The tea gardens in Sri Lanka are actually large estates(种植园). The best tea usually comes from plants grown on high grounds, the cool hilltops with rows and rows of tea plants. The plants are about one metre apart. The plant is often pruned so that it remains only 60 to 90 centimetres high. Pruning is important because it encourages the growth of tender shoots, or young leaves. It is from these shoots that the best tea is got.

       Practically all the tea pickers are women. The estates prefer to employ women pickers because they are more careful. Their thin fingers can easily remove the twin leaves and new shoots from the plant, which are the parts used for processing(加工) tea. The pickers carry large baskets into which they throw their pickings. A skilled worker can harvest between 9 to 14 kilogrammes of tea leaves a day. Usually new shoots can be picked from the plants about every ten or fifteen days.

       Processing tea shoots into the familiar dry tea leaves requires great care and skill .There are various methods of processing depending on the type of tea required .For black tea ,the young green leaves are first spread out o shelves to dry. This process removes much of its water and the leaves become soft. After this ,the leaves are passed through heavy rollers .This operation will press the leaves for juices which give the tea both its colour and taste .Then the leaves are spread out on floors and left to ferment （发酵）under wet conditions. Fermentation develops the rich taste of black tea .The fermented leaves are then dried with a hot-air blower until they become rolled-up black leaves .The final step is to sort and grade them before the black tea is ready for sale to countries all over the world.

68.In the first paragraph ,the word “pruning” means       .

  A.regular cutting of the plants    B.frequent watering

  C.regular use of chemicals         D.growing the plants high in the mountain

69.One of the reasons why women are employed to do the picking is that        .

  A.they work harder than men do in the picking

  B.they can throw their pickings more easily into the baskets

  C.their fingers fit them better for the job.

  D.they can more easily find the twin leaves.

70.How many processing steps are mentioned in the last paragraph?

  A.Three.    B.Four.    C.Five.    D.Six.

71.What is the writer’s purpose in writing the passage?

  A.To introduce various methods of tea processing.

  B.To persuade readers to buy tea from Sri Lanka.

  C.To tell a story that had happened in the tea gardens.

  D.To inform readers of tea growing ,picking and processing.

The tea gardens in Sri Lanka are actually large estates(种植园). The best tea usually comes from plants grown on high grounds, the cool hilltops with rows and rows of tea plants. The plants are about one metre apart. The plant is often pruned so that it remains only 60 to 90 centimetres high. Pruning is important because it encourages the growth of tender shoots, or young leaves. It is from these shoots that the best tea is got.

Practically all the tea pickers are women. The estates prefer to employ women pickers because they are more careful. Their thin fingers can easily remove the twin leaves and new shoots from the plant, which are the parts used for processing(加工) tea. The pickers carry large baskets into which they throw their pickings. A skilled worker can harvest between 9 to 14 kilogrammes of tea leaves a day. Usually new shoots can be picked from the plants about every ten or fifteen days.

       Processing tea shoots into the familiar dry tea leaves requires great care and skill .There are various methods of processing depending on the type of tea required .For black tea ,the young green leaves are first spread out o shelves to dry. This process removes much of its water and the leaves become soft. After this ,the leaves are passed through heavy rollers .This operation will press the leaves for juices which give the tea both its colour and taste .Then the leaves are spread out on floors and left to ferment （发酵）under wet conditions. Fermentation develops the rich taste of black tea .The fermented leaves are then dried with a hot-air blower until they become rolled-up black leaves .The final step is to sort and grade them before the black tea is ready for sale to countries all over the world.

68．In the first paragraph ,the word “pruning” means       .

       A．regular cutting of the plants

       B．frequent watering

       C．regular use of chemicals

       D．growing the plants high in the mountain

69．One of the reasons why women are employed to do the picking is that        .

       A．they work harder than men do in the picking

       B．they can throw their pickings more easily into the baskets

       C．their fingers fit them better for the job.

       D．they can more easily find the twin leaves.

70．How many processing steps are mentioned in the last paragraph?

       A．Three.                 B．Four.                   C．Five.                   D．Six.

71．What is the writer’s purpose in writing the passage?

       A．To introduce various methods of tea processing.

       B．To persuade readers to buy tea from Sri Lanka.

       C．To tell a story that had happened in the tea gardens.

       D．To inform readers of tea growing ,picking and processing.

