我们为什么喜欢吃辣？

黄连英

You know the feeling — your ears start to warm up， your tongue goes numb， you start sweating and taking deep breaths. Youve just eaten something spicy knowing it would be painful， and， yet， you chose to do it anyway. Are humans just masochistic（受虐倾向的）， or is there something else going on？ The answer lies in both science and history.

Lets start with the science. Spicy isnt actually a taste like salty， sweet， sour and bitter — its a sensation. This sensation is triggered by a chemical compound found in chilli peppers called ‘capsaicin. When we eat foods containing capsaicin， our bodies are tricked into thinking the temperature is actually rising. In trying to temper the burning sensation， our bodies release endorphins（内啡肽） which control pain and， give a feeling of pleasure — like painkillers.

This is what is happening chemically， but there is also a conscious side to choose spicy food. Dr Tamara Rosenbaum， Cognitive Neuroscientist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico， explains in an interview with the BBC that this is because we are rational beings — we know that the burning sensation of chilli doesnt physically harm us. Furthermore， we derive pleasure from the other ingredients chilli is generally cooked and eaten with — including fat， sugar and salt. So — like skydiving — eating chilli is a form of thrill-seeking or ‘benign masochism， where we get pleasure from a seemingly negative sensation.

This masochistic relationship with capsaicin has been a long one， starting in the Andes of South America， where chilli peppers originate. Humans were one of the few mammals on Earth that developed a taste for capsaicin so， archaeological evidence suggests， they started cultivating chilli peppers about six thousand years ago. Human intervention changed the chilli pepper to suit human tastes and needs， helping to explain the many different types of chilli peppers now available.

Fast-forward to today， and our love affair with the chilli pepper is going strong. We eat around 57.3 million tons of peppers globally each year， and chilli is a key ingredient in traditional dishes from Mexico to Korea. Maybe we are masochistic after all.

（材料來自XDF网站，有删改）

1. Whats the function of the first paragraph？

A. To introduce the topic.

B. To summarize the passage.

C. To explain the authors opinion.

D. To give background information.

2. What does the underlined word “temper” in Paragraph 2 mean？

A. Intensify. B. Relieve. C. Cause. D. Produce.

3. Which of the following isnt to the reason why we consciously choose spicy food？

A. We know that eating chilli does not physically harm us.

B. We can get pleasure from other ingredients cooked with chilli.

C. It is a form of seeking excitement for us to eat chilli.

D. Many different types of chilli peppers are accessible to us.

4. Where is this passage most probably taken from？

A. A guide book.   B. A book review.

C. A science magazine. D. An official document.

1. A。解析：推理判斷题。材料第一段先提到吃辣椒的感受及人们了解辣椒给身体带来的痛苦却乐此不疲，然后提出问题，最后说到答案在科学和历史中。由此引出本篇文章话题——我们为什么喜欢吃辣？故选A。

2. B。解析：词义猜测题。材料第二段中画线词所在句子的大意为“在试图缓和灼烧感时，我们的身体会释放内啡肽，这种内啡肽能够控制疼痛，并且给人一种愉悦的感觉，就像止痛药一样”，由此可知，“temper”应有“缓解，缓和”之意。故选B。

3. D。解析：细节理解题。根据材料第三段第二句中的“we know that the burning sensation of chilli doesnt physically harm us”，我们可排除A选项；根据材料第三段第三句中的“we derive pleasure from the other ingredients chilli is generally cooked and eaten with — including fat， sugar and salt”，我们可排除B选项；根据材料第三段第四句中的“eating chilli is a form of thrill-seeking”，我们可排除C选项。D选项的内容不是人们选择辛辣食物的原因，故选D。

4. C。解析：推理判断题。本篇材料探究了我们喜欢吃辣的原因，因此，这应该是一本科学杂志上的某篇科普说明文中的内容。故选C。