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第二部分 阅读理解（共两节, 满分40分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2分, 满分30分）
阅读下列短文, 从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中, 选出最佳选项, 并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Shake Shack is a new kind of restaurant becoming more popular in the U.S. The restaurants are not “fast food.” They are known as “fast casual.”
Observers say Americans want more choices and fresh food when choosing where and what to eat. This trend is one reason why the fast food restaurant McDonald’s has struggled financially. In the last quarter of 2014, McDonald’s net income dropped by about $300 million.
The January earnings report brought more bad news. Worldwide sales dropped for the eighth month in a row and even more than expected. While McDonald’s is struggling to get their customers back, Shake Shack, is doing well in making money. The New York-based burger chain had a very successful IPO, or initial public offering, of shares at eh end of January. On its first day of trading, Shake Shack went from $21 a share to just under $46 a share. Being part of the “fast casual” trend has helped Shake Shack. Other fast casual restaurants in the U.S. include Chipotle and Panera.
Bonnie Riggs, a restaurant expert with NPD has studied American’s restaurant habits for about 30 years. She says on reason why Americans like fast casual food is that it’s new. It is creative, it is something different and people like to try new thing. Her study shows Americans make 61 billion visits to restaurants last year. Three out of four visits were to fast food restaurants, like McDonald’s. Fast casual is still a small percentage of restaurant visits, but it has developed fast. Just as Ms. Riggs says, “It’s growing by leaps and bounds, because they meet consumers’ needs. They know it’s being prepared while they wait, it’s fresh, quality food, good tasting food at what they say are reasonable and affordable prices.”
Many Americans still like their fast food. They just are not going as often. They are finding other says to have a meal.
21. What is the trouble with McDonald’s?
A. its share goes down to $21.
B. Shake Shack has taken its place.
C. it’s not popular with Americans.
D. its sales and income have dropped.
22. we can learn from Bonnie Riggs that Americans______.
A. like to try something new
B. care only about the quality
C. don’t like fast food any more
D. pay more restaurant visits to fast casual
23. what does the underlined phrase “by leaps and bounds” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. Steadily. B. Rapidly. C. slowly. D. normally.
24. which of the following best describes fast casual?
A. Fresh-made and tasty. B. High-quality and expensive.
C. Farm-to-table and traditional. D. Time-consuming and special.
B
For decades, the San Francisco Bay area has been the heart of the computer technology industry. Many of the biggest technology companies have their headquarters in the area called Silicon Valley. But the area has not always been associated with charity(慈善).
Now, a new generation of entrepreneurs(企业家)appears to be changing Silicon Valley. One example is Marc Benioff, a donor(捐赠者), who has called on wealthy donors to give more to their communities. He also is the founder of Salesforce. com, a computer services company in San Francisco who has helped build a children’s hospital and given millions of dollars to non-profit organizations in the city.
Money from the technology industry has also started to change the face of charity. Benjamin Soskis writes about the history and ideas behind charity in America. His articles have appeared in The Atlantic magazine and a number of major publications. He says, traditionally, donors have given after they spent much of their lives building up wealth. Usually donors are in their 70s. But an increasing number of people appearing on the list of top donors are younger than 40 years of age. Benjamin Soskis says that is something new. “There’s a whole new model that’s appearing in which people give and accumulate at the same time. ”
Some of the young donors on this year's top 50 list have started to change in the way people see charity. That is especially the case in the San Francisco area, where giving money and making money appear to be coming together. “I think it's fair to say that charity is now a part of the Silicon Valley identity. ”
25. What is true of Marc Benioff?
A. He joined a non-profit organization.
B. He advised donors to build hospitals.
C. He made San Francisco a city of charity.
D. He set up the company of Salesforce. com.
26. What is special about the donors of Silicon Valley?
A. They prefer to give rather than make money.
B. They give after accumulating a lot of wealth.
C. They are much younger than the usual donors.
D. They donate more money to their communities.
27. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. The age of charity B. The changing faces of charity
C. In search of new faces D. From computer base to charity centre
