稻田里的守望者

贵州 冯 远

禾下乘凉梦，一稻一人生。他的形象可谓“几十年如一日”的“农民本色”——瘦小身材，背微驼，小平头，一身过时衣，两腿烂泥巴。 但也就是他和他的团队，用他们的双手，养活了十几亿人。

文章词数 6 分钟358 难度 ★★★ 建议用时

1It was September 29, 2019. Eight national role model honorees were awarded with the highest standards. Yuan Longping, the father of hybrid rice, was one of them.

2Just on the day before his departure to Beijing, Yuan Longping went to the fields to watch his hybrid rice. After attending the ceremony, he returned to Hunan on the same day because he was going to the field the next day. He had made it a rule to go to the field every day to see if there were any new discoveries or pests. From sowing to harvesting, Yuan went to fields twice daily, covering about 8 kilometers in total distance. Thus his motorbike had become Yuan's essential transportation. “Riding a motorbike was one of my favorite sports in my youth,” Yuan smiled. “But now, it's more for work than for fun.”

3Yuan's career as a catcher in the rice fields dates back to the 1950s. When seeing the country was very short of food, he turned to the country's most needed rice breeding research. He came up with an idea for hybridizing rice in the 1960s. Since then, he has devoted himself to the research on a better rice breed.

4Due to Yuan's hard work, China's total rice output is enough to feed 60 million people. Now,over 20 countries have adopted the hybrid rice. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has vowed to be actively involved in spreading Yuan's high-yield hybrid rice worldwide.

5Yuan Longping was born into a poor farmer's family in 1930. In his spare time, Yuan adored violin music very much. Half an hour of reading in bed before sleep was his habit. He was also a good swimmer. “When I lose a game in mahjong（麻将）,” Yuan smiled, “I never hesitate to pay the price—creep through under the table.”

6“Grain is always the most important strategic material for the national economy and people's livelihood,” Yuan said. “I am now in my 90s and hope that I can live to be 100 years old. I'm confident in the future of my country, and I want to make more contributions to its prosperity,” he added.

Reading Check

Ⅰ. Fill in the table with only one word for each blank.

Title—The catcher in the rice fields Admiration Yuan Longping is known as the 1. of hybrid rice.2.5.❖Honour: A(n) 3. of national role model in China.❖Birth: Yuan Longping was born into a poor farmer's family in 1930.❖4. :Yuan Longping liked violin music, reading, swimming and playing mahjong.He also liked riding a motorbike when he was young.❖He began rice breeding research in the 1950s.❖He came up with an idea for hybridizing rice in the 6. .❖His hard work made China's total rice output enough to feed 60 million people.❖Over 20 countries have adopted his hybrid rice.❖He goes to fields twice a day.❖He was awarded national role model honoree on September 29, 2019.Details Personalities❖Just on the day before his departure to Beijing, Yuan Longping... the next day.❖He had made it a rule to go to the field every day to see if there were any new discoveries or pests.8.9.7.❖When seeing the country was very short of food, he turned to the country's most needed rice breeding research.❖“I'm confident in the future of my country,and I want to make more contributions to its prosperity.”Patriotic❖In his spare time, Yuan adored violin music very much. Half an hour of reading in bed before sleep was his habit. He was also a good swimmer.❖Thus his motorbike had become Yuan's essential transportation.10.❖“When I lose a game in mahjong,” Yuan smiled, “I never hesitate to pay the price—creep through under the table.” Innocent/Naive Evaluation The catcher in the rice fields

Ⅱ. Discussion

Can you find more stories about Yuan Longping? Surf the Internet and share the information about him with your classmates.

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Language Study

假定你是李华，你想以“A national hero of China”为题，给Crazy English写一篇短文，介绍“杂交水稻之父”袁隆平。内容要点：

1. 人物简介；

2. 人物评价。

注意：

1. 词数100左右；

2. 写作时，要遵循“ABCDE”原则，即对人物的介绍要包括admiration、background、characteristics、deeds，以及evaluation 5个基本要素。

A national hero of China