When most of us hear the word chocolate, the verb that comes to mind is probably

题文

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小题2: It can be inferred from the passage that ________________.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.小题3:Why did chocolate suit the Spanish’s taste so quickly? _________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.小题4:Which one shows the correct order according to the time of their appearing? _________A．chocolate beverage----chocolate bar----chocolate candies----milk chocolateB．chocolate bar----chocolate beverage----chocolate candies----milk chocolateC．chocolate bar ----chocolate candies ----milk chocolate ---- chocolate beverageD．chocolate beverage ----chocolate candies----chocolate bar---- milk chocolate 题型：未知难度：其他题型

答案

小题1:B
小题2:C
小题3:C
小题4:A

解析

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

据考高分专家说，试题“When most of us hear.....”主要考查你对 [历史文化类阅读 ]考点的理解。

历史文化类阅读

什么是历史文化类阅读：

本类题型常用的方式是夹叙夹议。叙述的目的是为了议，所以要把握其议才是主要方面。阅读这类文章，先弄清其引入的话题，再弄清里面人物对其不同的看法，然后理解作者本身对话题的观点看法或思考。

历史文化类阅读技巧：

【题型说明】历史文化类阅读理解文章属高考常选材料之一。这类文章常涉及历史、文化、法制、宗教等方面的文学艺术、发明创造、文化遗产保护、宗教与文化、风俗与习惯、道德与法制、中外文学名著节选、等等。这类材料的命题点往往落在主旨大意题、事实细节题上。
【答题方法】在做这类阅读理解题时，我们应注意以下几个方面：
1、采用先题后文：先读题目，再带着问题读文章。这类阅读理解文章相对来说事实细节题稍多一点，如果带着问题读文章，有利于我们抓细节。
2、先做细节题。因为做完了局部性的事实细节题后，自然会加深我们对文章的理解，这样更有利于做主旨大意题。
3、重点敲定主旨题。主旨大意题提问的形式主要有两大类：一类是Main idea型；一类是Topic或Title型。
在解答这类试题时应注意以下几点：
a．读首句抓大意。
文化教育类阅读理解文章多采用说明文、议论文体裁，而这类文章大都采用文章段落的中心，即主题句在文章开头。因此，要寻找这类文章的主旨大意就需要研究文章的首句。
b．读尾句抓大意。
有时这类文章的主题句安排在文章的结尾，作为对全篇的总结。
c．读首段抓大意。
有些文章或段落的开头和结尾部分都有主题句。这种结构是为了突出主题思想而使用两次点题的写作方法。这两个主题句在句子结构和用词上有所不同，而且在内容上前句和后句也不重复。
d．从段落中抓大意。
有些文章或段落的主题句在文章中，这种文章或段落往往以一句话或几句话引出要表达的主题，在主题句出现后，再举例子陈述细节或继续论证。
e．归纳要点抓大意。
有些文章或段落无明显的主题句，只是暗示性地体现主题。这就要求同学们在阅读过程中根据文中所叙述的事实或线索来概括总结主旨大意。