19．Do you like spicy food？
WHAT is your opinion on spicy food？Some people cannot handle even the smallest amount of chili in their dinner while others can't get enough of it．
Scientists have long been puzzled by why some people love chili while others loathe it．Plenty of research has been done on the subject，dating as far back as the 1970s．Previous results showed that a love of chili is related to childhood experiences，and cultural influences affect our taste buds too．But the latest study has found that a person's love of spicy food may be linked to his or her personality more than anything else，CBC News reported．
"We have always assumed that liking drives intake-we eat what we like and we like what we eat．But no one has actually directly bothered to connect these personality traits with intake of chili peppers，"said Professor John Hayes from Pennsylvania State University，who led the study．
But before we look at the study，you should first know that"spicy"is not a taste，unlike sour，sweet，bitter and salty．It is，in fact，a burning feeling that you have on the surface of your tongue．This got scientists thinking that maybe a love of spicy food is brought about by people's longing for thrill，something they usually get from watching action movies or riding a roller coaster．
In the study，97participants，both male and female，were asked to fill out questionnaires about certain traits of their personality，for example，whether they like new experiences or tend to avoid risks．They were then given a glass of water with capsaicin，the plant chemical that makes a chili burn，mixed into it．
By comparing the answers to the questionnaire and what participants said they felt about the spicy water，researchers found that those who tended to enjoy action movies or take risks were about six times more likely to enjoy the spicy water．
Interestingly，we used to believe that the reason some people can stand spicy food is that their tongues have become less sensitive to it．However，this latest study has found otherwise．"It's not that it doesn't burn as badly，it's that you actually learn to like the burn，"Hayes explained．
46．Para.2is organized byC．
A．giving examples in people's daily life
B．telling some previous and latest stories
C．comparing the past and present studies
D．analyzing causes and effects of loving chili
47．The underlined word"traits"in Para.3probably meansD．
A．differences B．experiences C．developments D．characteristics
48．The article mainly showsA．
A．a love of spicy food is related to one's personality
B．one's tongue sensation influences his love of chili
C．culture plays a major role in one's love of spicy food
D．a love of chili depends on one's childhood experiences．
分析 本文讲述的是关于人为什么喜欢辣味食物的研究，研究表明，人们喜欢辣食跟一个人的个性有关，是因为喜欢刺激和舌头燃烧的感觉．
解答 46．C 47．D 48．A
46 C 细节题． 根据文章第二 段Previous results showed that a love of chili is related to childhood experiences，and cultural influences affect our taste buds too．But the latest study has found that a person's love of spicy food may be linked to his or her personality more than anything else，CBC News reported．可知把先前研究的结果和最新研究的结果进行对比，说明第二段是通过对比组织文章的，故选C．
47 D 猜测词义题． 根据文章第三 段we eat what we like and we like what we eat． 可知我们吃我们喜欢的，也就是说人们喜欢辣食跟一个人的个性有关，因此traits的意思是特点，特征，故选D．
48 A 主旨大意题． 通读全文可知本文讲述的是关于人为什么喜欢辣味食物的研究，研究表明，人们喜欢辣食跟一个人的个性有关，是因为喜欢刺激和舌头燃烧的感觉．故选A．
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