18．For the Travelsection，writers and editors selected special items to profile from a dozen cities．
Brussels：Chocolate
Nearly half the chocolate consumed in the world is eaten in Europe，and Belgium-with average consumption of 14.99 pounds per person a year-certainly covers its fair share．While Brussels，the country's capital，is home to hundreds of chocolate makers，what makes a visit necessary is the rich heritage of traditional chocolate makers．
Budapest：Paprika （红辣椒）
The job of preparing Hungarian paprika was once considered too dangerous for mothers to do．A woman who touched her children upon returning from work risked burning them，so only the elderly and unmarried were allowed the delicate task of separating the skin from the flesh．But by the early 20th century，sweeter varieties and a machine turned paprika into a common feature of all Hungarian cuisine．
Lisbon：Tiles （瓷砖）
Is there a bluer Country than Portugal？The blue sky and Atlantic Ocean embrace the land．The blue moods of Fado，the dark folk music，form the national soundtrack．And all across Portugal，the typically blue designs of azulejos-ceramic tiles-are spread across churches，castles，palaces，university halls，parks…The result is a beautiful land of Christian saints，Portuguese kings，historical glories，aristocrats at leisure，seascapes and so on．
Madrid：Guitars
Walking into one of Madrid's storied guitar makers'workshops can feel like stepping into the past．Curly wood shavings，from the palest pine to ebony，fall onto the floor as artisans turn some humble wood into works of art．It's painstaking work-all done by hand-with classical guitar models and the methods of making them changing little over the last century．
1．What does the job of preparing Hungarian paprika suggest？D
A．The popularity of Hungarian peppers．
B．The difficulty of processing peppers．
C．The unique tradition in Budapest．
D．The hot level of Hungarian peppers．
2．Which city can be a splendid setting for a film？C
A．Brussels．
B．Budapest
C．Lisbon
D．Madrid．
3．What's the similarity of the four items？A
A．They're all treasures of a city．
B．They all date back to several centuries．
C．Their production processes are all painstaking．
D．They all win popularity in most European countries．
分析 短文主要讲了四个城市最出名的东西．
解答 1．D，细节理解题，根据句子A woman who touched her children upon returning from work risked burning them可知，匈牙利辣椒的辣度很高，因此那些工作完的人不能摸小孩子，怕烫伤他们，故答案为D．
2．C，推理判断题，根据The blue sky and Atlantic Ocean embrace the land．The blue moods of Fado，the dark folk music，form the national soundtrack．And all across Portugal，the typically blue designs of azulejos-ceramic tiles-are spread across churches，castles，palaces，university halls，parks…可知，葡萄牙首都有着各种各样的美景，很适合作为电影背景，故答案为C．
3．A，主旨大意题，短文主要讲了四个城市最出名的东西，因此他们的共同点都是这个城市的宝藏，故答案为A．
点评 解答任务型阅读理解题，首先对原文材料迅速浏览，掌握全文的主旨大意．因为阅读理解题一般没有标题，所以，速读全文，抓住中心主旨很有必要，在速读的过程中，应尽可能多地捕获信息材料．其次，细读题材，各个击破．掌握全文的大意之后，细细阅读每篇材料后的问题，弄清每题要求后，带着问题，再回到原文中去寻找、捕获有关信息．最后，要善于抓住每段的主题句，阅读时，要有较强的针对性．对于捕获到的信息，要做认真分析，仔细推敲，理解透彻，只有这样，针对题目要求，才能做到稳、准．
