The olive is one of the oldest planted crops known to man and is still widely grown in the Mediterranean.An olive tree can have a life of 500 years and is strong enough to continue to grow if ever chopped to the ground.It takes up four years before the olive tree is ripe enough to bear fruit.
Olive trees originated in the Mediterranean region where there is the perfect climate for the olive tree planting.It is characterized by abundant sunshine year-round and hot,dry summers with an average temperature of 80°F.In winter,it rarely drops below 50°F.Olive trees were first planted by humans around 4000 BC in an area known as the Fertile Crescent.Before the areas became desert,countries such as modern-day Turkey and Iraq had a lush environment with soil that plants grow well.Archaeological findings suggest that farming began in the Fertile Crescent before 7000BC.Instead of living as hunter-gatherers,these early humans settled down and harvested native plants.They selected olive trees that produced larger and oilier olives than the wild trees.
Olives and olive oil became valuable trade items between societies and civilizations.People who moved from one place to another and traders from the Fertile Crescent introduced olive oil to Syria and Crete,which spread to Egypt,Greece,and Rome.It continued to migrate westward until olive trees were first introduced to Califomia between 1769 and 1785.
The olive tree and olive oil have important symbolism in each religion.In Christianity,a dove(鸽子)brought an olive branch to Noah as a symbol of peace and new life after God flooded the Earth.The Prophet Muhammad suggested the use of olive oil for medicinal(药用的) purposes and massage(按摩).
Olive oil has medicinal benefits.Olive oil has been used for health benefits.Regular eating olive oil can reduce the risk of cancers.It was used during the Spanish Civil War from 1808 to 1813 to treat cases of fever.In 1960,oleuropein(橄榄多酚)was removed from olive leaves,which helps with food poisoning.
【小题1】If an olive tree is chopped to the ground,______.

The olive is one of the oldest planted crops known to man and is still widely grown in the Mediterranean.An olive tree can have a life of 500 years and is strong enough to continue to grow if ever chopped to the ground.It takes up four years before the olive tree is ripe enough to bear fruit.

Olive trees originated in the Mediterranean region where there is the perfect climate for the olive tree planting.It is characterized by abundant sunshine year-round and hot,dry summers with an average temperature of 80°F.In winter,it rarely drops below 50°F.Olive trees were first planted by humans around 4000 BC in an area known as the Fertile Crescent.Before the areas became desert,countries such as modern-day Turkey and Iraq had a lush environment with soil that plants grow well.Archaeological findings suggest that farming began in the Fertile Crescent before 7000BC.Instead of living as hunter-gatherers,these early humans settled down and harvested native plants.They selected olive trees that produced larger and oilier olives than the wild trees.

Olives and olive oil became valuable trade items between societies and civilizations.People who moved from one place to another and traders from the Fertile Crescent introduced olive oil to Syria and Crete,which spread to Egypt,Greece,and Rome.It continued to migrate westward until olive trees were first introduced to Califomia between 1769 and 1785.

The olive tree and olive oil have important symbolism in each religion.In Christianity,a dove(鸽子)brought an olive branch to Noah as a symbol of peace and new life after God flooded the Earth.The Prophet Muhammad suggested the use of olive oil for medicinal(药用的) purposes and massage(按摩).

Olive oil has medicinal benefits.Olive oil has been used for health benefits.Regular eating olive oil can reduce the risk of cancers.It was used during the Spanish Civil War from 1808 to 1813 to treat cases of fever.In 1960,oleuropein(橄榄多酚)was removed from olive leaves,which helps with food poisoning.

1.If an olive tree is chopped to the ground,______.

2.What does the underlined word “lush”in para.2 probably mean?

3.We can learn from the first two paragraphs that_____.

4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

①Olive trees bear fruits every four years.

②Olive oil was a food production before 7000BC.

③In Muhammad,olive oil was used as medicine.

④Olive trees were introduced to California in the 18^th century.

A.②③④          B. ①②③           C. ①③④           D. ①②④

5.What is this passage mainly about?

A friend and I had arranged to spend a whole Sunday taking a long walk in the country. We set off on an early train, each carrying a   36   bag filled with sandwiches, cakes, fruit and bottles of lemonade, I   37   how two people would be able to finish it all.

   Soon we had left   38   the smoky air of the city and had reached the country station where our   39   was to begin. We were   40  , because the sun was shining and there was a gentle breeze to make it just right for walking. We decided to go on a walk called the Four Mile Square: it has four  41    sides, each about four miles in length and on a map looks like a rough square, It is    42  because each side passes through a different kind of country. We  43   in high spirits along the first side, which  44  a river, planning to have a swim and our first meal before we left it. Before long, we came to a gate near which there was a  45  ,“Beware of the Bull”. We were very  46   . Our path ran through this field, and, as it was a public footpath, the farmer had no  47   to put a dangerous animals in it .“Oh, but it’s all right”, my friend said. “This bull is tied up. Come on.”

   I followed, because I could see for myself a strong rope  48  to the ring in its nose at one end and round a large tree at the other, We felt very bold and walked nearer,   49   a red handkerchief just to show that we weren’t afraid.

   The bull began to walk towards us ---- and did not stop. “He   50   to have a long rope.” I said, walking more quickly, The bull too was walking more quickly, Then, at the same moment, we both saw that the rope was broken, and without   51   we began to run.

We were halfway across the field but it didn’t take us long to reach the gate again, We jumped over, very much out of  52   , and looked back to see the bull quietly  53   a bag of food. “That was a clever  54    of mine, wasn’t it ?” said my friend: “I dropped the food on purpose to  55   away the bull’s attention.”

“No ,I cried ”it was not clever ! I dropped mine ----- accidentally.