Father of Hybrid Rice Hopes More Crop on Less Land

刘本龙

Professor Yuan Longping， the father of hybrid rice， expressed the hope that he would grow more crops on less farmland. The 90-year-old scientist is the pioneer of hybrid rice research and he has been carrying out his work since the 1960s. The scientist invented hybrid rice and was also the first to successfully change the self-pollinating characteristics of rice. His hard work and devotion made large-scale farming of hybrid rice possible， thus making the nation self-reliant on rice. Talking about farmers happiness and their strong response to hybrid rice， Professor Yuan recalled how an old farmer in Hunan Province became over-joyed during Phase I. “Thank you for teaching me how to plant the super hybrid rice. Ive never had such a good harvest in forty years of rice farming. I have the highest regard for you and your fellow scientists，” the professor said， recalling the words of the farmer.

Apart from being highly productive， the hybrid rice is also tasty. Recalling another incident， Professor Yuan said three years ago some reporters from Hong Kong and Shenzhen had a chance to taste the rice. A young female reporter had two bowls of rice. On another occasion， a rich businessman even had three bowls of rice and took home some of the rice for his family.

Under the super rice planting program， set up by Chinas Ministry of Agriculture， a total of 10.5 tons of hybrid rice per hectare was produced in PhaseⅠfrom 1996 to 2000.

At present， half of Chinas total rice fields grow Yuans hybrid rice species. Because of his hard work， Chinas total rice output rose from 5.69 billion tons in 1950 to 19.47 billion tons last year. The “Super Rice” Yuan is now testing yields 30 percent higher than those of common rice.

Professor Yuans achievements in hybrid rice research have won him a large number of international awards， like the UNESCO Science Prize.

Notes： self-pollinate v. 授粉;self-reliant adj. 自給自足的;phase n. 阶段;hectare n. 公顷

【难句解析】

1. Professor Yuan Longping， the father of hybrid rice， expressed the hope that he would grow more crops on less farmland.

释义：袁隆平教授，杂交水稻之父，表达了他将在更少的农田上种出更多庄稼的愿望。

点拨：在此句中，that引导he would grow more crops on less farmland整个句子作the hope的同位语从句，对the hope起到说明或解释的作用。同位语从句和定语从句相似，都放在某一名词或代词后面，同位语从句的引导词在从句中不作成分，而定语从句的引导词在从句中作成分。例如：

The news that you told me last week is true. 上个星期你告诉我的那个消息是真实的。（that引导的是定语从句，它在从句中充当宾语）

The news that the leader will come here is true. 领导将要来这个消息是真实的。（that引导的是同位语从句，它在从句中不作成分 ）

2. The 90-year-old scientist is the pioneer of hybrid rice research and he has been carrying out his work since the 1960s.

释义：这位90高龄的科学家是杂交水稻研究的先驱，自从二十世纪六十年代他就不断地实施研究工作。

点拨：90-year-old属于“数词+名词（单数）+形容词”结构，构成复合形容词作定语，大多相当于“介词of + 名词”构成的短语，表示被修饰词的年龄、新旧、持续时间、地点、距离、面积、体积、长度、宽度、深度、速度、重量、字数、钱数或价格等。the 90-year-old scientist = the scientist of ninety years。he has been carrying out his work是现在完成进行时，强调动作的延续性，是现在完成时的强调形式。例如：

She has been talking to me since she saw me. 她自从见到我就一直和我说话。

3. His hard work and devotion made large-scale farming of hybrid rice possible， thus making the nation self-reliant on rice.

释义：他的努力工作和贡献使得大面积种植杂交水稻成为可能，因此保障了国家水稻自给自足。

点拨：在此句中，His hard work and devotion作主语，made作谓语，large-scale farming of hybrid rice作宾语，possible作宾语补足语，making the nation self-reliant on rice作结果状语。例如：

She has won the game， which made her parents proud. 她赢得了比赛，这让她的父母感到骄傲。

The hospital has recently obtained new medical equipment， allowing more patients to be treated. 这家医院最近获得了新医疗设备，从而使更多的病人能够得到治疗。

4. Apart from being highly productive， the hybrid rice is also tasty.

释义：杂交水稻除了产量高，也好吃。

点拨：apart from在不同的上下文中，既有besides的含义，又有except和except for的含义，要根据上下文来判别。例如：

Apart from English， he has a good command of Russian and French. 除英語外，他还精通俄语和法语。（= besides）

He has no interests， apart from his work. 他除了自己的工作外，没什么兴趣爱好。（= except）

Its a good paper， apart from a few spelling mistakes. 这是一篇好论文，只是有几处拼写错误。（= except for）

【阅读链接】

I. Choose the right answer.

1. The author thinks the hybrid rice is ____.

A. delicious as well as productive      B. not delicious nor productive

C. difficult to be planted                  D. the best rice in the world in the future

2. Professor Yuan Longping is regarded as the pioneer of hybrid rice research because ____.

A. he invented the hybrid rice for more output

B. he was an old scientist for the farmers

C. he knows how to change the self-pollinating of rice

D. he likes to talk with farmers

3. What does the underlined word “response” in the first paragraph mean？

A. Export.        B. Expand.             C. Reduce.             D. Reaction.

4. Which is the main idea of this passage？

A. Talking about farmers loss for their rice output.

B. Professor Yuan devoted himself to hybrid rice research.

C. Professor Yuan is being reported by the media.

D. Professor Yuan has a fourth target.

II. Fill in the blanks.

1. Internet makes our lives ____ ____ ____ （容易和方便）.

2. ____ ____ ____ （还有一次） I answered the phone and the line went dead.

3. We ____ ____ ____ （待在） in a hotel since we came here.

4. What other sports do you like ____ ____ （除了） football？

5. ____ ____ （目前） he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.

6. The idea ____ we will visit Paris next week excites every one of us.