夜雨聆风My Experience of Growing Cucumbers
Last spring, our science teacher told us to do a "learning by doing" project. Each group needed to grow a plant and study it. My group chose cucumbers. We were excited but also a little nervous because we had never grown anything before.
First, we discussed what we wanted to find out. Some said cucumbers need a lot of water. Others thought sunlight was more important. Finally, we decided to test how sunlight affects cucumber growth. We got 12 seeds and divided them into two groups. Group A was placed near the window where they got 6 hours of sunlight every day. Group B was put in a corner with only weak light. We used the same kind of soil and gave them the same amount of water each time. We wanted to make sure only the light was different.
Every morning before class, I ran to check our plants. I used a ruler to measure their height from the soil to the top leaf. I wrote down the numbers in my notebook and drew pictures of the leaves. For the first three days, nothing happened. I felt worried and even dug a little to see if the seeds were still there. On the fifth day, Group A showed two small green leaves. Group B only had one tiny yellow leaf. I was surprised by the difference.
But then a problem came. Some leaves in Group A turned yellow at the edges. We asked our teacher and also searched online. We learned that too much water could hurt the roots. So we changed our watering habit. We only watered when the soil felt dry. We also moved Group B to a place with 3 hours of sunlight. Slowly, they began to grow better.
Later, we had to build supports for the cucumber vines. We used three sticks and tied them together at the top to make a triangle. Our math classmate said a triangle is the strongest shape. We measured the angles and made it stand firm. It worked well.
After two and a half months, we picked our first cucumber! It was green, with small spines, and tasted very crisp and sweet. We shared it with the whole class. At our presentation, we showed our data. Group A grew to 45 cm tall and had 3 cucumbers. Group B only reached 30 cm and had 1 cucumber. We concluded that cucumbers love sunlight.
This experience taught me that science is not just reading textbooks. It is about trying, watching, recording, and learning from mistakes. I also learned to work with my group members. We sometimes argued, but we always solved our problems together. I think this is the real meaning of "learning by doing". I will never forget the joy of eating that cucumber we grew with our own hands.
先阅读，背词汇，再做题
Reading Comprehension Questions
1. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Cucumbers are easy to grow.
B. The writer learned science by growing cucumbers.
C. Sunlight is the only thing plants need.
D. Group work is always fun.
Answer: B
2. What did the writer's group decide to test in their experiment?
A. The kind of soil.
B. The amount of water.
C. The effect of sunlight.
D. The temperature in the room.
Answer: C
3. Why did some leaves in Group A turn yellow at the edges?
A. They got too little water.
B. They got too much water.
C. They didn't get enough sunlight.
D. The soil was bad.
Answer: B
4. How did the group support the cucumber vines?
A. They used ropes.
B. They used three sticks tied together.
C. They put them against the wall.
D. They planted them close to each other.
Answer: B
5. What did the writer learn from this experience?
A. Science is only about reading books.
B. Growing plants is boring.
C. Trying, watching, and learning from mistakes are important.
D. Sunlight does not matter to cucumbers.
Answer: C