4 All About Corn

All About Corn by Christine Keighery Table of Contents Chapter 1 The History of Corn page 2 Chapter 2 Growing Corn page 6 Chapter 3 Many Uses for Corn page 10 Glossary/ Index page 15 Comprehension Check page 16

《关于玉米的一切》作者:Christine Keighery目录表第一章玉米的历史第2页第二章种植玉米第6页第三章玉米的多种用途第10页词汇表/索引第15页理解检查第16页

Chapter 1 The History of Corn Many scientists believe the first corn was grown in Mexico more than 6,000 years ago. Corn helped change how people lived. Before corn, people found food by hunting animals and gathering wild plants. People would move when there was no more food left in a place. And they moved often. But then people learned they could grow corn by dropping seeds into the ground. They became farmers, and moved less often. Aztec people sold corn in markets in Tenochtitlan almost 700 years ago. Tenochtitlan is now the site of Mexico City. Native Americans called corn maize (MAYZ) because it was important to them. Maize means "bread of life." Some Native American groups grew corn. They knew they had to settle in areas where corn grew well. So they picked places that had rich soil, water, and sunshine. Growing corn was hard work. People gained muscles as they planted and cared for the corn. The aroma of cooked corn filled their villages. These Native Americans planted their corn in the spring. Then they picked, or harvested it, in summer. They learned many different uses for corn.

第一章玉米的历史许多科学家认为第一批玉米是6000多年前在墨西哥种植的。 玉米帮助改变了人们的生活方式。 在玉米出现之前，人们通过捕猎动物和采集野生植物来寻找食物。 当一个地方没有更多的食物时，人们就会搬家。 他们经常搬家。但后来人们知道他们可以通过把种子撒到地里来种植玉米。 他们成为了农民，搬迁的次数减少了。 大约700年前，阿兹特克人在特诺奇蒂特兰的市场上出售玉米。 特诺奇蒂特兰现在是墨西哥城的所在地。 美洲原住民称玉米为玉米(MAYZ)，因为玉米对他们很重要。 玉米的意思是“生命之粮”。 一些美洲原住民种植玉米。 他们知道他们必须定居在玉米生长良好的地区。 所以他们选择了土壤肥沃、水源充足、阳光充足的地方。 种玉米是一项艰苦的工作。 人们在种植和照料玉米的过程中获得了肌肉。 他们的村庄里弥漫着煮熟玉米的香气。 这些印第安人在春天种植玉米。 然后他们在夏天采摘或收割。 他们学会了玉米的许多不同用途。

Some Native Americans used corn to make bread, soup, and other foods. They would trade corn and use it as money. They often had festivals to celebrate the corn harvest. They told stories about corn and performed corn dances. Some Native Americans also used corn to make things. They wrapped the husks to make dolls. They wove the leaves into baskets. They used corn silk to stuff bedding. They even used the stalks to make roofs. Native Americans taught the early settlers how to grow corn. The settlers might have died without corn to eat. Corn was the main food for Native Americans. Colored corn is often used for decorations. It is a sign of the fall season. Corn Cares About 500 years ago, explorers took corn seeds from Cuba to Spain. Soon corn was grown all over Europe. But many people didn't like it. Some even thought it would kill them. They worried that the plant was poisonous! Today, corn is grown all around the world. Only rice is grown in larger amounts than corn. Farmers grow many different kinds of corn. Corn is not only yellow. It can also be red, black, blue, or white. It can even be striped, streaked, or spotted.

一些美洲原住民用玉米制作面包、汤和其他食物。 他们会交易玉米，把玉米当钱用。 他们经常举行庆祝玉米丰收的节日。 他们讲述关于玉米的故事，表演玉米舞蹈。 一些美洲原住民也用玉米来制造东西。 他们把外壳包起来做洋娃娃。 他们把树叶编成篮子。 他们用玉米丝做被褥。 他们甚至用茎秆做屋顶。 美国原住民教早期移民如何种植玉米。 移民们可能死的时候没有玉米吃。 玉米是印第安人的主要食物。 彩色玉米常被用作装饰。 这是秋天的标志。 大约500年前，探险家们将玉米种子从古巴带到西班牙。 不久，欧洲各地都种植了玉米。 但是很多人不喜欢它。 有些人甚至认为这会杀死他们。 他们担心这种植物有毒!今天，世界各地都在种植玉米。 只有水稻的种植量比玉米大。 农民种植许多不同种类的玉米。 玉米不仅是黄色的。它也可以是红色、黑色、蓝色或白色。 它甚至可以是条纹、条纹或斑点。

