民意调查：牡丹将有望当选国花
The peony has won overwhelming public support in an online poll over which flower should be China’s national bloom, the China Flower Association announced.
Those who took part in the nationwide polling, could choose from 10 nominees: peony, wintersweet, chrysanthemum, orchid, camellia, lotus, sweet-scented osmanthus, Chinese rose, azalea and narcissus. Out of 362,264 votes cast, 79 percent went to the peony, followed by 12 percent for wintersweet and 2 percent for orchid. About 1.9 percent voted lotus, while the rest cumulatively received less than 1 percent. The association said the peony — the flower it had recommended — is now awaiting approval from the central government to become the country’s national flower.
With a 4,000-year history in China, the peony is widely seen around the country. Apart from its ornamental value, it also has been used as a food and traditional Chinese herb, so it also has strong economic value.
The association said China’s national flower should meet four criteria for consideration: it should originate in China and be ubiquitous in many regions; it should be beautiful in shape and color to represent Chinese culture and personality; it should have profound historical grounding and be widely known to the public and it should be used in many fields in ways that benefit the public.
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1.Which flower is more popular to be the national flower in an online poll?
A The orchid.
B The peony.
C The wintersweet.
D The chrysanthemum.
解析：选B。细节理解题。根据第一段第一句The peony has won overwhelming public support in an online poll over which flower should be China’s national bloom可知，牡丹在一项有关“中国国花”的网上投票中获得了压倒性的公众支持，故选B。
2.Which of the following is NOT true?
A About 1.9 percent voted lotus.
B The peony also has been used as a food and traditional Chinese herb.
C China is among the few countries without an official national flower.
D The peony is widely seen around the country with a 5,000-year history in China.
解析：选D。细节理解题。根据第四段第一句With a 4,000-year history in China, the peony is widely seen around the country.可知，牡丹在中国有4000年的历史，在全国各地都很常见，故选D。
3.Which of the following is not the China’s national flower’ criterion?
A It must be expensive.
B It can be widely used.
C It can be found in many regions.
D It can represent Chinese culture and personality.
解析：选A。细节理解题。根据第四段可知，中国的国花应考虑满足四个条件，没有提到必须必须很昂贵，故选A。
4.What’s the best title of the passage?
A The king of the flowers.
B The meaning of the peony.
C The country without an official national flower.
D The peony was nominated to be China’s national bloom.
解析：选D。主旨大意题。根据全文可知，牡丹在一项有关“中国国花”的网上投票中获得了压倒性的公众支持，有望当选国花，故选D。