Tomatoes: Multiple Choice Vocabulary Test

It is difficult to (0)        A        a world without tomatoes. High in the Andes mountains of modern-day Peru, the local (1) _________ have been cultivating and eating tomatoes since prehistoric times, but the food has only become (2) _________ in the rest of the world (3) _________ recently. These days, the bright red fruit plays an important role in the (4) _________ of many cultures and is a key ingredient in many types of fast food, providing both taste and colour to dishes that (5) _________ would be rather ordinary.

The tomato (6) _________ to the nightshade family of plants, many members of which are poisonous. When they were first (7) _________ into North America, therefore, tomatoes were viewed with (8) _________ and people tended to use them as table (9) _________ rather than as food. In Europe, the tomato was first grown in Italy in 1555, although it wasn't (10) _________ with pasta until much later. The first recipe for tomato ketchup dates from 1727 and in the 1800s, tomatoes began to be used more (11) _________ in sauces and soups. These days, as well as tasting good, tomatoes are known to contain substances which are good for our health. Nutritionists point out, however, that many (12) _________ tomato products also contain additives such as salt and sugar which can reduce the beneficial effects of the fruit.