Unlikely though it seems, the potato promoted economic development by underpinning（支持）the industrial revolution in England in the 19th century. It provided a cheap source of calories and was easy to grow, so it liberated workers from the land. Potatoes became popular in the north of England, as people there specialized in animal farming and home industry, while farmers in the south concentrated on wheat production. By a happy accident, the concentrated industrial activity in the areas and a potato-driven population boom provided enough worker for the new factories. Friedrich Engels even declared that the potato was equal of iron for its “historically revolutionary role”.

The potato promoted free trade by contributing to the end of Britain’s Corn Laws, which 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 were against the them because imports would drive down the cost of food, allowing people to spend more on produced goods. Eventually it was not the arguments against the Corn Laws that led to their end-and more’s the pity. It was the tragedy of the Irish potato famine of 1845, in which 1 million Irish lost their lives when the potato crop on which they lived died. The need to import grain to relieve the situation in Ireland forced the government to change its position.

This paved the way for free trade in other areas, which became British policy. As the duke of Wellington complained at the time, “Rotten potatoes have done it all.”

The UN has declared 2008 the International Year of the Potato. It hopes that greater awareness of the goodness of potatoes will contribute to helping to reduce poverty, improve food security and promote economic development.

1．The potato became popular in the north of England partly because________

       A．it was easy to grow and of low calories

       B．farmers concentrated on wheat production

       C．Engels said that it was equal of iron

       D．people there specialized in animal farming and home industry

2．Which of the following information can be inferred from the passage?

       A．The industrial revolution in England began in the North

       B．The potato did promote economic development.

       C．The Irish potato famine was a direct cause to end the Corn Laws.

       D．There was constant argument against the Corn Laws

3．The underlined word This in the 3rd paragraph refer to __________

       A．the Irish potato famine

       B．the rotten potatoes

       C．the argument against the Corn Laws

       D．the government’s change of its position due to the Irish Potato Famine

4．The UN declared 2008 the International Year of the Potato in the hope that_________

       A．more people in the world will like potatoes

       B．the Irish Potato Famine will be remembered

       C．the world knows the potato contributes to solving an international issue poverty

       D．the whole world start to grow more potatoes to promote economic development

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【寫作內(nèi)容】

1．以約30個(gè)詞概括材料中心內(nèi)容。

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