Question

CHICAGO ---- For working parents and heavily scheduled school kids, family mealtime is out of fashion. But supermarkets are trying to attract families back to the dinner table.

There is a cost if family members have meals apart: research shows that teenagers who don’t eat with their parents face a greater risk of drug and alcohol problems.

“The more often kids have dinner with their parents, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs,” said Joseph Califano Jr., head of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, which did the research.

Stores are familiar with the idea and will start telling shoppers about the findings and encouraging them to share meals together at home, instead of separately or at restaurants.

The food marketing Institute will give $25,000 to the center and help stores promote the center’s Family Day in September.

Many stores have grab-and-go dinners and recipe cards. Some have kiosks where people can taste a main dish, then pick out side dishes.

“Our members have worked hard to try to have easily prepared food either ready to eat or ready to take home,” said Tim Hammonds, the institute’s president and chief executive.

Los Angeles-based Contessa Premium Foods makes frozen delicious meals, which a family can heat in 10 minutes to 12 minutes. “That’s nearly as fast as a TV dinner,” said president and chief executive John Z. Blazevich, “but is healthier and makes people feel like they actually cooked.”

“The preparation is the hardest part, so we try to combine a variety of tastes and flavours from around the world and make it fast and easy,” he said.

“Eating at home helps keep meals healthy and teaches kids how to eat right. If we can get people back to having family dinners, parents back to being engaged with their kids, it will have a surprising impact,” he said.

1.The reasons why family mealtime is out of fashion are the following EXCEPT __________.

A. the parents are busy with work

B. the children have a little spare time

C. the children are not fond of family meal

D. it will take much time to cook and eat at home

2.The underlined word “cost” in paragraph 2 can be explained as ___________.

A. gains         B. a sum of money

C. advantage     D. something you lose

3.According to the passage, stores are trying to attract families back to the dinner table by the following ways EXCEPT ________.

A. telling the parents the disadvantages of having dinner separately.

B. offering various prepared food to make family cooking fast and easy.

C. taking part in Family Day activities in September.

D. helping housewives prepare their meals at home.

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A. The efforts that are being made to get people back to having family dinners

B. The benefits of having family dinners together.

C. The changes in American family dinners.

D. A research done by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.

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

A. Family Mealtime is out of Fashion

B. Family Day is Promoted in September

C. Parents should Cook Meals for Kids

D. Supermarkets Urges Families to Dinner Table

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.D

4.A

5.D

【解析】

试题分析：这是一篇叙述文，叙述了超级市场正努力吸引家庭成员回到晚餐桌上一起享受家庭聚餐时光。介绍了各市场的措施及相关研究成果，呼吁大家与家人共度晚餐。

1. working parents and heavily scheduled school kids”工作的父母家长、课程排满的学生，可排除A和B选项。结合后文市场提供打包回家加热的饭菜可排除D选项。C选项“孩子们不喜欢家里的饭菜”在文中无根据。故选C。

2. who don’t eat with their parents face a greater risk of drug and alcohol problems.”不与父母共餐的青少年有更高的风险面对毒品和酒精问题。可知cost意为something you lose.故选D。

3. will start telling shoppers about the findings…”这里的findings指上文研究发现父母与孩子单独吃饭的坏处，排除A选项。结合后文知商店提高种类繁多的准备好的食物可在家又快又轻松烹饪，可排除B选项。结合第五段，“The food marketing Institute will give $25000…help stores promote the center’s Family Day in September.”可排除C选项。D选项“帮助家庭主妇在家准备她们的饭餐。故选D。

4. are trying to attract families back to the dinner table.”故选A“努力正被投入让人们回到餐桌与家人一起共度晚餐。”

5. B“家庭日在九月被提升” C“父母应为孩子煮饭” D“超级市场督促家庭成员回到晚餐桌上”。结合全文故选D。

考点:考查叙述文阅读。