Legends about the development of coffee are varied and interesting, involving chance occurrences, political tricks, and the pursuit of wealth and power.
According to one story, a sheepherder named Kaldi, as he tended his sheep, noticed the effect of coffee beans. He noticed that the sheep became excited after eating the red “cherries" from a certain plant when they changed pastures (牧场). He tried it himself, and was soon as overactive as his sheep. Another story relates that a monk happened to discover that this fruit from the shiny green plant could help him stay awake.
Another legend gives us the name for coffee, “mocha”. Omar, an Arabian was thrown to the desert with his followers to die of starvation. In desperation, Omar had his friends boil and eat the fruit from an unknown plant. Not only did the soup save the group, but the residents of the nearest town, Mocha, took their survival as a religious sign. The plant and its beverage (饮料) were named Mocha to honor this event.
Coffee was introduced much later to countries beyond Arabia, whose inhabitants believed it to be a tasty thing and guarded its secret as if they were top secret military plans. The government forbade transportation of the plant out of the Moslem nations. The actual spread of coffee was started illegally. One Arab named Baba Budan smuggled (走私) beans to some mountains near Mysore, India, and started a farm there. Early in this century, some of those original plants were found still growing fruitfully in the region.
Coffee today is grown and enjoyed worldwide, and is one of the few crops that small farmers in third-world countries can profitably export.
1.What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?
A. A sheepherder used coffee beans to keep sheep excited.
B. Coffee was a special kind of red cherry from a certain plant.
C. A sheepherder and a monk accidently discovered coffee’s effect.
D. Sheep ate a lot of coffee beans while they changed pastures.
2.Which of the following involves political tricks?
A. Kaldi’s story. B. The monk’s story.
C. Omar’s story. D. Baba Budan’s story.
3.Mocha is originally the name of ______.
A. a town B. an Arabian C. a kind of coffee D. a sheepherder
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A. The Secret of Coffee B. The Tales of Coffee
C. People’s Love for Coffee D. The Function of Coffee
One day I walked down to get to my car, thinking about what I had to accomplish and scolding myself for being late for work, but surprisingly the car was nowhere to be found.
This was at 8 a.m. in the morning. I made trips to all the towing places and police stations, all the time thinking that it was towed (拖走）by cops (巡警).By around 10 a.m., the cops decided that it was actually stolen. After filing a report with them, I finally got to work thinking how my day was completely messed up.
Later in the day I went to pick up a rental car at Enterprise only to realize that my license was missing, too, along with my car. I told the enterprise guy the whole story and he offered to take me to the closest DMV and get a duplicate (副本) license. 1 was totally shocked. I did not know why this complete stranger would want to take some time off his day to help me. He actually took me to DMV, got a duplicate and then rented me a car. I was upset the whole day because of the events happening to me but somehow this simple act of kindness from a complete stranger made it all worth it. It cheered me up and made me forget all the troubles of the day. I was so moved by this kind act that the next day I made sure someone else got a similar surprise. I took some smiley shaped chocolates and left them on some of my colleagues’ desks.
There is still a lot of goodness out there in the world. We just need to take the time to notice it. I hope that this story would inspire many others like me to do more acts of kindness.
1.The moment the author found the car missing, he thought ______.
A. it was stolen by a stranger B. it was towed by the police
C. he placed it in a wrong place D. he should rent another one
2.We can infer that DMV is ______.
A. an office for license B. a towing place
C. a renting place D. a parking lot
3.Why did the author put some chocolates on his colleagues’ desks?
A. His colleagues were fond of chocolates.
B. He wanted to thank his colleagues.
C. He was touched and hoped to cheer others.
D. He wanted to do his colleagues a favor.
4.The author writes about his experience ______.
A. to criticize the person stealing his cars
B. to praise the rental place at Enterprise
C. to tell us a surprising but moving story
D. to encourage people to do acts of kindness
It was the summer of my freshman year of college. Instead of heading home for a nice long 1 , my friends and I had decided to 2 and take some extra courses. We had 3 the top floor of an old house to live in. My bed was 4 into a stuffy (愁闷的)former laundry room and each night was a new 5 in humidity. Still, it felt 6 to be in my own place for the first time. After the first few weeks, 7 , the thrill faded and 8 set in. I found myself sitting alone each night 9 my home and my parents.
My summer holidays had always been a 10 time. I spent hours playing basketball and swimming. I talked to my Mom while she tended her flowers. I 11 helping my Dad drag firewood for the winter. And every night I sat at a dinner table full of delicious food 12 with love while my family filled the room with the sound of sweet 13 . Now I found myself missing them 14 than ever.
Finally when my 15 were at their lowest, I heard a 16 at the door. I opened it and was 17 to see my parents standing there with big smiles to fill my 18 heart and a box full of food to feed my hungry friends. We spent the afternoon eating 19 , and just being together. It felt so good, and I felt so loved.
Victor Hugo wrote that, “The supreme happiness of life is the 20 that one is loved; loved for oneself, or better yet, loved despite oneself.” It was that gift of happiness that my parents gave me that afternoon and every day of my life.
1.A. journey B. term C. break D. way
2.A. leave B. stay C. relax D. travel
3.A. rented B. bought C. painted D. repaired
4.A. made B. changed C. jammed D. hidden
5.A. wish B. pleasure C. experiment D. adventure
6.A. exciting B. boring C. astonishing D. moving
7.A. anyway B. though C. therefore D. instead
8.A. headache B. loneliness C. satisfaction D. homesickness
9.A. forgetting about B. relying on C. thinking of D. referring to
10.A. special B. terrible C. specific D. difficult
11.A. gave up B. had trouble in C. put off D. took pride in
12.A. frozen B. prepared C. tasted D. kept
13.A. laughter B. scream C. whistle D. sigh
14.A. less B. more C. worse D. better
15.A. minds B. dreams C. spirits D. thoughts
16.A. kick B. hit C. crash D. knock
17.A. disappointed B. surprised C. puzzled D. encouraged
18.A. hungry B. open C. sick D. gentle
19.A. making up B. getting up C. catching up D. taking up
20.A. sign B. chance C. secret D. belief
They are determined to go into the dark cave, ______ my warning of danger.
A. regardless of B. because of C. apart from D. instead of
一"Peter, have you got your new flat furnished?
—Yes. I ______ some used furniture and it was a real bargain.
A. will buy B. have bought C. bought D. had bought
These diagrams are especially helpful when we have a concrete problem ______ at hand.
A. be solved B. to solve C. solved D. being solved
