　　FPP－are devoted to work rather than to human relationship.

　　　SPP－change plans easily.

　　　FPP－follow and stick to the plans.

　　◇SPP－decide to be punctual or not based on human relationship.

　　　FPP－stress punctuality.

　　◇SPP－show strong tendency to build lifetime friendship.

　　　FPP-are used to short-term relationship.

(1)Which of the following statements indicates that Americans are leading a fast-pace life?

[　　]

A．Americans have modern kitchen equipment.

B．Fast-food restaurants are popular with Americans.

C．Almost every American family owns a car.

D．There are a lot of railway stations in the United States.

(2)The underlined phrase“one-stop stations”probably means ________.

[　　]

A．A bus stop is not far from one another

B．There are a number of police stations in the United States

C．There are a lot of gas stations here and there, and it is one-stop distance between them.

D．It is a long way from a gas station to the next one

(3)In which country people who do something in a rush are suspected of trying to cheat?

[　　]

A．Venezuela　　　　　　B．Italy

C．Vietnam　　　　　　　D．Zambia

(4)If a person cares more for human relationship than his job, he must belong to ________.

[　　]

A．the fast pace people

B．the slow pace people

C．the lazy people

D．the clever people