根据以英语作为母语的人数计算，英语可能是世界上第三大语言，但它是世界上最广泛的第二语言。精品学习网为大家推荐了高二英语下册知识点：Unit 2　Working the land课文音频，供学习。

A PIONEER FOR ALL PEOPLE

Although he is one of China's most famous scientists, Yuan Longping considers himself a farmer, for he works the land to do his research. Indeed, his sunburnt face and arms and his slim, strong body are just like those of millions of Chinese farmers, for whom he has struggled for the past five decades. Dr Yuan Longping grows what is called super hybrid rice. In 1974, he became the first agricultural pioneer in the world to grow rice that has a high output. This special strain of rice makes it possible to produce one-third more of the crop in the same fields. Now more than 60% of the rice produced in China each year is from this hybrid strain.

Born into a poor farmer's family in 1930, Dr Yuan graduated from Southwest Agricultural College in 1953. Since then, finding ways to grow more rice has been his life goal. As a young man, he saw the great need for increasing the rice output. At that time, hunger was a disturbing problem in many parts of the countryside. Dr Yuan searched for a way to increase rice harvests without expanding the area of the fields. In 1950, Chinese farmers could produce only fifty million tons of rice. In a recent harvest, however, nearly two hundred million tons of rice was produced. These increased harvests mean that 22% of the world's people are fed from just 7% of the farmland in China. Dr Yuan is now circulating his knowledge in India, Vietnam and many other less developed countries to increase their rice harvests. Thanks to his research, the UN has more tools in the battle to rid the world of hunger. Using his hybrid rice, farmers are producing harvests twice as large as before.

Dr Yuan is quite satisfied with his life. However, he doesn't care about being famous. He feels it gives him less freedom to do his research. He would much rather keep time for his hobbles. He enjoys listening to violin music, playing mah-jong, swimming and reading. Spending money on himself or leading a comfortable life also means very little to him. Indeed, he believes that a person with too much money has more rather than fewer troubles. He therefore gives millions of yuan to equip others for their research in agriculture.

Just dreaming for things, however, costs nothing. Long ago Dr yuan had a dream about rice plants as tall as sorghum. Each ear of rice was as big as an ear of corn and each grain of rice was as huge as a peanut. Dr Yuan awoke from his dream with the hope of producing a kind of rice that could feed more people. Now, many years later, Dr Yuan has another dream: to export his rice so that it can be grown around the globe. One dream is not always enough, especially for a person who loves and cares for his people.

造福全人类的先驱者

尽管是中国最著名的科学家之一，袁隆平仍然认为自己是个农民，因为他在田里耕作，进行科学研究。的确，他被太阳晒得黝黑的脸庞和和手臂，以及他那瘦削而又结实的身躯，就跟其他千百万中国农民一样，过去50年来，他一直在努力帮助他们。袁博士种植的是被称为“超级杂交水稻的”的稻种。1974年，他成为世界上第一位种植高产水稻的农业先锋。这种特殊的稻种使得同样的田地多收获三分之一的产量。如今中国每年出产的稻米有60%以上出自这种杂交稻种。

袁博士1930年出生，1953年毕业于西南农学院。从那时起，找到水稻高产的方法就成为他一生的目标。年轻时，他就看到了稻田增产的巨大需求。当时，饥荒是许多农村地区面临的严重问题。袁博士要在不增加土地面积的基础上寻求达到增收稻谷的途径。1950年，中国农民只能生产五千万吨稻谷，而近来却生产了将近两亿吨稻谷。这一粮食产量的增加意味着中国仅仅7%的耕地养活了世界22%的人口。袁博士现在在印度、越南和很多其他欠发达国家传播提高水稻产量的知识。多亏了他的研究，联合国在消除世界饥饿的战斗中有了更多的办法。用他的杂交水稻种子，农民种出的粮食比以前多了一倍。

袁博士很满意他的生活。但是，他对成名并不在意，并且觉得出名后搞科研就不那么自由了。他宁愿把时间花在自己的业余爱好上。他喜欢听小提琴乐曲、打麻将、游泳和读书。在自己身上花钱或者享受舒适的生活对袁博士来说意义不大。事实上，他认为一个人有了太多钱，他的麻烦事只会更多，而不是更少。于是，他拿出好几百万元帮助其他人进行农业科学研究。

梦想是不花本钱的。很久以前，袁博士曾在梦里看到水稻长得像高粱一样高，稻穗跟玉米穗一样大，而每粒稻谷像花生米一样大。袁博士从梦中醒来，希望能种植一种能养活更多人的水稻。在很多年后的今天，袁博士还有另外一个梦想，那就是他的稻谷可以出口并长遍全球。一个梦想总是不够的，尤其对一个热爱和关心人民的人来说更是如此。

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