Ⅰ. 阅读理解
Over the centuries the French have lost a number of famous battles with the British. However, they’ve always felt superior in the kitchen. France has had a reputation for cooking excellence for centuries, and Britain for some of the worst cooking in the world. But according to a recent survey, that reputation may no longer reflect reality.
In the survey, 71% of the Britons said they cook at home every day, while only 59% of the French said they cook daily. British home cooks spend more time cooking each week and also produce a greater variety of dishes than French home cooks.
The reaction in London was predictably enthusiastic. British food has greatly improved since the 1990s. Once upon a time, the menu for many family meals would have been roast beef, potatoes and over-cooked vegetables, but not now. Home cooks are experimenting with the huge range of ingredients now available in British supermarkets and are preparing all kinds of new dishes, using the cookbooks that sell millions of copies every year. As a result, there’s much more diversity in British food now, compared to French food, which tends to be very traditional.
Some French people say that the survey did not show the whole picture. They agree that during the week French women don’t cook as much as they used to because most of them work and don’t have much time. They tend to buy ready-made or frozen dishes, but many of them make up for it on the weekend. There’s also a difference between Paris and the countryside. It’s true that people in Paris don’t cook much, but elsewhere, cooking is still at the heart of daily life.
For many French people, opinions about British food have not changed. When Bernard Blier, the food editor of a magazine, was asked about British food, he replied, “I don’t go out of my way to try it. It is not very refined. You can say that I’m not a fan at all. ”
【语篇概述】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了一项调查结果: 英国人做饭的水平不再是过去的样子了。
1. According to the passage, nowadays British people ________.
A. cook less at home than the French every day
B. no longer eat roast beef and over-cooked vegetables
C. are more willing to try cooking all kinds of new foods
D. buy more cookbooks than French people do
【解析】选C。细节理解题。根据第二段的“British home cooks spend more time cooking each week and also produce a greater variety of dishes than French home cooks. ”可知答案。
2. What can we infer from the fourth paragraph?
A. French women cook less often now.
B. The French prefer ready-made dishes.
C. French women seldom cook on the weekend.
D. Cooking is at the heart of people’s life in Paris.
【解析】选A。 推理判断题。根据第四段的“They agree that during the week French women don’t cook as much as they used to because most of them work and don’t have much time. ”可知答案。
3. What is Bernard’s attitude towards British food?
A. He would love to try it.
B. He shows no interest in it.
C. He considers it worse than before.
D. He considers it better than before.
【解析】选B。 细节理解题。根据最后一段中Bernard所说的话“I don’t go out of my way to try it. It is not very refined. You can say that I’m not a fan at all. ”可知答案。
4. What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. The history of British food.
B. The history of French food.
C. The change in British food.
D. The change in French food.
【解析】选C。 主旨大意题。本文在第一段点出主题: 根据最近的一项调查, 英国人做饭的水平不是过去的样子了。下文进行了具体介绍, 故选C项。
