阅读理解 The Function of Tomatoes How do we love tomatoes? Let''s count the ways: we love them in pasta, on pizza, in juice, in salad and soup, sliced on sandwiches, stuffed with tuna, even dried and baked in bagels, but most of all, we love them right off vine—ripe, red, and delicious. While tomato lovers don''t need an excuse for eating them by the bushel (蒲式耳), now there''s even more reason to savor these delicious fruits. Evidence is mounting that people who eat tomatoes have a substantially lower risk for cancer. In a thousand-person study of eating habits and health, Harvard Medical School researchers found that those who ate tomatoes every week had the lowest chance of dying form cancer. Recently, a study of 48, 000 American men showed a 21 to 34 percent lower risk for prostate cancer(前列腺癌)among those who consumed tomatoes, tomato sauce, or pizza more than twice a week. And in study of men and women in Italy, eating seven or more serving of raw tomatoes a week was linked to a 30 to 60 percent reduction in digestive tract and prostate cancers, depending on the type of cancer. The protective qualities of the tomato are thought to come from lycopene(番茄红素) ,a potent antioxidant(抗氧化的) plant chemical that is abundant in tomatoes. Lycopene is responsible for the red color of tomatoes; the darker red the tomato is, the more lycopene it contains. Green and yellow tomatoes do not contain lycopene. Lycopoene is also found in watermelon and pink grapefruit, but tomatoes are the most abundant source. Cooking enhances the lycopene more available. Thus, tomato sauce and paste is even a better source for lycopene than fresh raw tomatoes. Lycopene is fat soluble and must be consumed with a certain amount of fat to be absorbed by the body. Tomato recipes must contain a moderate amount of oil to ensure that along with a delicious taste treat, you will also be receiving all the health benefits tomatoes have to offer.

单选题 What is the main subject of the passage?

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】通过全文可知作者通过文章要告诉我们的是西红柿的一大重要作用，即降低癌症发病率的功能。在文章中我们可以找到实验证明以及对西红柿为何具有降低癌症发病率作用的分析，因此本文所要讨论的主要内容应该是D)项。A)项只是文章的一部分，不够全面；B)项和C)项明显与文章中心不相符，只有D)为本题的最佳选项。

单选题 Why does the writer say tomato lovers don’t need an excuse for eating them by the bushel?

单选题 According to the passage, it is showed______ lower risk for prostate cancer among those who consumed tomatoes more than once a day.

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】文章第2段举了两个实验例子加以说明西红柿的作用：…a study of 48，000 American men showed a 21 to 34 percent lower risk for prostate cancer among those who consumed tomatoes，tomato sauce，or pizza more than twice a week．由此可知每周吃两次以上的人癌症发病率要降低21％至34％。A)项不合题意；C)项和D)项在文章中根本找不到依据，明显是错误的。And in a study of men and women in Italy，eating seven or more serving of raw tomatoes a week was linked to a 30 to 60 percent reduction in digestived tract and prostate cancers，…一星期吃西红柿七次以上者，癌症发病率降低30％至60％。一星期七次以上即每天一次以上，因此本题的正确答案应该是B)项。

单选题 What is the relationship between the color of tomatoes and lycopene?

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】需要从文章中关于西红柿颜色的信息中通过正、反推理从而逐一排斥所给的干扰选项。文章第五段中就西红柿的颜色和蕃茄红素之间的关系加以说明：Lycopene is responsible for the red color of tomatoes…．只要西红柿呈红色，就说明有蕃茄红素，A)项陈述与此不相符。…the darker red the tomatoes，the more lycopene it contains．西红柿红色越深，所含蕃茄红素越多，推论之下，西红柿红色越浅，所含蕃茄红素越少，因此C)项正确。Green and yellow tomatoes do not contain lycopene．(绿色和黄色西红柿不含蕃茄红素。)所以B)项和D)项与此相悖，应该排除。

单选题 In order to be absorbed by body______.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】本题答案可以从两个方面进行推断：一是从内容方面，文章在最后一段清楚说明了Lycopene is fat soluble and must be consumed with a certain amount of fat to be absorbed by the body．(蕃茄红素溶解于脂肪中，必须与一定量的脂肪同时食用，才利于身体吸收。)由此即可找出本题的正确答案A)项。另一方面从语法也可进行判断，只有A)项符合英语的语法规则，其他三项均不合适，应该排除。