Yuan Longping, known as the "father of hybrid rice", is one of China's most famous scientists. Yet, he considers himself a farmer because he continually works the land in his research. Indeed, his slim but strong body is just like that of millions of Chinese farmers, to whom he has devoted his life.
known as the "father of hybrid rice" 为过去分词短语作定语，修饰 Yuan Longping，相当于定语从句 who is known as...
例：The girl known as the best student won the prize. 被称为最优秀学生的那个女孩获奖了。
介词+关系代词引导非限制性定语从句
to whom he has devoted his life 中 to whom 为"介词+关系代词"结构，whom 指代 farmers，devote...to... 中的 to 提到了关系代词之前。
例：The man to whom I spoke is our teacher. 我和他说话的那个人是我们的老师。
Yuan Longping was born in 1930 in Beijing. His parents wanted him to pursue a career in science or medicine. However, what concerned him most was that farmers often had poor harvests and sometimes even had a serious shortage of food to eat. To tackle this crisis, he chose to study agriculture and received an education at Southwest Agricultural College in Chongqing.
what concerned him most 为主语从句，that farmers often had poor harvests 为表语从句。
例：What surprised me most was that he passed the exam. 最让我惊讶的是他通过了考试。
After graduating in 1953, he worked as a researcher. Yuan Longping realised that larger fields were not the solution. Instead, farmers needed to boost yields in the fields they had. How this could be done was a challenging question at the time. Yuan was convinced that the answer could be found in the creation of hybrid rice. A hybrid is a cross between two or more varieties of a species. One characteristic of hybrids is that they usually attain a higher yield than conventional crops. However, whether it was possible to develop a hybrid of self-pollinating plants such as rice was a matter of great debate. The common assumption then was that it could not be done. Through intense effort, Yuan overcame enormous technical difficulties to develop the first hybrid rice that could be used for farming in 1974. This hybrid enabled farmers to expand their output greatly.
whether it was possible to develop a hybrid of self-pollinating plants 中 whether 引导主语从句，意为"是否"。
注意：引导主语从句只能用 whether，不能用 if。
例：Whether he will come is still unknown. 他是否会来还不知道。
Today, it is estimated that about 60 percent of domestic rice consumption in China is comprised of crops generated from Yuan's hybrid strains, and his strains have allowed China's farmers to produce around 200 million tons of rice per year. Yuan's innovation has helped feed not just China, but many other countries that depend on rice as well, such as India and Vietnam. Because of his invaluable contributions, Yuan Longping has received numerous awards both in China and abroad.
It is estimated that... 中 It 为形式主语，that 从句为真正主语，意为"据估算……"。
类似结构：It is said / reported / believed / known that...
例：It is estimated that the population will reach 8 billion. 据估算人口将达到80亿。
not just...but...as well 并列结构
not just China, but many other countries...as well 意为"不仅中国，还有许多其他国家"，相当于 not only...but also...
例：He speaks not just English but French as well. 他不仅会说英语，还会说法语。
Given that Yuan's hybrids have made him quite wealthy, one might think he would retire to a life of leisure. However, this is far from the case. Deep down, Yuan is still very much a farmer at heart. As a man of the soil, he cares little for celebrity or money. Instead, he makes large donations to support agricultural research.
例：Given that he is young, he has done well. 考虑到他很年轻，他做得很好了。
注意：given 也可接名词短语：given the circumstances 考虑到具体情况。
What impresses people most about Yuan Longping is his ongoing ability to fulfill his dreams. Long ago, he envisioned rice plants as tall as sorghum, with each ear of rice as big as a broom, and each grain of rice as huge as a peanut. He succeeded in producing a kind of rice that could feed more people at home and abroad. His latest vision for "seawater rice" has also become a reality, and potentially opened up nearly one million square kilometres of salty land in China for rice production. Despite his advanced years, Yuan Longping is still young at heart and full of vision, and everyone is waiting to see what he will dream up next.
