单选题 .    Let's face it—there are lots of reasons to hate McDonald's: calories, cholesterol and, for me at least, that sickening feeling after munching (大口咀嚼) on McNuggets. Then there's always that kid at the drive-through who forgets the ketchup (番茄酱).
    Well, add one more reason to spite McDonald's: as the global economy spirals downward, McDonald's is minting money. "In the worst of times for the restaurant industry, it's the best of times for McDonald's," says Butt Flickinger Ⅲ, managing director of the Strategic Resources Group, a retail-consulting company. In fact, the company's sales have increased for 55 straight months. Profits grew 11%, to $1.2 billion.
    The pricing of McDonald's, highlighted by dollar-menu items like apple pies, side salads and yogurt, plus cheap combo meals is a key strength during the recession. In particular, consumers are fleeing casual, family chain restaurants for the convenience and savings of fast food.
    The economy is not the only reason people are drawn to McDonald's. The company's management also deserves credit for its success. Back seven years ago, America's obesity (肥胖) epidemic was a hot topic, and McDonald's suffered from the strong negative reaction. Stale food and tired stores also kept people away.  "McDonald's was actively persuading customers from coming back," says John Glass, a Morgan Stanley analyst.
    Since that time, McDonald's have remodeled 11,000 stores. At a neat and clean restaurant in the Bronx one weekday evening, Brian Waters, a mailman, sat with his 9-year-old son in a booth. The bright dining area featured abstract paintings of New York City's bridges and the Statue of Liberty. "It used to be dark and dull in here," Waters says. "Now it's nice and clean. I don't mind sitting here anymore." Stores have also extended hours: 34% of the company's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are now open 24/7.
    The menu got an upgrade too. Obscene "super-size" choices were phased out, and healthier options like apples and salads were added. The company changed its coffee blend; coffee sales have soared 70% over the past two years. Chicken McNuggets now consist solely of white meat, which has less fat and fewer calories than the darker-meat mix of old.
    Like any other business in this environment, McDonald's faces some potential roadblocks. As the recession wears on, fast-food-service growth may flatten out; plus, McDonald's can expect more price competition. For example, Steak'n Shake, the diner-style burger chain in 21 states throughout the Midwest and South, is promoting four different meal combos for less than $4.  "In Los Angeles, every other billboard is a 99-cent food price," says Glass. The battle for bargain-hunting eaters is on. But given its recent winning ways, McDonald's might just add a few more billion served.1.  One of the reasons why the author hates McDonald's is that ______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】 第1段最后一句。
   第1段谈论的都是作者不喜欢麦当劳的原因。从原文来看，作者是站在顾客的角度批评麦当劳的食品和服务的，因此，最后一句中的那个常常忘了番茄酱的“小孩”，最可能是指麦当劳的店员，他常常忘了把番茄酱拿给顾客，故选B。
   如果将第1段最后一句中的that kid理解为普通的小孩，很容易会误选A和C。A和C是小孩常惹出的麻烦，但这些都不是麦当劳餐厅可以控制的，也就不属于其职责范围，不能因此而指责麦当劳。另外，that kid使用的是指示代词，而不是不定冠词a，因此that kid就不应该理解为任意的小孩，而应理解为特指的麦当劳店员。
[参考译文] 我们正视它吧——有很多憎恨麦当劳的理由：卡路里、胆固醇，还有，至少对我而言，大口咀嚼麦乐鸡之后那令人倒胃口的感觉。此外，在免下奎通道忘记提供番茄酱的总是那个孩子(店员)。
   对了，再增加一条憎恨麦当劳的理由：那就是在全球经济都急速下滑的时候，麦当劳居然在大发其财。“这个餐饮业最糟糕的时代反倒成了麦当劳最辉煌的时期。”一家零售咨询公司——战略资源集团的总经理伯特·弗利金杰Ⅲ说道。事实上，麦当劳公司的销售额连续55个月都在增长。利润增长了11%，达到了12亿美元。
   麦当劳的定价策略在经济衰退时期发挥了关键作用。其中最突出的是一美元菜单项目，如苹果派、小份沙拉和酸奶，外加便宜的套餐。特别值得注意的是，顾客也正在从休闲家庭式连锁餐厅转向既方便又省钱的快餐店。
   经济问题并非人人涌向麦当劳的唯一原因。公司的成功也归功于它的管理。追溯到7年前，肥胖症还是美国的热门话题，那时麦当劳遭遇了强烈的负面回应。食物老套、店面陈旧同样是客源流失的原因。摩根士丹利的分析师约翰·格拉斯说：“麦当劳积极地把客人赶走了”。
   从那时起，麦当劳重新修建了11000家店面。一个工作日的晚上，在布朗克斯一家整洁清爽的餐馆，邮递员布赖恩·沃特斯和9岁的儿子坐在卡座里。明亮的用餐区装饰着纽约大桥和自由女神像的抽象画。“过去这里可是又暗又单调。”沃特斯说：“现在是既漂亮又整洁，不会介意在这久坐。”店面的营业时间也延长了：全美14000家店面中有34%的店都实行了每周7天、每天24小时营业。
   菜单也进行了升级。粗鄙的“超大号”选择被取消，添加了更健康的苹果和沙拉。公司也改换了咖啡的配方；在过去两年里，咖啡销售额飙升了70%。而麦乐鸡现在则完全采用了白肉烹制，和从前红白肉混制的老款相比，脂肪和卡路里更少。
   在眼下的经济环境中，麦当劳和其他许多企业一样面临着一些潜在的困难。一旦经济衰退慢慢过去，快餐业的增长也许就会降下来，而麦当劳也会遇到更多价格战。例如，在美国中西部和南部21个州皆拥有连锁店的Steak'n Shake快餐公司正在促销4种低于4美元的套餐组金。“在洛杉矶，随处可见标价为99美分的食品的告示牌，”格拉斯说。对喜欢便宜的食客的争夺战仍在继续。但是从最近麦当劳所用的成功手段来看，麦当劳或许还能迎来几十亿的顾客。