Bamboo(竹)isoneofthenature’smostsurprisingplants.Manypeoplecallthisplantatreebutitisakindofgrass.
Likeotherkindsofgrassabambooplantmaybecutverylowtothegroundbutitwillgrowbackveryquickly.AJapanesescientistrecordedonebambooplantthatgrewalmost1.5metersin24hours!BamboogrowsalmosteverywhereintheworldexceptEurope(欧洲).Therearemorethan1000kindsofbamboothatgrowaroundtheworldonbothmountainsandplains.
Notallbamboolooksthesame.Somebambooplantsareverythin.Theymayonlygrowtobeafewcentimeters(厘米)widewhileothersmaygrowtomorethan30centimetersacross.Thisplantalsocomesindifferentcolorsfromyellowtoblacktogreen.
ManyAsiancountrieshavebeenusingbambooforhundredsofyears.Theyoftenusebambooforbuildingnewbuildings.Asamatteroffactthecables(绳索)holdupthehangingbridgeacrosstheMinRiverinSichuanaremadeofbamboo.Thebridgehasbeeninuseformorethan1000yearsandisstillholdingstrong.
InAfricaengineersareteachingpoorfarmershowtofindwaterusingbamboo.TheseAfricancountriesneedcheapwaystofindwaterbecausetheyhavenomoneyandtheirfieldsoftendiefromnorainandnowater.Itseemsthatbambooisoneofthebestthingstheycanuse.Bamboopipesanddrills(钻)canhelptomakethepoorthirstyfieldsbewatered.
【小题1】Howisbamboolikegrass?