It is the world’s fourth-most-important food crop, after maize, wheat and rice. It provides more calories, more quickly, using less land and in a wider range of climates than any Other plant. It is, of Course, the potato.
The United Nations has declared 2008 the International Year of the Potato. It hopes that greater awareness of the merits of potatoes will contribute to the achievement of its Millennium Development Goals, by helping to alleviate poverty, improve food security and promote economic development. It is always the international year of this or month of that. But the potato’s unusual history means it is well worth celebrating by readers of The Economist because the potato is intertwined with economic development, trade liberalisation and globalisation.
Unlikely though it seems, the potato promoted economic development by underpinning the industrial revolution in England in the 19th century. It provided a cheap source of calories and was easy to cultivate, so it liberated workers from the land. Potatoes became popular in the north of England, as people there specialised in livestock farming and domestic industry, while farmers in the south (where the soil was more suitable ) concentrated on wheat production. By a happy accident, this concentrated industrial activity in the regions where coal was readily available, and a potato-driven population boom provided ample workers for the new factories. Friedrich Engels even declared that the potato was the equal of iron for its "historically revolutionary role".
The potato promoted free trade by contributing to the abolition of Britain’s Corn Laws-the cause which prompted the founding of The Economist in 1843. The Corn Laws restricted imports of grain into the United Kingdom in order to protect domestic wheat producers. Landowners supported the laws, since cheap imported grain would reduce their income, but industrialists opposed them because imports would drive down the cost of food, allowing people to spend more on manufactured goods. Ultimately it was not the eloquence of the arguments against the Corn Laws that led to their abolition-and more’s the pity. It was the tragedy of the Irish potato famine of 1845, in which 1million Irish perished when the potato crop on which they subsisted succumbed to blight. The need to import grain to relieve the situation in Ireland forced the government, which was dominated by landowners who backed the Corn Laws, to reverse its position.
This paved the way for liberalisation in other areas, and free trade became British policy. As the Duke of Wellington complained at the time, "rotten potatoes have done it all. "
In the form of French fries, served alongside burgers and Coca-Cola, potatoes are now an icon of globalisation. This is quite a turnaround given the scepticism which first greeted them on their arrival in the Old World in the 16th century. Spuds were variously thought to cause leprosy, to be fit only for animals, to be associated with the devil or to be poisonous. They took hold in 18th century Europe only when war and famine meant there was nothing else to eat; people then realised just how versatile and reliable they were. As Adam Smith, one of the potato’s many admirers, observed at the time, "The very general use which is made of potatoes in these kingdoms as food for man is a convincing proof that the prejudices of a nation, with regard to diet, however deeply rooted, are by no means unconquerable. " Mashed, fried, boiled and roast, a humble tuber changed the world, and free-trading globalisers everywhere should celebrate it.
Why were potatoes at last accepted by Europeans

A:They changed their diet to a more diversified trend. B:French fries swept all over the world alongside burgers and Coca-Cola. C:Potatoes saved them when war and famine stroke Europe in 18th century. D:It became very important goods for Europe in trading with Asia.

Part A
Directions:
Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D．
Text 1

Why were potatoes at last accepted by Europeans

A:They changed their diet to a more diversified trend. B:French fries swept all over the world alongside burgers and Coca-Cola. C:Potatoes saved them when war and famine stroke Europe in 18th century. D:It became very important goods for Europe in trading with Asia.

Passage Two

Which of the following statements is true

A:The Indian Ocean comes before the Pacific and the Atlantic in size. B:The Indian Ocean is surround by four countries. C:Sri Lanka is the largest island in the Indian Ocean. D:Strong winds from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains to the countries in southeast Asia.

China is larger than ______ country in Asia.

A:any B:any other C:other D:another

Passage 2 The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean in the world. Only the Pacific and the Atlantic are larger. More than one-fifth of all the world’s water supply is in the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean touches four different continents. To the south is Antarctica and to the east is Australia. Africa lies to the west and Asia lies to the north. There are several important islands in the Indian Ocean. These include Madagascar, the largest one, which is near Africa, and Sri Lanka, which is near India. There is also a group of islands called the Seychelies near the African coast. The Indian Ocean is extremely important to the countries in southeast Asia. Strong winds from the Indian Ocean bring warm weather, and heavy rains are necessary for growing food.

