Farmers grow cocoa trees in the shady areas of rainforests near the Earth’s equator．These trees can be difficult to grow．They require an exact amount of water, warmth, soil and protection．After about five years, cocoa trees start producing large fruits called pods．The seeds inside these pods are harvested to make chocolate．
Today we travel around the world exploring the history of chocolate．Its story begins with a plant whose scientific name, The obroma cocoa, means “food of the gods”．People have been enjoying the rich flavor of chocolate, a product made from this plant．
Most people know that chocolate is made from cocoa and that the origins of chocolate can be traced back to Central and South America．For centuries, the natives there regarded cocoa as a gift from the gods．But how did chocolate go from being the food of the gods to being the food of love?
Historians believe the Maya of Central America first learned to farm cocoa plants around two thousand years ago．The Maya took the cocoa trees from the rainforests and grew them in their gardens．They cooked the cocoa seeds, and then crushed them into a soft substance．They used the cocoa bean as the main part in a dark, bitter drink that we would call “chocolate”．They believed that chocolate had mystical characteristics — but cocoa also had commercial （商业的）value．In fact, cocoa beans were used as a form of currency that was worth its weight in gold!
The explorer Christopher Columbus brought cocoa seeds to Spain after his trip to Central America in 1502．But the Spanish explorer Conquistador Hernando Cortez was the first European explorer to realize cocoa’s commercial possibilities．When he arrived in the New World in 1519, he soon established his own cocoa plantation．In 1529, Cortez returned to Spain and introduced chocolate — as a drink mixed with sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon — to European society．
The wealthy people of Spain first enjoyed a sweetened type of the chocolate drink．Later, the popularity of the drink spread throughout Europe．The English, Dutch and French began to plant cocoa trees in their own colonies．Chocolate remained a drink that only wealthy people could afford to drink until the eighteenth century．During the period known as the Industrial Revolution, new technologies helped make chocolate less costly to produce．
It caught on — especially with the noble people, who enjoyed hot chocolate as an aphrodisiac （a kind of medicine）．As its popularity spread, people found new ways to make and use chocolate．These days, chocolate is enjoyed as both a tasty treat and a romantic indulgence everywhere．
1．According to historians, cacao trees were first planted in ．
A．South America B．Central America
C．Spain． D．Africa
2．What does the underlined word “substance” here mean?
A．An illegal drug． B．An important idea．
C．A liquid material． D．A solid material．
3．The passage implies that ．
A．Christopher Columbus brought cacao seeds to Central America．
B．The wealthy people of Spain first enjoyed a chocolate drink．
C．Many people over the world enjoy a good taste of chocolate．
D．Cocoa trees need an exact amount of water, warmth, soil and protection．
4．Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A．History of chocolate, as rich as its taste．
B．Chocolate, food of the gods．
C．Value of chocolate, as costly as gold．
D．Chocolate, food of love．
100分闯关期末冲刺系列答案科目：高中英语 来源：广东省华南师大附中2010届高三下学期综合测试三 题型：阅读理解
B
You're in a bit of a dilemma standing in front of the produce section of your local supermarket. In one hand, you're holding a conventionally grown Granny Smith apple.In your other hand, you have one that's been organically grown. Both apples are firm,shiny and green. Both provide vitamins and fiber, and both are free of fat, sodium and cholesterol.
The conventionally grown apple costs less and is a proven family favorite. But the organic apple has a label that says "USDA Organic". Does that mean it's better? Safer? More nutritious? Several differences between organic and non-organic foods exist. Become a better informed consumer for your next trip to the supermarket.
The word "organic" refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat. Organic farming practices are designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution.Farmers who grow organic produce and meat don't use conventional methods to fertilize, control weeds or prevent livestock disease.
Here are other differences between conventional fanning and organic farming:
* Organic or not? Check the label.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established an organic certification program that requires all organic foods to meet strict government standards. These standards regulate how such foods are grown, handled and processed.Any farmer or food manufacturer who labels and sells a product as organic must be USDA certified as meeting these standards. Only producers who sell less than $5,000 a year in organic foods are exempt (免除) from this certification.
If a food bears a USDA Organic label, it means it's produced and processed according to the USDA standards. The seal is voluntary, but many organic producers
use it.
