Bananas are widely believed to grow on trees: this is incorrect. The banana is a plant which finishes all its growth in one year, reaching a height of 30 feet. Bananas have a subterranean stem from which come large, green leaves. The plant reaches its maturity in about 18 months.
As the bunches of bananas mature and the fruit develops, they can be propped un with poles and covered with blue polyethylene bags. These prevent bruising, protect against the frost and speed ripening by increasing heat and humidity.
Once the banana plant has produced its fruit, the mother plant dies and is replaced by pups (sucker plants). These grow next to the parent and make a new generation of banana plants.
Task 1: Questions (choose the correct letter a, b, c or d):
1. What does "this" in line 1 refer to?
a) the belief that bananas grow on trees.
b) certain beliefs about bananas.
c) widelv-held beliefs about banana trees.
d) the belief that bananas do not grow on trees.
2. What would be the best title for the first paragraph?
a) beliefs about banana plants.
b) the growth of a banana plant to maturity.
c) a year in the life of a banana plant.
d) banana plants: from growth to maturity.
3. Why are blue polyethylene bags mentioned in paragraph 2?
a) they are used to prop up bananas.
b) they protect growing bananas and speed ripening.
c) they help increase heat and humidity and so prevent bruising.
d) bunches of bananas are always covered with them.
4. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
a) How the banana fruit produces its fruit?
b) How a sucker plant is called a pup.
c) The death of mother plants.
d) The growth of sucker plants.
5. Another way of expressing the last sentence is:
a) sucker plants grow beside the parent plant and create new banana plants.
b) a new generation of parent plants grows next to the sucker plants.
c) growing next to the parent plant helps sucker plants make a new generation of banana plants.
d)parent plants have sucker plants growing beside them; two generations of plants thus grow together.