Chapter 2 Growing Corn Corn is part of the grass family. It is related to wheat and rice. Growing corn can be easy. The plants need sunshine, water, and protection from the wind. They also have to be protected from being eaten by insects, birds, and other animals. More corn is grown in the United States than in any other country. The area where the most corn is grown is called the "Corn Belt." The Corn Belt includes Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. It also includes parts of Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Kentucky, and Missouri. Corn Belt yellow husk silk cob kernels The husks and silk protect the kernels. The husks are smooth, not prickly. Corn grows from seeds. Farmers first plant their seeds in the spring. They carefully watch and water the crops. Then they wait for seedlings to grow. The seedlings sprout up in 6 to 10 days. Around two months later, the seedlings grow into strong cornstalks. Next, blooming buds appear on each stalk. Flowers sprout from the top to form tassels. In around two more months, there will be full-grown ears of corn. Finally, farmers harvest their corn. Some farmers have such large fields of corn that they have to use huge machines to pick their corn.

玉米是草科植物的一部分。 它与小麦和大米有关。 种玉米很容易。植物需要阳光、水和防风。 还必须保护它们不被昆虫、鸟类和其他动物吃掉。 美国种植的玉米比其他任何国家都多。 种植玉米最多的地区被称为“玉米带”。 玉米带包括爱荷华州、伊利诺伊州、印第安纳州和俄亥俄州。 它还包括明尼苏达州、南达科他州、内布拉斯加州、堪萨斯州、威斯康星州、密歇根州、肯塔基州和密苏里州的部分地区。 玉米带黄壳蚕丝玉米粒外壳和蚕丝保护玉米粒。 外壳光滑，不带刺。 玉米由种子长成。农民首先在春天播种。 他们仔细地观察和浇灌庄稼。 然后他们等待幼苗生长。 幼苗在6到10天内发芽。 大约两个月后，幼苗会长成结实的玉米秆。 接下来，每根茎上都出现了花蕾。 花朵从顶部发芽形成流苏。 再过两个多月，玉米穗就会完全长成。 最后，农民收割他们的玉米。 一些农民的玉米田非常大，以至于他们不得不使用巨大的机器来采摘玉米。

You can grow your own corn. Choose a time of year when the weather is likely to stay warm. Cold weather can kill your plant. Follow these steps. 1. Save an uncooked corn kernel from your dinner. This is actually the seed from which the plant grows. 2. Plant the kernel in soil in a flower pot. 3. Put the pot in a sunny place. Add a bit of water. A seedling will appear in around six to ten days. 4. Once a seedling appears, water your plant every day. 5. Transplant your plant into a garden. This will give it more room to grow. After that, keep watering, and watch your plant grow! 6. Look at your plant every day. When the silk turns golden brown, it's almost time to pick your corn. 7. Peel some of the husk back. Check to see if the kernels are ripe. The kernels should look like teeth. 8. Pull the corn cob out with its husk. Cook it and enjoy it! Fresh Off the Plant Corn should be eaten as soon as it is picked. Writer Mark Twain joked that you should boil a pot of water in a cornfield, pick the ears, boil them, and eat them right there.

你可以自己种玉米。 选择一年中天气可能保持温暖的时间。 寒冷的天气会杀死你的植物。 遵循以下步骤。1. 晚餐留一颗生玉米粒。 这实际上是植物生长的种子。 2. 把玉米粒种在花盆里的土壤里。 3.把罐子放在阳光充足的地方。 加一点水。幼苗将在6到10天左右出现。 4. 一旦幼苗长出来，每天浇水。 5. 把你的植物移植到花园里。 这将给它更多的成长空间。 在那之后，继续浇水，看着你的植物生长!6. 每天看看你的植物。 当蚕丝变成金黄色时，就差不多可以摘玉米了。 7. 剥去一些外壳。 看看玉米粒熟了没有。 果仁看起来应该像牙齿。 8. 把玉米棒连壳一起拔出来。 烹饪并享受它!刚摘下来的玉米应该一摘下来就吃。 作家马克·吐温开玩笑说，你应该在玉米地烧开一壶水，挖出耳朵，煮熟，然后就在那里吃。