A wise man named Mengzi once told this story:A long, long time ago, there was a farmer who lived with his son in the State of Song. However, they weren’t musical. They were hardworking and rarely sang. The farmer was particularly serious. His closest neighbor had even called him a worrier.Once the weather was good, the farmer and his son planted rice together. They were tired and proud when all the seeds had been planted. The farmer hoped they had done everything perfectly.He wanted to watch the rice grow. Starting at sunrise every day, he stood in the flooded fields, waiting. He wondered if the small green sprout near the boulder had been there an hour ago. He got excited. Maybe it was a new plant! When he looked closer, he saw that it was an old plant. What a disappointment. He went back to watching the fields. He waved his arms to scare birds. Many days passed just in this way.Soon, he began to get worried. It seemed that the shoots had not grown for several days. They looked the same as they had the day before, and the day before that, and the day before that too.He decided to stop at his closest neighbor’s house. As they drank tea, the farmer asked the question that had been bothering him. “By the way, how is your rice growing?” he asked. “I am worried about mine. It seems to have stopped growing!”“Oh, my rice is growing green and healthy!” replied the neighbor. “I am very happy with the progress. Nature will provide.”This conversation did not put the farmer’s mind at ease. He quickly returned to his fields to check on his rice. It looked like it still hadn’t grown. Not even a millimeter! He started to panic. He looked again. Was the rice even shorter than yesterday? Perhaps there was something wrong with his rice!“What if my crop never grows?” he thought aloud. He began pacing back and forth on the side of the rice field. “I must find a way to help my shoots grow faster.”When he got home that night, he told his son about the fields. “The rice does not seem to be growing,” the farmer complained. “What should I do to help it grow?”“Dad,” replied the son, “I think you need to wait. The rice is growing, you just don’t notice it! Have patience. We will harvest the rice in the late summer.”Not satisfied with this answer, the farmer said, “I don’t think so, Son. I think the rice really does need my help. I must do something!”The next morning, the farmer awakened with an idea. “This is so smart!”he congratulated himself. He rushed out to the rice fields. He went from shoot to shoot, pulling them each a few inches upward.He finally finished as the sun was setting. He was tired from the full day of work. But he was happy that he had finished his plan. As he entered the house, he said, “Son, I did so much today! I worked very hard and am tired. But it is worth the pain to help our rice shoots grow faster.”“What did you do?” asked the son. He didn’t wait for an answer.He immediately ran out to the fields. He feared his father had done something foolish. There, he found all the rice had withered and died. He was devastated. All their hard work had gone to waste, and there was no crop left to be saved.By telling this story, the wise man Mengzi wanted people to understand that they should respect the laws of nature. Because the farmer was impatient, he tried to change nature’s natural pace. But instead of helping the rice, he accidentally destroyed it. Even though the rice grew slowly, he should have waited. With patience, his rice would have grown eventually, and he would have enjoyed a good harvest. The End
Question:
Have you ever been impatient with nature? Why, and what did you do?
It was a beautiful spring day in a forest in ancient China. The air was crisp and fresh, and the sun was shining brightly. In the dense forest, tall trees stood side by side. The sun’s rays hit the treetops and scattered through their branches. They cast shadows of light and dark on the forest floor.High up in a tree, a mother bird was resting in her nest. She had just hatched six baby birds, called nestlings. The nestlings were covered with soft fluffy down. They didn’t have flight feathers yet, so they weren’t ready to leave the nest.Five of the baby birds were strong. They chirped loudly. The one that had hatched last, though, was not strong at all. Mama Bird called him Xiao Liu, or Little Six. He was frail and quiet. Xiao Liu’s older brothers and sisters teased him often.“Chirp, chirp, look at Xiao Liu,” said Oldest Brother. “He’s so weak, he can barely move.”“Chirp, chirp,” said Fourth Sister. “I know. He wouldn’t budge. I had to climb over him to get to Mama.”“Chirp, chirp, I couldn’t sleep,” said Second Sister.“Xiao Liu was trying to move around. He’s so slow and clumsy! He kept stepping on me.”The older siblings pushed Xiao Liu around. They took his food.Sometimes they even snatched it right out of his mouth!“Chirp, chirp. That’s mine,” said Third Brother.“Chirp, chirp,” said Second Sister. “That worm looks yummy. I want it.”“Chirp, chirp, but I’m hungry!” cried Xiao Liu as his sister took the worm from his mouth.Xiao Liu’s brothers and sisters would call him names too. They gave him the nickname Clumsy Bird.“Chirp, chirp. Move out of the way, Clumsy Bird,” they chirped together.Xiao Liu did not like being laughed at or pushed around by his brothers and sisters.Xiao Liu was not physically strong when he hatched. But he did have a strong will. He decided he would get stronger. He would do exercises every day. Soon, his brothers and sisters would not laugh at him anymore!Every morning, Xiao Liu would rise before the sun even came up. Before his brothers and sisters woke, Xiao Liu would be finished with all his exercises and breakfast.“Chirp, chirp. What are you doing, Clumsy Bird?” asked Oldest Brother.Then he fell back asleep again.“Chirp, chirp, it’s too early, Clumsy Bird,” Second Sister complained.“Stop moving around so much.”Xiao Liu worked hard morning after morning after morning.He flapped his wings over and over and over again to make them stronger. He always got the first worms and bugs Mama brought back to the nest. All through the spring Xiao Liu woke up earlier than his brothers and sisters. He worked harder than they did, week after week. He ate big meals and did not go hungry, week after week.After a couple of months, all the birds had grown flight feathers. Mama Bird gathered her babies to teach them to fly. To everyone’s surprise,Xiao Liu was the first one to start flying! “Chirp, chirp, look at me!” Xiao Liu cried happily while his brothers and sisters struggled to fly from the nest.
