第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
A
As a child growing up, I have very few memories of the times when we gathered as a family to sit down and eat dinner together. I grew up in a home where both of my parents worked. My mother taught in the school, and my father worked during the night at a local chemical plant. There was not much time available for us to sit down to eat dinner together due to my parents’ conflicting（冲突的）work schedules and the afterschool activities in which my sister and I participated.
It wasn’t until I got married and had two children of my own that I began to realize the important of eating dinner together. In my family there are elements that take us away from each other, day in and day out, but as a mother I feel it is my duty to bring us all back together again at the end of the day. In my house, dinner time is a time of thanks. I give thanks for us to share our day, but I am more thankful for the family I share it with. Dinner time is a time for us to share our day, and reflect on our thoughts. Above all it is a time when my family are able to connect with the ones they love.
As I look at the bread basket which sits on my kitchen table, I am reminded of how the basket’s tight weave resembles the tightly woven strands（股）of my family. I believe that through our family dinners, we will not only pass around the meat and potatoes, but we will also pass along virtues that will shape us so that we can forever embrace one another just as the basket embraces the bread.
56. What is the main idea of the passage？
A. It is pleasant to spend time with your family.
B. It is necessary to participate in family activities.
C. It is vital to balance work and family time.
D. It is important to have family dinner together.
57. According to the author, during dinner time .
A. we should remember the one who prepares the dinner
B. we can learn all sorts of knowledge from other people
C. communication among family members will be improved
D. it is healthy for people to express their opinions
58. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A. The family B. The food C. Dinner time D. My house
59. The author concludes the passage by .
A. making comparisons B. telling her own story
C. summarizing the main idea D. presenting facts