Which of the following statements is true（）

A:The Indian Ocean comes before the Pacific and the Atlantic in size. B:The Indian Ocean is surrounded by four countries. C:Sri Lanka is the largest island in the Indian Ocean. D:Strong winds from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains to the countries in southeast Asia.

More Rural Research is Needed Agricultural research funding is vital if the world is to feed itself better than it does now. Dr. Tony Fischer, crop scientist, said demand was growing at 2.5% per year but with modern technologies and the development of new ones, the world should be able to stay ahead. "The global decline in investment in international agricultural research must be reversed if significant progress is to be made towards reducing malnutrition（营养不良）and poverty." he said. Research is needed to solve food production, land degradation（贫瘠化）and environmental problems. Secure local food supplies led to economic growth which is turn, slowed population growth. Dr. Fischer painted a picture of the world’s ability to feed itself in the first 25 years, when the world’s population is expected to rise from 5 X to X billion people. He said that things will probably hold or improve but there’ll still be a lot of hungry people. The biggest concentration of poor and hungry people would be in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia in 2020, similar to the currenti pattern. If there is any change, a slighe improvement will be seen in southern Asia, but not in sub-Saharan Africa. The major improvement will be in East Asia, South America and South-East Asia. The debeloping world was investing about 0.5%, or $8 billion a year, of its agricultural gross domestic product(GDP)on research and developed world was spending 2.5% of its GDP. Dr. Fischer said more was needed from all countries. He said crop research could produce technologies that spread across many countries, such as wheat production research having spin-offs（有用的副产品）for Mexico, China or India. "Technologies still need to be refined for the local conditions but a lot of the strategic research can have global application, so that money can be used very efficiently." Dr.Fischer said. Yields of rice, wheat ad maize（玉米）have grown impressively in the past 30 years, especially in developing countries. For example, maize production rose from 2 to 8 tonnes per hectare between 1950 and 1995. But technologies driving this growth such as high-yield varieties, fertilizers, and irrigation, were becoming exhausted. "If you want to save the land for non-agricultural activities, for forests and wildlife, you’re going to have to increase yield." Dr. Fischer said. What is the picture of Asia’s food supplies in the first 25 years?

A:Food shortage will not be a problem. B:There will be more hungry people in southern Asia. C:Population growth will result in more hungry people. D:There will be fewer hungry people in East Asia.

What Makes a Soccer Player Great
Soccer is played by millions of people all over the world, but there have only been few players who were truly great. How did these players get that way—was it through training and practice, or are great players "born, not made" First, these players came from places that have had famous stars in the past—players that a young boy can look up to and try to imitate (效仿). In the history of soccer, only six countries have ever won the World Cup—three from South America and three from Western Europe. There has never been a great national team—or a really great player from North America or from Asia. Second, these players have all had years of practice in’ the game. Alfredo Di Stefano was the son of a soccer player, as was Pele. Most players begin playing the game at the age of three or four.
Finally, many great players come from the same kind of neighbourhood (聚居区)—a poor, crowded area where a boy’s dream is not to be a doctor, lawyer, or businessman, but to become a rich, famous athlete or entertainer. For example, Liverpool, which produced the Beatles (甲壳虫乐队.), had one of the best English soccer teams in recent years. Pele practiced in the street with a "ball" made of rags (破布). And George Best learned the tricks that made him famous by bouncing the ball off a wall in the slums (贫民窟) of Belfast.
All great players have a lot in common, but that doesn’t explain why they are great. Hundreds of boys played in those Brazilian streets, but only one became Pele. The greatest players are born with some unique quality that sets them apart from all the ethers.

According to the author, which of the following statements is true（　）.

A:Great soccer players are born, not made. B:Truly great players are rare. C:Only six countries have ever had famous soccer stars. D:Soccer is the least popular sport in North America and Asia.

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According to the author, which of the following statements is true?

A:Great soccer players are born, not made. B:Truly great players are rare. C:Only six countries have ever had famous soccer stars. D:Soccer is the least popular sport in North America and Asia.

According to the author, which of the following statements is true?

A:Great soccer players are born, not made. B:Truly great players are rare. C:Only six countries have ever had famous soccer stars. D:Soccer is the least popular sport in North America and Asia.