Ever since farmers began to grow grain, they have had to protect their crops from birds. In the 1300's, English farmers hired children to protect their crops. They were called “bird scares”. The children chased birds and threw stones at them.

   Bird scares were replaced in the 1800's by scarecrows. A scarecrow is anything that is set in a field to scare birds away. Often it is a pole dressed like a person. Some farms with small fields still use scarecrows today.

    Farming became big business in the twentieth century. Scarecrows could no longer protect the huge fields of grain, so farmers used poisonous chemicals on the fields. The poison made the grain bitter. The birds usually would not eat the bitter grain.

    Although they can prevent crops from being destroyed by insects and birds, some chemicals can be harmful to humans. Therefore, farmers are using fewer chemicals now than they did twenty years ago. Perhaps scarecrows may be seen more often in the fields in the future.

English farmers began to hire children to get away birds since_____.

A. the twelfth century                              B. the fifteenth century

C. the sixteenth century                            D. the fourteenth century

“Bird scares” keep birds away from crops by_____.

A. feeding them bitter grain                        B. pretending to be scarecrows

C. spreading chemicals in the fields                  D. chasing them and throwing stones

Which statement from the passage supports the idea that scarecrows may be seen more often in the fields in the future?

     A. Scarecrows could no longer protect fields.    B. They were called “bird scares”.

C. English farmers hired children.            D. Farmers are using fewer chemicals.

The author's purpose is to ________.

     A. give information about children who worked as bird scares

     B. tell how crops have been protected from birds

    C. make the readers feel sorry for birds that eat poisoned grain

     D. entertain the readers with a funny story

The vitamins necessary for a healthy body are normally supplied by a good mixed diet, including a variety of fruits and green vegetables. It is only when people try to live on a very restricted diet, say that when trying to lose weight, that it is necessary to make special provisions to supply the missing vitamins.

  An example of the dangers of a restricted diet may be seen in the disease known as “beri-beri”, which used to make large numbers of Eastern people who lived mainly on rice suffer. In the early years of last century, a Dutch scientist named Eijkman was trying to discover the cause of beri-beri. At first he thought it was transmitted(传播)by a germ(病菌). He was working in a Japanese hospital, where the patients were fed on polished rice which had had the outer coverings removed from the grain. It was thought this would be easier for weak and sick people to digest.

  Eijkman thought his germ theory was proved when he noticed the chickens in the hospital yard, which were fed on remains from the patients’ plates, were also showing signs of the disease. He then tried to separate the germ, which he thought was causing the disease, but his experiments were interrupted by a hospital official, who ordered that the rice without coverings, even though left over by the patients, was too good for chickens. It should be recooked for the patients, and the chickens should be fed on cheap, rough rice with the outer coverings still on the grain.

  Eijkman noticed that the chickens began to recover on the new diet. He began to consider the possibility that eating unmilled rice(糙米)somehow prevented or cured beri-beri — even that a lack of some ingredient(成分)in the coverings may be the cause of the disease. Indeed this was the case. The element needed to prevent beri-beri was shortly afterwards separated from rice coverings and is now known as vitamin B. The milled rice, though more expensive, was in fact causing the disease the hospital was trying to cure. Nowadays, this terrible disease is much less common thanks to our knowledge of vitamins.

According to the passage, a good mixed diet ________.

A. is suitable for losing weight           B. should be only fruits and vegetables

C. normally contains enough vitamins     D. is often difficult to arrange

What do we know about the disease beri-beri?

A. It killed large numbers of people.       B. It resulted from lack of vitamins.

C. It was transmitted by milled rice.       D. It was caused by diseased chickens.

What can be the best title of the passage?

A. A Good Mixed Diet           B. New Discovery

C. The Dangers of Beri-beri         D. The Importance of Vitamins

Ever since farmers began to grow grain, they have had to protect their crops from birds. In the 1300's, English farmers hired children to protect their crops. They were called “bird scares”. The children chased birds and threw stones at them.
Bird scares were replaced in the 1800's by scarecrows. A scarecrow is anything that is set in a field to scare birds away. Often it is a pole dressed like a person. Some farms with small fields still use scarecrows today.
Farming became big business in the twentieth century. Scarecrows could no longer protect the huge fields of grain, so farmers used poisonous chemicals on the fields. The poison made the grain bitter. The birds usually would not eat the bitter grain.
Although they can prevent crops from being destroyed by insects and birds, some chemicals can be harmful to humans. Therefore, farmers are using fewer chemicals now than they did twenty years ago. Perhaps scarecrows may be seen more often in the fields in the future.
【小题1】English farmers began to hire children to get away birds since_____.

A.the twelfth centuryB.the fifteenth century
C.the sixteenth centuryD.the fourteenth century
【小题2】“Bird scares” keep birds away from crops by_____.
A.feeding them bitter grainB.pretending to be scarecrows
C.spreading chemicals in the fieldsD.chasing them and throwing stones
【小题3】Which statement from the passage supports the idea that scarecrows may be seen more often in the fields in the future?
A.Scarecrows could no longer protect fields.B.They were called “bird scares”.
C.English farmers hired children.D.Farmers are using fewer chemicals.
【小题4】The author's purpose is to ________.
A.give information about children who worked as bird scares
B.tell how crops have been protected from birds
C.make the readers feel sorry for birds that eat poisoned grain
D.entertain the readers with a funny story

The vitamins necessary for a healthy body are normally supplied by a good mixed diet, including a variety of fruits and green vegetables. It is only when people try to live on a very restricted diet, say that when trying to lose weight, that it is necessary to make special provisions to supply the missing vitamins.

    An example of the dangers of a restricted diet may be seen in the disease known as "beri-beri", which used to make large numbers of Eastern people who lived mainly on rice suffer. In the early years of last century, a Dutch scientist named Eijkman was trying to discover the cause of beri-beri. At first he thought it was transmitted by a germ (病菌) . He was working in a Japanese hospital, where the patients were fed on polished rice which had had the outer coverings removed from the grain, it was thought this would be easier for weak and sick people to digest.

    Eijkman thought his germ theory was proved when he noticed the chickens in the hospital yard, which were fed on remains from the patients' plates, were also showing signs of the disease. He then tried to separate the germ, which he thought was causing the disease, but his experiments were interrupted by a hospital official, who ordered that the rice without coverings, even though left over by the patients, was too good for chickens. It should be recooked for the patients, and the chickens should be fed on cheap, rough rice with the outer coverings still on the grain.

    Eijkman noticed that the chickens began to recover on the new diet. He began to consider the possibility that eating unmilled rice (糙米) somehow prevented or cured beri-beri--even that a lack of some ingredient (成分) in the coverings may be the cause of the disease. Indeed this was the case. The element needed to prevent beri-beri was shortly afterwards separated from rice coverings and is now known as vitamin B. The milled rice, though more expensive, was in fact causing the disease the hospital was trying to cure. Nowadays, this terrible disease is much less common thanks to our knowledge of vitamins.

1.What does the underlined word restricted mean?

   A. balanced        B. limited        C. diverse        D. complex

2.What do we know about the disease beri-beri?

  A. It killed large numbers of people.

  B. It resulted from lack of vitamins.

  C. It was transmitted by milled rice.

  D. It was caused by diseased chickens.

3.The ingredient missing from milled rice          .

  A. was vitamin B                   B. did not affect the chickens

  C. did not result in beri-beri           D. was named the Eijkman vitamin

4.What can be the best title of the passage?

   A. A Good Mixed Diet                  B. The New Discovery of Eijkman

   C. The Dangers of Beri-beri              D. The Importance of Vitamins

 

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