Given that many people's moods (情绪)are regulated By the chemical action of chocolate, it was proBaBly only a matter of time Before someBody made the chocolate shop similar to a drugstore of Chinese medicine. Looking like a setting from the film Charlie&the Chocolate Factory, Singapore's Chocolate Research Facility (CRF) has over 100 varieties of chocolates.its founder is Chris Lee who grew up at his parents' comer store with one handalmost always in the jar of sweets.

If the CRF seems to Be a smart idea, that's Because Lee is not merely a seasoned salesperson But also head of a marketing department that has Business relations with Big names such as Levi's and Sony. That idea surely results in the imagination at work when it comes to making different flavored(味道)chocolates.

The CRF's produce is "green". made within the country and divided into 10 lines, with the Alcohol Series Being the most popular. The Exotic Series一with Sichuan pepper, red Bean (豆).cheese and other flavors一also does well and is fun to taste. And for chocolate snoBs，who think that they have a Better knowledge of chocolate than others, the Connoisseur Series uses cocoa Beans from Togo, CuBa, Venezuela , and Ghana, among others.

1.What is good aBout chocolate?

A．It serves as a suitaBle gift.                 B．It works as an effective medicine.

C．It helps improve the state of mind.          D．It strengthens Business relations.

2.Why is Chris Lee aBle to develop his idea of the CRF?

A．He knows the importance of research.       B．He learns form shops of similar types.

C．He has the support of many Big names       D．He has a lot of marketing experience.

3.Which line of the CRF produce sells Best?

A．The Connoisseur Series.                  B．The Exotic Series.

C．The Alcohol Series.                      D．The Sichuan Series.

4.The words "chocolate snoBs" in Paragraph 3 proBaBly refer to people who

A．are particular aBout chocolate             B．know little aBout cocoa Beans

C．look down upon others                   D．like to try new flavors

We now think of chocolate as sweet, but once it was bitter. We think of it as a candy, but once it was a medicine. Today, chocolate can be a hot drink, a frozen dessert, or just a snack. Sometimes it’s an ingredient(配料) in the main course of a meal. Mexicans make a hot chocolate sauce called mole and pour it over chicken. The Mexicans also eat chocolate with spices(香料) like chili peppers.

Chocolate is a product of the tropical cacao tree. The beans taste so bitter that even the monkeys say “Ugh!” and run away. Workers must first dry and then roast the beans. This removes the bitter taste.

The word “chocolate” comes from a Mayan word. The Mayas were an ancient people who once lived in Mexico. They valued the cacao tree. Some used the beans for money, while others crushed them to make a drink.

When the Spaniards came to Mexico in the sixteenth century, they started drinking cacao too.Because the drink was strong and bitter, they thought it was a medicine. No one had the idea of adding sugar. The Spaniards took some beans back to Europe and opened cafes. Wealthy people drank cacao and said it was good for the digestion.

In the 1800s, the owner of a chocolate factory in England discovered that sugar removed the bitter taste of cacao. It quickly became a cheap and popular drink. Soon afterwards, a factory made the first solid block of sweetened chocolate. Later on, another factory mixed milk and chocolate together. People liked the taste of milk chocolate even better.

Besides the chocolate candy bar, one of the most popular American snacks is the chocolate chip cookie. Favorite desserts are chocolate cream pie and, of course, an ice cream sundae with hot fudge sauce.  

1. It was ________that discovered sugar could remove the bitter taste of cacao.

A. The workers in the chocolate factory       B. The Spaniards

C. The people in England                  D. The owner of a chocolate factory

2. According to the passage which of the following statements is true?

A. Nobody had the idea of adding sugar until the sixteenth century.

B. The word “chocolate” comes from a Mexican word.

C. The beans taste so bitter that even the monkeys like them.

D. Workers must dry and roast the beans to remove the bitter taste.

3. The Spaniards think that cacao was a medicine because________

A. it was strong and bitter.    B. it was good for digestion.

C. it cured man’s diseases.     D. it was a kind of drink for good health.

4. Which is the right time order of the events regarding chocolate?

a. Chocolate became a cheap and popular drink in England.

b. A factory made the first solid block of sweetened chocolate.

c. The Spaniards started drinking cacao.

d. It was found that sugar removed the bitter taste of cacao.

e. A factory mixed milk and chocolate together.  

