Level 2 · Reading series
Lesson 29 · The Plant Bent Toward Light
Audio track 29
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I put a small plant in a box. There was only one hole on the left side, so light came in from there.
Two days later, the plant was not standing straight. It bent toward the hole.
My teacher said plants need light to make food. They do not have eyes, but they can respond to light.
I turned the box around. After a few days, the plant slowly changed direction again.
It was quiet, but it was moving toward what it needed.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
我把一株小植物放进盒子里。盒子左侧只有一个洞，光从那里照进来。
两天后，植物不再直直地站着，而是朝洞口弯了过去。
老师说，植物需要光来制造养分。它们没有眼睛，却能对光作出反应。
我把盒子转了个方向。又过了几天，植物慢慢地再次改变了生长方向。
它很安静，却一直朝着自己需要的东西生长。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- bend
- 弯曲；植物没有继续笔直生长。
- toward
- 朝向；bent toward the hole 是‘朝洞口弯去’。
- hole
- 洞；盒子上唯一进光的开口。
- left side
- 左侧；洞起初位于盒子左边。
- come in
- 进来；光从洞口照进盒子。
- stand straight
- 直立；植物后来不再站得笔直。
- make food
- 制造养分；课文用 make food 作简化表达。
- respond to
- 对……作出反应；植物能响应光照。
- turn ... around
- 把……转过来；改变盒子朝向。
- direction
- 方向；植物后来改变生长方向。
Background notes (Chinese)
植物的生长方向会受到光照影响。盒子只从一侧透光，让变化更容易观察；转动盒子后，光来的方向变了，植物后来又朝新的方向生长。