阅读短文,根据短文内容和已给出的首字母,在空白处填入适当的单词。将完整的单词写在短文后面的横线上。

Bamboo is one of nature's most surprising plants. Many people call this plant a tree, but it is a k  1   of grass.

Like other kinds of grass, a bamboo plant may be cut very low to the g  2  , but it will grow back very quickly. A Japanese scientist reported one bamboo plant which grew 1.5 meters (4 feet) in 24 hours! Bamboo grows almost e  3   in the world except Europe. There are more than 1,000 kinds of bamboo. 

Not all bamboo looks the same. Some bamboo plants are very thin. They may only grow to be a few centimeters(厘米) wide w  4   others may grow to more than 30 centimeters (1 foot) across. This plant also comes in different colors, from yellow to black to green.  

Bamboo has been used to make many things s  5   as hats and kitchen tools. Because it is strong, bamboo is also used to build buildings.

Many Asian countries have used bamboo for h  6   of years. They often use bamboo for buildings and supporting (支撑) new buildings and bridges while they are being b  7  . 

In Africa, poor farmers are taught how to find water using bamboo. These African countries need cheap way to find water b  8   they have no money, and their fields often die from no rain and no water. Bamboo pipes (管子) help poor farmers bring water to their t  9   fields without s  10   a lot of money.

1. kind      2. ground    3. everywhere   4.while      5. such    

6. hundreds  7. built      8. because      9. thirsty     10. spending