Question

My interest in Chinese food started many years ago, when I had my first job. I was a young reporter for the Daily Journal in San Francisco. Our office wasn’t far from Chinatown. I usually managed to arrange my time so that I could go there at least two or three times a week for a good meal.

The first time I ever ate Chinese food I loved it. And since then, it just tastes better and better to me. The first thing I noticed was the fresh tastes of the meat and vegetable. When I learned more about the food, I began to understand why it has this special feature.

 About 5000 years ago, China lost much of its wood because of over population and poor management of its forest. This loss was very bad for the country, of course, but it turned out to be very good for the food. Wood became very expensive and hard to get, so the Chinese had to learn how to use it better.

 In order to use less wood in cooking, they started to cut their meat and vegetable into small pieces before they put them in the hot oil. That way, the food cooked faster and they saved their fuel. The food prepared in the manner kept its fresh flavor(风味)--- and its this flavor that attracts people to the art of Chinese cooking.

 I often wonder if the Chinese appreciated their solution to that ancient energy problem as much as I do now --- whenever I eat Chinese food.

1.This passage is mainly about ___________.

A. why Chinese food tastes fresh

B. what Chinese food tastes like

C. how Chinese food is cooked

D. what makes Chinese food special

2.The author got to know Chinese food _______________.

A. when he worked as a reporter in China

B. from a news story in the Daily Journal

C. after he got a taste of it in the Chinatown

D. before he got his first job in San Francisco

3.The author thought the Chinese cut meat and vegetable into small pieces in order to _____________.

A. keeping its fresh flavor

B. saving their hard –to-get wood

C. producing a different kind of food

D. attracting westerners to their food

4.The word “ fuel” in the 4th paragraph most probably means ____________.

A. fresh flavor              B. meat and vegetable

C. hot oil                  D. firewood

5.According to the passage, the special freshness of Chinese food is the result of _______________.

A. the wood used to make the cooking fire

B. the fast speed at which it is cooked

C. the high quality of Chinese meat and vegetable

D. the well –developed art of Chinese cooking

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.B

4.D

5.B

【解析】

试题分析：这篇文章主要讲述了中国食物为什么美味。作者的工作地点离唐人街很近，当他第一次吃中国食物时就喜欢上了。在5000年前，由于中国的木柴缺乏，人们为了节约木柴，就把食物切成小块烹饪，食物很快就熟了，而且保持了鲜美的味道。

1.主旨大意题。结合文章内容可知，这篇文章主要讲述了为什么中国食物食物尝起来那么新鲜。故选A。

2.判断推理题。从文中第一段得知，作者在靠近唐人街的报社当记者，所以经常去唐人街吃中国食物，The first time I ever ate Chinese food I loved it.当他第一次吃中国食物时就喜欢上了。由此可判断C正确。

3.细节理解题。根据文中第四段In order to use less wood in cooking, they started to cut their meat and vegetable into small pieces before they put them in the hot oil.为了节省做饭的木材，他们把肉和蔬菜切成小块再放到油里炒；由此判断B正确。

4.词义猜测题。结合前文，为了节省木材他们把肉和蔬菜切成小块，由此可判断此句意为：通过这种方式，食物可以熟得更快些，也可以节约木材；此处的fuel指的是firewood柴火，故选D。

5.判断推理题。根据文中描述That way, the food cooked faster and they saved their fuel. The food prepared in the manner kept its fresh flavor(风味)可判断，通过这种方式，食物很快就熟了，以这种方式做好的食物保持了鲜美，所以选B，快速的烹饪保持了食物的鲜美。

考点：文化类短文阅读。