4．The movies just wouldn't be the same without the warm buttery taste of popcorn．Amazingly，this delicious treat started its life as a corn kernel（玉米粒）-and not from just any corn．Popcorn is a type of sweet corn that was originally grown in Mexico and spread to China，India and elsewhere．It is the only kind of corn that will pop．Today，most of the world's popcorn is grown in the United States．
Every popcorn kernel contains a tiny drop of water，surrounded by soft starch（淀粉）．When the popcorn is heated，the water turns into steam．This puts pressure on the surrounding hard kernel，forcing it to explode．The soft starch increases about 40times in size as the corn kernel turns itself inside out．
In the 1500s popcorn was an important food source for the Aztec Indians of central and southern Mexico．But it wasn't only food．It was also used in ceremonies or in headdresses and necklaces．By the time the Europeans arrived in America，popcorn had spread through most of the American Indians．
Some early American settlers ate popcorn with cream and sugar for breakfast．But it wasn't until the late 1800s that popcorn became popular．The demand for popcorn increased and farmers began farming popcorn．The first mobile popping machine was invented in 1885，and popcorn was sold by street sellers much like hot dogs are sold today．
During the Great Depression of the 1930s，the popcorn business still thrived as people could still afford it．Then in the 1950s television arrived and popcorn consumption decreased．People stayed home and stopped going to the theatre．But the link between movies and popcorn had already existed．Soon people began making popcorn at home on the stove．Later，microwave popcorn was introduced．
Today the movies have regained popularity and popcorn has once again become the favorite．
1．Popcorn was first planted inD．
A．China
B．America
C．India
D．Mexico
2．Why does the corn kernel pop when heated？B
A．Because it is covered with soft starch．
B．Because the pressure inside is too big．
C．Because the starch becomes bigger in size．
D．Because there is water inside the kernel．
3．We can know from the passage thatA．
A．popcorn began to be farmed in the late 1800s
B．popcorn was only a kind of food in the 1500s
C．hot dogs used to be sold by street sellers
D．people stopped going to the movies without popcorn
4．The underlined word"thrived"in the fifth paragraph probably means"D"．
A．started to be popular
B．was seriously affected
C．suffered a lot
D．developed very well．
分析 本文主要講述了起源于墨西哥的甜玉米的發(fā)展．后來玉米成為了電影院的寵兒，看電影的人們無一例外的會帶它進(jìn)影院．
解答 1：D 細(xì)節(jié)理解題．由第一段第三句"Popcorn is a type of sweet corn that was originally grown in Mexico…"可知，爆米花是一種最初生長在墨西哥的甜玉米，故正確答案為D．
2：B 細(xì)節(jié)理解題．由第二段倒數(shù)第二句"This puts pressure on the surrounding hard kernel，forcing it to explode．"可知，在硬玉米粒周圍施加壓力，迫使其爆炸，即玉米粒爆炸是因為內(nèi)部承受壓力很大，B項正確；
3：A 推理判斷題．由第四段第二、三句"But it wasn't until the late 1800s that popcorn became popular．The demand for popcorn increased and farmers began farming popcorn．"可知，在19世紀(jì)爆米花變得很流行，由于爆米花的需求量增加農(nóng)民才開始種植它，A項正確．由第三段第一句"In the 1500s popcorn was an important food source for the Aztec Indians of central and southern Mexico．But it wasn't only food．"可知B項錯誤．由第四段最后一句中"…and popcorn was sold by street sellers much like hot dogs that are sold today．"可知，熱狗過去不是在街上買的，事情發(fā)生在現(xiàn)在，故C項錯誤．由本文最后一句"Today the movies have regained popularity and popcorn has once again become the favorite．"可知，人們依舊喜歡看電影時吃爆米花，所以D項錯誤．故正確答案為A．
4：D 詞義猜測題．由第五段第一句后半句"as people could still afford it．"可知，1930s 時人們還能買得起爆米花，而第二句后半句"popcorn consumption decreased"可知，1950s 時爆米花銷售才開始下降，而下降之前，應(yīng)該是保持好銷量，故可推測"thrived"的意思為"興盛，繁榮"，故正確答案為D．
點評 本文是一個科教類閱讀理解，題目涉及多道細(xì)節(jié)理解題，做題時結(jié)合原文和題目有針對性的找出相關(guān)語句進(jìn)行仔細(xì)分析，結(jié)合選項選出正確答案．推理判斷題也是要在抓住關(guān)鍵句子的基礎(chǔ)上合理的分析才能得出正確答案，切忌胡亂猜測，一定要做到有理有據(jù)．
