Can you imagine that several hundred years ago, tomatoes were seen as toxic food in Europe?
What made Europeans believe this was John Gerard’s publication of Herbal in 1597. Gerard wrote: “The leaves and stalks of the tomato plant are toxic.” Undoubtedly, Gerard’s opinion was based on a misunderstanding of tomatoes. But his opinion was widely spread in Britain and North America for over two hundred years.
In the late 1700s, a lot of Europeans held more fears for tomatoes. A nick name for the fruit was “poison apple” because it was believed that aristocrats(贵族) got sick and died after eating them. But the actual reason was the pewter plates they used. Since tomatoes are high in acidity, when placed on the plates, the lead(铅) in the plates would dissolve. This caused many deaths. Unluckily, no one knew this at that time. So the innocent tomatoes were picked as the killer.
Today, more than one and a half billion tons of tomatoes are produced every year around the world. Tomatoes are cooked in various ways. This healthy and tasty food finally wins its innocence(清白) back.
51. Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
A. Europeans’ fears for tomatoes B. History of tomato planting
C. Why do people eat so many tomatoes D. How did the tomato prove its value
52. What does the underlined word “toxic” in paragraph 1 mean?
A. delicious B. nutritious(营养) C. poisonous D. safe
53. What do we know about the book Herbal?
A. It was written by an American writer. B. It was published about 400 years ago.
C. Tomatoes were described as good food. D. Chinese herbal medicine was included.
54. When did people begin to eat tomatoes according to the text?
A. About 100 years ago. B. About 200 years ago.
C. About 300 years ago. D. About 400 years ago.
55. What’s the key point for the death of the aristocrats mentioned in the passage?
A. Tomatoes. B. The pewter plate. C. Serious illness. D. Chemical reaction.