The Amazing Journey of the Potato

The Main Reading Text

Did you know that the potato, a very common food today, has an exciting history? This simple vegetable is not only a tasty food but also an important part of world history.

Potatoes first came from South America, near the Andes Mountains. Hundreds of years ago, people there grew many different kinds of potatoes. For the ancient Inca people, potatoes were a very important food source.

When Spanish explorers came to South America in the 1500s, they discovered this new food. They took potatoes back to Europe. However, at first, many Europeans were afraid to eat them! They thought potatoes looked strange and might be poison.

Later, people learned that potatoes were safe and good to eat. A French scientist showed that potatoes not only tasted good but also provided great energy. Today, potatoes are one of the most popular foods in the world. We can not only boil or bake them but also make them into delicious fries and chips. It's a vegetable that truly changed the world! But remember, eating too many oily fries is not always a healthy choice.

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Key Learning Points

點擊下方的頁籤，切換不同的學習重點。

common

a.

[ˋkɑmən] — 常見的；普遍的

Happening often or existing in large numbers.

• The potato is a very common food today.
  馬鈴薯是現今一種非常普遍的食物。
• It's common to see squirrels in this park.
  在這座公園裡看到松鼠是很常見的。

ancient

a.

[ˋenʃənt] — 古代的

Belonging to a period of history that is thousands of years in the past.

• For the ancient Inca people, potatoes were very important.
  對古印加人來說，馬鈴薯非常重要。
• We visited the ancient ruins in Greece.
  我們參觀了希臘的古代遺跡。

source

n.

[sors] — 來源；根源

A person, place, or thing that you get something from.

• Potatoes were an important food source.
  馬鈴薯是個重要的食物來源。
• The sun is our main source of light and heat.
  太陽是我們光和熱的主要來源。

explorer

n.

[ɪkˋsplorɚ] — 探險家

A person who travels to places where no one has ever been in order to find out what is there.

• Spanish explorers discovered the potato in South America.
  西班牙探險家在南美洲發現了馬鈴薯。
• Marco Polo was a famous explorer.
  馬可波羅是一位著名的探險家。

discover

v.

[dɪˋskʌvɚ] — 發現

To find information, a place, or an object, especially for the first time.

• They discovered this new food.
  他們發現了這種新食物。
• Scientists have discovered a new species of frog.
  科學家們發現了一種新的青蛙物種。

poison

n.

[ˋpɔɪzn] — 毒藥；毒物

A substance that can make people or animals ill or kill them if they eat or drink it.

• They thought potatoes might be poison.
  他們認為馬鈴薯可能有毒。
• Some mushrooms contain deadly poison.
  有些蘑菇含有劇毒。

provide

v.

[prəˋvaɪd] — 提供

To give someone something that they need.

• Potatoes provided great energy.
  馬鈴薯提供了很棒的能量。
• The school provides lunch for the students.
  學校為學生提供午餐。