首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Most people today think of chocolate as something sweet to eat or drink that can be easily found in stores around the world. It
Most people today think of chocolate as something sweet to eat or drink that can be easily found in stores around the world. It
admin
2014-09-18
67
问题
Most people today think of chocolate as something sweet to eat or drink that can be easily found in stores around the world. It might surprise you that chocolate was once highly treasured.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania recently released a study. It suggested that people in Central and South America first gathered the cacao plant much earlier and for a different use than experts once thought. ① The researchers examined the chemistry of substances found in ancient clay containers that were over three thousand years old. They discovered that the substance came from an alcoholic drink made from the fruit of the cacao plant. The researchers believe it was the interest in cacao as an alcoholic drink that led to the use of its bitter seeds to make what is now known as chocolate. ②
Historians believe the Maya people of Central America first learned to farm cacao plants around two thousand years ago. The Maya took the cacao trees from the rainforests and grew them in their gardens. They cooked the cacao seeds, and then crushed them into a soft paste. They mixed the paste with water and flavorful spices to make an unsweetened chocolate drink. The Maya poured the chocolate drink back and forth between two containers so that the liquid had a layer of bubbles, or foam. ③
Cacao and chocolate were an important part of Maya culture. There are often images of cacao plants on Maya buildings and art objects. Ruling families drank chocolate at special ceremonies. And, even poorer members of society could enjoy the drink once in a while. Historians believe that cacao seeds were also used in wedding ceremonies as a sign of the union between a husband and wife.
The Aztec culture in current day Mexico also prized chocolate. But, the cacao plant could not grow in the area where the Aztecs lived. So, they traded to get cacao. They even used cacao seeds as a form of money to pay taxes or give as holy offerings to the gods. Only the very wealthy people in Aztec societies could afford to drink chocolate because cacao was so valuable.
Some experts believe the word for chocolate came from the Aztec word "xocolatl" which in the Nahuatl language means “bitter water”. Others believe the word "chocolate" was created by combining Mayan and Nahuatl words.
The explorer Christopher Columbus brought cacao seeds to Spain after his trip to Central America in 1502. But it was the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortes who understood that chocolate could be a valuable investment. In 1519, Cortes arrived in current day Mexico. He believed the chocolate drink would become popular with Spaniards. After the Spanish soldiers defeated the Aztec empire, they were able to seize the supplies of cacao and send them home. Spain later began planting cacao in its colonies in the Americas in order to supply the large demand for chocolate.
The wealthy people of Spain first enjoyed a sweetened version of the chocolate drink. Later, the popularity of the drink spread throughout Europe. The English, Dutch and French began to plant cacao trees in their own colonies. Chocolate remained a drink that only wealthy people could afford to drink until the eighteenth century. During the period known as the Industrial Revolution, new technologies helped make chocolate less costly to produce.
What was confirmed by the University of Pennsylvania’s study?
选项
A、People first used cacao plants in the same way of today.
B、Chocolate was more expensive in ancient time than today.
C、Maya people first learned to farm cacao plants.
D、Cacao plants were made into an alcoholic drink thousands of years ago.
答案
D
解析
推理判断题。关于宾夕法尼亚大学研究的内容在文中的第二段。A “古代人一开始使用可可就和今天的方法一样”,和全文中多处提到的可可在古代被当作各种象征,被当作交税的工具,以及可可起初是一种苦涩的饮料等内容相反,可被排除。B 、C 虽然内容正确,但是并不是宾夕法尼亚大学研究的成果,因此也为错误选项。根据文中第二段最后一句可推出Cacao plants被用来制作alcoholic drink。故D 项为正确答案。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/erTK777K
0
专业英语四级
相关试题推荐
Althoughmostpeoplereturnfrompackageholidaysreasonablysatisfied,thisisnotalwaysthe(1)_____.Take,forinstance,the
Thearrivalofthemass-producedcar,justoveracenturyago,causeda(n)(1)_____ofbusinesscreation.Firstcamethemakerso
Alandfreefromdestruction,pluswealth,naturalresources,andlaborsupply—allthesewereimportant(1)_____inhelpingEngla
Comparisonsweredrawnbetweenthedevelopmentoftelevisioninthe20thcenturyandthediffusionofprintinginthe15thand1
DuringMcDonald’searlyyearsFrenchfriesweremadefromscratcheveryday.RussetBurbankpotatoeswere(1)______,cutintosho
Believeitornot,whenfirst______toEurope,tomatowasthoughttobepoisonous.
InAmericaalone,tippingisnowa$16billion-a-yearindustry.Arecentpollshowedthat40%ofAmericans(1)______thepractic
With______exceptions,theformerpresidentdoesnotappearinpublicnow.[2003]
Womenhavelongbeenmoreinnumberthanmenoncollegecampuses.Theyalsoholdmoreadvanceddegreesthantheirmale(1)______.
Youseemtobedissatisfiedwithyourpresentpost.Idon’tthinkyoujudgedyourabilityobjectivelywhenyouappliedforit,_
随机试题
下面的词组中,语法结构与其他三个不同的是()
广义积分是_______的.
A.还原B.结合C.水解D.硫解E.氧化第一相反应中最主要的反应是
A、酸值B、酯值C、皂化值D、沸点E、气相色谱相对保留值表示挥发油中游离羧酸和酚类成分的含量指标是
新生儿皮肤娇嫩易损伤的原因主要是()
根据我国《城市房地产管理法》的规定,下列关于城市房地产交易的表述中正确的是()。
正式导游证和临时导游证有哪些不同点?
小学生对“路程:速度x时间”的记忆属于()
根据以下资料。回答下列问题。下面说法中正确的是:
总经理:我主张小王和小孙两人中至少提拔一人。董事长:我不同意。以下哪项,最为准确地表述了董事长实际上同意的意思?
最新回复
(
0
)