Question

Watercress is positively packed with healthy vitamins and minerals. The writings of both the Romans and the Ancient Greeks record the consumption of watercress by all classes. Hippocrates, “the father of medicine”, was so convinced that watercress was a great healer that he built his first hospital next to a stream so that he could grow a plentiful supply of the shiny green leaves for his patients. The Romans chewed watercress in large quantities, believing that it would cure baldness. They, too, looked with favor on watercress as a salad.

Watercress sandwiches were traditionally a breakfast item in nineteenth-century Europe. The most basic type of watercress sandwich has two pieces of white bread with a mixture of butter and watercress greens . A nickname(绰号)for the vegetable, in fact, was “poor man’s bread”, because watercress was often eaten on its own for breakfast by families that could not afford the bread to go with it.

Watercress is a member of the mustard(芥菜) family. It contains vitamins C(66mg per 100g), K and A, and is also a valuable source of minerals such as iron, potassium, copper and calcium. The mustard oils in its silky leaves and stems(茎)contain an ingredient known as PEITC. Recent research has proved that PEITC can prevent the growth of cancer cells and, in some cases, actually destroy them.

The best watercress has silky green leaves without any marks and has undamaged stems, The older the plant, the darker are its leaves and the thicker its stems. This means a higher concentration of oils and vitamins. Young watercress, on the other hand, may be harvested after only twenty-eight days growth and has a milder taste. It is  best to eat watercress fresh and raw , to keep more of its valuable nutrients, but it can be lightly cooked and used as an alternative to spinach—another dark green vegetable—in various recipes. From soups to salads, watercress is now considered around the world as a natural and healthy super food.

1.From paragraph 1, we can learn that________.

 A.watercress is usually grown in wet areas

 B.the ancient Greeks only used watercress for medicine

 C.watercress is the most ancient vegetable known to man

 D.the Romans rubbed watercress on their heads to cure baldness

2.The underlined word “it” in paragraph 2 refers to “_________”.

 A.butter     B.watercress    C.breakfast    D. bread

3.Which of the following is TRUE about watercress?

 A.It belongs to the same family as spinach.

B.It contains mustard oils only in leaves.

 C.It can help guard against cancer.

D.It is rich in vitamins C and B.

4.Compared with older watercress, young watercress      .

A.has lighter green leaves

B.contains more minerals

C.is better for medical use

D.is more suitable for eating raw

5.What would be the best title for the text?

A.The history of watercress        B.watrcress, a medicinal plant

C.Watercress, the amazing food     D.New findings about watercress

Answer

1.A

2.B

3.C

4.A

5.C

【解析】

试题分析：

【文章大意】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了西洋芹这种植物，它既可以当食物吃，又有药的疗效。

1.A考查推理判断。根据文章第一段中的Hippocrates, “the father of medicine”, was so convinced that watercress was a great healer that he built his first hospital next to a stream so that he could grow a plentiful supply of the shiny green leaves for his patients.可知，西洋芹生长在潮湿的地方，因为Hippocrates把他的医院建在小溪旁边，为了种植西洋芹。由此推知A正确。

2.B考查代词的指代。根据文章第二段中的because watercress was often eaten on its own for breakfast by families that could not afford the bread to go with it.可知，it指代前面的watercress。故选B。

3.C考查细节理解。根据文章第三段中的The mustard oils in its silky leaves and stems(茎)contain an ingredient known as PEITC. Recent research has proved that PEITC can prevent the growth of cancer cells and, in some cases, actually destroy them.可知，西洋芹有抗癌作用。故选C。

4.A考查推理判断。根据文章第四段中的The older the plant, the darker are its leaves and the thicker its stems.可知，西洋芹生长的越久，叶子的颜色就越深。由此推知生长日期少的颜色就浅。故选A。

5.C考查文章的标题。根据文章整体内容可知，文章介绍了西洋芹是一种既可以当食物用有可以起到药的作用的植物。所以它是一种神奇的食物。故选C。

考点：考查说明文的阅读。