[originaltext]W: Welcome to our program. (1) Today, we are pleased to have invi

W: Welcome to our program. (1) Today, we are pleased to have invited our honored guest, Mike Brown, a distinguished nutritionist from San Diego State University to share some information on fast food.
M: Thank you.
W: It seems that nowadays we can’t live without fast food, but few of us could give a clear definition of it. So, can you explain what fast food is, Mr. Brown?
M: Well, fast food is a type of mass-produced food that is prepared and served very quickly, and it was first popularized in the 1950s in the United States. For many people in other countries, fast food equals American food. All Germans eat sausages, all Chinese eat rice, and all Americans eat hamburgers, right?
W: Well, um, actually, we do eat a lot of hamburgers.
M: (2) In fact, the average American eats three hamburgers a week, along with four orders of French fries.
W: My son is not average, because he’d eat three hamburgers a day, if I’d let him. And I think he eats four orders of French fries by Wednesday.
M: Hah. (3-1) Even though we still eat hamburgers, we eat less now than we used to when I was your age. In 1976, we ate 94 pounds of beef per person each year. These days, we eat 68 pounds per person. From 94 to 68, that’s quite a reduction.
W: But eating fewer hamburgers does not mean we eat less fast food. Am I right?
M: Yes. (3-2) As a matter of fact, we eat more fast food than ever. Here is some statistics for thought; (4) in 1970, we Americans spent some six billion dollars on fast food. By 2000, that number had increased to one hundred and ten billion. Six billion to a hundred and ten billion in 30 years!
W: Uh, is there any easy way to catch this?
M: An easier way to imagine this might be that we spend more money annually on fast food than we do on university fees, personal computers, and new cars. And we shell out more money for hamburgers, pizza, chicken and French fries than we do for movies, books, magazines, newspapers, DVDs and CDs combined.
W: Gosh, isn’t that surprising?
M: Yes. And now let’s consider this: how many of us have bought a car?
W: Oh, lots of us, I think.
M: Right, but I bet you think that is a big-ticket item. Now, how many of us often order pizza delivery or eat fast food on the weekends?
W: Hmm, most of us! That doesn’t seem so expensive.
M: But, if you’re average, over the course of a year you’ll spend more money on the food than you paid for that car—especially if you bought a used one.
W: So, what’s your opinion on such a situation, Mr. Brown?
M: (5) Well, in one sense, it’s not surprising that we spend more on food than entertainment. After all, we have to eat. But we Americans spend more money not just on food, but on fast food. Is this healthy? Probably not. Maybe you’ve noticed that we Americans are getting fatter. And I don’t mean just a little plump. We’re getting obese. In fact, America has the largest percentage of obese people among all developed nations.
This is the end of Part One of the interview. Questions 1 to 5 are based on what you have just heard.
1. What is the interview mainly about?
2. According to the man, how much fast food does the average American eat each week?
3. Which of the following statements about Americans’ consumption of food is CORRECT?
4. How much did Americans spend on fast food in 2000?
5. What does the man say about the increase in fast food consumption?