18．It may be hard to believe，but the American Revolution（革命）-the war that freed the American states from British control-began over a cup of tea．Tea was not the only thing that caused the war，of course，but it played a very big part．
The British people's love of tea is well-known．When the British won control over mush of North America in the early 1700s，they brought their tea-drinking habits with them．Tea quickly became the continent's most popular drink．As tea could not be grown locally，just as in Britain，it was shipped into the country-mostly from India．
In the early 1700s，the Britain government made a special deal with the East India Company，as an English trading company．They agreed that no other company was allowed to bring tea to Britain or any country controlled by Britain，including America．It was a great deal for the East India Company，since it meant that the company could decide whatever price it wanted for its products．And it always decided on a high price!
In North America，the local people did not like having to pay such high prices．Instead of overpaying for tea from the British，they turned to Dutch traders，who secretly brought tea to the country that was just as good-and much less expensive．Although this broke the law，the American people didn't care．They got the same cup of tea at a much lower price．
The East India Company，however，didn't like this at all．By the 1760s，they were losing millions of pounds each year to Dutch traders-a huge amount of money in a time when￡60a year was considered a good income．Instead of reducing their prices to compete with the Dutch，the company asked the British government for help and the government agreed．
In 1767，the British introduced new laws that increased the prices of all goods which were brought into America．These laws helped make the East India Company even richer and forced local people to pay much more for everything．The American leaders asked the British government not to do so，but the British refused to listen．These unfair laws increased Americans'anger about British rule and the rest，as they say，is history．
101．In the early 1700s where did most tea drunk in America come from？B
A．China．
B．India．
C．America．
D．Britain．
102．The underlined word"it"in Paragraph 3refers to（指）D．
A．the tea maker
B．the American government
C．the British government
D．the East India Company
103．Why did many Americans begin to buy tea from the Dutch traders？A
A．The tea was much cheaper．
B．The tea was a lot healthier．
C．They could buy it more easily．
D．They didn't want to support the British．
104．What did the East India Company do to stop losing money？D
A．It reduced the price of its tea．
B．It improved the taste of its tea．
C．It introduced a new kind of tea．
D．It asked the British government for help．
105．What is the passage mainly about？C
A．Tea trade in eighteenth century America．
B．The relationship between America and Britain．
C．A reason for the start of the American Revolutionary War．
D．The introduction of British tea-drinking habits into America．
分析 本文講述了美國獨立革命的一個重要原因--茶，可謂是"茶引發的一場革命"．英國對美國實行殖民統治的同時帶去了喝茶的習慣，但由于英國政府允許一家公司操縱茶葉市場并導致茶價等物價上漲，最終美國人民不堪重負發動革命戰爭．
解答 101．B 細節理解題．根據第二段的最后一句"it was shipped into the country-mostly from India．"，可知當時英國的茶葉大部分來自印度．故選B．
102．D 詞義猜測題．根據第三段的倒數第二句"It was a great deal for the East India Company，since it meant that the company could decide whatever price it wanted for its products．And it always decided on a high price!"可知"那個公司總是定個高價"．it指的是東印度公司，故選D．
103．A 推斷理解題．從第四段的第三行"that was just as good-and much less expensive"可知購買的原因是價格便宜．故選A．
104．D 細節理解題．從第五段的最后一句"the company asked the British for help…"可知他們是向英國政府尋求了幫助．故選D．．
105．C 主旨大意題．本文講述美國革命爆發的其中一個重要原因--茶．該文屬于說明文，首段已給出了全文的中心句"the American Revolution（革命）-the war that freed the American states from British control-began over a cup of tea．"．故選C．
點評 做題時要在理解好文意的基礎上，與題目有機的結合，從文章中找到相關細節性的句子與選項細細比對，進行選擇或推理判斷，找出符合文章內容的正確答案．
