From farm
to table
What Grows in Northern and Southern China?
Farmers in northern and southern China plant different kinds of crops—and the weather is the big reason.
Winters in northern China are cold and long. So farmers there choose plants that can grow in cold weather.


Wheat: This is the most common crop here. In autumn, wheat fields turn golden.
Corn and potatoes: These plants are popular too. They grow well even when the weather turns cool.
In southern China, the weather is usually warm and rainy all year round. This kind of weather is great for plants that love water and sunshine.


Rice: Rice grows in both the north and the south. In northern China, like Heilongjiang, it's a "cold-resistant" kind—only harvested once a year, with the help of the rich black soil. In the south, it grows in wet paddy fields; the warm, rainy weather lets farmers harvest it twice or even three times a year.
Mango and lychee trees: These fruit trees grow sweet fruits. They need plenty of sunshine, and the warm days here help them grow big and tasty.
Exercises
Ⅰ. Read and classify. 读一读，根据文章将农作物按种植地分类。



A. wheat
B. mango
C. corn
D. potato
E. lychee
F. rice
1. What crops grow in northern China?

2. What crops grow in southern China?

Ⅱ. Read and tick or cross. 读一读，判断正(√)误(×)。
() 1. Farmers in northern China grow wheat, corn and potatoes because the crops can grow in cold weather.
() 2. In northern China, farmers can harvest rice twice or even three times a year.
() 3. Lychee needs a lot of sunshine and warm weather to grow.
() 4. In southern China, the weather is warm and rainy all year round.

northern /'nɔ:ðən/ adj. 北方的
crop /krɒp/ n. 庄稼
cold-resistant /ˌkəʊld rɪ'zɪstənt/ adj. 耐寒的
paddy field /'pædi fi:ld/ n. 稻田
southern /'sʌðən/ adj. 南方的
wheat /wi:t/ n. 小麦
harvest /'hɑ:vɪst/ v. 收割
lychee /ˌlaɪ'tʃi:/ n. 荔枝

P83 Ⅰ. 1. A C D F 2. B E F
Ⅱ. 1. √ 2. × 3. √ 4. √