People think of ice cream as an American food. Yet, ice cream really came from Asia. In the late 1200s Marco Polo, the great explorer, is said to have seen rich Asians eating dishes of ice. Camels had brought the ice from distant mountains. Before it was served, the ice had been flavored (调味)with fruits.
Marco Polo brought this new dish to Italy, In France cooks changed the ice recipe (配方)and made ice cream
At first, cooks tried to keep the recipe a secret. They wanted it to be a special dish for rich people. By the late 1700s, though, ice cream was sold throughout Europe and America.
Some great Americans loved ice cream. George Washington was the first to buy a special machine for making it. When Thomas Jefferson returned from France, he brought an ice cream recipe home with him. Dolly Madison, wife of President James Madison, also liked ice cream, and she often served it at the White House. Actually, a famous brand (品牌)of ice cream was even named after her.
In the late 1800s, the ice cream industry began to grow. A way of keeping ice cream frozen had been found, so ice cream makers did not have to worry about ice cream melting(融化)anymore.
9.When did ice cream become well-known in many countries?
A.In the 1200s.
B.In the 1500s,
C.In the 1600s.
D.In the 1900s.
10.Who do you think was the most important person in the history of ice cream?
A.Marco Polo.
B.Dolly Madison,
C.Thomas Jefferson.
D.George Washington.
11.Why can ice cream be sold everywhere today?
A.Because people can afford to buy it.
B.Because there are many recipes for it,
C.Because it is easy to keep it frozen.
D.Because many people like ice cream.
What colour is your name? What colour is Wednesday? These questions might sound strange to most people, but some can answer right away. One person says her name is the colour red. For another person, Wednesday is blue. These people have a condition called synesthesia. This means they experience two senses at the same time. For these people, the senses of smell, sound, sight, touch, and taste are not separate (分开的).They might see and also hear colours, for example, or hear as well as feel sounds.
The most common form of synesthesia is to hear sounds as colours, A person with synesthesia might hear the number three as blue or the letter D as red. Someone might always see green upon hearing the word April. Another person might see different colours while listening to music. Some people also taste colours. To one person, beef might taste blue and to another, yellow. Some people experience feelings in colour. For example, one person with synesthesia reports feeling pain as the colour orange.
Another form of synesthesia is to experience sounds or tastes as shapes. Some people see music as squares and circles. Some people taste a sweet as a smooth ball. There are other forms of synesthesia, as well. For one man, different words have different tastes. Some words taste like pork;others taste like potatoes or eggs.
Synesthesia is not a common condition. Perhaps only one person in every 5,000 has it. For these people, the everyday world can be a colourful and interesting place.
12.What is this passage mainly about?
A.An unusual condition.
B.People who like colour.
C.The colour of pain.
D.Music and art.
13.How many people probably have synesthesia?
A.Only 5,000 in the world.
B.One out of every 500.
C.About 5 million.
D.One out of every 5,000.
14.Which is the most common form of synesthesia?
A.Experiencing tastes as shapes.
B.Experiencing sounds as colours,
C.Experiencing words as tastes.
D.Experiencing music as shapes,
15.Which of the following is NOT an example of synesthesia?
A.Feeling pain in red.
B.Tasting beef as green.
C.Feeling warm in April.
D.Seeing music as squares.
参考答案：
1-5.C . B . D . B . B
6-10. D A . C . D . A
11-15. C . A D . B . C
