What’s delicious to eat and comes in a variety of colors? Eggplant! And no, it has nothing to do with chickens! This strangely named vegetable is, however, as versatile as an egg．It can be steamed, fried, and baked．It can be eaten by itself or combined with meats and other vegetables．
Eggplant was first grown in India in the 5th century BC．Its popularity soon spread to China and then throughout Asia．Finally, during the Middle Ages the vegetable made its way to Europe．At that time, eggplant was not the shiny purple vegetable most people know today．Instead, it’s like a white egg．Due to this egg - like appearance, eggplant got its name．In its early days, the vegetable was so bitter that people often called it a “mad apple.” This nickname started because people believed its bitterness was bad for one' s health．People actually thought eggplant could cause madness and cancer．
Fortunately today people know that eggplant doesn't cause insanity or cancer．In fact eggplant is so healthy that it may prevent cancer．In addition, the brain and the heart benefit from this super vegetable．Since it's high in fiber, eggplant can improve digestion．
Italy, Turkey, Egypt, China and Japan are the leading growers of eggplant in the world today．Depending on its location, eggplant may be purple, green, orange or yellow - white．And it can be as small as a tomato or as large as a cucumber．Dish varieties range from simple to complex, with all of them being delicious．
Today, thousands of people gather in Loomis, Calif, for the annual Loomis Eggplant Festival．The main activity at the festival is eating delicious eggplant dishes．There is plenty more to do and see, though．Recipe contests, arts and crafts, performers, races and children's activities all “egg – cite” festival - goers．Most people at the festival would agree—eggplant is an “egg—cellent” vegetable．
1.Eggplant got its name because of its _____．
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A．appearance |
B．taste |
C．color |
D．value |
2.Which of the following does NOT belong to the qualities of eggplant?
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A．It can be cooked in various ways． |
B．It is easy to digest． |
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C．It can prevent cancer． |
D．It is valuable and priceless． |
3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
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A．Eggplant can be eaten to cure cancer |
B．Eggplant used to taste bitter． |
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C．India produce the most eggplant in the world today． |
D．Eggplant has a history of nearly 1,000 years． |
4.Most people come to the Loomis Eggplant Festival to_____．
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A．see arts and crafts |
B．enjoy food with eggplants |
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C．take part in recipe contests |
D．promote eggplant |
When Frida Kahlo's paintings were on show in London, a poet described her paintings as “ a ribbon （丝带）around a bomb”. Such comments seem to suggest Kahlo had a big influence on the art world of her time. Sadly, she is actually a much bigger name today than she was during her time.
Born in 1907 in a village near Mexico City , Kahlo suffered from polio（小儿麻痹症）at the age of seven. Her spine （脊柱）become bent as she grew older. Then, in 1925, her back was broken in several places in a school-bus accident. Throughout the rest of her life, the artist had many operations, but nothing was able to cure the terrible pain in her back. However, the accident had an unexpected side effect. While lying in her bed recovering, Kahlo taught herself to paint.
In 1929, she got married to Diego Rivera, another famous Mexican artist. Rivera’s strong influences on Kahlo’s style can be seen in her early works, but her later works from the 1940s, known today as her best works, show less influence from her husband.
Unfortunately, her works did not attract much attention in the 1930s and1940s, even in her home country. Her first one-woman show in Mexico was not held until 1953.For more than a decade after her death in 1954, Kahlo’s works remained largely unnoticed by the world, but in the 1970s her works began to gain international fame at last.
1.What does the phrase “a much bigger name” in paragraph 1 most nearly mean?
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A．a far better artist |
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B．a far more gifted artist |
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C．a much stronger person |
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D．a much more famous person |
2.The terrible pain Kahlo suffered was caused by .
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A．polio |
B．back injuries |
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C．the operations she had |
D．her bent spine |
3.Kahlo’s style had become increasingly independent since the .
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A．1950s |
B． 1930s |
C．1940s |
D．1970s |
4.What is author’s attitude toward Kahlo?
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A．Devotion |
B．Sympathy |
C．Worry |
D．Encouragement |
One Saturday afternoon, a six-year-old girl went for a walk. She crossed a large area of grassland into the woods __36__ she realized that she was lost.
Sitting on a rock and __37__ what to do, she began crying. After a while. she__38__ to walk along a wide path lined with tall trees and thick bushes. __39__ it was getting dark, she saw a small, dark wooden house. She opened the door and __40__ stepped in. Suddenly, she heard a strange noise, and she ran out the door and back to the __41__. Cold and tired, she fell asleep near a __42__.
The girl’s parents were out and her dog, Laddy, was at home. Laddy __43__ that his mistress was in danger. He jumped __44__ a window, breaking the glass. He looked in the fields. But he couldn’t find his mistress anywhere. However, from the ground came a __45__ scent (气味) as he lowered his head. He __46__ the scent and walked across the grassland. Barking __47__ into the air, the dog __48__ through the woods until he found the __49__ . But the girl was not there, so he headed back to the woods. Much to his __50__ , he saw his mistress’ blue shirt in the distance. He __51__ over some bushes and saw the little stream, where the girl was __52__.When she opened her eyes and 53 her dog standing beside her, the girl said, “you 54 me, Laddy,” and she kissed him several times. Seeing their daughter and dog coming back, the parents burst into tears of 55 . That night Laddy had a hero’s supper: a huge meal of steak
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——, Lily? You look pale.—— I had a sleepless night.
A. What’s up B. What do you do How about you D. What are you dong
I’m sorry to tell you it is nearly five months ___ smith got injured in the leg, but I think it won’t be long ____ he completely recovers.
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A．after; when |
B．before; since |
C．that; when |
D．since; before |
The team has more famous players, so it deserves____ the game.
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A．winning |
B．to win |
C．to defeat |
D．defeating |
