■世界上最受欢迎的水果
The Most Popular Fruit in the World

The tomato is the world’s most popular fruit. More than 60 million tons of tomatoes are produced per year, 16 million tons more than the second most popular fruit, the banana. Apples are the third most popular（36 million tons）, then oranges（34 million tons）and watermelons（22 million tons）.

Tomatoes were first cultivated in 700 AD by Aztecs and Incas. Explorers returning from Mexico introduced the tomato into Europe, where it was first mentioned in 1556. The French called it “the apple of love”, the Germans “the apple of paradise”.

Tomatoes are rich in vitamins A and C and fibre, and are cholesterol free. An average size tomato（148gram or 5oz）boasts only 35 calories. Furthermore, new medical research suggests that the consumption of lycopene—the stuff that makes tomatoes red—may prevent cancer. Lycopene is part of the family of pigments called carotenoids, which are natural compounds that create the colors of fruits and vegetables. For example, beta carotene is the orange pigment in carrots. As with essential amino acids, they are not produced by the human body. Lycopene is the most powerful

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每个人的心里都有自己最喜欢的水果，不过，有一样水果是全世界最多人喜欢的！它有“长寿果”的美名，含丰富维生素和矿物质元素，抗氧化能力极佳，具防癌降压、润肤美白之功效。知道它是什么吗？

番茄是世界上最受欢迎的水果。番茄的年产量高达6000多万吨，第二受欢迎的水果——香蕉，其年产量比番茄少1600万吨。第三受欢迎的是年产量3600万吨的苹果，紧接其后的是年产3400万吨的橙子和年产2200万吨的西瓜。

公元700年，阿兹特克人和印加人率先种植番茄。据史书记载，1556年，探险家从墨西哥返回后将番茄引进欧洲。法国人称之为“爱情苹果”，德国人称之为“天堂苹果”。

番茄不含胆固醇，富含维生素A、维生素C和纤维。普通大小（148克或5盎司）的番茄仅有35卡路里的热量。此外，新近医学研究表明，摄入番茄红素可以防癌。番茄红素是促使番茄变红的物质，与类胡萝卜素同属一个色素家族，此类色素都是天然复合物，能使水果蔬菜呈现颜色。比如，β胡萝卜素就是胡萝卜中的橙色色素。和必需氨基酸一样，人体本身不能合成这些色素。番茄红素是类胡萝卜素家族中最强大的抗

antioxidant in the carotenoid family and, with vitamins C and E, protect us from the free radicals that degrade many parts of the body.

The scientific term for the common tomato is lycopersicon lycopersicum, which mean “wolf peach”. It is a cousin of the eggplant, red pepper, ground cherry, potato, and the highly toxic belladonna, also known as the nightshade or solanaccae. There are more than 10，000 varieties of tomatoes.

Tomatoes are used in many food product, including, of course, tomato sauce（ketchup）, pasta and pizza. According to a Steel Packing Council survey of 1997，68%of chefs use canned tomatoes for convenience, quality and flavoring.

Life’s like a play: It’s not the length, but the excellence of the acting that matters.

氧化剂，连同维生素C和维生素E，保护着人体免受自由基的损害，防止身体各部位的老化。

番茄的学名为lycopersicon lycopersicum,意为“狼桃”，与茄子、红辣椒、醋栗、土豆、高毒性颠茄同族，也被称作茄属或茄科植物。番茄共有1万多个品种。

番茄用于制造多种食品，番茄酱理所当然包括在内，其他的还有意大利面和比萨。根据1997年罐头包装委员会的一项调查，68%的主厨都会使用更方便、更优质、更美味的罐装番茄。

生活如一部剧本：重要的不是长度，而是演出精彩与否。