单选题 Do you like to eat out? Do you like to eat quickly? Do you like inexpensive food? Some people go to fast-food restaurant for these reasons. In the past, people usually went to diners — a small restaurant — for these reasons. In fact, many people in the States go to diners today for the same reasons.
A man named Walter Scott had the first "diner" in 1872. It wasn't really a diner. It was only a food cart. People on the street walked up to the cart to buy food. These carts served late night workers who wanted a cup of coffee and a late-night meal. The meal was a sandwich or boiled eggs. In 1887, Samuel Jones built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside. However, they did not sit down. Later, people built diners with counters and stools, and people sat down while they ate.
Before long, many diners stayed open around the clock. In other words, people were able to eat in diner at any time. Diners changed in other ways, too. The original menu of sandwiches and coffee became bigger. It included soup, favorite dishes, and a breakfast menu. In addition, diners soon became permanent buildings. They were no longer carts on wheels.
Diners today look similar to the diners of the early 1900s. They are usually buildings with large windows. Inside, the diners have shining counters with stools, booths, and tables and chairs. People can eat all three meals in a modern diner. Today, many people eat in fast-food restaurants such as McDonald's and Burger King. However, the diner remains an American tradition, and thousands of people still enjoy eating there. It was popular a century ago, and it is still popular today.
单选题 What does the word "diner" mean? A. It refers to the customer. B. It refers to the small restaurant. C. It refers to the fast-food restaurant.D. It refers to ice cream cart.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 本题为词意辨析题。本文第一段“people nsually went to diners—a small restaurant”说明diner是一种小餐馆?破折号常用来解释说明前一词的确切含义。
单选题 What does "round the clock" mean (lst sentence in paragraph 3)?
  • A. The diners serve customers half a day.
  • B. The diners serve customers at certain hours.
  • C. The diners serve customers 24 hours a day.
  • D. The diners serve customers only on weekdays.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 本题为词意辨析题。第三段出现“round the clock”之后作者马上解说 “In other words，people were able to eat in diner at any time”可以断定 “round the clock”表示at any time，表示小餐馆不打烊。
单选题 The main idea of this passage is ______.
  • A. the diners are traditional and yet popular places to eat in the United Sates.
  • B. Walter Scott invented the idea of diners.
  • C. Samuel Jones was the first to build a diner big enough to hold customers.
  • D. diners are different from fast food restaurants in many ways.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 本题为主旨大意题。文章从1872年第一家diner的出现谈它的历史变 迁，直至现在它仍受欢迎，说明它既传统又时尚。