The tea gardens in Sri Lanka are actually large estates(种植园). The best tea usually comes from plants grown on high grounds, the cool hilltops with rows and rows of tea plants. The plants are about one metre apart. The plant is often pruned so that it remains only 60 to 90 centimetres high. Pruning is important because it encourages the growth of tender hoots, or young leaves. It is from these shoots that the best in got.
Practically all the tea pickers are women. The estates like to employ women pickers because they are more careful. Their thin fingers can easily remove the twin leaves and new shoots from the plant, which are the parts used for processing(加工)tea. The pickers carry large baskets into which they throw their pickings. A skilled worker can harvest between 9 to 14 kilogrammes of tea leaves a day. Usually new shoots can be picked from the plants about every ten or fifteen days.
Processing tea shoots into the familiar dry tea leaves requires great care and skill. There are various methods of processing depending on the type of tea required. For black tea, the young green leaves are first spread out on shelves to dry. This process removes much of its water and the leaves become soft. After this, the leaves are passed through heavy rollers. This operation will press the leaves for juices which give the tea both its colour and taste. Then the leaves are spread out on floors and left to ferment(发酵)under wet conditions. Fermentation develops the rich taste of black tea. The fermented leaves are then dried with a hot­air blower until they become rolled­up black leaves. The final step is to sort and grade them before the black tea is ready for sale to countries all over the world.
【小题1】In the first paragraph, the word“pruning”means______.

The tea gardens in Sri Lanka are actually large estates(种植园). The best tea usually comes from plants grown on high grounds, the cool hilltops with rows and rows of tea plants. The plants are about one metre apart. The plant is often pruned so that it remains only 60 to 90 centimetres high. Pruning is important because it encourages the growth of tender hoots, or young leaves. It is from these shoots that the best in got.

Practically all the tea pickers are women. The estates like to employ women pickers because they are more careful. Their thin fingers can easily remove the twin leaves and new shoots from the plant, which are the parts used for processing(加工)tea. The pickers carry large baskets into which they throw their pickings. A skilled worker can harvest between 9 to 14 kilogrammes of tea leaves a day. Usually new shoots can be picked from the plants about every ten or fifteen days.

Processing tea shoots into the familiar dry tea leaves requires great care and skill. There are various methods of processing depending on the type of tea required. For black tea, the young green leaves are first spread out on shelves to dry. This process removes much of its water and the leaves become soft. After this, the leaves are passed through heavy rollers. This operation will press the leaves for juices which give the tea both its colour and taste. Then the leaves are spread out on floors and left to ferment(发酵)under wet conditions. Fermentation develops the rich taste of black tea. The fermented leaves are then dried with a hot­air blower until they become rolled­up black leaves. The final step is to sort and grade them before the black tea is ready for sale to countries all over the world.

1.In the first paragraph, the word“pruning”means______.

A．regular cutting of the plants.               B．frequent watering

C．regular use of chemicals                  D．growing the plants high in the mountain

2.One of the reasons why women are employed to do the picking is that________.

A．they work harder than men do in picking

B．they can throw their picking more easily into the baskets

C．their fingers fit them better for the job

D．they can move easily find the twin leaves

3.How many processing steps are mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．Three.　          B．Four.             C．Five.　           D．Six.

4.What's the writer's purpose in writing the passage?

A．To introduce various methods of tea processing.

B．To persuade readers to buy tea from Sri Lanka.

C．To tell a story that had happened in the tea gardens.

D．To inform readers of tea growing, picking and processing.

　　In the northeast of the USA there are six small states. Together they are called New England. The most important state of New England is Massachusetts. Its capital city is Boston, with a population of just over half a million, which is the biggest city in New England. Greater Boston is make up of 78 cities and towns. It has a population of nearly 3 million, which is half the population of Massachusetts.

　　Boston was founded in 1630. The American Revolution began here when the people of Boston took up their arms to fight their English rulers.

　　The Boston tea is famous in America. Americans were very fond of tea, and much tea was brought to the port of Boston. The British government was looking for more ways to get money out of America. So it put a big tax on tea. They made the Bostonians angry. They rushed to the port and then onto a ship there. They threw all the tea into sea. This led to a war between the people of Boston and the British soldiers.

　　Thus the American Revolution began.

(1) What do you think Greater Boston is?

[　　]

A．Another name for Boston City.

B．Another city in Massachusetts.

C．An area in Massachusetts where Boston is.

D．A city that is greater than the city of Boston.

(2) The state of Massachusetts has a population of ________.

[　　]

(3) The British government put a big tax on tea because ________.

[　　]

A．it could greatly benefit from it

B．the American people liked tea very much

C．the people of Boston often drank tea

D．tea was too expensive at that time

(4) The American Revolution began when ________.

[　　]

A．Boston was founded in 1630

B．the Bostonians did not take their fate lying down

C．the people of Boston had no tea to drink

D．tea was first brought to the pert of Boston