Corn has been a significant part in American food since before European arrival. After the Civil War, grits (粗玉米粉), which is made out of corn, became a diet mainstay (支柱) because water-powered mills (磨坊) worked to grind dried corn. They were relatively inexpensive and could be eaten with almost anything, making it possible for everyone to enjoy.
Grits are usually cooked with water, cream and butter over the course of many hours. There can be varying types of grits from smooth to grainy. There are even instant grits for those without the hours to cook. Worth noting is that sugar is not typically added.
Grits can be served for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but they're commonly used as a base, usually topped with seafood and a delicious sauce. It's a dish eaten by everyone from sitting presidents to blue collar workers in a variety of ways, both in fine dining restaurants and oily spoons.
Shrimp and grits is the most well-known dish incorporating grits, especially in coastal areas like Charleston, South Carolina. It was originally a fisherman’s breakfast, a hearty meal before a long day of work, and today, it's found on menus throughout the nation.
Chefs have also become creative with the dish, adding modern elements to the traditional. Mashama Bailey has a foie gras (鹅肝酱) and grits dish at The Grey in Savannah, Georgia. Edward Lee has prepared it like the porridge his Korean parents cooked during his growing up, but uses Kentucky's Wiesenberger grits. Nathalie Dupree has made her career on the dish with her cookbook titled “Shrimp and Grits," while Virginia Willis has the appropriately titled “Grits”.
1.Why did grits become main food?
A.Because corm played a key role.
B.Because dried corn was extremely cheap.
C.Because the Civil War broke out.
D.Because water-powered mills turned up.
2.What can we learn about grits from Paragraph 3?
A.They are popular among all walks of life.
B.They are smooth to feel.
C.They are placed on top of other foods.
D.They are expensive to purchase.
3.What breakfast did South Carolina fishermen like?
A.Grits with shrimp. B.Grits with sugar.
C.Grits with butter. D.Grits with cream.
4.Why does the author mention Lee's parents?
A.To introduce Lee's upbringing experiences. B.To promote Lee's cooking techniques.
C.To explain a modern flavour of grits. D.To advertise a newly-published cookbook.
The true Olympic spirit has been displayed by Canadian cross-country ski coach Justin Wadsworth, who helped Russian athlete Anton Gafarov with his broken ski during the Men’s Sprint Free Semifinals.
Gafarov’s start wasn't smooth. He fell three times, crashing early in the race and breaking his ski. It was clear that Gafarov was out of the race for the men's finals and wouldn't be able to compete for medals. Still, he wanted to finish in front of the home crowd. but his left ski was too badly damaged in the crash and its base had come off. The Russian skier faced finishing the race by walking to the line, not skiing.
However, the Russian's fall was seen by Canadian coach Justin Wadsworth, who immediately ran on to the course and helped Gafarov. “I went over and gave him one of Alex Harvey's, a member of the Canadian team who didn’t qualify for the finals. It was about giving Gafarov some dignity so he didn't have to walk to the finish area,” Wadsworth said. “We help because we know everyone works so hard in our sport,” says Wadsworth, who was an Olympic skier for the S before becoming a coach. “Everyone wants fair results. It was a matter of allowing Gafarov to finish the race.”
Gafarov was thoughtful about his performance. “My fall cost me a broken ski and a pole,” said Anton Gafarov, adding that he decided to continue fighting for the finals despite all the difficulties.
Gafarov believed the race should be finished in any way possible. “It was a matter of principle to hold on to the end,” he added. He is not devastated (毁灭) by his failure and is eager to take part in the next Winter Olympics despite back problems due to injuries.
1.What happened to Gafarov during the Men's Sprint Free Semifinals?
A.He dropped his ski in the unlucky crash.
B.He gave up the race after falling three times.
C.He lost the gold medal for the men's finals.
D.He had his ski broken in the early race.
2.What do we know about Wadsworth
A.He felt pity for Gafarov's bad luck in the race.
B.He knew what price Gafarov paid for the competition.
C.He was angry with his player' s not qualifying for the finals.
D.He once worked hard to become an Olympic skier for Canada.
3.According to the text, which statement may Gafarov agree to?
A.Every dog has its day. B.Rome isn't built overnight.
C.There is no end to learning. D.Never give up in face of difficulty.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.The Olympic Spirit. B.The Touching Moment.
C.The Meaning of Sports. D.The Winning Gold Medal.
Excerpts(节选) of Our Featured Stories
If you're looking for a midday pick-me-up or a little inspiration, you'll love our featured stories.
