Many people claim that Taiwan is a fruit paradise. In fact, it would take quite a while to list all the wonderful kinds of fruit grown here. In addition, due to the subtropicalclimate in the north, tropicalclimate in the south, and temperateand alpineclimates in its mountainous areas, fruits such as fresh pineapples, bananas, and oranges can be found year-round in markets alongside apples, pears, and peaches—hence the monikerfruit paradise.
One of the tropical, hot-weather fruits grown in Taiwan is the pineapple. Whether it’s eaten fresh or cooked, its tangytaste is almost universally welcome. Many people find the taste of pineapple irresistible, but despite its addictive flavor and attractive honey-yellow appearance, pineapple isn’t always a treat. Especially when eaten fresh, this fruit can consume its consumer!
Come again?No, pineapples don’t have teeth, but they do contain the enzymebromelain. Enzymes occur in many foods. Nature designed them to break down proteinsessential for all animal health, including ours. Bromelain dissolves the protective mucuscovering the inside of the mouth, resulting in a burning or stinging sensation. Pineapple lovers need not panic, though. There are a few methods used to reduce the pain caused by this acidic food.
dissolve [ dɪˈzɑlv ] vt. & vi. 分解，溶解 a stinging sensation 刺痛感 stinging [ ˈstɪŋɪŋ ] a. 刺痛的；會螫人的 sensation [ sɛnˈseʃən ] n. 感覺 panic [ ˈpænɪk ] vi. 驚慌 acidic [ əˈsɪdɪk ] a. 酸性的
One such method is to just cook the fruit. Heating food to above 50°C will inactivate most enzymes, including bromelain. Another way to avoid the pineapple’s bite is by not eating the hard, central coreof the peeled fruit. That is where bromelain is the most concentrated. Furthermore, you can also soak pineapple chunksin salt water before eating. Now you can freely enjoy this delicious fruit without worrying about being eaten in return.
What is the purpose of the second paragraph?
(A) To explain why pineapples have their tangy taste.
(B) To contrast hot-weather fruits from coolweather fruits.
(C) To explain how pineapples develop their coloring.
(D) To introduce the disadvantage of eating pineapples.5
contrast [ kənˈtræst ] vt. 使成對比／對照
According to the passage, which of the following is true about bromelain?
(A) It is a taste that is irresistible.
(B) It is a moniker of pineapples.
(C) It is found naturally in pineapples.
(D) It is activated when heated to temperatures over 50°C.
The Wang family wants to enjoy pineapples, but wants to avoid a painful experience. Hence, each of them proposed a way to solve the problem. According to the passage, which of the following methods does NOT work?
(A)
A pineapple’s core contains the highest levels of bromelain, so let’s cut it out completely.
(B)
The best way to stop pineapple from burning our tongues is to cook it. Let’s have pineapple fried rice tonight.
(C)
Just cut the peeled pineapple into small chunks to make sure that the bromelain in it gets totally broken down.
(D)
Before eating any pineapple, we’d better put it in some salt water. The salt water can destroy the bromelain in it.
延伸學習｜irresistible 的相關衍生字及用法
irresistible [ ˌɪrɪˈzɪstəbl̩ ] a. 令人無法抗拒的
resistible [ rɪˈzɪstəbl̩ ] a. 可抵抗的，可抗拒的
resistant [ rɪˈzɪstənt ] a. 有抵抗力的；抗拒的
be resistant to... 對⋯⋯有抵抗力；抗⋯⋯的
