职称英语理工类网络课堂阅读理解讲义[4]
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PASSAGE 4

New Foods and the New World

 ?In the last 500 years, nothing about people---not their clothes, ideas, or languages---has changed as much as what they eat. The original chocolate drink was made form the seeds of the cocoa tree by South American Indians. The Spanish introduced it to the rest of the world during the 1500's. And although it was very expensive, it quickly became fashionable. In London shops where chocolate drinks were served became important meeting places. Some still exist today.
  The potato is also from the New World. Around 1600, the Spanish brought it from Peru to Europe, where it soon was widely grown. Ireland became so dependent1 on it that thousands of Irish people starved when the crop failed during the "Potato Famine2" of 1845-6, and thousands more were forced to emigrate3 to America.

 There are many other foods that have traveled from south America to the Old World. But some others went in the opposite direction. Brazil is now the world's largest grower of coffee, and coffee is an important crop in Colombia and other South American countries. But it is native to Ethiopia. It was first made into a drink by Arabs during the 1400's.
  According to an Arabic legend, coffee was discovered when a goatherd named Kaldi noticed that his goats were attracted to the red berries4 on a coffee bush. He tried one and experienced5 the "wide-awake" feeling that one-third of the world's population now starts the day with.

 

1. According to the passage, which of the following has changed the most in the last 500 years?
A) Food.
B) Chocolate.
C) Potato.
D) Coffee

2. "Some" in "Some still exist today" means
A) some cocoa trees.
B) some chocolate drinks.
C) some shops.
D) some South American Indians.

3. Thousands of Irish people starved during the "Potato Famine" because
A) they were so dependent on the potato that they refused to eat anything else.
B) they were forced to emigrate to America.
C) the weather conditions in Ireland were not suitable for growing the potato.
D) the potato harvest was bad.

4. Coffee originally came from
A) Brazil.
B) Colombia.
C) Ethiopia.
D) Arabia.

5. The Arabic legend is used to prove that
A) coffee was first discovered by Kaldi.
B) coffee was first discovered by Kaldi's goats.
C) coffee was first discovered in south American countries.
D) coffee drinks were first made by Arabs.

KEY: ACDCD



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1 dependent gm6z5     
adj.依靠的,依赖的,依赖他人生活者
参考例句:
  • He has a mother completely dependent on him.他有一个完全靠他赡养的母亲。
  • The country is dependent on foreign aid.这个国家靠外援生存。
2 famine Ezjyi     
n.饥荒;严重的缺乏
参考例句:
  • We're collecting for the famine victims.我们正在为遭受饥荒的灾民募款。
  • Famine stared us in the face.饥荒迫在眉睫。
3 emigrate Yp3xp     
vi.移居国外(或外地)
参考例句:
  • They planned to emigrate.他们打算移民。
  • The family decided to shake the dust off their feet and emigrate to Australia.这一家人愤然离开,移居澳洲。
4 berries 45b8db8c564e04c80f032c96ba1d920d     
n.浆果( berry的名词复数 );(葡萄,番茄等)浆果;干果仁;干种子
参考例句:
  • Birds feed on nuts and berries in the winter. 鸟类靠坚果和浆果过冬。
  • We went here and there looking for berries. 我们四处寻找浆果。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 experienced ntPz2t     
adj.有经验的;经验丰富的,熟练的
参考例句:
  • Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather.有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
  • Perhaps you and I had better change over;you are more experienced.也许我们的工作还是对换一下好,你比我更有经验。
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