英语听力学习China Revealed.docx

英语听力学习China Revealed.docx

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英语听力学习ChinaRevealed

TASTEOTHERCULTURES

Couplinginsightfulstorytellingwithspectacularandgroundbreakingphotographictechniques,DiscoveryAtlas:

ChinaRevealedbringstolifethefascinatingandcomplexcontemporarylifeofthisextraordinarycountry.

（0）

China,theoldestcivilizationonEarth,alandfoundedonextraordinarycustomsandritual,celebratedinmonumentswithoutequal,preservedinthousandsofyearsoflearning.

Acountrythatishometothegreatestpopulationontheplanet-1.3billionpeople.Anationthatissaidtobecometheworld'snextsuperpower.

Thisisthestoryofthefastest-growingcountryonEarth,ofthedreamsandchallengesdrivingitspeople,ofindividualstruggleandtriumph.

Howistheworld'slargestcommuniststatebecomingitsmostpowerfuleconomy?

Canthisancientcivilizationsurviveitsbreakneckjourneyintothefuture?

Andwhatisthepriceofthiswhirlwindofchange?

ThisisthestoryofthegreatesttransformationonEarthandofthepeoplelivinginitsheart.ThisisthestoryoflifebehindtheGreatWall.

wordstochew:

1/breakneck:

movingatveryhighspeed;"abreakneckpace"

2/awhirlwindof...:

somethingthatisasrapidasawhirlwind

（1）

Dawn,thePeople'sRepublicofChina.AcrossthecityofShanghai,thousandsgatheredtopracticetheancientartofTaiChi.Overathousandmilesaway,Mongoliannomadsprepareforthebiggesthorseraceintheworld.InBeijing,theForbiddenCityopensitsdoorstotensofthousandsoftourists.Tothewest,inLanzhousteelworks,No.5furnacecomesonline.Andinthesamemoment,12-year-oldJinYangdreamsofOlympicglory.XiaoCuiperfectsakungfumovefivecenturiesold.AndbillionairepropertytycoonVincentLowseesafutureoflimitlessopportunity.

ItisnowpredictedthattheChineseeconomywillbecomethelargestintheworldinlittlemorethantwentyyears.Chinaalreadyconsumesmorethanonethirdoftheworld'ssteelandalmosthalfoftheworld'sconcrete.

Inanysingleminute,theChinesenationnowburnsalmost2,500tonsofcoal,24millionwattsofelectricityand210,000gallonsofcrudeoil.

Ithasbeenestimatedthatwithin30yearswewillneedanotherplanetearthtosatisfyChina'sever-growingappetiteforrawmaterials.

Butforallthisextraordinaryexplosionofindustry,Chinastillrestsontraditionsthatarethousandsofyearsold.

InthefarsouthofChinaliethepaddyfieldsofLongShan.Andhereit'sthefirstdayoftheannualriceplanting.

Thisisabusyseasonforus.Thisisthetimeofayearthateverythingneedstobeplantedoutinallthefieldsandthericepaddies

wordstochew:

1/butfor:

although,inspiteof

2/paddyfield:

ricefield

paddy:

anirrigatedorfloodedfieldwherericeisgrown

（2）

Mrs.LiaoandherfamilyareplantingoneofthestaplefoodsofallChina-rice.Theyhaveworkedtheseterracesalloftheirlives,andtheirfamilieshavelivedhereforover20generations.Thisworkisintheirblood.

Wegetupatsix.Assoonasweeatbreakfastweheadouttothefields.Wedon'tcomebackhomeuntil8or8:

30.Onlyuslocalscouldhandlethework,youcitytypeswouldn'tbeabletokeepup.

ThericeterracesofLongshanareanagriculturalwonder.Floatinghighabovetheclouds,stretchingalong20milesofpeaks,theseterraceshavebecomeknownasthedragon'sback.Chinesefarmerscarvedthesepaddiesfromthesteepslopesofavastmountainrangealmosteightcenturiesago,shiftinghundredsofthousandsoftonsofearth.Butallofthislaborwasforgoodreason.Forallofitsvastarea,lessthan10%ofChinacanactuallybefarmed.Everyusablepieceoflandhastobeputundertheplough.Andifaharvestfails,theeffectscanbedevastating.Mrs.Liaocanstillremembertheterriblefamineof1959.

Lifewasveryharshbackthen.Therewasnothinginthericefields,andthenmanypeopleinourvillagestarvedtodeath.Mygrandmotherdiedofstarvation.

（3）

FourgenerationsoftheLiaofamilystilllivetogether.Atthetimeofthericeplanting,theygettogetherforafamilyfeasttocelebratetheharvesttocome.Aspartofthecelebration,theycooktraditionalricedumplingwrappedinleaves.Thisancientpracticeisstillapowerfulsymbolofafamily'swealthandsuccess.

Everychildtakesthespecialdumplingtoschoolonthedayafterthefeast.It'slikeagreatbigcompetition,theyallshowoffandcomparethemwitheachothertoseewhohasgotthebiggestandthebestone.

GrandpaLiaoisheadofthefamily.HeisalsoaleadingfigureinthelocalCommunistParty.HeisresponsibleforrelayingdetailsoftheParty'spoliciestotheremotereachesoftheDragon'sBack.He'sfoundtheperfectwaytogettheParty'sdirectivesouttohisfellowfarmers.Heturnsthemintosimpleslogansandpoems.

