People have strange ideas about food. For example, tomato is a kind of very delicious vegetable. It is one of useful plants that can be prepared in many ways. It has rich nutrition(营养) and vitamin in it. But in the 18th century, Americans never ate tomatoes. They grew them in their gardens because tomato plants are so pretty. But they thought the vegetable was poisonous(有毒的). They called tomatoes “poison apples”.
President Thomas Jefferson, however, knew that tomatoes were good to eat. He was a learned man. He had been to Paris, where he learned to love the taste of tomatoes. He grew many kinds of tomatoes in his garden. The President taught his cook a way for a cream of tomato soup. This beautiful pink soup was served at the President party. The guests thought the soup tasted really good. They never thought their president would serve his honored guests poison apples. Jefferson never spoke to his honored guests about the fact.
1.Tomato is a kind of ___________.
A. poisonous fruit B. poisonous vegetable
C. tasty fruit D. tasty vegetable
2.After you read the passage, which of the following do you think is true?
A. Americans never ate tomatoes after they began to plant them.
B. Americans didn’t eat tomatoes before 19th century.
C. Even now Americans don’t eat tomatoes.
D. In the 18th century Americans ate a lot of tomatoes.
3. Jefferson learned that tomatoes were good to eat ____.
A. while he was in Paris B. when he was a little boy
C. because his parents told him so D. from books
4.From the passage we know all the honored guests invited by Jefferson were____.
A. people from other countries B. from France
C. people of his own country D. men only
5.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT TRUE?
A. None of the guests knew the soup that was served at the President’s party was made of tomatoes.
B. All of the guests thought the soup which was prepared by the President’s cook was nice.
C. President Thomas Jefferson knew that tomatoes were good to eat and not poisonous at all.
D. All of the guests didn’t know that their president would serve his honored guests poison apples.
The pen is more powerful than the sword. There have been many writers who use their pens to write things that were wrong. Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe was one of them.
She was born in the U. S. A. in 1811. One of her books not only made her famous but has been described as one that excited the world, and was helpful in causing a civil war and freeing the enslaved race. The civil war was the American Civil War of 1861, in which the Northern States fought the Southern States and finally won.
This book that shook the world was called Uncle Tom's Cabin. There was a time when every English-speaking man, woman, and child had read this novel that did so much to stop slavery. Not many people read it today, but it is still very interesting, if only to show how a warm-hearted writer can arouse people's sympathies. The author herself had neither been to the Southern States nor seen a slave. The Southern Americans were very angry at the book, which they said did not at all represent the true state of affairs, but the Northern Americans were widely excited over it, and were so inspired by it that they were ready to go to war to set the slaves free.
1.Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe became famous for .
A. one of her books
B. she was a very heartedly person
C. she was a kind wife
D. she worked for the war
2. How old was Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe when her world famous book was published?
A. About sixty years old.
B. Over fifty years old.
C. In her forties.
D. Around twenty years old.
3.What do we learn about Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe from the passage?
A. Before the civil war she had been a slave.
B. Before the civil war she had lived in the north of America.
C. She had a good school education.
D. She was better at writing than swinging a sword.
4.Why could Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe's book cause a civil war in America? Because .
A. she disclosed the terrible wrongs done to the slaves in the Southern States
B. she wrote so well that the Americans loved her very much
C. the Americans were too excited when they reads the book
D. the Southern Americans hated the book, while the Northern Americans liked it
5.What can we learn from the passage?
A. No wor can be won without such a book as Uncle Tom's Cabin.
B. We must understand the importance of literature and art.
C. We needn't use weapons to fight things that are wrong.
D. A writer is more helpful in war than a soldier.
I moved to Chicago ten years ago. As I was new to the area, I had friends and seldom went out to parties. But a month later, I was invited to a party and there I an elderly couple.
The wife and I for a long time. She told me how she was about her husband who was a heart operation. At that time I was working as a researcher in the same where the husband would be going for his operation, I told her to take down my phone number and me to let me know when he was there.
She phoned a few weeks later as and told me that her husband was admitted to the hospital and waiting. I told her that I would go and check on him every day while I was at . I thought that if it was my dad, I would do the same, so I decided to give them some .
Weeks turned into months and it just became my to see them and keep track of how things were going before, during and after the heart operation. Sometimes I'd bring a for him to read, or some food that we would share . As time went by, it seemed like I became part of the . Even after the husband returned from the hospital, we still often each other on holidays.
Now, ten years later, I my own family. Since our parents don’t close by, this couple has become my son’s “local” grandparents. My wife and I often feel truly to have this couple as our “local” parents! Sometimes family comes out of the most unexpected place.
1.A. few B. some C. several D. many
2.A. served B. loved C. met D. supported
3.A. searched B. fought C. worked D. talked
4.A. regretful B. calm C. worried D. lucky
5.A. giving up B. waiting for C. paying for D. turning down
6.A. hotel B. hospital C. restaurant D. office
7.A. so B. but C. though D. since
8.A. ask B. call C. help D. invite
9.A. required B. predicted C. expected D. promised
10.A. even B. seldom C. still D. sometimes
11.A. work B. school C. home D. table
12.A. experience B. company C. luck D. trust
13.A. risk B. stress C. test D. habit
14.A. book B. picture C. computer D. tape
15.A. early B. together C. alone D. everywhere
16.A. public B. family C. team D. group
17.A. missed B. followed C. knew D. visited
18.A. leave B. find C. have D. need
19.A. live B. come C. move D. drive
20.A. nervous B. curious C. thankful D. suitable
It was in the street _______ I met one of my friends yesterday.
A. how B. that C. which D. when
The beauty of the city is _______ my description.
A. above B. beyond C. off D. by
You can't imagine what great trouble I had _______ his address.
A. to find B. of finding C. finding D. about finding
