SUMMARY PASSAGE Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions on it. The coconut...

SUMMARY PASSAGE

Read the
following passage carefully and answer the questions on it.

The coconut palm has a catalogue of practical uses. It is not
surprising, then, that the palm has been called a tree of plenty, and the milk
bottle on the doorstep of mankind.

Kenyan people have been using coconuts in their kitchen for
ages. Because the shell is very hard and quite durable, it serves as cups,
spoons and ladles. The larger shells are used for soup bowls and scoops. A part
of pupils’ education in schools was to learn how to design and make them items
for home use.

The coconut tree wood; which is hard and tough, is used for
rafters, supports pilings, posts and various other building components.

What about the palm fronds? In most villages, there are women
who earn a living by hand plaiting these leaves and making them into large
shingles-like pieces of roofing materials. Even though a house may be fully
exposed to the blazing tropical sun, inside the house, the occupants will be
cool and comfortable. The thatched roof not only shields them from the sun but
also allows the breeze in to cool the house. It is hard to imagine a more
efficient roof.

Let us not forget the coconut husks. These are obtained by
impaling the coconut on a sharp wooden or iron spike fixed to the ground. We
take the coconut with both hands, thrust it downward against the spike and
twist it so that the husk is loosened from the actual nut. The husk yields a
beautiful golden fibre, which can be used for making floor mats, rugs, carpets,
brushes, brooms and even stuffing for mattresses.

The coconut is also an important part of the diet and is
consumed at almost all the stages of its growth. The immature coconut (called
dafy in the local language, Kiswahili) contains a pure, wholesome and nutritious
beverage having a very pleasant taste. The beverage can be served in its
natural container simply by punching a hole in the top of the nut – just the
right drink for tropical thirst! The famed explorer, Marco Polo, reportedly
said concerning this drink: the liquid is as clear as water, cool and better flavoured and more delicious
than wine or any other kind of drink.

Tourists often express similar sentiments when they sip this
local beverage for the first time. When the liquid is finished, a broken part
of the shell can be used to scoop out the gelatinous pulp. This is tender,
sweet and refreshing. While the delicacies of the immature are a novelty for
visitors, for coastal dwellers the beverage is an everyday drink and it is
greatly appreciated when drinking water is scarce.

The most valuable part of the mature coconut is its fruit. It
may be eaten as it comes from the shell, grated and used in various dishes, or
pressed to extract its precious milk.

Traditionally, coconut milk has been added to enhance the flavour
of fish, chicken, beans rice, potatoes, cassava and bread. It also does wonders
for the taste of curry.

No wonders an old Kenyan proverb says: He who plants a
coconut tree plants … food and drink, a habitation for himself and a heritage
for his children.

QUESTION

In five sentences, one for each, summarise the uses of the
different parts of the coconut tree.?

In English Language
1 Answers Available
Asked by Funmeh on 13th August, 2023