華北農業

張錦

當你穿越秦嶺-淮河線時，你會發現在此線的南北兩面，農業差異明顯。我們可以將此歸因于氣候差異。北方的氣候更干燥、寒冷，而南方則相反，這種差異導致了不同類型的農業。

1 China， or officially the Peoples Republic of China， is a country in East Asia that is home to more than 1.4 billion people. Geographers demarcate the North and South with the Qinling mountain range and the Huai River. This is known as the Qinling?Huaihe Line， and it is an indicator of cultural and economic differences between North and South China.

2 North China is where the big cities like Tianjin and the nations capital Beijing are located， though it also includes farming provinces such as Hebei and Henan provinces through which the Yellow River runs. North China relies on its economy of agriculture and industrial?based services such as energy and manufacturing plants.

3 In addition， since North China has a different climate than South China， people living in North China grow and produce different foods. In the North， crops are limited due to the colder and drier climate. Grains such as wheat are produced and corn， maize and root vege?tables are grown. Wheat is a staple crop in North China and many meals made of it are considered starchy （富含淀粉的）. People living in North China eat more steamed bread， noodles， dumplings and other wheat and grain foods. Fruits are limited， but most apples， melons and peaches grow in North China. People from North China focus on the fullness after a meal.

4 Due to the usually cold and dry climate up North， people living in North China also consume a lot of red meat （mutton and pork） and dairy products （cheese， butter and yogurt） since fat and protein strengthen their body for the chilly weather. During friend or family gatherings， whether they are for a holiday or a typical day， dishes are served in large portions and liquor is drunk from big bowls， specifically in Inner Mongolia， where a whole roast lamb is served on occasions.

[Reading][Check]

Ⅰ. Choose the best answers according to the text.

Vocabulary 1. What does the underlined word “demarcate” in paragraph 1 mean？

A. Give a clear definition.

B. Compare different places.

C. Mark the limits of an area.

D. Start to analyze immediately.

Gist 2. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about？

A. The location of North China.

B. The characteristics of North China.

C. The population of North China.

D. The agriculture in North China.

Detail 3. Whats the main crop for people from North China？

A. Root vegetables. B. Peanuts.

C. Rice. D. Wheat.

Detail 4. Why do people in North China eat a lot of red meat？

A. Because of the cold weather.

B. Because of special occasions.

C. Because of a fixed lifestyle.

D. Because of the culture.

Ⅱ. Discussion

Are you from North China？ Do you like the foods in North China？ And why？

[Language][Study]

Ⅰ. Discover useful structures in the text

1. “介詞through+which”引導的定語從句

North China is where the big cities like Tianjin and the nations capital Beijing are located， though it also includes farming provinces such as Hebei and Henan provinces through which the Yellow River runs. 華北是天津和這個國家的首都北京等大城市的所在地，但也包括農業省份，如黃河流經的河北省和河南省。

2. whether...or...引導讓步狀語從句，意為“不管”

During friend or family gatherings， whether they are for a holiday or a typical day， dishes are served in large portions and liquor is drunk from big bowls， specifically in Inner Mongolia， where a whole roast lamb is served on occasions. 在朋友或家人聚會期間，無論是節日還是普通日子，菜肴都是大分量的，酒也是用大碗喝的，特別是在內蒙古，在一些場合，會供應烤全羊。

Ⅱ. Text?centered chunks

refer to sb/sth （as sth） 談及；提到

be home to 是……的故鄉/所在地/發源地

be known as 被稱為；以……知名；被認為是

rely on 依靠；信賴

in addition 此外；另外；除……以外

due to 由于

focus on 專注于；關注；聚焦于