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外刊阅读搞定高考英语必备基本词汇03
The Man Who Helped Feed the World
主题：人与自我(做人与做事)
Yuan Longping,known as the“father of hybrid rice”,helped to relieve famine and poverty across much of Asia and Africa
with his hybrid rice.Thanks to him,people not only ate more,but ate well.For his contribution,Yuan won the Medal of the
Republic and the World Food Prize.An asteroid was named after him.There was even talk of the Nobel Prize.too.Yet,all that
seemedjust smoke to him.Though he was rich,he looked like a peasant.His face was like leather from being burned by the sun and
his big hands got rough from“digging in the mud”all day.
Why he chose agriculture as a career is trickyto explain.He was a city boy,born in Beijing,but he enjoyed the countryside and
the thought of growing delicious food.However,as he made his way to the Anjiang agricultural school,struggling through the
mountains,he had doubts about his career.What settled his vocation was famine.
In 1949,he first met hunger on the roads.Between 1959 and 1961,he saw country people falling down dying in the fields.At
the college,too,there was so little to eat that he barely had energy to dig.From that point his mission was to make sure people were
fed.
Before the famine he had worked on grafting( 嫁接).After 1960,he turned his full attention to China's staple,rice.Around
Anjiang,what the peasants wanted was quantity.They would cross the mountains to get better seeds,so he did the same.He travelled
around China to find the strong wild male-sterile plants he needed.In an unlikely spot in Hainan,he finally found what he was
looking for.It took three years to perfect the hybridizing( 杂交繁育)and another three to get his super rice into commercial
production.Then,yields began to soar.
Yuan devoted his life to the research of hybrid rice,helping billions achieve food security.Outside the funeral home in
Changsha on the day he died,crowds came to lay a mountain of flowers.Several ofthe mourners said that whenever they sat down to a
meal,they would remember“GrandfatherYuan”.Among the flowers were the traditional bowls ofboiled rice,super-food for his journey.
一、阅读练习
1.Why didYuan Longpingchoose agriculture as his career?
A.He was born in a rural area.
B.He witnessed severe famine.
C.He wanted to improve local crops.
D.He was interested in creating new plants.
2.What does the word“tricky”in paragraph 2 mean?
A.Lucky
B.Difficult.
C.Important
D.Interesting.
3.Why didYuan focus on rice research after 1960?
A.He received government funding.
B.He aimed to solve food shortages.
C.He became a government official.
D.He discovered wild male-sterile rice.
4.Who does the underlined pronoun“they”refer to in paragraph 4?
A.Local farmers.
B.Wild rice species.
C.Government officials.
D.Research team members.
5.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A.To compare yields ofdifferent rice varieties.
B.To discuss technical challenges in hybrid rice.
C.To describe China's agricultural development.
D.To praiseYuan Longping's contributions to food security.
二、词汇学习
relieve v.缓解，减轻
搭relieve pain/stress 缓解疼痛/压力
例The cool breeze relieved the stuffiness in the crowded classroom.凉风缓解了拥挤教室里的闷热感。
拓relief n.缓解;宽慰
poverty n.贫困，贫穷
例Government programs aim to reduce poverty by providing job training and financial support.
政府计划旨在通过提供职业培训和资金支持来减少贫困。
contribution n.贡献
搭make a contribution to 对......做出贡献
例His contribution to environmental protection was recognized by the government.对环保的贡献得到了政府认可。
medal n.奖章，勋章
例After years of training, the athlete finally won a gold medal in the international competition.
经过多年训练，这位运动员终于在国际比赛中赢得了金牌。
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republic n.共和国，共和政体
例This small island became a republic after gaining independence in 1980.这个小岛在1980 年独立后成为共和国。
talk n.谈话;传言;演讲v.交谈
搭talk to sb.和某人交谈
give a talk 做演讲
例The teacher had a talk with me about my study plan.老师和我谈了我的学习计划。
拓talkative adj.健谈的
seem v.似乎,好像
搭seem to do 似乎……
例His explanation seems unclear because it lacks specific examples and details.
他的解释似乎不清楚，因为缺乏具体的例子和细节。
smoke n.烟v.冒烟;抽烟
例The old engine began to smoke after running for hours.旧引擎运转数小时后开始冒烟。
拓smoky adj.烟雾弥漫的
rich adj.富有的;丰富的
搭be rich in 富含……
rich experience 丰富的经验
例Although he became rich and successful,he never forgot his beginnings.
尽管他变得富有且成功，但他从未忘记自己的出身。
拓richness n.丰富,富饶
leather n.皮革
例The antique leather-bound book contained handwritten notes.这本皮革封面的古书内含手写批注。
rough adj.粗糙的;艰难的;大致的
例Hikers wore special shoes to walk on the rough mountain trails safely.
徒步者穿着特制鞋子，以便安全行走在崎岖的山路上。
拓roughly adv.粗糙地;大致地
mud n.泥,泥浆
例After the heavy rain,the children jumped in the mud,staining their clothes brown.
大雨过后，孩子们在泥浆里跳跃，把衣服染成了棕色。
拓muddy adj.泥泞的
career n.职业,事业
搭choose a career 选择职业
例Choosing a career path requires careful consideration of your skills,interests,and future goals.
选择职业道路需要仔细考虑你的技能、兴趣和未来目标。
tricky adj.棘手的;复杂的
例The interview included some tricky questions about ethical dilemmas.面试中包含一些关于道德困境的棘手问题。
delicious adj.美味的
例The market stall offered delicious tropical fruits we'd never seen before.
