The Bamboo

　　Bamboo is one of the nature’s most surprising plants. Many people call this plant a tree, but it is a kind of grass.

　　Like other kinds of grass, a bamboo plant may be cut very low to the ground, but it will grow back very quickly. A Japanese scientist recorded one bamboo plant that grew almost 1.5 meters in 24 hours! Bamboo grows almost everywhere in the world except Europe. There are more than 1,000 kinds of bamboo that grow around the world on both mountains and plains.

　　Not all bamboo looks the same. Some bamboo plants are very thin. They may only grow to be a few centimeters wide while others may grow to more than 30 centimeters across. This plant also comes in different colors, from yellow to black to green.

　　Many Asian countries have been using bamboo for hundreds of years. They often use bamboo for building new buildings. As a matter of fact, the cables that hold up the hanging bridge across the Min River in Sichuan are made of bamboo. The bridge has been in use for more than 1,000 years, and is still holding strong.

In Africa, engineers are teaching poor farmers how to find water using bamboo. These African countries need cheap ways to find water because they have no money, and their fields often die from no rain and no water. It seems that bamboo is one of the best things they can use. Bamboo pipes and drills can help to make the poor thirsty fields to be watered.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------    Reading Comprehension:

　　1. How is bamboo like grass?

　　A. It is thin and easy to cut. B. It grows everywhere.

　　C. It grows quickly after its cut short. D. It is short and green.

　　2. The sentence “while others may grow to more than 30 centimeters across.” means  “Some other bamboo plants may grow to be very _______.”

　　A. short  B. strong  C. thick D. tall

　　3. From the text we know ______.

　　A. most people call bamboo plant trees

　　B. a bamboo plant may grow 4.5 meters in three days

　　C. the bamboo plant changes its colors when it grows

　　D. a bridge held by bamboo cable was built thousands of years ago

　　4. Why did the engineers teach the poor farmers in Africa to make use of bamboo?

　　A. Because it is cheap.  B. Because it is colorful.

　　C. Because it drills fast. D. Because it is used by Asians.

　　5. Which of the following is NOT true?

　　A. There are many different kinds of bamboo with different colors.

　　B. Cables made of bamboo can last for over a thousand years.

　　C. Bamboo can be used for buildings, bridges and watering projects.

       D. Bamboo plants are able to grow well in any part of the world.

Background Information:

  竹，禾本科多年生木质化植物。竹枝杆挺拔，修长，亭亭玉立,袅娜多姿，四时青翠,凌霜傲雨，倍受我国人民喜爱，有“梅兰竹菊”四君子之一，“梅松竹”岁寒三友之一等美称。竹的种类很多，合计种、变种、变型、栽培品种计500余种，大多可供庭院观赏。

  竹子喜欢生活在南方，它不需要肥沃的土地。在高山峻岭有土的地方就可以茁壮成长了。不用浇水、施肥、除草，而且竹子的生长速度很快，不到一年的时间就可以实用了，所以，竹子是一种很好的经济作物。

Vocabulary:

plains   平原

cables   绳索

drills    钻

Word Partnership:

be made of  由...制成

die from  因...而死   

Comprehension Key:

　　1. C. 由第2段的第1句我们可以推测出竹子与其他草类相似的地方是grow back very quickly。

　　2. C. 阅读第3段的第2句They may only grow to be a few centimeters wide while others may grow to more than 30 centimeters across可推知：while(表对比，意为“而”)前面讲有些竹子(bamboo)很细，只有(only)几厘米粗，而与相比，while 后面则讲有些竹子长得很壮，可以有30厘米粗。因此答案选C。

　　3. B. 由第2个题目我们可知竹子一天能长1.5米，那么三天就能长4.5米。

　　4. A. 根据第5段第2句Because they have no money可知要选用bamboo。