When most of us hear the word chocolate, the verb that comes to mind is probably “eat”, not “drink”, and the most proper adjective would seem to be “sweet”. But for about 90 percent of chocolate’s long history, it was strictly a beverage (饮料), and sugar didn’t have anything to do with it.
The Origin of Chocolate
Many modern historians have estimated that chocolate has been around for about 2000 years, but recent research suggests that it may be even older.
In the book The True History of Chocolate, authors Sophie and Michael Coe prove that the earliest linguistic (语言学的) evidence of chocolate consumption dates back three or even four thousand years.
Valuable and Fashionable Chocolate Beverage
It’s hard to discover exactly when chocolate was born, but it’s clear that it was cherished from the start. For several centuries in pre-modern Latin America, cacao beans were considered valuable enough to use as currency. 100 beans could purchase a good turkey hen, according to a 16th-century Aztec document.
Sweetened chocolate didn’t appear until Europeans discovered the Americas and sampled (品尝) the native cuisine. Chocolate didn’t suit the foreigners’ taste at first — one described it in his writings as “a bitter drink for pigs” — but once mixed with honey or cane sugar, it quickly became popular throughout Spain. By the 17th century, chocolate was a fashionable drink throughout Europe, believed to have nutritious, medicinal functions. But it remained largely a privilege of the rich until the invention of the steam engine made mass production possible in the late 1700s.
The Birth of Solid Chocolate
In 1828, a Dutch chemist found a way to make powdered chocolate. His product became known as “Dutch cocoa”, and it soon led to the creation of solid chocolate. In 1847, Joseph Fry created the first modern chocolate bar. By 1868, a little company called Cadbury was marketing boxes of chocolate candies in England. Milk chocolate hit the market a few years later.
Prosperous Chocolate Industry
In America, chocolate was so valued during the Revolutionary War that it was used instead of wages. Even now, statistics show that the humble cacao bean is still a powerful economic force. Chocolate manufacturing is a more than 4-billion-dollar industry in the United States, and the average American eats at least half a pound of the stuff per month.
【小题1】The earliest chocolate was most probably _________.
| A．a dish | B．a drink | C．a bar | D．a candy |
| A．the history of chocolate is at most 4,000 years. |
| B．people around the world could buy things with chocolate. |
| C．chocolate was well paid attention to since it was born. |
| D．an American at least eats a pound of chocolate per month. |
| A．Because chocolate was so tasty and bitter. |
| B．Because chocolate was believed to be a source of nutrition. |
| C．Because chocolate was sweetened with honey or cane sugar. |
| D．Because chocolate became a fashionable beverage. |
| A．chocolate beverage----chocolate bar----chocolate candies----milk chocolate |
| B．chocolate bar----chocolate beverage----chocolate candies----milk chocolate |
| C．chocolate bar ----chocolate candies ----milk chocolate ---- chocolate beverage |
| D．chocolate beverage ----chocolate candies----chocolate bar---- milk chocolate |
【小题1】B
【小题2】C
【小题3】C
【小题4】A
解析试题分析：本文是说明文。讲述了巧克力的简单历史。
【小题1】细节理解题。根据首段可知，人们普遍认为巧克力是用来吃的，而且是很甜的，然而巧克力在发展史上大部分时间是一种苦涩的饮料。故选B
【小题2】推理判断题。根据第四段中的首句“…but it’s clear that it was cherished from the start”可知巧克力从诞生起就受到人们的珍爱。故选C
【小题3】推理判断题。由第五段的第二句“…but once mixed with honey or cane sugar, it quickly became popular throughout Spain”可知巧克力饮料被混合蜂蜜或蔗糖变甜以后，就迅速受到西班牙人的欢迎。故选C
【小题4】推理判断题。由文章叙述巧克力历史的过程可知巧克力饮料是最早的形式；再根据倒数第二段中三个事件发生的事情和最后一句可知A项是按时间顺序叙述巧克力的演变史。选A
考点：考查历史类短文
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小学生10分钟应用题系列答案科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
One of the world's richest men has taken a close interest in one of man's most basic functions: visiting the toilet．Bill Gates's charitable organization, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is looking for inventors to design the loo of the future, which, they hope, would improve sanitation for millions of people around the world.