46. The main purpose of the passage is_________.
A. to promote the sales of organic food
B. to inform people organic food is better for their health
C. to persuade people to become informed consumers
D. to compare conventional and organic foods
47. According to the passage, organic farming is intended to_________.
A. improve the quality of the soil and water
B. take the place of the traditional agriculture entirely
C. adopt eco-friendly methods to grow plants and feed animals
D. prevent livestock from getting disease more effectively
48. According to the passage, the conventionally grown apple_________.
A. costs less but tastes worse than an organic one
B. doesn't look the same as an organic one
C. has proven itself acceptable by the family
D. contains more fat, sodium and cholesterol
49. Which of the following methods belongs to organic farming?
A. Using chemicals to kill insects and prevent disease.
B. Using rotted plants as fertilizer to promote plant growth.
C. Using growth hormones to speed up animals' growth.
D. Using pests to reduce insects and disease.
50. From the passage we know the organic certification program________.
A. is not meant for all producers of produce
B. makes it compulsory to attach a USDA Organic label
C. sets restrictions on the sales of organic produce
D. requires all foods to satisfy the strict government standards
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科目：高中英语 来源：陕西省西安市四校2010届高三下学期第二次模拟联考 题型：阅读理解
B
People all over the world today are beginning to hear and learn more and more about the problem of pollution. Pollution is caused either by man's release of completely new and often artificial substances into the environment, or by releasing greatly increased amounts of a natural substance , such as oil tankers into the sea．
The whole industrial process which makes many of the goods and machines we need and use in our daily lives, is bound to create a number of waste products which upset the environmental balance, or the ecological balance as it is also known. Many of these waste products can be prevented or disposed of sensibly, but clearly while more and more new and complex goods are produce there will be new, dangerous wastes to be disposed of, for example, the waste products from nuclear power stations. Many people, therefore, see pollution as only part of a larger and more complex problem, that is, the whole process of industrial production and consumption of goods. Others again see the problem mainly in connection with agriculture, where new methods are helping farmers grow more and more on their land to feed our ever-increasing populations. However, the land itself is gradually becoming worn out as it is being used in some cases, too heavily, and artificial fertilizer cannot restore the balance.
Whatever its underlying reasons, there is no doubt that much of the pollution caused could be controlled if only companies, individuals and governments would make more efforts. In the home there is an obvious need to control litter and waste. Food comes wrapped up three or four times in packages that all have to be disposed of; drinks are increasingly sold in bottles or tins which cannot be reused． This not only causes a litter problem, but also is a great waste of resources, in term of glass, metals and paper. Advertising has helped this process by persuading many of us not only to buy things we neither want nor need, but also to throw away much of what we do buy. Pollution and waste combine to be a problem everyone can help to solve by cutting out unnecessary buying ,excess consumption and careless disposal of the products we use in our daily lives.
45．The underlined phrase “disposed of ”in the second paragraph means_______.
A． dealt with B． exposed
C． disapproved of D． collected
46． In the writer’s view ,the more new goods, _______.
A． the less pollution
B． the harder pollution can be prevented
C． the more pollution there will be
D． the more easily pollution can be controlled
47．What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A． We can do much to reduce pollution.
B． The government is trying hard to stop pollution.
C． Individuals know how to get rid of the habit of littering everywhere.
D． We can’t stop buying unnecessary things.
48． People can help solve the problem of pollution by _______.
A． urging their governments to control litter and waste
B． making anti-pollution advertisements
C． cutting down the use of oil and other oil products
D． reducing unnecessary buying, over-consumption and careless disposal of wastes
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科目：高中英语 来源：福建省泉州市2010届高三下学期第一次质量检查 题型：阅读理解
E
When we Americans shop at the grocery stores today, we don’t seem to be surprised at the sight of strawberries in the winter or perfect tomatoes from Holland. In the space of a generation, we’ve become accustomed to eating food that’s never grown roots in local soil. In fact, most produce(农产品) grown in the United States travels an average of 1,500 miles before it gets sold.
Trucking, shipping and flying in food from around the country and the globe has a very bad effect on the environment and on public health. Take grapes for example. Every year, nearly 270 million pounds of grapes arrive in California, most of them shipped from Chile to the Port of Los Angeles. Their 5,900-mile journey in cargo ships and trucks gives off 7,000 tons of global warming pollution each year, and enough air pollution to cause dozens of asthma(哮喘) attacks and hundreds of missed school clays in California.
The way we eat has a great influence on the health of the planet. By choosing to eat lower on the food chain, and focusing on local and organic(有机的) produce, we can reduce global warming and air pollution, avoid poisonous chemicals, support local farmers and enjoy fresh, tasty food.
People are rediscovering the benefits of buying local food. How your food is grown, stored, transported, processed and cooked can all influence how it affects climate and the environment. Transportation-related influences are particularly important for imported foods. NRDC calculated the transportation influences of importing fresh produce and wine widely consumed in California. They directly compared the climate and air quality influenced by importing these foods instead of growing and consuming them in California. Their analysis shows that—all else being equal—locally grown foods are a better choice.
72. From the passage we can learn that most produce sold at the grocery stores in the US .
A. is grown by local farmers B. is from foreign countries
C. comes from far away D. is out of season
73. What would be the effect of transportation of foods?
A. It pollutes the foods during the transportation.
B. It makes the cost of the foods much higher.
C. It makes the foods less fresh and tasteless.
D. It causes air pollution and global warming.
74. Which of the following may have a bad effect on the health of the planet?
A. Eating higher on the food chain. B. Eating locally grown foods.
C. Eating more organic produce. D. Eating fresh and tasty foods.
75. The main purpose of the passage is .
A. to help the local farmers grow and sell their produce
B. to tell people that imported foods are less healthy
C. to warn people of the harmfulness of food transportation
D. to get local people to reject the imported foods
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科目：高中英语 来源：2014届江西红色六校高三上期第一次联考英语卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s highest hunger rate. But according to a new report, African farmers also have ideas that could help the world fight hunger and poverty. Danielle Nierenberg from the Worldwatch Institute in Washington spent a year visiting twenty-five countries south of the Sahara. In Nairobi, Kenya, for example, Ms Nierenberg found women farmers growing vegetables just outside their doorsteps in the Kibera settlement. She says they are finding ways to make their lives better. The women feed their families and sell their surplus. They use the money to send their children to school.
