四、閱讀測驗
     If you’ve ever tried famous Taiwanese dishes Gua bao (刈包), aka the Taiwanese hamburger, and OysterVermicelli Noodles (蚵仔麵線), or the dessert which can only be best translated as ice cream burritos (花生捲冰淇淋), you’ve probably eaten cilantro. Not just in Taiwanese cuisines, this plant is actually used in cuisinesaround the globe, including South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American. Its seeds, called coriander, arefound in the plant’s fruit and used as a spice, and its leaves are used as an herb. It gives a fresh, citrus-like tasteto foods.
     Although many people think cilantro is tasty, some people hate it so much that there’s even a website calledihatecilantro.com. People who don’t like cilantro usually compare its taste to soap or dirt. It is likely that thiswidespread disgust with the herb is related to genetics. A study by an American behavioral neuroscientist in theearly 2000s found that 80% of pairs of identical twins shared a common like or dislike for the herb, whilefraternal twins only agreed about half of the time. In 2012, the genetic testing firm 23andMe did a study on thesubject and found that about 12-14% of participants with European ancestry reported that cilantro had a soapytaste, whereas only 4-8% of Latino, East Asian, and South Asian participants did. The people who hated cilantroshared a genetic variation that affects a receptor of the gene OR6A2, which detects the compounds in cilantro’scharacteristic flavor.
     While some people hate cilantro, it does have health benefits. Coriander can help lower cholesterol levels.Moreover, cilantro contains a natural compound that helps fight off food poisoning caused by salmonella.Cilantro’s essential oils also aid in digestion. Whether you find yourself loving or hating this fragrant ingredient,there’s no denying that cilantro’s distinct taste has made its mark on the world.
21. What is the main idea of this passage?
(A) Taiwanese cuisine has made its mark on the world.
(B) There are cultural differences in the use of cilantro.
(C) Genes may explain likes and dislikes of a certain herb.
(D) Using herbs creates pleasant food tastes and improves health.