Question

    Do you enjoy eating ketchup on your fries? If so, you must like the essential ingredient in the sauces, tomatoes. The tomato originally comes from South America and has been eaten by people there for thousands of years. Today, tomatoes are popular all over the world. However, when they were first introduced, there was quite a bit of controversy and apprehension surrounding them.

Tomatoes were first planted by the Aztecs (阿兹特克人)in Central America. In fact, ancient Aztec writings mention recipes for dishes of tomatoes. Spanish soldiers conquered the Aztecs and brought tomato seeds back with them to Europe. In Europe, these yellowish tomatoes were first called “apples of gold “. For a long time, people in Northern Europe and North America did not eat these “apples of gold”. The tomato plant looked similar to the nightshade plant, a deadly poison, so they were afraid to eat them. German people even thought that if someone ate tomatoes, he or she would change into a werewolf(狼人). But finally, by the mid-1800s people all over the world had accepted the tomato.

However, the tomato was due for more controversy. Do you think the tomato is a fruit or vegetable? Actually the tomato is a fruit. But in America, the tomato is a vegetable by law. Why is the tomato legally a vegetable in America? In the 1800s, there was no import tax in fruit from other countries. At that time, many tomatoes were coming from other countries into America, and American tomatoes farmers became worried about making a living. The government made the tomato a vegetable by law so that non-American tomatoes would be taxed.

Actually, it is easy to tell that the tomatoes is really a fruit. Cut into a tomato and look inside. You can see many seeds in the center, which is one sign of a fruit. In fact, tomatoes are similar to strawberries. Both have seeds inside, and both grow from the flowers of a plant. And both have delicious flesh surrounding the seeds. Tomatoes and strawberries are actually in the same family.

1.What is the main idea of this reading?

A. How our ideas about tomatoes have changed

B. How to grow tomatoes

C. The history of tomatoes planting.

D. The history of famous tomato dishes.

2.What is NOT a reason why people didn’t eat tomatoes at first?

A. They thought tomatoes could change them into monsters.

B. They though tomatoes were similar to a deadly plant.

C. They thought tomatoes cost too much to grow.

D. They thought tomatoes were poisonous.

3.What does the US government say tomatoes are?

A. Both a fruit and a vegetable B. A kind of vegetable

C. A kind of fruit D. Neither a fruit nor a vegetable

4.How are tomatoes like strawberries?

A. Tomatoes do not grow very bug

B. The inside parts are similar

C. They grow on tree.

D. Summer is the best time to pick them

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.B

4.B

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文，主要介绍了西红柿是如何从不被人们接受到一步步被世界各地的人们欢迎的。

1.主旨大意题。通读全文可知，本文主要介绍了西红柿是如何从不被人们接受到一步步被世界各地的人们广泛接受的，也就是介绍了人们对西红柿的看法是如何改变的，故A项正确。

2.细节理解题。根据第二段中的“The tomato plant looked similar to the nightshade plant, a deadly poison, so they were afraid to eat them.”可知，西红柿看起来像一种致命的植物——龙葵，一种致命的毒药；再根据“German people even thought that if someone ate tomatoes, he or she would change into a werewolf”可知，德国人甚至认为吃了西红柿后会变成狼人，以上是人们不敢吃西红柿的原因，而文章没有提到人们不敢吃西红柿是因为西红柿的种植成本高，故C项正确。

3.根据第三段中的“But in America, the tomato is a vegetable by law.”可知，在美国，西红柿被认为是一种蔬菜，故B项正确。

4.细节理解题。根据最后一段中的“In fact, tomatoes are similar to strawberries. Both have seeds inside”可知，西红柿和草莓的内部很像，里面都有种子，故B项正确。