READING

Task 1.

Read the text carefully!

The vast archipelago and the great of islands have made Indonesia the home of a large variety of plant life. The Indonesian flora ranges from the tiny orchid to the giant rafflesia plant. No wonder many botanists were curious to study these plants.

The Rafflesia Arnoldi is the biggest flower in the world. It is unusual because of its large size. It has flower almost a meter in diameter and 1,40 meters in height.

“Rafflesia” is derived from the name of British Governor General, Sir Stamford Raffles, who once governed and built the Bogor Botanical Garden in Bogor. Though it is called Rafflesia after Raffles, the man who discovered the plants was Beccary, an Italian botanist who visited Sumatra in 1928.

Rafflesia consists of two parts which grow in the middle and the petals arround and bellows it.

The Rafflesia plant begins to flowers in its tenth year. It blooms three or four times a year. Before it begins to flower, the leaves and the stem become dry and look dead, but the main root in the ground is still alive.

While the flower is blossoming, it has a very unpleasant smell which attracts insects, especially green flies. They seem eager to explore the flower. But if the flies touch the bottom part of the stick like centre, they will die.

Task 2

Choose the correct answer based on the text!

1. The text above tells us about…

a. Indonesia plant

b. Indonesia flower

c. Indonesia fauna

d. Rafflesia

2. The biggest flower is Rafflesia. “Biggest” is the same meaning as…

a. Tiny

b. Smallest

c. big

d. giant

3. Who built Botanical Garden in Bogor?

a. Beccary

b. Indonesian people

c. Sir, Thomas Stamford Raffles

d. Italian Botanist

4. Where did Beccary discover Rafflesia?

a. in Java

b. in Sumatra

c. in Bogor

d. in Kalimantan

5. Rafflesia has a…

a. fragrant smell

b. sweet smell

c. good smell

d. very unpleasant smell