The little man was ________ more than one meter fifty tall.

　　A．nearly

　　B．quite

　　C．hardly

　　D．almost

　　A．nearly

　　B．quite

　　C．hardly

　　D．almost

In today's Ireland, it seems hard to imagine the grim days of the 19^th century when so many of the population starved, or that, in those days, many poor people had no clue how to prepare any food other than boil a potato. Nowadays, it is quite possible to eat both well and heartily all over the island.

Tourism has made a vast difference to the standards of cooking in Ireland. Until recently there was hardly any tradition of eating out in many districts, except perhaps on very few occasions at a local hotel. Patterns of diet were old-styled, based firmly on 'meat and two vegetables' (somewhat overcooked), potatoes (of course) and large quantities of dairy produce. Now things are very different. Tourist demands for predictable, inexpensive fast-food are met, as everywhere, with hamburgers and pizzas - a better bet being fish and chips. But more sophisticated tastes have introduced wholefoods and vegetarian restaurants (almost unheard of before), and a vast number of new restaurants, often French in style, have opened in the main tourist centres. Food 'events' such as Kinsale's Gourmet festival or Galway's Oyster Festival attract large numbers of visitors and reflect the new interest in food.

Whatever Irish cooking lacks in finesse（精细）, it nearly always makes up for in plenty, and ingredients(成分) are of a high quality. Home-grown produce includes rich dairy foods, beef, lamb and pork, and a great variety of seafood. One of its great specialities is soda bread. It is made with buttermilk and is served fresh and warm with every meal. Recently there has been a return to simple Irish foods such as stews（炖菜）and potato dishes.

One of the best-value meals in Ireland is breakfast. A 'traditional Irish breakfast' is a plateful of bacon and eggs with soda and potato breads. Accommodation rates are nearly always quoted with a full breakfast included, so you might as well eat enough to keep you going all day and get your money's worth!

1．What was Irish food like until quite recently?

A. It was very conservative and uninteresting.

B. It was influenced by French cooking.

C. It was very unhealthy.

D. It was plentiful

2．  How has Irish food improved in recent years?

A. There are more French restaurants. B. Food produce is fresher.

C. There is more kinds.            D. Food is more expensive

3．What is the main reason for this improvement?

A. People have more money to spend.

B. The development of tourism.

C. People have more tastes today.

D. Young people dislike traditional food

4．How does the passage describe Irish cooking today?

A. It is exciting and interesting.  B. It is boring and overcooked.

C. It is plentiful and simple. D. It is good-looking and tastes bad

5.    Which of the following statements is true according to the text?

A. Eating out at weekends is traditional in most parts of Ireland.

B. Today most Irish people prefer fast-foods to the traditional Irish cooking.

C. Nowadays French-style restaurants are quite common in tourist centres.

D. Many Irish people are vegetarians and grow their own vegetables.

In today's Ireland, it seems hard to imagine the grim days of the 19^th century when so many of the population starved, or that, in those days, many poor people had no clue how to prepare any food other than boil a potato. Nowadays, it is quite possible to eat both well and heartily all over the island.

Tourism has made a vast difference to the standards of cooking in Ireland. Until recently there was hardly any tradition of eating out in many districts, except perhaps on very few occasions at a local hotel. Patterns of diet were old-styled, based firmly on 'meat and two vegetables' (somewhat overcooked), potatoes (of course) and large quantities of dairy produce. Now things are very different. Tourist demands for predictable, inexpensive fast-food are met, as everywhere, with hamburgers and pizzas - a better bet being fish and chips. But more sophisticated tastes have introduced whole foods and vegetarian restaurants (almost unheard of before), and a vast number of new restaurants, often French in style, have opened in the main tourist centers. Food 'events' such as Kinsale's Gourmet festival or Galway's Oyster Festival attract large numbers of visitors and reflect the new interest in food.

Whatever Irish cooking lacks in finesse（精细）, it nearly always makes up for in plenty, and ingredients(成分) are of a high quality. Home-grown produce includes rich dairy foods, beef, lamb and pork, and a great variety of seafood. One of its great specialties is soda bread. It is made with buttermilk and is served fresh and warm with every meal. Recently there has been a return to simple Irish foods such as stews（炖菜）and potato dishes.

One of the best-value meals in Ireland is breakfast. A 'traditional Irish breakfast' is a plateful of bacon and eggs with soda and potato breads. Accommodation rates are nearly always quoted with a full breakfast included, so you might as well eat enough to keep you going all day and get your money's worth!

71 What was Irish food like until quite recently?

A. It was very conservative and uninteresting. 

B. It was influenced by French cooking.

C. It was very unhealthy.                 

D. It was plentiful

72  How has Irish food improved in recent years?

A. There are more French restaurants.   B. Food produce is fresher.

C. There is more kinds.                     D. Food is more expensive

73．What is the main reason for this improvement?

A. People have more money to spend.    B. The development of tourism.

C. People have more tastes today.       D. Young people dislike traditional food

74． How does the passage describe Irish cooking today?

A. It is exciting and interesting.    B. It is boring and overcooked.

C. It is plentiful and simple.       D. It is good-looking and tastes bad

75  Which of the following statements is true according to the text?

A. Eating out at weekends is traditional in most parts of Ireland.

B. Today most Irish people prefer fast-foods to the traditional Irish cooking.

C. Nowadays French-style restaurants are quite common in tourist centers.

D. Many Irish people are vegetarians and grow their own vegetables.