The apple, a juicy fruit that grows from pink or white flowers, is cultivated widely in orchards across North America. At least two varieties of apples are cultivated together in one orchard due to the fact that the flowers of one type of apple tree must be pollinated by a different variety of apple. The point in the springtime when the apple blossoms appear is the most critical time for apples: there hạve to be enough bees to pollinate each flower and warm enough weather to facilitate their work. Apple growers watch the temperatures anxiously at this time of year because frozen flowers or fruit spells disaster for the crop. Workers may have to get up at any hour of the night to blow away the cold air with fans, heat title orchard air with fire pots, or wet the trees down to keep the frost away.
The first step in getting apples from orchard to market is to pick them. The picking must be done carefully to ensure that the spur, which produces the fruit, is not damaged. Apples used to be collected in bushel baskets and taken to market, but today bins of apples are trucked to packing houses, where they go through many sortings before they get to title grocery store display. Packers use water to float the apples through sorting machines. As a first step, the smallest apples, called “chops,” are eliminated to make juice. Apples with many flaws, or imperfections, are called “processors”: they are used for pie slices or are made into, sauce because of their less-than-perfect appearance. The “fancy” grade apples are stored in a controlled atmosphere; adjusting the oxygen content from 20 percent to 2 percent and keeping the temperature between 31 and 32 degrees Fahrenheit keeps the apples alive but prevents overripening. The humidity is kept around 95 percent so that the apples remain crisp and fresh. Before shipping, the apples are washed, rinsed, dried, and coated with a thin film of hot wax for beautification.
Once title apples have cleared the marketplace, they are put to various uses. Apples are 87 percent water, making them great for juicing. The fresh juice that is made from apples is called cider, and this cider can be fermented into applejack. Apples are not only used to make beverages; they can also be used to make products such as apple butter, vinegar, applesauce, and one of America’s favorite desserts, apple pie.
43. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A. Apple Growers
B. From the Apple Orchard to Your Table
C. How to Make Applejack
D. The Invention of the Bushel Basket
44. According to the passage, why are two varieties of apples cultivated together?
A. The orchards look better with two different colors of flowers.
B. Two varieties of apples are necessary for cross-pollination.
C. Orchards with two varieties of apples are less likely to freeze.
D. Bees are more likely to live in orchards with two varieties of apples.
45. The word “spells” in line 8 is closest in meaning to which of the following?
A. lists B. letters C. brings D. means
46. It is mentioned in the passage that if an apple is not picked carefully………..
A. the spur can become damaged B. the tree will die
C. the leaves will become discolored D. fire pots will be needed
47. It can be inferred from paragraph 2 that an apple with “flaws” is not ………...
A. tasty B. usable C. faultless D. edible
48. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as a process that apples go through?
A. Picking B. Sorting C. Chopping D. Shipping
49. The word “coated” in line 22 could best be replaced by………..
A. covered B. warmed C. sent D. packed
50. The word “atmosphere” in line 18 could best be replaced by………...
A. environment B. air C. storage D. container
51. The temperature is kept between 31 and 32 degrees Fahrenheit …………..
A. to prevent the apple from overripening
B. for the humidity to remain around 95%
C. to maintain the crispness and freshness of the apples
D. for oxygen content to remain unchanged
52. The paragraph following the passage most probably discusses .
A. how apples taste B. the growing season of apples
C. how to make an apple pie D. the price of apples
