1. The U.S. is ________ of China.
2. Canada is ________ of the U.S.
3. China is ________ of the U.S.
4. The U.K. is ________ of China.
5. The U.S. is ________ of Canada.

   Have you ever dreamed about a trip to space? Seeds (種子)of some vegetables and crops are a lot
luckier than you, as they have travelled to space and back.
    China is among the three countries in the world that carry out agricultural (農(nóng)業(yè)的)research in space.
The others are Russia and the U.S. Since 1987, China has sent about 1000 kinds of seeds into space.
These include green peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and rice. Even on China's first manned spacecraft Shenzhou V there were some seeds from Taiwan.
    "Conditions(條件) in outer space such as radiation(輻射)and low gravity can cause big changes in the
seeds," said Chinese researcher Jin Xing.
    But not all seeds are better after going to space. After returning to the earth, the best seeds are chosen. These seeds produce much more and also grow faster than normal seeds. As the safety of genetically
modified(轉(zhuǎn)基因)food is still being talked about, some people are not sure about the safety of these
"space vegetables" because some of their genes(基因)are changed during the trip to space.
   But Jin holds the more hopeful view. He said, "Unlike genetically modified crops, no new genes are
introduced to the space vegetables, so they are surely safe."
    Space vegetables are better than normal vegetables. For example, space tomatoes stay fresh for twenty
days, which is one week longer than normal tomatoes. Another popular space vegetable is the peppers.
Space peppers have 20 per cent more vitamin C than normal peppers.
    Researchers are considering holding a tomato festival. By the time people will be able to enjoy about 30 different kinds of space tomatoes on their dining tables.
So far, the Chinese Academy of Sciences has set up three space vegetable base fields, one of which is in
Shenzhen while the others are in Beijing and Jiangsu Province.

1. What will happen when seeds of some vegetables are sent to space and carried back?

A. Some of their genes are changed.      
B. They are all better than before going to space
C. No changes are caused in the seeds.    
D. They all produce much more and grow faster.

2. Why does Jin Xing have no doubt about the safety of the space vegetables?

A. Because the seeds sent to space stay the same.
B. Because the seeds sent to space are the best.
C. Because no new genes are brought into them.
D. Because space vegetables are luckier.

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Genetically modified food is completely safe. 
B. The space vegetables don't belong to genetically modified food in some ways. 
C. About 1000 kinds of seeds were sent into space on Shenzhou V.  
D. Seeds back from space must be planted in special rooms controlled by computers.

4. What is the underlined word "cucumber" in the second paragraph?

A. A product from Russia.            
B. A kind of gene. . 
C. A product from Taiwan.          
D. A kind of agricultural product.

     Who hasn't enjoyed eating peanuts? Did you know that although peanuts look like nuts and taste like nuts,
they aren't nuts at all? They belong to the pea family, so they are called peanuts.
     The peanut grows flowers above ground, but its "fruit" grows underground. It grows in more countries
than most other "nuts". The peanut is a native South American plant. Scientists believe that it grew wild in Brazil
long ago. They think that for several thousand years the early peoples of South America made it a part of their
diet. These peoples were nomads who moved on when a natural food could no longer be found in one area.
Along the way they probably let fall some peanuts, which got into the ground and grew. This is believed to be
the way the plant reached the place where the Incas (印加人) lived. The Incas, from about 1100 to 1532,
thought highly of peanuts.
      The peanuts were eaten in several forms and used as sacrificial offerings (祭品) to. the Incan Sun God.
Later in the 16th century, European soldiers had brought peanuts to other parts of the world, including North
America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Pacific Islands.  
     Although peanuts were found native in South America, they are now grown in almost every country that
has warm weather. India produces the most peanuts. China's production is next, followed by the United States.
     The peanut is special in more ways than one. It can be eaten raw, boiled, roasted, or fried. Hundreds of
widely different products have been made from it. Carver, an American scientist, set himself the task of
discovering new uses for eating peanuts and many other products.
     Peanuts are very highly nutritious and are also high in protein (蛋白質(zhì)). Americans use about seven-tenths
of their protein in the form of meat. In India, where the poor can't pay for meat or milk, peanut meal and peanut milk have been produced. These have been a great help to the poor.
     New products are continually being made from peanuts, among them peanut cheese and a powder that
becomes peanut butter when water is added. The fact is that peanuts are so healthy that they are used by
astronauts. The unusual nut that isn't a nut is one of nature's most amazing gifts.

1. What is the main idea of Paragraph (段落) Two?

A. The countries growing peanuts.
B. The ways of using peanuts.
C. The history of the peanut.
D. The origin of the peanut.

2. What does the underlined word "nutritious" mean?

A. Good for health.
B. Helpful to the poor.
C. Delicious and tasty.
D. Rich in fat and oil.

3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the article?

A. Americans eat peanuts as much as they eat meat.
B. The peanut was first found in South America.
C. Astronauts ate lots of peanuts to keep healthy.
D. China grows less peanuts than the U. S.

4. What is the purpose of the article?

A. To show that peanuts belong to the pea family.
B. To advise us to use more peanut products.
C. To tell us some new uses of peanuts.
D. To let us know more about peanuts.