阅读理解。
You may know that more people drink coffee than tea around the world. And that, after oil, it is the
second biggest traded commodity (商 品). You may also know that the drink comes from beans which
are first roasted and then ground. But what else do you know about this popular drink?
It is said that the story of coffee started with an Ethiopian goatherd named Kaldi. One day Kaldi was
surprised to see that his goats were behaving very strangely. Instead of grazing(吃草) quietly, they were
jumping around, almost dancing. He also noticed some red "cherries" from a plant that the goats were
eating. He tried some himself and was surprised by the feeling of extreme happiness and excitement. He
felt like dancing too!
But it wasn't used as a drink at first it was used as food. The coffee berries, mixed with animal fat,
were used by monks to stay awake during long hours of prayer. From Ethiopia, coffee was later
cultivated in Yemen and the first hot drink was developed there around AD 1000. Three centuries later
Muslims were keen coffee drinkers and as Islam spread, so did coffee. Coffee houses appeared in Cairo
and Mecca.
For hundreds of years the plants were protected safely. But some beans were smuggled(偷运)out of
Arabia and taken to India. In the 17th century, coffee was soon grown in a new continent. From India to
Indonesia, a century later the beans were once again smuggled to Brazil. Brazil is now the largest coffee
producer in the world.
It was the caffeine(咖啡因)that made the goats dance and kept the monks awake. Although it is
found in other soft drinks and tea, coffee has the most caffeine. In the short term, a couple of cups of
coffee can prevent fatigue and delay sleep. But several cups a day, every day, can cause anxiety and
restlessness.
1. What is the world's biggest traded commodity?
A. Oil
B. Coffee
C. Tea
2. Why did the goatherd want to dance?
A. Because he liked to dance with his goats.
B. Because he found his goats behaving strangely.
C. Because he ate some red "cherries" f
rom a plant.
3. Which of the following events came first?
A. Coffee houses appeared in Mecca.
B. C
offee became a drink.
C. Coffee spread as Islam spread.
4. Which sentence is true?
A. Monks were the first to drink coffee.
B. Too much coffee can make people anxious.
C. Brazilians liked drinking coffee the most.
5. Around the world more people drink coffee than tea because _____.
A. coffee berries can be eaten
B. coffee has the most caffeine
C. coffee can prevent fatigue and delay sleep
