张锦

当你穿越秦岭-淮河线时，你会发现在此线的南北两面，农业差异明显。我们可以将此归因于气候差异。北方的气候更干燥、寒冷，而南方则相反，这种差异导致了不同类型的农业。

1 China， or officially the Peoples Republic of China， is a country in East Asia that is home to more than 1.4 billion people. Geographers demarcate the North and South with the Qinling mountain range and the Huai River. This is known as the Qinling?Huaihe Line， and it is an indicator of cultural and economic differences between North and South China.

2 North China is where the big cities like Tianjin and the nations capital Beijing are located， though it also includes farming provinces such as Hebei and Henan provinces through which the Yellow River runs. North China relies on its economy of agriculture and industrial?based services such as energy and manufacturing plants.

3 In addition， since North China has a different climate than South China， people living in North China grow and produce different foods. In the North， crops are limited due to the colder and drier climate. Grains such as wheat are produced and corn， maize and root vege?tables are grown. Wheat is a staple crop in North China and many meals made of it are considered starchy （富含淀粉的）. People living in North China eat more steamed bread， noodles， dumplings and other wheat and grain foods. Fruits are limited， but most apples， melons and peaches grow in North China. People from North China focus on the fullness after a meal.

4 Due to the usually cold and dry climate up North， people living in North China also consume a lot of red meat （mutton and pork） and dairy products （cheese， butter and yogurt） since fat and protein strengthen their body for the chilly weather. During friend or family gatherings， whether they are for a holiday or a typical day， dishes are served in large portions and liquor is drunk from big bowls， specifically in Inner Mongolia， where a whole roast lamb is served on occasions.

[Reading][Check]

Ⅰ. Choose the best answers according to the text.

Vocabulary 1. What does the underlined word “demarcate” in paragraph 1 mean？

A. Give a clear definition.

B. Compare different places.

C. Mark the limits of an area.

D. Start to analyze immediately.

Gist 2. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about？

A. The location of North China.

B. The characteristics of North China.

C. The population of North China.

D. The agriculture in North China.

Detail 3. Whats the main crop for people from North China？

A. Root vegetables. B. Peanuts.

C. Rice. D. Wheat.

Detail 4. Why do people in North China eat a lot of red meat？

A. Because of the cold weather.

B. Because of special occasions.

C. Because of a fixed lifestyle.

D. Because of the culture.

Ⅱ. Discussion

Are you from North China？ Do you like the foods in North China？ And why？

[Language][Study]

Ⅰ. Discover useful structures in the text

1. “介词through+which”引导的定语从句

North China is where the big cities like Tianjin and the nations capital Beijing are located， though it also includes farming provinces such as Hebei and Henan provinces through which the Yellow River runs. 華北是天津和这个国家的首都北京等大城市的所在地，但也包括农业省份，如黄河流经的河北省和河南省。

2. whether...or...引导让步状语从句，意为“不管”

During friend or family gatherings， whether they are for a holiday or a typical day， dishes are served in large portions and liquor is drunk from big bowls， specifically in Inner Mongolia， where a whole roast lamb is served on occasions. 在朋友或家人聚会期间，无论是节日还是普通日子，菜肴都是大分量的，酒也是用大碗喝的，特别是在内蒙古，在一些场合，会供应烤全羊。

Ⅱ. Text?centered chunks

refer to sb/sth （as sth） 谈及；提到

be home to 是……的故乡/所在地/发源地

be known as 被称为；以……知名；被认为是

rely on 依靠；信赖

in addition 此外；另外；除……以外

due to 由于

focus on 专注于；关注；聚焦于