16．Why do you think people who live in some hot countries eat very spicy（辛辣的）food？Is it because the spices make the food taste better？Is it just because their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents liked hot food，or is there some connection between spices and healthy food？Researchers from Cornell University think that it is because spice plants have some importan t chemicals．These chemicals can kill bacteria（细菌）which spoil food．
"Most common spices can kill 75to 100percent of the bacteria in food，"explains one of the scientists．The bacteria grow more easily and spoil（变质）food more quickly at higher temperatures．For this reason，it is more difficult to keep food from spoiling in hot climates，
Do you like your food spicy？Your answer probably tells something about the country you come from．If you like spicy food，it is possible that hundreds of years ago，when there were no fridges，people in your country started using spices to keep the food from spoiling．The traditional spicy dishes helped those people to live longer，healthier lives．Today，in a time of fridges，the spices just make the food taste good．
1．The chemicals in spices keep food from spoiling byD．
A．making food taste better
B．making food hotter
C．preventing bacteria getting into food
D．killing bacteria in food
2．Food goes bad more quickly in hot climates becauseC．
A．cold temperature makes bacteria
B．bacteria get used to hot food
C．high temperature helps bacteria grow faster
D．bacteria spoil food only at high temperature
3．According to the passage，spices are useful in the following things exceptD．
A．helping you to live longer
B．helping to keep you healthier
C．making your food taste better
D．taking the place of fridges．
分析 你为什么认为住在一些炎热国家的人会吃非常辛辣的食物？是因为香辛料（spices）使食物味道更好？是因为他们的父母、祖父母和曾祖父母喜欢吃辛辣的食物？还是在那里健康食品和香辛料之间存在联系？康奈尔大学的研究人员认为，这是因为香辛料中有一些重要的化学物质，这些化学物质可以杀死使食物变质的细菌．"最常见的香辛料可以杀死食物中75%到100%的细菌，"一位科学家解释说．细菌在较高的温度下更容易生长，使食物更快地变质．因此，在炎热的气候下，很难使食物不变质．
你喜欢辣的食物吗？你的答案可能暗示了你来自哪个国家．如果你喜欢辣的食物，那么可能几百年前在没有冰箱的情况下，你们国家的人使用香辛料来保存食物．传统拉的食物使那些人更长寿、更健康的生活．如今，在有冰箱的时代，香料只是使食物的味道很好．
解答 1．D．细节理解题．根据These chemicalscan kill bacteria（细菌）which spoil food．可知，香辛料中含有的化学成分能够杀死食物中的细菌，答案为D．
2．C．细节理解题．根据The bacteriagrow more easily and spoil（变质）food more quickly at higher temperatures．可知，细菌在较高温度下很容易生长，食物变质很快，换言之就是较高温度下细菌生长较快（grow faster），答案为C．
3．D．细节理解题．根据The traditionalspicy dishes helped those people to live longer，healthier lives．Today，in a time of fridges，the spices just make the food taste good．可知，传统辛辣食物能够使人们更健康、更长寿，现在的功能主要是使食物更加的美味，因此香辛料的用处包括使人们更长寿（A）、保持健康（B）和使食物变得更美味（C），因此答案为D．
点评 本文是一篇科普类文章．做题时要在理解好文意的基础上，与题目有机的结合，从文章中找到相关细节性的句子与选项细细比对，进行选择或推理判断，选出符合文章内容的正确选项．做题注意灵活，有时可采用排除法或直选法确定出最终答案．
