单选题 Flax has been raised for many thousands of years, for many different reasons. Probably the two most important reasons are for the fabric made from it and the oil produced from it. The woody stem of the flax plant contains the long, strong fibers that are used to make linen. The seeds are rich in an oil important for its industrial uses.
The people of ancient Egypt, Assyria, and Mesopotamia raised flax for cloth; Egyptian mummies were wrapped in linen. Since the discovery of its drying ability, the oil from flaxseed, called linseed oil, has been used as a drying agent in paints and varnishes.
The best fiber and the best seed cannot be obtained from the same kinds of plant. Fiber flax grows tall and has few branches. It needs a short, cool growing season with plenty of rainfall evenly distributed. Otherwise, the plants become woody and the fiber is rough and dry. On the other hand, seed flax grows well in places that are too dry for fiber flax. The plants are lower to the ground and have more branches.

单选题 Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. How Mummies Were Preserved.
B. The Many Uses of the Flax Plant.
C. The Difference Between Seeds and Fibers.
D. The Types of Plant Life Around the World.

单选题 The author suggests that ancient people raised flax primarily for ______.
A. its oil, used to preserve wood B. its oil, used as a rich source of nutrient
C. its fabric, used for their clothes D. its fabric, used to wrap their dead

单选题 This passage sounds as if it were an excerpt from ______.
A. a letter to the Egyptians B. a book on plant life
C. a scientific treatise D. a persuasive essay from an ecologist

单选题 Which of the following questions is answered by the passage?
A. Can the same plant be grown for the best fabric and the best oil?
B. How did the Egyptians wrap their mummies?
C. What temperature is optimal for growing flax?
D. How is flax harvested?