Do you like to eat out? Do you like to eat quickly? Do you like inexpensive food? Some people go to fast-food restaurants for these reasons. In the past, people usually went to diners (路边小餐馆)for these reasons. In fact, many people in the State still go to diners today for the same reasons.
A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. It was not really a diner. It was only a food cart. People on the street walked up to the cart to buy food. These carts served late-night workers who wanted a cup of coffee and all late-night meal. The meal was a sandwich or boiled eggs. In 1887, Samuel Jones built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside. However, they did not sit down. Later, people built diners with counters and stools and people sat down while they ate.
Before long, many diners stayed open around the clock. In other words, people were able to eat in a diner at any time. Diners changed in other ways, too. The original menu of sandwiches and coffee became bigger. It included soup, favorite dish, and a breakfast menu. In addition, diners soon became permanent buildings. They were no longer carts on wheels.
Diners today look similar to the diners of the early 1900s. They are usually buildings with large windows. Inside, the diners have shining counters with stools, booths, and tables and chairs. People can eat all three meals in a modern diner.
Today, many people eat in fast-food restaurants such as McDonald’s and Burger King. However, the diner remains an American tradition, and thousands of people still enjoy eating there. It was popular a century ago, and it is still popular today.
36. A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. Why is diner in quotation marks(引号)?
A. Because it is spelled differently from “dinner”.
B. Because diner was a new word.
C. Because the first diner was not a real diner.
D. Because it is a special kind of restaurant.
37. What meals did the first diners serve?
A. Only breakfast. B. Only night-meals.
C. Only lunch. D. All of the above.
38. According to paragraph 3, diners changed in ____________________.
A. two ways B. three ways C. four ways D. five ways
39. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Diners existed before fast-food restaurant.
B. The menu included more food than sandwiches and coffee.
C. Burger King is a fast-food restaurant.
D. Sandwiches became bigger.
40. The main idea of the passage is that _____________________.
A. the diner is a traditional and popular place to eat in the United States
B. Samuel Jones built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside
C. American diners serve many types of food 24 hours a day to their customers
D. diners are different from fast-food restaurants in many ways