这个市场摊位提供我们从未见过的美味热带水果。
settle v.解决;定居;决定
搭settle down 安顿下来
例They settled the argument by talking it out.他们通过沟通解决了争执。
拓settlement n.定居地;协议
vocation n.职业,天职
例For her,teaching is not just a job,but a vocation that brings deep fulfillment.
对她而言，教学不仅是一份工作，而是能带来深层满足的天职。
hunger n.饥饿;渴望
搭the hunger for 对……的渴望
例His hunger for knowledge led him to spend countless hours in the library.
他对知识的渴望促使他在图书馆里度过了无数时光。
拓hungry adj.饥饿的
barely adv.几乎不;勉强
例He barely passed the exam after studying all night.他通宵学习后勉强通过考试。
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拓bare adj.赤裸的;最基本的
energy n.能量;力气;能源
搭save energy 节约能源
例Solar energy provides a clean and sustainable power source for many remote villages.
太阳能为许多偏远村庄提供了清洁且可持续的能源。
mission n.使命;任务
搭complete a mission 完成任务
例The rescue team completed their mission successfully despite the terrible weather conditions.
尽管天气条件恶劣，救援队还是成功完成了任务。
feed v.喂养;滋养
搭feed on 以……为食;从……得到增强
例Reading books feeds her curiosity about the world.阅读滋养了她对世界的好奇心。
拓feedback n.反馈
cross v.穿过;交叉
搭cross one's mind 突然想到,掠过脑海
例Tourists must cross the ancient stone bridge carefully due to its slippery surface.
游客必须小心地穿过这座古老的石桥，因为桥面很滑。
seed n.种子
例Planting seeds is the first step in growing vegetables.播种是种植蔬菜的第一步。
super adj.极好的;超级的adv.非常地，尤其地
例She has a super memory for details,which helps her in scientific research.
她对细节有极好的记忆力，这有助于她的科学研究。superhero n.超级英雄
soar v.高飞;猛增
搭soar across the sky 翱翔天际
例Airplane prices may soar during holiday seasons due to high demand.飞机票价可能在节假日期间因需求高涨而飙升。
devote v.奉献;致力于
搭devote oneself to 致力于
例The foundation devoted three million dollars to education projects last year. 该基金会去年拨款三百万美元用于教育项目。
拓devoted adj.忠诚的;全心全意的
billion num.十亿
搭billions of 数十亿
例Over five billion people use the internet daily in 2024,says the report.报告称2024 年每日有超50 亿人使用互联网。
security n.安全;安保人员;保障；安心感
搭food security 粮食安全
例Airport security checks have become stricter to prevent any potential threats.
机场安检变得更加严格，以防止任何潜在威胁。
拓secure v.保卫adj.安全的;牢固的
三、词汇练习
I.Choose the one that is similar in meaning to each given word.
1.soar
A.to drop
B.to fly
C.to maintain
D.to rocket
2.mission
A.celebration
B.decoration
C.guideline
D.task
3.delicious
A.fresh
B.good
C.hot
D.tasty
4.vocation
A.job
B.hobby
C.study
D.work
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5.feed
A.to force
B.to graze
C.to eat
D.to supply
6.super
A.angry
B.grateful
C.sad
D.wonderful
II.Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once.
A.barely
B.contribution
C.devote
D.energy
E.mission
F.poverty
G.relieve
H.rough
I.seeds
J.security
I attended an agricultural university.Our university launched a community garden project to
1
food hunger in our
neighborhood.Many families here live in
2
,struggling to afford fresh produce.The project’s
3
was to grow vegetables
and donate them to local shelters.
On the first day,we encountered
4
soil and old tools.It was difficult to dig through the hard ground,but we worked
together.Mr.Li,our teacher,said,“A career isn't just about success——it's about making a(n)
5
.”His words inspired us to
keep going.
We planted
6
and watered them daily.The smell of fresh herbs filled the air as the garden grew.When the first harvest
came,we organized a cooking class.Children from the shelter helped make salads,their eyes shining with joy.
One volunteer,Mia,shared,“It gives me a sense of satisfaction——helping others through food.”Even though we
7
slept
during harvest week,the spirit from the team kept us going.Everyone is full of
8
to achieve our goal.
During summer,a storm damaged our crops.We stayed up all night covering plants with tarps.“We can’t give up,”shouted
Jack,lifting a dripping tomato plant.His determination reminded us why we started.By autumn,the garden supplied food for over
200 families and guaranteed food
9
.We taught elders how to grow herbs on balconies.Mrs.Chen,a retiree,said
tearfully,“Your contribution means my grandchildren can eat vegetables every day.”
Now,our project expands to three new neighborhoods.I’ll
10
my weekends to this cause,hoping to inspire others.Every
seed we plant grows not just food,but hope.
III.Translate the following sentences
1.她似乎对这个计划很感兴趣。(seem)
2.这位老人经历过饥饿的年代。(hunger)
3.我们必须解决这个棘手的问题。(tricky)
4.他决定将自己的一生奉献给教育事业。(career)
5.孩子们在泥里玩耍，弄得浑身脏兮兮的。(mud)
6.The river is too wide for us to cross easily.
7.She settled down in a small town after retirement.
8.This country is rich in natural resources like coal and oil.
9.The price of houses in this area has soared in recent years.
10.His talk about environmental protection impressed everyone present.
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