People all over the world eat rice．Millions of people in Asia, Africa and South America eat it every day．Some people eat almost nothing but rice．

Rice is a kind of grain．There are more than 7000 kinds of rice．Farmers grow rice in many countries, even in the southern part of the United States and in eastern Australia．

No one really knows where rice came from．Some scientists think that it started to grow in two places．They think that one kind of rice grew in southern Asia thousands of years ago, another kind probably grew in West Africa．Other scientists think that rice came from India, and Indian travelers took it to other parts of the world．

People in many countries do all the work hundreds of years ago, but in some countries, people now use machines on their rice farms．

Rice plants can be very useful to people．They can be used to make animal food and rice oil．People also make baskets, brooms and roofs for their houses．They burn dry rice plants for cooking．

任务一：根据短文内容，回答l—2小题。

1．How many kinds of rice are there?

2．Where do scientists think rice came from?

任务二：根据短文内容，判断正(T)误(F)。

3．Farmers used machines on their rice farms to grow rice hundreds of years ago．

任务三：将画线部分译成汉语。

4．                                    

任务四：请给出文章标题。

5．                                     

　 An Englishman named PhilShaw invented extreme ironing in 1997 because he was bored doing ironing at home.

　 Extreme ironing is a special kind of outdoor sport. It combines (使结合) danger and excitement with practical ironing.

　 Who does extreme ironing? People all over the world who like danger do it. There are about l,000 people around the world who do extreme ironing. There are extreme ironing clubs and groups in Britain, Germany, South Africa, New Zealand and the United States. You don't have to have any special qualifications (资格证明)to do it. In fact, anyone can do it. However, it is better to start ironing in your back yard before you start to iron on top of a mountain.

　 There are, of course, some rules in extreme ironing. The ironing must be outdoor. You must take an iron, an ironing board, and something that you actually iron to get the wrinkles out. Outdoors includes faraway and unusual places, such as on top of a mountain, while skiing, snowboarding, skydiving, or under water. There are no limits. The more unusual the better. However, you should plan carefully because weather conditions can suddenly change on mountains, for example. You should not do extreme ironing on your own.

　 What kind of things should you have? You must have a real iron. Travel irons are acceptable. You must not use plastic or toy irons. The clothes you iron must be at least the size of a hand towel. It shouldn't be just a handkerchief. The board doesn't have to be fullsize board, but that is preferred. It must be one metre long and thirty centimeters wide and have legs. You must also have proof of ironing that is either a photo or a video, and it should show a recognizable landmark. Be aware that people have already ironed near the top of Everest, the highest mountain in the world, and in the Blue Hole in Egypt, one of the most dangerous places to dive. However, there are still many records to break. Iron on!

53. Where did Phil Shaw usually do ironing before 1997?

　 A. At home.　 　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. On top of a mountain.

　 C. In faraway places.　 　　　　　 D. In ironing clubs and groups.

54. Which is the best advice for beginners to do extreme ironing?

　 A. Doing extreme ironing alone.

　 B. Beginning ironing in their back yards.

　 C. Starting ironing on top of a mountain.

D. Joining extreme ironing clubs or groups first.

55. What must you do in extreme ironing?

　 A. Iron outdoor.　 　　　　　　　　　 B. Iron in good weather.

　 C. Dive in the Blue Hole.　 　　　 D. Ski near a mountain.

56. How do extreme ironers feel when they do the sport?

　 A. They feel bored with extreme ironing.

　 B. They feel very frightened near the top of Everest.

　 C. They feel excited although it is dangerous.

　 D. They feel lonely in the places far away from their homes.