Many years before the United States was founded(建立), Americans had already invented barbecues. But the first barbecues, in fact ,were the invention of the Taino Indians of Haiti, who dried their meat on raised frames(架子)of sticks over fires. Spanish explorers spelled the Taino word as barbacoa, and as time passed, English settlers along the Atlantic coat had their own barbecues.
One summer day in 1773, Benjamin Lynde, a citizen of Massachusetts, wrote in his diary, “Fair and hot ; Browne;hack overset.” That is , on a bright and hot day he went to the Brownes to attedn a barbecue, and his carriage(马车)fell over. It shows that the barbecue had its social occasion by that time. Large animals would be roasted whole on frames over hot fires, and neighbours would be invited to dinner.
In later centuries, as settlers moved to the west, the barbecue went along with it, reaching an especially large size in Texas, where a pit (坑)for fuels(燃料) such as tree branches might be over ten feet deep. Today , the barbecue grills(烧烤架)which are fueled by charcoal(木炭) or electricity are likely to be small and easy to move , and can cook only parts of an animal at a time, but people still have barbecues out of doors and always invite their neighbours or friends over.
小题1:Who invented the barbecues first in history?
A．American people.
B．Taino Indians.
C．Spanish explorers.
D．English settlers.小题2:The second paragraph mainly tells us that the barbecue_______________.
A．is only held on a hot sunny day
B．welcomes people who keep diaries
C．is held both indoors and outdoors
D．has its social occasion for over 200 years小题3:The underlined expression “ social occasion” can be best translated into______________.
A．社交功能
B．社会福利
C．社会地位
D．社会背景小题4:The following are all the barbecue ways EXCEPT __________________.
A．drying meat on raised frames of sticks over fires
B．roasting a whole animal over a pit full of burning tree branches
C．cooking parts of animals over fires on grills fueled by charcoal
D．heating meat in the bright and hot daylight