Thanks for the Flowers
“At the end of the day, a loving family should find everything forgivable. -----Mark V. Olsen
“You don't bring me flowers any more... You don’t sing me love songs...”, the singing of Neil Diamond went gently into my room from the radio. The song matched my mood on that cold January morning. How true, I thought the last time David brought me flowers was five years ago I dressed up against the cold and headed out for the challenging task of starting the old Ford. The beast normally refused to start. To start the vehicle, I tried all tricks. At that point, David. (more)
A Different Story
“There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship or company than a rood marriage.” --Martin Luther
“I just want what you and John Fraser have,” Margret Mead, my beautiful forty something single friend tells me. Immediately ashamed, I realize that I have heard the same thing from a single, searching, female cousin just recently. My husband, John and I met when we were thirty-four years old. We had occasional fights that make me laugh now, and... (more)
A Picky Eater
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ----Lao Tzu
Sterile, my husband would told me he was never a picky eater and was very easy to please when it came to food. Every time I cooked chicken liver, he always ate it and said he’d never tasted anything better. Until recently, I happened to know that he is actually allergic to chicken, and... (more)
1.What do the underlined words “the beast” in the first story refer to?
A.The song. B.The car.
C.The task. D.The mood.
2.What can we infer about Sterile in the third story?
A.He is particular about food. B.He is a heavy meat-eater.
C.He knows the truth of happiness. D.He suffers from a serious disease.
3.What are all the three stories about?
A.Dating tips. B.Parent-child relationship.
C.Family love. D.Entertainment news.
Elizabeth walked to the yard, carrying a bunch of daisies（雏菊）
Beautiful flowers for. for... Oh. I'll never get it right!” she cried, throwing the daisies on the ground. She had been practising her speech for a week.
Part of her couldn’t wait. This Saturday, the great Ana Wolff, famous pianist, would perform at the concert hall in town. For four years, Elizabeth had listened to Ms Wolffs recordings over and over again, loving the way the notes flowed like a rushing mountain stream.
Part of Elizabeth was terrified. Her music teacher at school, Mr. Leaf, had asked her to present the flowers to Ms Wolff after the performance. But Elizabeth knew herself well. She had severe stage fright and she really hated it when she had to talk in front of people. Even so, Elizabeth was determined to take the challenge this time.
“How' s the speech going?” asked Elizabeth’s mother. “Want to practice on me?”
“No, thanks.” said Elizabeth. "Mum, I can’t do this! I'll forget. I might even pass out!”
“Oh, honey. Think about it… sharing the stage with Ana Wolff. What an honour!” Mum gently comforted her.
Elizabeth kept practising. “Beautiful flowers for… for a beautiful performance…” She presented the flowers to the cat, the dog, even the statue in the garden.
Soon it was Saturday night, Elizabeth stood at the backstage, behind the heavy black curtains. Holding the bouquet (花束) of red roses, she felt her heart racing wildly and her stomach tightened with nervousness.
The lights dimmed, and Ms Wolff began her performance. She swayed and nodded with her fingers dancing across the keys. Soft sad parts, loud angry parts, parts that sounded fun to play, Drawn into the music, Elizabeth forgot for a moment about the six words she had to say. With a flourish, Ms Wolff played her final note. Applause thundered through the hall. People jumped to their feet and cheered.
Ms. Wolff smiled and bowed. Then she walked off stage and into the wings. Almost immediately, she returned to the stage for a second bow.
注意:
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语：
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
Then came the dreaded moment. ________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________.
Paragraph 2:
The audience cheered and clapped loudly for them. _________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________.
假如你是李华，春节期间，你所在的志愿者小组就如何在疫情期间科学防疫进行了一次线上服务活动。请你根据以下要点提示给外文网写一篇新闻报道：1. 活动形式和内容2. 活动反响。
注意：1. 词数80左右；2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：the novel coronavirus 新型冠状病毒
Reading a paper book may be a forgotten luxury for many people thanks to today's busy lifestyles 1. listening to a book while shopping or jogging is a growing trend. Now, audio books can be easily downloaded from the Internet at the same, if not 2.(low), prices as the print 3.(edit).
Mary Beth Roche, publisher of Macmillan Audio, says many of their readers use audio books as a ''multitasking tool'', a way to consume books when their eyes are busy. For others, whose work may involve spending lots of time 4.(look) at the screen, audio books are a way to relax. ''It's sort of nice to sit back and have a story 5.(tell) to you,'' said Roche.
In the United States, audio books 6.(become) a serious business for a long time 7.(simple) because Americans on average spend so much time in their cars. ''It is a good way for consumers to make the time in traffic quality time, '' said Roche. 'Even way back when it was the cassette and then the CD, the number one place 8. people listened was in car. When audio books became available 9. the digital form, people started using 10. during other activities—when they are shopping, jogging, performing household tasks and so on.