What impresses people most about Yuan Longping 为 what 引导的主语从句，what 在从句中作主语。
例：What matters most is your attitude. 最重要的是你的态度。
with复合结构
with each ear of rice as big as a broom, and each grain of rice as huge as a peanut 为 with 复合结构（with + 名词 + 形容词短语），作伴随状语。
例：He stood there with his arms crossed. 他双臂交叉站在那里。
要点摘要
袁隆平被誉为杂交水稻之父，自认为农民
目睹粮食危机，选择学习农业以应对
克服巨大技术难题，1974年研制出杂交水稻
杂交水稻养活了中国和多个国家，获奖无数
虽富有但不图名利，捐款支持科研
持续实现梦想：超级稻、海水稻
Reading for Writing
CHEMICAL VERSUS ORGANIC FARMING
化学与有机农业的比较
Chemical pesticides and artificial fertilisers have been in widespread use in farming since the middle of the 20th century. When they were first introduced, many farmers welcomed them as a great way to fight crop disease and increase production. Over time, however, what some scientists have found is that their long-term use can sometimes harm both the land and people's health.
have been in widespread use since the middle of the 20th century 中 since 引导的时间状语要求主句用现在完成时。
例：He has lived here since 2010. 他自2010年以来就住在这里。
主语从句+表语从句
what some scientists have found 为主语从句，that their long-term use can sometimes harm... 为表语从句。
例：What we need is that everyone works together. 我们需要的是每个人都齐心协力。
For example, pesticides can damage the land by killing not only harmful bacteria and insects, but also helpful ones. In addition, these chemicals can stay in the soil and underground water sources for a long time. This affects the crops grown on the land and, in turn, the animals and humans who digest them. Many people worry that these chemicals may make them ill and even cause cancer. In fact, some pesticides like DDT have been prohibited in most countries because of the damage they cause to people and the environment. As for chemical fertilisers, crops grown with them usually grow too fast to be rich in nutrition. They may look beautiful on the outside, but inside there is usually more water than essential minerals, and they often have less flavour as well.
not only harmful bacteria and insects, but also helpful ones 为 not only...but also... 并列结构，连接两个对等成分。
例：He speaks not only English but also French. 他不仅会说英语还会说法语。
too...to... 结构
too fast to be rich in nutrition 为 too...to... 结构，意为"太……以至于不能……"。
例：He is too young to go to school. 他太小了不能上学。
As an alternative, some farmers have switched to organic farming, and many customers have turned to organic food when they shop at the local grocery. Organic farming is simply farming without using any chemicals. Organic farmers focus on keeping their soil rich and free of disease through natural means. For example, many organic farmers use natural waste from animals as fertiliser. This makes the soil in their fields richer in minerals. It also keeps the air, soil, water, and crops free of chemicals.
keeping their soil rich and free of disease 中 rich 和 free of disease 为形容词短语作宾补。
例：Keep the room clean and tidy. 保持房间干净整洁。
Organic farmers also use many other methods to produce rich soil. They often change the kind of crop grown in each field every year. For instance, they may grow corn or wheat in a field one year, and then grow beans there the next. Why different crops are grown is that they put important minerals back into the ground, making it ready again for the next batch of crops. Organic farmers also plant diverse crops that use different depths of soil to help keep it rich. For example, peanuts grow on the ground's surface, but many other vegetables put down deep roots. The goal of using different organic farming methods is to grow good food while avoiding damage to the environment or to people's health.
Why different crops are grown 为主语从句，that they put important minerals back into the ground 为表语从句。
Why + 结果（主句），that + 原因（表从），这是"为什么……是因为……"结构。
例：Why he was late was that his car broke down. 他迟到是因为他的车坏了。
现在分词作结果状语
making it ready again for the next batch of crops 为现在分词短语作结果状语。
例：He studied hard, passing the exam. 他努力学习，通过了考试。
Some people would prefer to stop the use of man-made chemicals in agriculture entirely. What keeps them from doing so is the fact that chemical farming serves the high demand for food around the world. Organic farming is nowhere near able to meet that need. Therefore, there is still a long way to go to find a suitable solution that puts sufficient food on the dinner table while keeping people and the environment as healthy as possible.