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The challenge set by Bill Gates was to come up with a latrine which works without running water, electricity or aseptic tank．It also needed to operate for less than 5 cents．28 designs were displayed at the recent Reinvent the Toilet Fair．in Seattle, USA．Among them was one which turned human waste into electricity using microwaves, another which converted human waste into charcoal, and yet another which used urine for flushing．
But the winner was a solar-powered design which generated hydrogen gas and electricity．The team from the California Institute of Technology（CIT）picked up a prize of $ 100,000.
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【小题1】Why is Bill Gates paying people to invent new toilets?
| A．Because he wants to test people's sense of creativity． |
| B．Because he thinks the traditional ones are out of fashion |
| C．Because he wants to improve sanitation for many people． |
| D．Because he can't design this kind of things himself． |
| A．They are too complicated to use. | B．They waste too much water |
| C．They might cause diseases． | D．They are not always practical. |
| A．sanitation | B．loo | C．diarrhea | D．prototype |
| A．can change human waste into electricity |
| B．can turn human waste into charcoal |
| C．can use urine for flushing |
| D．can produce power with solar energy |
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【小题1】The first regularly printed European newspaper was started ______.
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| C．in Amsterdam in 1620 | D．in England in 1621 |
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| A．They are the wives of the presidents. |
| B．They are made up of history books. |
| C．Americans are interested in them. |
| D．They have an effect on their husbands. |
| A．Lady Bird Johnson. |
| B．Mrs. Wilson. |
| C．Eleanor Roosevelt. |
| D．Helen Taft |
| A．3 | B．4. |
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| A．Wildcats and their stories. |
| B．Wildcats and their characters. |
| C．Varieties of animal species. |
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| A．gasoline companies | B．automobile manufacturers |
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In a letter, Washington wrote: “We take the stars from Heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her. And the white stripes shall go down to posterity as representing liberty.”
【小题1】People would like to go to Ross’s house in Philadelphia to _____.
| A．ask Betsy Ross who created the first American flag |
| B．meet her grandson who wrote a book about flags |
| C．debate over who designed the first American flag |
| D．remember her as the creator of the first American flag |
| A．Betsy Ross was one of the people who signed The Declaration of Independence |
| B．All are in agreement that Ross designed the first American flag |
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| A．a person who designs flags | B．a person who makes a living by sewing |
| C．a person who takes part in revolution | D．a person who creates chairs |
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| C．It implies that Washington might be the designer of the flag |
| D．It implies that Ross did have helped with the design of the flag |
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假设你是李华，最近，你的外数Martin Mellish给你发Email询问你校课外活动（after-class activities）的开展情况。请你根据以下提示，写一封回信。
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注意： 1. 词数100-120词左右；
2. 回信的开头已为你写好（不计入总词数）。
3. 参考词汇：选修课 elective,社团club
Dear Martin,
I am glad to hear from you. In your email, _______________________________________
Sincerely yours，
Li Hua
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增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号∧，并在此符号下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线＼划掉。
修改：在错词下面划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1、每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
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Dear Jack,
I am pleasing to hear from you and know that you had a greatly time working part-time in a fast-food restaurant. Now I would like to share your working experience with you during the past summer.
In the beginning of the summer vacation, I was hired as shopping guide in a big supermarket. I stood for ten hours a day and smiled to everyone I have met . Sometimes I was laughed at, and most of the time, I was praised for my wonderful works by many people. Half a month passed quickly after I knew it, and I learned how to deal with different people.
Above all, I have learned that smile is the key to solve any problem.
Best wishes.
Yours,
Li Ming
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