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It is common for food products in supermarkets today to carry a date that tells you when they are no longer fresh. However, one natural product can last for hundreds, or even thousands of years, under the right conditions — honey. Archaeologists have found pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that were perfectly safe to eat. Although it seems unbelievable, this is due to a special chemical balance found in no other food.

Firstly, natural honey has very little water. Bees collect a sweet liquid from flowers and then beat their wings to dry it out. In such a dry environment, bacteria and other tiny living things cannot survive; they simply die. Honey is also naturally acidic; its pH is between 3 and 4.5, which kills most living things that try to grow on it. What’s more, honey produces hydrogen peroxide (过氧化物), a powerful bacteria-killing substance. This comes from a chemical reaction inside the bee’s stomach. Bees have an enzyme (酶) called glucose oxidase (GOx). When they bring the sweet liquid back up from their stomachs to make honey, this enzyme mixes with it and breaks it down into gluconic (葡萄糖的) acid and hydrogen peroxide.

Thanks to these germ-killing qualities, honey has been used in medicine for thousands of years. Sumerian clay tablets from around 2100–2000 BCE record its use for treating burns and cuts. The ancient Egyptians also used honey as a medicine often, preparing healing creams for skin and eye diseases. Meanwhile, they held honeybees in high regard, as they believed the insects originated from the tears of the sun god Re.

However, these chemical wonders do not work on their own. The most important step is to keep honey in a sealed container. Supermarket honey is heated and filtered to remove impurities (杂质), so it stays smooth, while more traditional, less-processed honey may crystallize. But as long as it is sealed, it will stay good. So always close your honey jar tightly — who knows? Thousands of years from now, it might become an archaeological treasure dug up by future civilizations.

1.1. Why does the author mention common supermarket products at the beginning?

A To list popular food items.

B To explain how dates are printed.

C To prove honey is expensive.

D To highlight honey’s uniqueness.

解析：选D。D推理判断题。文章开头先描述常见现象：“It is common for food products in supermarkets today to carry a date that tells you when they are no longer fresh.”紧接着用“However”转折，引出蜂蜜这一特殊产品：“one natural product can last for hundreds, or even thousands of years, under the right conditions — honey.”作者将普通食品有限的保鲜期与蜂蜜极长的保存时间进行对比，目的是突出蜂蜜的独特性。A项“列出流行食品”并非对比的落脚点；B项“解释日期如何印刷”文中完全未涉及；C项“证明蜂蜜昂贵”在原文中也未提及价格信息。故选D。

2.2.According to the second paragraph, which of the following statements is true?

A A dry environment kills bacteria.

B Acid nature raises honey’s pH.

C Hydrogen peroxide is from wings.

D The chemical reaction is in flowers.

解析：选A。A细节理解题。第二段中明确说明：“In such a dry environment, bacteria and other tiny living things cannot survive; they simply die.”这与A项“干燥环境能杀死细菌”的表述完全一致，故A正确。B项错误，原文指出“Honey is also naturally acidic; its pH is between 3 and 4.5”，酸性意味着pH低，而非升高；C项错误，原文明确说明过氧化氢来自蜜蜂胃中的化学反应：“This comes from a chemical reaction inside the bee’s stomach.” 而非来自翅膀；D项错误，同样依据该句，化学反应发生在蜜蜂的胃里，并非在花朵中。故选A。

3.3.What can be inferred about the ancient Egyptians’ attitude toward honeybees?

A They thought bees were gods.

B They respected them deeply.

C They used them in tombs.

D They ignored their role.

解析：选B。B推理判断题。第三段在介绍古埃及人用蜂蜜入药后指出：“Meanwhile, they held honeybees in high regard, as they believed the insects originated from the tears of the sun god Re.” “held...in high regard”意为“对……极为尊崇”，由此可推断他们深深地尊重蜜蜂。A项“认为蜜蜂是神”是对“originated from the tears of the sun god Re”的过度推断，起源于神的眼泪不等于自身是神；C项“在墓穴中使用它们”混淆事实，原文是说“Archaeologists have found pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs”，墓穴中发现的是蜂蜜罐，不是使用蜜蜂；D项“忽视其作用”与“held honeybees in high regard”完全相反。故选B。

4.4.What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A The practice of using honey medically.

B The process of heating honey.

C The importance of tightening containers.

D The change of honey becoming solid.

解析：选C。C段落大意题。最后一段首句指出：“However, these chemical wonders do not work on their own. The most important step is to keep honey in a sealed container.”随后说明超市蜂蜜经过加热过滤，传统蜂蜜可能结晶，但强调“as long as it is sealed, it will stay good”，并建议“always close your honey jar tightly”。全段始终围绕密封保存这一关键做法展开。A项“蜂蜜的医疗应用”是第三段的内容；B项“加热蜂蜜的过程”仅为文中细节“Supermarket honey is heated and filtered...”，并非段落中心；D项“蜂蜜变为固态”对应文中“less-processed honey may crystallize”，它只是密封前提下可能出现的现象，服务于密封这一核心。故选C。