Question 20-30

Before the mid-nineteenth century,people in the United States ate most foods only in season.Drying,smoking,and salting could preserve meat for a short time,but the availability of fresh meat,like that of fresh milk,was very limited;there was no way to prevent spoilage¹.But in 1810a French inventor named Nicolas Appert developed the cooking-and-sealing process of canning.And in the 1850's an American named Gail Borden developed a means of condensing and preserving milk.Canned goods and condensed milk became more common during the 1860's,but supplies remained low because cans had to be made by hand.By 1880,however,inventors had fashioned stamping and soldering² machines that mass-produced cans from tinplate.Suddenly all kinds of food could be preserved and bought at all times of the year.

Other trends and inventions had also helped make it possible for Americans to vary their daily diets.Growing urban populations created demand that encouraged fruit and vegetable farmers to raise more produce.Railroad refrigerator cars enabled growers and meat packers to ship perishables³ great distances and to preserve them for longer periods.Thus,by the 1890's,northern city dwellers⁴ could enjoy southern and western strawberries,grapes,and tomatoes,previously⁵ available for a month at most,for up to six months of the year.In addition,increased use of iceboxes enabled families to store perishables.An easy means of producing ice commercially had been invented I the 1870's,and by 1900the nation had more than two thousand commercial ice plants,most of which made home deliveries.The icebox became a fixture⁶ in most homes and remained so until the mechanized refrigerator replaced it in the 1920's and 1930's.

Almost everyone now had a more diversified⁷ diet.Some people continued to eat mainly foods that were heavy in starches⁸ or carbohydrates,and not everyone could afford meat.Nevertheless,many families could take advantage of previously unavailable fruits,vegetables,and dairy products to achieve more varied⁹ fare.

20.What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A)Causes of food spoilage.

(B)Commercial production of ice

(C)Inventions that led to changes in the American diet.

(D)Population movements in the nineteenth century.

21.The phrase "in season"in line 2refers to

(A)a kind of weather

(B)a particular time of year

(C)an official schedule

(D)a method of flavoring food.

22.The word "prevent"in line 4is closest in meaning to

(A)estimate

(B)avoid

(C)correct

(D)confine

23.During the 1860's,canned food products were

(A)unavailable in rural areas

(B)shipped in refrigerator cars

(C)available in limited quantities.

(D)A staple¹⁰ part of the American diet.

24.It can be inferred that railroad refrigerator cars came into use

(A)before 1860

(B)before 1890

(C)after 1900

(D)after 1920

25.The word "them"in line 14refers to

(A)refrigerator cars

(B)perishables

(C)growers

(D)distances

26.The word "fixture"in line 20is closest in meaning to

(A)luxury item

(B)substance

(C)commonplace object

(D)mechanical device

27.The author implies that in the 1920's and 1930's home deliveries of ice

(A)decreased in number

(B)were on an irregular schedule

(C)increased in cost

(D)occurred only in the summer.

28.The word "Nevertheless"in line 24is closest in meaning to

(A)therefore

(B)because

(C)occasionally

(D)however

29.Which of the following types of food preservation¹¹ was NOT mentioned in the passage?

(A)Drying

(B)Canning

(C)Cold storage

(D)Chemical additives¹².

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