2013年职称英语理工类A级模拟训练（42）8 U4 d J4 d) e4 `( S; Z. N/ I
Riches and Romance From France’s Wine Harvest
7 B$ A f) x; N2 p8 F4 E' Z September is harvest time．And with bunches of grapes swinging(摇摆)in the wind，the vineyards of southern France are getting ready to celebrate it．
. J, t2 |6 |) w; {) D" R& u6 T The yearly wine festival is held in honour of Bacchus，the Roman god of wine．It's a fun time with parties，music，dancing，big meals and，of course，lots of wine．
3 j+ A3 y6 j" j/ q/ f' X& J7 R5 w# N5 d French wine-making began more than 2,500 years ago．The world’s oldest type of vine grows in France and always produces a good quality wine．Today France produces one-fifth of the world’s wine，and some of the most famous varieties．
0 }$ a- T" l6 l+ z, E" g The top wine-producing areas are Bordeaux，Burgundy and the Loire Valley．Champagne，a drink used in celebrations，is named after the place where sparkling(有汽泡的)wine was first produced in 1700． 6 B" N* L& b0 B% e; O- w
Wine is made from the juice of freshly picked grapes．It is the sugars that turn into alcohol． ) p% ?3 ]% v M+ A) s9 Q
Traditionally，people used to take off their shoes and crush the grapes with their bare feet to bring out the juice．Nowadays，this practice is usually carried out by machines．
$ o9 O4 m7 k! ]) ~4 ]& m Each wine producing region has its own character，based on its type of grapes and soil． 考试用书. [2 m) M4 y7 w
The taste of wine changes with time．Until 1850，all French champagne was sweet．Now，both wine and champagne taste slightly bitter． 1 |) }2 s' j- `0 {1 [
The drink has always been linked with riches，romance and nobleness．Yet the French think of it in more ordinary terms．
3 ]7 s1 ]( W% ` They believe it makes daily living easier, less hurried and with fewer problems．
; n J8 i ]+ J- E$ F- x. z9 @3 G c$ l
“All its links are with times when people are at their best；with relaxation，happiness，long slow meals and the free flow of ideas, ” wrote wine expert Hugh Johnson． |
发表于 2012-8-16 00:07:50
楼主