A. a-b-c-d-e　           B. c-d-e-b-a　　   C. c-d-a-b-e　　         D. c-d-b-e-a

5. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A. chocolate can be a hot drink, a frozen dessert, or a candy bar

B. Mexicans like chocolate very much

C. chocolate is a product of the cacao tree

D. people liked the taste of chocolate mixed with milk

I’m feeling sick. I __________so much chocolate.

(2013·高考新课标全国卷Ⅱ，C)Given that many people’s moods (情绪)are regulated by the chemical action of chocolate，it was probably only a matter of time before somebody made the chocolate shop similar to a drugstore of Chinese medicine.Looking like a setting from the film Charlie&the Chocolate Factory，Singapore’s Chocolate Research Facility (CRF) has over 100 varieties of chocolates.Its founder is Chris Lee who grew up at his parents’ corner store with one hand almost always in the jar of sweets.

If the CRF seems to be a smart idea，that’s because Lee is not merely a seasoned salesperson but also head of a marketing department that has business relations with big names such as Levi’s and Sony.That idea surely results in the imagination at work when it comes to making different flavored (味道) chocolates.

The CRF’s produce is “green ”，made within the country and divided into 10 lines，with the Alcohol Series being the most popular.The Exotic Series－with Sichuan pepper，red bean (豆)，cheese and other flavors－also does well and is fun to taste.And for chocolate_snobs，who think that they have a better knowledge of chocolate than others，the Connoisseur Series uses cocoa beans from Togo，Cuba，Venezuela，and Ghana，among others.

1.What is good about chocolate?

A．It serves as a suitable gift.

B．It works as an effective medicine.

C．It helps improve the state of mind.

D．It strengthens business relations.

2.Why is Chris Lee able to develop his idea of the CRF?

A．He knows the importance of research.

B．He learns from shops of similar types.

C．He has the support of many big names

D．He has a lot of marketing experience.

3.Which line of the CRF produce sells best?

A．The Connoisseur Series.

B．The Exotic Series.

C．The Alcohol Series.

D．The Sichuan Series.

4.The words “chocolate snobs” in Paragraph 3 probably refer to people who________.

A．are particular about chocolate

B．know little about cocoa beans

C．look down upon others

D．like to try new flavors

Chocolate is good for your heart, skin and brain. Usually, people think that chocolate is bad for their health. They describe chocolate as “something to die for” or say “death by chocolate”. Now they should bite their tongues! Evidence(证据) is showing that some kinds of chocolate are actually good for you in the following ways:
A happier heart
Scientists at Harvard University recently examined 136 studies on cocoa—the main ingredient in chocolate and found that it does seem to strengthen the heart. Studies have shown heart benefits from increased blood flow. These benefits are the result of cocoa’s chemicals, which seem to prevent both cell damage and inflammation(炎症).
Better blood pressure
If yours is high, chocolate may help. Jeffrey Blumberg from Tufts University recently 
found that people with high blood pressure who ate 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate 
per day for two weeks their blood pressure drop quickly.
Muscle magic
Chocolate milk may help you recover after a hard workout(锻炼). In a small study at Indiana University, people who drank chocolate milk between workouts did better on a tiredness test than those who had some sports drinks.
Better for your skin. German researchers gave 24 women a half-cup of special cocoa every day. After three months, the women’s skin was moister(滑润的)and smoother. The research shows that chocolate helps protect and increase blood flow to the skin, improving its appearance.
Brain gains
It sounds almost too good to be true, but research suggests that chocolate may improve your memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem-solving by increasing blood flow to the brain.
【小题1】Which of the following is wrong?