英语四级听力练习集锦53

The American Obsession¹: Fast Food

The most obvious and striking trait is that Americans always seem to be going somewhere and always seem to be in a hurry. In New York, where the streets are usually choked with traffic, drivers try in every way to get ahead of each other, while pedestrians² run through the streets often disregarding traffic signals. Nowhere is this impatience³ more evident than in American eating habits. Sitting down to a leisurely⁴ meal seems to be a luxury. It is quicker to serve oneself in a fast food restaurant like McDonald’s. McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s are nationwide food chains specializing in the most popular of all foods, the hamburger.

The popularity of these eating places has much to do with being inexpensive, but more important, with fast service. Fast and instant are the key words. A salad bar, a central feature in most restaurants, has a dizzying variety of uncooked vegetables, pickled salads, cold fish, and cheese. Putting together your own choices makes sense but you also don’t have to wait to be served.

The salad may be your main meal, or the appetizer⁵ which will keep you busy until the rest of the meal is ready. “Takeout” food is an American way of life. One can place an order over the phone with any of the take-away food shops in the neighborhood for an instant meal to be taken to the office or to eat at home from barbecued chicken to pizza. With a little patience, you can go to the supermarket and buy instant foods that take a little time to prepare —instant cereals, instant soups, instant rice, instant coffee — all of which require only boiling water, or frozen dinners available in infinite choices. Here the meal needs only to be heated. With all the possibilities of eating instantly and constantly and with the abundance of food in America, is it any wonder that Americans tend to be overweight?

1 obsession   

n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感)

参考例句：

• I was suffering from obsession that my career would be ended.那时的我陷入了我的事业有可能就此终止的困扰当中。
• She would try to forget her obsession with Christopher.她会努力忘记对克里斯托弗的迷恋。

2 pedestrians   

n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Several pedestrians had come to grief on the icy pavement. 几个行人在结冰的人行道上滑倒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Pedestrians keep to the sidewalk [footpath]! 行人走便道。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 impatience   

n.不耐烦，急躁

参考例句：

• He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。
• He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。

4 leisurely   

adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的

参考例句：

• We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着，看遍所有的橱窗。
• He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐，高兴的开车去工作。

5 appetizer   

n.小吃，开胃品

参考例句：

• We served some crackers and cheese as an appetizer.我们上了些饼干和奶酪作为开胃品。
• I would like a cucumber salad for an appetizer.我要一份黄瓜沙拉作开胃菜。