We now think of chocolate as sweet, but once it was bitter. We think of it as a candy, but

We now think of chocolate as sweet, but once it was bitter. We think of it as a candy, but once it was a medicine. Today, chocolate can be a hot drink, a frozen dessert, or just a snack. Sometimes it's an ingredient (配料) in the main course of a meal. Mexicans make a hot chocolate sauce called mole and pour it over chicken. The Mexicans also eat chocolate with spices (香料) like chili peppers.
Chocolate is a product of the tropical cacao tree. The beans taste so bitter that even the monkeys say Ugh! and run away. Workers must first dry and then roast the beans. This removes the bitter taste.
The word chocolate comes from a Mayan word. The Mayas were an ancient people who once lived in Mexico. They valued the cacao tree. Some used the beans for money, while others crushed them to make a drink.
When the Spaniards came to Mexico in the sixteenth century, they started drinking cacao too. Because the drink was strong and bitter, they thought it was a medicine. No one had the idea of adding sugar. The Spaniards took some beans back to Europe and opened cafes. Wealthy people drank cacao and said it was good for the digestion.
In the 1800s, the owner of a chocolate factory in England discovered that sugar removed the bitter taste of cacao. It quickly became a cheap and popular drink. Soon afterwards, a factory made the first solid block of sweetened chocolate. Later on, another factory mixed milk and chocolate together. People liked the taste of milk chocolate even better.
Besides the chocolate candy bar, one of the most popular American snacks is the chocolate chip cookie. Favorite desserts are chocolate cream pie and, of course, an ice cream sundae with hot fudge sauce.
【小题1】The main topic of the passage is . A．the different tastes of chocolateB．the origin of the word “chocolate”C．the medical effects of chocolate D．the production and development of chocolate【小题2】The Spaniards think that cacao was a medicine because A．it was strong and bitter.B．it was good for digestion.C．it cured man's diseases.D．it was a kind of drink for good health.【小题3】Which is the right time order of the events regarding chocolate?
a. Chocolate became a cheap and popular drink in England.
b. A factory made the first solid block of sweetened chocolate.
c. The Spaniards started drinking cacao.
d. It was found that sugar removed the bitter taste of cacao.
e. A factory mixed milk and chocolate together. A．a-b-c-d-eB．c-d-e-b-aC．c-d-a-b-eD．c-d-b-e-a【小题4】It can be inferred from the passage that . A．Mexicans like chocolate very muchB．chocolate can be a hot drink, a frozen dessert, or a candy barC．chocolate is a product of the cacao treeD．people liked the taste of chocolate mixed with milkD

(答案→)D 解析：本文讲述了巧克力的发展历程，以及人们对于巧克力的开发例如：如何去除苦味等。【小题1】主旨题：从整篇文章可知这篇文章讲的是巧克力的生产和发展，选D【小题2】细节题。根据第四段第2行Because the drink was strong and bitter, they thought it was a medicine.说明The Spaniards 认为巧克力是药，因为他坚硬而且苦，所以A正确。【小题3】细节排序题。根据第四段第1行When the Spaniards came to Mexico in the sixteenth century, they started drinking cacao too.说明c是第一，最后一段第1行In the 1800s, the owner of a chocolate factory in England discovered that sugar removed the bitter taste of cacao.说明d是第二；接下来是a，b, e三项，故C正确。【小题4】推断题。根据第一段最后3行Mexicans make a hot chocolate sauce called mole and pour it over chicken. The Mexicans also eat chocolate with spices like chili peppers.说明西班牙人很喜欢巧克力，选A

就是这个解释