Growingcropswillincreaseourfood,soeveryfamilyneedsaplanthat'sgood.Youcanrelaxatharvestandastoreofcropsmeanscashtospend.

Mr.Liaohassethisblackboardoutonthevillagesquarefortwodecadesnow,adirectconnectionwiththeCommunistPartyheadquartersinBeijing,athousandmilesaway.

In2004,IwashonouredasanoutstandingPartymember.Iputthecertificateuponthewall,sotheyoungermembersofthefamilycanseewhattheirgranddadhasachieved.

Until1978,theCommunistPartydirectlycontrolledallofChina'sland.Butthentheyannouncedanextraordinarychangeinpolicy.ThePartydecidedtohandthelandovertothepeasantstorunthemselves.Theaveragepeasantincomerocketedbymorethan1500%,andthelivesofLiaofamilychangedbeyondallrecognition.

Eversincethelandwasprivatized,lifehasbeengettingbetterandbetter.

Wenoweatmuchbetter.wenoweatbetterandwehavebetterclothes.

Nowwe'veevenboughtafridgeandaTV.

ButiflifeisimprovedinChina'sruralheartland,thegreatestrevolutionhasoccured.

（4）

（Thegreatestrevolutionhasoccurred）inthecities.TheretheCommunistPartyhastoldentrepreneurstobuildtheirownbusinesses,announcingthattogetrichisglorious.ThishasledtooneofthegreatestmigrationsinhumanhistoryastensofmillionsofChinesehaveabandonedthetraditionalfarminglifetoseektheirfortunesinChina'sgreatcities.

SongFengcametoShanghaifromthecountrysidealmostayearago.Herehehopedtofindwealthandsuccess.Littledidheknowhewouldendupdoingoneofthemostperilousjobsinthecity.

It'sareallydangerousjob.That'stheworstthingaboutit.ThefirsttimeIsteppedintothebasket,IwasterrifiedthatIwouldfallout.Whenyouarelowerdowntheropeandyouhitsomething,it'sreallyfrightening.Nowmyheartdoesn'traceasmuch.Nowit'sjustlikestandingontheground.

Already8timesthesizeofNewYorkcity,Shanghaiisexpandingeveryday.Investorsarepouringmorethan10billiondollarsayearintothecity,raisingaskyline,theequalofanyintheworld.Inapopulationofover20million,over3millionaremigrantworkerslikeSongFeng,butit'safarcryfromthesmallruraltownwherehegrewup.

WhenIfirstcametoShanghai,Ifeltcompletelylost.Shanghaierstendtopushoutsidersaway.Gettingtoknowpeoplehereisdifficult.

Andalthoughheisearningmorecashthanheevercouldathomeevenasawindowcleaner,SongFengisstillpayingahighpriceforhismonthsaway.

Thehardestthingisnotseeingmydaughterwhoisjustsoadorable.Sheonlyneedstosmiletomakemeforgetalltheworriesinmylife.

Injustafewweeks,SongFengwillseehisdaughterforthefirsttimeinmonthswhenheheadshometocelebrateChineseNewYear.Butfornow,allhecandoisworkashardashecanandearnasmuchashecantosupporthisfamilybackhome.

（5）

TheChinesecalltheirnationthe“MiddleKingdom”,becausetheybelieveitsitsattheverycenteroftheworld.Chinacoversover3.5millionsquaremilesofland.Totheeast,liegreatcitiesandports.Tothesouth,theimpassablepeaksoftheHimalayas.Tothewest,greatstretchesofbarrendeserts.Thisgreatlandishometoover50differentpeoples,eachwiththeirownculture,history,andtradition.

StretchingacrossnorthernChinaliesInnerMongolia,thousandsofmilesofopengrasslandsandruggedmountainranges.AlthoughtheyhavebecomecitizensofGreaterChina,thepeopleofInnerMongoliastillholdontotheiruniqueculture.Onceayear,theygatherforthefestivalofNaadamtocelebratetheancienttraditionsthatsetthemapartfromtherestofChina.ExtraordinaryskillinhorsemanshipliesattheheartofMongolianculture.AndtheclimaxoftheNaadamFestivalcomesatdawnonthethirddayinwhatit'sthebiggesthorseraceintheworld.

Bytradition,alltheridersarechildren,selectedfortheirlightbuild.Overtwohundredwillbecompeting,racingacrosssomeofthemostremoteterrainonEarth.Asthestartiscalled,thejockeysrushtotheirmountsandthunderoutacrosstheopengrasslands.TheridersstillfollowancientMongoliancustomtotheletter.Theyhaveneithersaddlesnorstirrups,makingthehorsesfarhardertocontrol.Itisatrialofridingskillandendurancewithoutequal,atestamenttothesurvivalofuniquetraditionsandculturesallacrossChina.

Chinaisanationsodiverse,itspeoplestillspeaksevendifferentmajorlanguagesandovereightydifferentdialects.Thereisjustonebondbetweenthemall.Theycanallreadandusethesamewrittencharacters.Over40,000uniquesymbolsthatcancaptureeveryessenceoflifeinthisimmensenation.

wordstochew:

1/jockey:

someoneemployedtoridehorsesinhorseraces

2/stirrup:

supportconsistingofmetalloopsintowhichrider'sfeetgo

（6）

ButChinaisshapednotjustbyitsland.Thiscountryal