You'd better keep ________ the plants to stop it_______

1. A.
   watering, getting too dry
2. B.
   on watering, get too dry
3. C.
   from watering, to get too dry
4. D.
   watering, from get too dry

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(绳索) 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(钻) can help to make the poor thirsty fields to be watered.
【小题1】How is bamboo like grass?

TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010

Frequently Asked Questions

What is TEENSGIVING?

TEENSGIVING is an exciting event where hundreds of New York City teens gather together annually for a remarkable day of community service. This year, TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010 participants will once again better New York City and impact thousands of lives!

When is TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010?

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2010

Where is TEENSGIVING?

All over New York City. Everyone will meet at the 92nd Street Y (92nd and Lexington) at 9:00 AM for the event kick-off. Then, all TEENSGIVING volunteers will disperse across the city to work with our partnering agencies where they will make a HUGE difference (and have fun!).  

Who participates in TEENSGIVING?

Hundreds of teenagers from around the city. Teens come from the 92nd Street Y, various city schools, youth groups, and organizations in the area. In addition, many adult volunteers (ages 21 and older) will donate their time to TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010.

What projects do participants do at the agencies?

Sample projects include painting park benches, planting gardens, visiting and playing with underprivileged children, assembling craft kits for children in hospitals, assisting at animal shelters, working at soup kitchens, delivering meals and celebrating with families at homeless shelters.

Do I get anything for participating in TEENSGIVING?

Yes! Everybody benefits! Teen volunteers will receive *6 hours* of community service credit, good towards honor society, high school graduation and college application requirements. Adult volunteers will be “thanked” with a light breakfast, a gift certificate for their troubles, and the satisfaction of helping our city’s youth contribute to their community. In addition, all teen and adult volunteers will receive a cool TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010 T-shirt.

This sounds awesome! How do I register for TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010?

Interested teens and/or adults should e-mail the TEENSGIVING Coordinator Josh Hyman at jhyman@92Y.org (subject: TEENSGIVING) to receive more information and to register for this fantastic event!   

**Teens can also contact their school’s Community Service Advisor

TEENSGIVING is sponsored by the 92nd Street Y.

1. TEENSGIVING is an event held ____________.

A. from time to time    B. every year   C. every two years  D. twice a year

2.Teenagers may do the following in the event EXCEPT ____________.

A. watering flowers   B. cooking        C. cleaning streets    D. taking care of animals

3. An adult volunteer may get ______ for his time devoted to TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010.

A. community service credit and a T-shirt

B. a high school certificate, a T-shirt and a light breakfast

C. a T-shirt, a light breakfast and a gift certificate

D. a gift certificate and community service credit

4. The writer’s purpose in writing the passage is to __________.

A. inform readers of some frequently asked questions

B. introduce TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010 to readers

C. encourage readers to ask more questions about TEENSGIVING

D. call on readers to participate in TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010

Howard Dill is a giant among giant pumpkin growers. He grew world champion pumpkins for four years running，from 1979 to 1982，and missed winning the fifth year by a mere 5 pounds. Today，his Dill Atlantic Giant seeds are sold worldwide to more than 50 seed companies. The pumpkins grown from his Dill Atlantic Giant seeds commonly weigh in at over 1,000 pounds.“I don’t have any training in genetics ；it was all trial and error，”Dill says. He inherited his love of pumpkins from his father and has enjoyed growing them for years.

Dill still grows giant pumpkins, but not for competition. In the fall, visitors come to enjoy the pumpkin patch on his 90-acre farm in Nova Scotia，Canada. He plants ten acres of pumpkins for Halloween and two acres of giant pumpkins. One of giant pumpkins was recently baked into 442 pumpkin pies and sold at $ 5 each for charity.

It you want to try growing a giant pumpkin, Dill recommends starting with a soil test and then adding fertilizer as needed. Plant the giant pumpkin seed. A giant pumpkin can gain 15 to 20 pounds a day， so careful watering—every day or two—is essential. You should wait about 130 days until the pumpkin matures and then you can harvest it.

Dill’s favorite pumpkin set the Guinness Book record in 1981. It weighted 493.5 pounds. “I’ve grown them larger since， but that one meant a lot,” he remembers. “I never would have predicted ten years ago that there would be a 1,000-pounder，but there are many of them now，”says Dill。The 2006 world record holder is Larry Checkon of Pennsylvania. He grew a 1,469 pounder. Dill says, “These world champions are grown from my seeds， so I feel like a winner right along with them.”

1.What can we learn about the world champion pumpkin of 1983?

A．It weighed over 1,000 pounds.

B．It was missing after the competition.

C．It was 5 pounds heavier than that of 1982.

D．It was 5 pounds heavier than Dill’s biggest one that year.

2.One of Dill’s giant pumpkins earned         .

A．$2210            B．$442             C．$1000            D．$1469

3.In the third paragraph Dill mainly tells about        .

A．how to do a soil test                     B．how to plant the giant pumpkin seed

C．when to water the pumpkin               D．how to grow a giant pumpkin

4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Howard Dill is well trained in genetics.

B．Howard Dill grows pumpkins just for competiton.

C．Dill felt proud of Larry Checkon’s champion pumpkin.

D．Dill’s favorite pumpkin is the heaviest of all those he has ever grown.

5.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．Gardening Giant: Howard Dill              B．World Champion Pumpkin

C．Dill Atlantic Giant Seeds                   D．How to Grow Giant Pumpkins

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.

1.How is bamboo like grass?

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

C．It grows quickly after it's 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.