Marian Bechtel sits at West Palm Beach’s Bar Louie counter by herself, quietly reading her e-book as she waits for her salad. What is she reading? None of your business! Lunch is Bechtel’s “me” time. And like more Americans, she’s not alone.
玛丽安·贝克特尔独自坐在西棕榈滩的巴卢易酒吧柜台前，静静地阅读着她的电子书，等待她的沙拉。她在看什么？这不关你的事！午餐时间是贝克特尔的“自我”时间。而且，像更多的美国人一样，她并不孤单。

A new report found 46 percent of meals are eaten alone in America. More than half（53 percent）have breakfast alone and nearly half（46 percent）have lunch by themselves. Only at dinnertime are we eating together anymore, 74 percent, according to statistics from the report.
一份新报告发现，在美国，46%的餐点是独自吃的。超过一半的人（53%）独自吃早餐，近一半的人（46%）独自吃午餐。只有在晚餐时间，我们才会聚在一起吃饭，根据报告的统计数据，这一比例为74%。

“I prefer to go out and be out. Alone, but together, you know?” Bechtel said, looking up from her book. Bechtel, who works in downtown West Palm Beach, has lunch with coworkers sometimes, but like many of us, too often works through lunch at her desk. A lunchtime escape allows her to keep a boss from tapping her on the shoulder. She returns to work feeling energized. “Today, I just wanted some time to myself,” she said.
“我更喜欢出去，在外面。独自一人，但同时又在一起，你知道吗？”贝克特尔说着，从她的书上抬起头来。贝克特尔在西棕榈滩市中心工作，有时和同事一起吃午餐，但像我们许多人一样，她经常在办公桌上边工作边吃午餐。午餐时间的逃离让她可以避免老板拍她的肩膀。她回到工作岗位时感到精力充沛。“今天，我只是想独自待一会儿，”她说。

Just two seats over, Andrew Mazoleny, a local videographer, is finishing his lunch at the bar. He likes that he can sit and check his phone in peace or chat up the barkeeper with whom he’s on a first-name basis if he wants to have a little interaction（交流）. “I reflect on how my day’s gone and think about the rest of the week,” he said. “It’s a chance for self-reflection, You return to work recharged and with a plan.”
就在两个座位之外，当地摄像师安德鲁·马佐莱尼正在酒吧结束他的午餐。他喜欢可以安静地坐着查看手机，或者如果他想交流，可以和酒吧老板聊天，他们已经熟到可以直呼其名。“我会反思我的一天过得如何，并思考这一周的其余时间，”他说。“这是一个自我反思的机会，你回到工作岗位时会感到精力充沛，并有一个计划。”

That freedom to choose is one reason more people like to eat alone. There was a time when people may have felt awkward about asking for a table for one, but those days are over. Now, we have our smartphones to keep us company at the table. “It doesn’t feel as alone as it may have before all the advances in technology,” said Laurie Demeritt, whose company provided the statistics for the report.
这种选择的自由是更多人喜欢独自吃饭的原因之一。曾经有一段时间，人们可能会觉得要求一个人一桌会感到尴尬，但那些日子已经过去了。现在，我们有智能手机在餐桌上陪伴我们。“它不会像以前那样感到孤独，这都要归功于科技的进步，”劳里·德梅里特说，她的公司为报告提供了统计数据。

1. What are the statistics in paragraph 2 about?
   A. Food variety. B. Eating habits. C. Table manners. D. Restaurant service.
   答案：B

2. Why does Bechtel prefer to go out for lunch?
   A. To meet with her coworkers. B. To catch up with her work.
   C. To have some time on her own. D. To collect data for her report.
   答案：C

3. What do we know about Mazoleny?
   A. He makes videos for the bar. B. He’s fond of the food at the bar.
   C. He interviews customers at the bar. D. He’s familiar with the barkeeper.
   答案：D

4. What is the text mainly about?
   A. The trend of having meals alone. B. The importance of self-reflection.
   C. The stress from working overtime. D. The advantage of wireless technology.
   答案：A