Задание
Прочитай текст и выполни задания 12–18. В каждом задании запиши в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному варианту ответа.
The history of chocolate can be traced to the ancient Mayans, and even earlier to the ancient Olmecs of southern Mexico. The word chocolate may conjure up images of sweet candy bars and luscious truffles, but the chocolate of today is little like the chocolate of the past. Throughout much of history, chocolate was a revered but bitter beverage, not a sweet, edible treat.
It's unclear exactly when cacao came on the scene or who invented it. According to Hayes Lavis, cultural arts curator for the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, ancient Olmec pots and vessels from around 1500 B.C. were discovered with traces of theobromine, a stimulant compound found in chocolate and tea. It's thought the Olmecs used cacao to create a ceremonial drink.
The Olmecs undoubtedly passed their cacao knowledge on to the Central American Mayans, who not only consumed chocolate, but actually revered it. The Mayan written history mentions chocolate drinks being used in celebrations and to finalise important transactions. Despite chocolate's importance in Mayan culture, it wasn't reserved for the wealthy and powerful but readily available to almost everyone. In many Mayan households, chocolate was enjoyed with every meal.
The Aztecs took chocolate admiration to another level. They believed that cacao was given to them by their gods. They also used cacao beans as currency to buy food and other goods. In Aztec culture, cacao beans were considered more valuable than gold. Aztec chocolate was mostly an upper-class extravagance, although the lower classes enjoyed it occasionally at weddings or other celebrations.
There are conflicting reports about when chocolate arrived in Europe, although it's agreed that it first arrived in Spain. By the late 1500s, it was a much-loved indulgenceby the Spanish court, and Spain began importing chocolate in 1585. As other European countries, such as Italy and France, visited parts of Central America, they also learned about cacao and brought chocolate back to their perspective countries. Soon, chocolate craze spread throughout Europe.
European palates weren't satisfied with the traditional Aztec chocolate drink recipe. They made their own varieties of hot chocolate with cane sugar, cinnamon and other common spices and flavourings. Soon, fashionable chocolate houses for the wealthy cropped up throughout London, Amsterdam and other European cities.
Chocolate arrived in America on a Spanish ship in 1641. It's thought the first American chocolate house opened in Boston in 1682. By 1773, cocoa beans were a major American colony import and chocolate was enjoyed by people of all classes. During the Revolutionary War, chocolate was provided to the military as rations and sometimes given to soldiers as payment instead of money.
For much of the 19th century, chocolate was enjoyed as a beverage; milk was often added instead of water. In 1847, British chocolatier J.S. Fry and Sons created the first chocolate bar moulded from a paste made of sugar, chocolate liquor and cocoa butter. Swiss chocolatier Daniel Peter is generally credited for adding dried milk powder to chocolate to create milk chocolate in 1876. But it wasn't until several years later that he worked with his friend Henri Nestle, creating the Nestle Company and bringing milk chocolate to the mass market.
Chocolate had come a long way during the 19th century, but it was still hard and difficult to chew. In 1879, another Swiss chocolatier, Rudolf Lindt, invented the conch machine which mixed and aerated chocolate, giving it a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth consistency that blended well with other ingredients. By the late 19th century and early 20th century, family chocolate companies such as Cadbury, Mars, Nestle and Hershey were mass-producing a variety of chocolate confections to meet the growing demand for the sweet treat.
Most modern chocolate is highly-refined and mass-produced, although some chocolatiers still make their chocolate creations by hand and keep the ingredients as pure as possible. Chocolate is available to drink, but is more often enjoyed as an edible confection or in desserts and baked goods. While your average chocolate bar isn't considered healthy, dark chocolate has earned its place as a heart-healthy, antioxidant-rich treat.
12.What do we know from the first three paragraphs?
1) Chocolate was initially a sweet drink.
2) In the Mayan civilization, only rich people could consume chocolate.
3) The ancient Maya highly respected chocolate.
4) Chocolate was first cultivated by the Olmecs.
13.The Aztecs used cacao beans as...
1) an offering to the gods.
2) money.
3) gold.
4) gifts for important events.
14.Which word is closest in meaning to the word "indulgence" ("a much-loved indulgence…") in the 5th paragraph?
1) Satisfaction.
2) Exotics.
3) Excuse.
4) A treat.
15. What contribution did the Europeans make to the production of chocolate in the 16th and 17th centuries?
1) They invented the machine to make a chocolate drink.
2) They used the original recipe for the drink, which was popular throughout Europe.
3) They created new recipes for a chocolate drink that made it popular.
4) They created a new type of chocolate that quickly became popular.
16.Which of the following sentences is TRUE?
1) Chocolate was a drink until the 20th century.
2) The Aztecs used to drink milk chocolate.
3) Milk chocolate came on the mass market in 1876.
4) In the 19th century, people added milk or water to chocolate drinks.
17.After the invention of the conch machine, chocolate became...
1) softer.
2) sweeter.
3) easier to work with and create different shapes.
4) more popular.
18. Today, chocolate…
1) is entirely unhealthy.
2) may contain harmful substances.
3) is mostly clean.
4) is still occasionally handmade.