1.I know some children who are very fond of growing seeds of all kinds in pots.Sometimes they fill a flower-pot rather more than half-full with moist①sand.On the top of this damp sand they sprinkle some grains of barley，and then they cover them well with more sand.
2.The sand is kept moist，and in a week or two the children are glad to see pretty little green shoots of grass growing up.
3.But can grass come from barley seeds？Yes；barley is a kind of grass.And wheat，oats，rye，rice，and maize are also grasses，which once grew wild in the fields.These grasses have now been taken care of，or cultivated，for thousands of years；and so they have become much larger than the grasses which we still find growing wild in the lanes and meadows.
AN EAR
（麦芒）
4.We shall not likely get barley plants grown in pots to produce flowers or seeds；for to do that they need the earth，and the rain，①Moist，damp；slightly wet.
and the bright sunshine，which they get in the open fields.
5.The barley plant has long slender green leaves，and a hollow，jointed stem.At the top of each stem，a number of tiny green flowers grow one above another in the form of a spike.Each little flower forms a seed；and then the flowers drop off，and the seeds swell，while the green stem turns to yellow straw.Each seed of barley ends in a sort ofbristle①，called an awn.
6.Do you remember how insects help flowers to form their seeds by carrying pollen②from one blossom to another？
7.But grasses do not need the help of insects to form their seeds.So they have no bright flowers.It is the wind that carries their pollen from one flower to another.
8.As the little green flowers that form eachBARLEY PLANT（大麦植株）“ear”of barley grow one above another，the least breath of air is enough to blow the pollen from the flowers near the top of the ear to those lower down.
9.The farmer sows his barley seeds in the freshly-ploughed fields in March，and the ripe grain is ready to be reaped or cut down in August.
10.After the barley has been cut down or reaped，the farmer thrashes③it，to beat the grains or seeds out of the ears.Most of the barley is bought by brewers④，and is made into malt⑤.Fromthis our ale or malt beer is made.
①Bristle，part sticking up.
②Pollen，yellow dust found in flowers.
③Thrashes，beats out the seeds from the ear.
④Brewers，men who brew or make ale or beer.
⑤Malt，barley or other grain steeped in water till it begins to sprout，and then dried to stop the growth.
11.Barley is a very good food when it is used in soup or broth.In some places people also make bread and cakes out of barley-flour.For this purpose the grains of barley must first be ground to a fine flour by the miller.
SUMMARY
Barley is a kind of cultivated grass.It has long，slender，green leaves，and a hollow and jointed stem.At the top of each stem，tiny green flowers grow one above another in the form of a spike，which is called the ear.Like other grasses，the pollen of barley is carried by the wind，and not by insects.The seeds of barley are sown in March，and the plant is ready to be reaped in August.It is used for food in various forms.
【中文阅读】
1．我认识一些小朋友，他们非常喜欢在花盆里种花，什么种子都种。有时候他们在花盆里装上大半盆湿沙子，在沙子上面撒上点儿大麦粒，再用沙子盖住。
2．保持沙子的湿润，过一两个星期，小朋友们就能高兴地看见，绿色的草芽长出来啦！
3．但是，大麦粒也能长出草来么？能。大麦也是一种草。小麦、燕麦、黑麦、稻米、玉米也都是草，以前是在野地里野生的。人类的祖先把这些野草栽种，也就是“培养”了上千年，于是它们长得比野草个头大多了。现在，我们在乡间小路和草地上，还能找到这些野草呢。①4．花盆里的大麦植株，是不大可能开花结果的，因为，大麦要开花结果，需要足够的泥土、雨水，还有明亮的阳光；这些只有在屋外的田野里才能得到。
5．大麦植株，长着又细又长的绿叶，和一个中空、分节的茎。茎的顶端，有很多绿色的小花，上下排列，样子就像一个锥子②。每朵花都会长出一个种子，然后花就凋谢了。种子会长大，绿色的茎也会变成黄色的麦秆。每个大麦粒的末端都是一根又长又硬的毛，叫做“麦芒”（awn）。
6．小朋友，还记得昆虫是怎么帮助花朵长种子的吗？它们把花粉从一朵花运到另一朵花。
7．但是，大麦这样的植物，并不需要昆虫来帮助传粉，所以没有艳丽的花朵，而是靠“风力”把花粉从一朵花运到另一朵花的。③8．大麦的每一个麦穗上的绿色小花，上下排列着开放的时候，只需要一点儿小风，就能把麦穗顶端的花的花粉，吹到下面的花上。④9．阳历三月，农民把大麦种子播到刚刚耕过的农田里，在阳历八月，成熟的麦子就可以收割了。⑤10．麦子砍下来、收割以后，农民会用力抽打麦子，让麦粒，或者大麦种子，从麦穗上脱离。大麦多数都让酿酒的人买去制作麦芽了。麦芽酒，也叫啤酒，就是用麦芽酿出来的。⑥译注①中国在5000年前就开始种植大麦了。现在，中国的大麦主要分布在长江流域、黄河流域和青藏高原。
②学名叫“穗轴”。
③利用昆虫传粉的花叫“虫媒花”，利用风力传粉的花叫“风媒花”。
④植物的传粉分为“自花传粉”和“异花传粉”。前者是指“花粉从花粉囊散出之后，落到同一朵花的柱头上”；后者是指“花粉落到同一植株或者不同植株花朵的柱头上”。大麦主要是“自花传粉”。
⑤这是英国的情况，这种春天3-4月播种的大麦叫春大麦，中国南方还有10-11月播种的秋大麦。
⑥这个过程叫“打麦”，现代叫“脱粒”。宋代的诗人张舜民有一首诗《打麦》，开头就生动地写出了打麦的声音：“打麦打麦、彭彭魄魄，声在山南应在北”。在以前的中国，除了打麦，人们更常用的脱粒的办法，是用碌碡（）来轧。当然，现代的脱粒已经完全机械化了。大麦除了酿酒之外，还可以用来做饲料和食品。在现在的中国，只有一小部分大麦用来酿酒。
GETTING UP STEAM
