Section_ⅠIntroduction_&_Reading_-_Pre­reading

　　The Student Who Asked Questions

　　In a hungry world rice is a staple① food and China is the world's largest producer②. Rice is also grown③ in many other Asian countries, and in some European countries like Italy. In the rice­growing world, the Chinese scientist, Yuan Longping, is a leading figure④.

　　Yuan Longping was born and brought up⑤ in China. As a boy⑥ he was educated⑦ in many schools and was given the nickname⑧， "the student who asks questions⑨"．

　　From an early age he was interested in\s\up1(10(10) plants. He studied agriculture⑪ in college and as a young teacher he began experiments in⑫ crop breeding⑬. He thought that the key to⑭ feeding people was to have more rice and to produce it more quickly. He thought there was only one way to do⑮ this - by crossing⑯ different species⑰ of rice plant, and then he could produce a new plant ⑱which could give a higher yield⑲than either of the original⑳ plants.

　　①staple/'steIpl/adj.主要的；重要的

　　②producer/prə'djuːsə/n.生产者

　　③grow v．(grew, grown) 生长；成长

　　④leading/'liːdIŋ/adj.主要的　figure/'fIɡə/n.人物

　　a leading figure一位杰出人士

　　⑤bring up培养；养育

　　⑥as是介词，as a boy相当于时间状语从句When he was a boy。

　　⑦educate/'edjʊˌkeIt/vt.教育 ⑧nickname/'nIkˌneIm/n.绰号

　　⑨who引导限制性定语从句，修饰先行词the student。

⑩be interested in对......感兴趣