Last year, about 925,000,000 people worldwide did not get enough to eat. Half of all people in the world now live in and around cities. Researchers like Ms Nierenberg are looking increasingly at creative ideas to feed those who don’t have enough good food to eat. She says there are a lot of lessons that people in the Western world can learn from Africa. And what they are doing can certainly be done in other developing countries.
Farmers in the developing world lose between twenty and forty percent of their harvest before it ever reaches market. There are many reasons why food gets wasted. Farmers are without electricity and cold storage. They lack good seeds and fertilizer. They lack good roads. Conditions like these keep small farmers in poverty. Ms Nierenberg says more attention needs to be paid to protecting harvests. She says, “Given all that we invest in producing food in the first place, we need to devote the same amount of attention to making sure that it is not wasted.”
In Nigeria, village processing centers are helping farmers reduce their losses and earn more money. They centers process cassava, a root vegetable, into basic food products. In Uganda, the Worldwatch report says some schools are teaching children how to grow local kinds of crops. And in South Africa and Kenya the report praises the breeding(培育) of local kinds of livestock. These animals may produce less milk or meat than other breeds, but they can survive heat and drought conditions.
1.We could learn from the new report in Para.1 that .
A.sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s highest hunger rate
B.African farmers have ideas to help fighting hunger and poverty
C.women farmers grow vegetables in the Kibera settlement
D.women farmers grow vegetables to send their children to school.
2.The underlined word “surplus” in Para.1 is closest in meaning to .
A. private vegetables B. side products
C. leftover vegetables D. home-made products
3.Ms Nierenberg suggests that .
A.the women spend more money on education instead of farming
B.more and more African people should live in and around cities
C.researchers find creative ideas to feed the people suffering hunger
D.people in the Western world do the same as the Africans have done
4.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Farmers in developing world often lose some of their harvest
B.Small farmers in developing countries often suffer poverty.
C.Farmers should pay more attention to protecting their harvest
D.Attention should be paid to saving food instead of producing food
5.The best title of this passage should be .
A.A New Report About African Farmers Fighting Hunger
B.Creative Ideas to Feed Those Who Have No Enough Food
C.Looking to Africa for Ideas About How to Fight Hunger
D.Animals That Can Survive Heat and Drought Conditions
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科目：高中英语 来源：陕西省西安市四校2010届高三下学期第二次模拟联考 题型：阅读理解
B
People all over the world today are beginning to hear and learn more and more about the problem of pollution. Pollution is caused either by man's release of completely new and often artificial substances into the environment, or by releasing greatly increased amounts of a natural substance , such as oil tankers into the sea．
The whole industrial process which makes many of the goods and machines we need and use in our daily lives, is bound to create a number of waste products which upset the environmental balance, or the ecological balance as it is also known. Many of these waste products can be prevented or disposed of sensibly, but clearly while more and more new and complex goods are produce there will be new, dangerous wastes to be disposed of, for example, the waste products from nuclear power stations. Many people, therefore, see pollution as only part of a larger and more complex problem, that is, the whole process of industrial production and consumption of goods. Others again see the problem mainly in connection with agriculture, where new methods are helping farmers grow more and more on their land to feed our ever-increasing populations. However, the land itself is gradually becoming worn out as it is being used in some cases, too heavily, and artificial fertilizer cannot restore the balance.
Whatever its underlying reasons, there is no doubt that much of the pollution caused could be controlled if only companies, individuals and governments would make more efforts. In the home there is an obvious need to control litter and waste. Food comes wrapped up three or four times in packages that all have to be disposed of; drinks are increasingly sold in bottles or tins which cannot be reused． This not only causes a litter problem, but also is a great waste of resources, in term of glass, metals and paper. Advertising has helped this process by persuading many of us not only to buy things we neither want nor need, but also to throw away much of what we do buy. Pollution and waste combine to be a problem everyone can help to solve by cutting out unnecessary buying ,excess consumption and careless disposal of the products we use in our daily lives.
45．The underlined phrase “disposed of ”in the second paragraph means_______.
A． dealt with B． exposed
C． disapproved of D． collected
46． In the writer’s view ,the more new goods, _______.
A． the less pollution
B． the harder pollution can be prevented
C． the more pollution there will be
D． the more easily pollution can be controlled
47．What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A． We can do much to reduce pollution.
B． The government is trying hard to stop pollution.
C． Individuals know how to get rid of the habit of littering everywhere.
D． We can’t stop buying unnecessary things.
48． People can help solve the problem of pollution by _______.
A． urging their governments to control litter and waste
B． making anti-pollution advertisements
C． cutting down the use of oil and other oil products
D． reducing unnecessary buying, over-consumption and careless disposal of wastes
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