What’s delicious, healthy to eat and comes in various colors? Eggplant! And no, it has nothing to do with chickens! This strangely named vegetable is, however, as versatile as an egg. It can be steamed, fried or baked. It can be eaten by itself or combined with meats and other vegetables.
Eggplant was first grown in India during the 5th century B.C. Its popularity soon spread to China and then throughout Asia. Finally, during the Middle Ages the vegetable made its way to Europe. At that time, eggplant was not the shiny purple vegetable most people know today. Instead, it was like a white egg. Due to this egg-like appearance, eggplant got its name. In its early days, the vegetable was so bitter that people often called it a “mad apple”. This nickname started because people believed its bitterness was bad for one’s health. People actually thought eggplant could cause insanity(精神错乱) and cancer.
Fortunately, today people know that eggplant doesn’t cause insanity or cancer. In fact, eggplant is so healthy that it may prevent cancer. In addition, the brain and the heart benefit from this supper vegetable. Since it is high in fiber, eggplant can also improve digestion.
Italy, Turkey, Egypt, China and Japan are the leading growers of eggplant in the world today. Depending on its location, eggplant may be purple, green, orange or yellow-white. And it can be as small as a tomato or as large as a cucumber. Dish diversities(多样性) range from simple to complex, with all of them being delicious!
Today, thousands of people are gathering in Loomis, Calif, for the 23rd annual Loomis Eggplant Festival. The main activity at the festival is eating delicious eggplant dishes. There is plenty more to do and see, though. Recipe contests, arts and crafts, performers, races and children’s activities all “egg-cite” festival-goers. Most people at the festival would agree — eggplant is an “egg-cellent” vegetable!
小题1:What does the underlined word “versatile” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
A．simple in shape
B．various in cooking
C．diverse in size
D．flexible in price小题2:Which of the following statements about eggplants is TRUE?
A. Eggplant was once misunderstood by the people for its bitterness.
B. Eggplant was introduced into Europe during the 5th century B.C.
C. Eggplant got its name for its nutrition which is as rich as an egg.
D. Eggplant looks like what it used to be in color and shape.
小题3:Eggplant is so healthy that it can _____________.
A．cure the cancer with certainty
B．do good to digestion
C．replace other vegetables
D．help relieve insanity小题4:The diversities of eggplant reflect in many aspects EXCEPT _____________.
A．colors
B．sizes
C．dishes
D．nutrition小题5:The passage mainly tells us about __________________.
A．the 23rd annual Loomis Eggplant Festival
B．the general introduction of eggplant
C．the origin of eggplant
D．the benefits of eggplant
小题1:B
小题2:A
小题3:B
小题4:D
小题5:B
题目分析：这篇文章主要是介绍了茄子，它的传播途径和食用茄子的好处。
小题1:猜词题：从后面的句子：It can be steamed, fried or baked.可知这个单词是“烹饪方法多样的”选B
小题2:细节题：从第二段的句子：In its early days, the vegetable was so bitter that people often called it a “mad apple”. This nickname started because people believed its bitterness was bad for one’s health.可知茄子曾经因为它的苦味被误解。选A
小题3:细节题：从第三段的句子：Since it is high in fiber, eggplant can also improve digestion.可知茄子有助于消化。选B
小题4:细节题：从第四段的内容可知茄子的多样化体现在颜色，大小，菜肴上。选D
小题5:主旨题：从全篇文章可知，这篇文章主要是介绍了茄子。选B
点评：本文所设试题主要考察细节查找，对于文章中的细节题，要注意文本内容的理解。关键是找出原文的根据，认真核查题支和原文的异同，常犯错误有：绝对化语言，范围扩大或缩小，以偏概全，张冠李戴等。带着问题，再读全文，找出答题所需要的依据，完成阅读。