1.The movies just wouldn't be the same without the warm buttery taste of popcorn(爆米花).Amazingly,this delicious treat started its life as a corn kernel(玉米粒)---and not from just any corn.Popcorn is a type of sweet corn that was originally grown in Mexico and spread to China,India and elsewhere.It is the only kind of corn that will pop.Today,most of the world's popcorn is grown in the United States.
Every popcorn kernel contains a tiny drop of water,surrounded by soft starch (淀粉).When the popcorn is heated,the water turns into steam.This puts pressure on the surrounding hard kernel,forcing it to explode.The soft starch increases about 40times in size as the corn kernel turns itself inside out.
In the 1500s popcorn was an important food source for the Aztec Indians of central and southern Mexico.But it wasn't only food.It was also used in ceremonies or on red dresses and in necklaces.By the time the Europeans arrived in America,popcorn had spread through most of the American Indians.
Some early American settlers ate popcorn with cream and sugar for breakfast.But it wasn't until the late 1800s that popcorn became popular.The demand for popcorn increased and farmers began farming popcorn.The first mobile popping machine was invented in 1885,and popcorn was sold by street sellers much like hot dogs that are sold today.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s,the popcorn business still thrived as people could still afford it.Then in the 1950s television arrived and popcorn consumption decreased.People stayed home and stopped going to the theatre.But the link between movies and popcorn had already existed.Soon people began making popcorn at home on the stove and,later,microwave popcorn was introduced.
Today the movies have regained popularity and popcorn has once again become the favorite.
32.Popcorn was first planted inD.
A.China
B.America
C.India
D.Mexico
33.Why does the corn kernel pop when heated?B.
A.Because it is covered with soft starch.
B.Because the pressure inside is too big.
C.Because the starch becomes bigger in size.
D.Because there is water inside the kernel.
34.We can know from the passage thatA.
A.popcorn began to be farmed in the late 1800s
B.popcorn was only a kind of food in the 1500s
C.hot dogs used to be sold by street sellers
D.people stop eating popcorn while watching movies now
35.The underlined word"thrived"in the fifth paragraph probably means"D".
A.started to disappear
B.was seriously affected
C.suffered a lot
D.developed very well.
分析 短文主要對玉米的來源和其重要性.
解答 32.D,細節(jié)理解題,根據(jù)句子Popcorn is a type of sweet corn that was originally grown in Mexico 可知,玉米最開始是種植在墨西哥,故答案為D.
33.B,細節(jié)理解題,根據(jù)句子When the popcorn is heated,the water turns into steam.This puts pressure on the surrounding hard kernel,forcing it to explode.可知,玉米粒內(nèi)的水并不能直接導致它炸開,而是水蒸氣產(chǎn)生的壓力作用于四周堅硬的內(nèi)核上,造成它爆炸.故答案選B.
34.A,細節(jié)理解題,根據(jù)句子But it wasn't until the late 1800s that popcorn became popular.The demand for popcorn increased and farmers began farming popcorn可知,是在19世紀末期,隨著人們對爆米花需求的增長,農(nóng)民們才開始種植這種玉米.
35.D,詞義猜測題.根據(jù)上文的still以及下文的as people could still afford it可推斷出,這里指即使是在經(jīng)濟大蕭條時期,因為爆米花仍然是人們買得起的食品,所以爆米花產(chǎn)業(yè)仍然發(fā)展得很好.
點評 解答任務型閱讀理解題,首先對原文材料迅速瀏覽,掌握全文的主旨大意.因為閱讀理解題一般沒有標題,所以,速讀全文,抓住中心主旨很有必要,在速讀的過程中,應盡可能多地捕獲信息材料.其次,細讀題材,各個擊破.掌握全文的大意之后,細細閱讀每篇材料后的問題,弄清每題要求后,帶著問題,再回到原文中去尋找、捕獲有關信息.最后,要善于抓住每段的主題句,閱讀時,要有較強的針對性.對于捕獲到的信息,要做認真分析,仔細推敲,理解透徹,只有這樣,針對題目要求,才能做到穩(wěn)、準.