Meet Mr. Fox. He lives on a mountain with many other animals. Best friends Mr. Butterfly, Mr. Rabbit, and Mr. Monkey live next to Mr. and Mrs. Bird. But there is one animal that is especially important--Mr. Tiger!All the other animals are afraid of Mr. Tiger because he is big and strong.You might even call Mr. Tiger the king of the mountain.One day, as Mr. Fox was napping in the shade of a big tree, Mr. Tiger happened to walk by. He had never met Mr. Fox before, so he was very curious. As he got a closer look at Mr. Fox’s orange, brown, and white fur, his mouth started to water. What a tasty meal Mr. Fox would be!Mr. Tiger poked at Mr. Fox. “Wake up!” he said, while licking his lips.“You look delicious, and I can’t wait to eat you up!”Mr. Fox’s eyes blinked open. “Wha-?” he mumbled, before realizing that he was looking at Mr. Tiger. “OH!” he yelped as he sat up quickly. “Hello, Mr. Tiger, how can I help you?”“Well...” said Mr. Tiger. “I’d like to eat you!”Oh no! thought Mr. Fox. What do I do? I don’t want to be eaten! Let me think… Oh! I know!“Why do you want to eat me?” asked Mr. Fox. “Don’t you know I am more powerful than you?”“HAHAHAHA!” laughed Mr. Tiger. “Now that’s a funny joke! You, more powerful than me? I am Mr. Tiger! I am the king of the mountain! No one is more powerful than me!”“Really?” challenged Mr. Fox. “I promise that I am more powerful than you. I can even show you proof! Here, follow me.”Reluctantly, Mr. Tiger agreed to follow Mr. Fox. As they walked, Mr.Tiger couldn’t help but notice something. Everywhere they went, all the animals scurried away in fear! Could it be? Was Mr. Fox truly more powerful than him? So powerful that all the other animals were afraid of Mr. Fox?“You see?” said Mr. Fox. “All the animals know I am powerful, so they are running away from me! Now that you see that I am more powerful than you, do you still want to eat me, Mr. Tiger?” asked Mr. Fox. “I… No, Mr. Fox. I understand now.” replied Mr. Tiger. “I’m sorry. I did not know your power.” Mr. Tiger hung his head in shame and walked away with his tail between his legs.Once he was sure Mr. Tiger was far away, Mr. Fox burst out laughing.He had simply borrowed Mr. Tiger’s power. All the animals ran away because they were afraid of Mr. Tiger, not Mr. Fox! But Mr. Tiger had thought the animals were afraid of Mr. Fox because Mr. Fox was walking in front! Clever Mr. Fox had successfully tricked Mr. Tiger. Since that day, Mr. Tiger never bothered Mr. Fox again.
The End
Question:
Have you ever used someone else’s talents to make yourself seem better?
In the sixth century, South China was a place of peace and happiness.Emperor Wu Di ruled during the Liang Dynasty from 502 to 549 AD. It was a time of great learning and art. Both were very important to Wu Di.A general named Zhang Seng You served under Emperor Wu Di. Zhang was also a famous painter.One day, the An Le Monastery in Jin Ling (now Nanjing) invited Zhang to paint a mural. His painting would decorate the wall outside the temple.The villagers gathered near the wall. They were eager to watch Zhang Seng You create a masterpiece.When Zhang arrived, he stood at the wall for a long time. The villagers wondered why he didn’t start to paint.“Is something wrong?” asked an old man.“I wonder what he’s waiting for,” said a woman.The crowd became anxious. But still they waited and waited. They all wanted to see a master at work.Finally, Zhang began to wave his paintbrush. He painted four large, detailed dragons on the wall. Each was beautiful in its own way. Red, yellow, blue, and black! Each dragon was a different color. The dragons had muscular bodies and large, powerful wings. They had long, curvy tails. They looked so real, they almost seemed to breathe.They had regal noses and eyes, but none of the eyes had pupils.When Zhang finished, he stepped back so everyone could get a better look.“Magnificent!” exclaimed one man.“Beautiful!” said another.“Look at the colors,” said a woman standing in the back.“Such talent,” said the man standing next to her.“Impressive,” said a man in front. Then he nervously added, “But why don’t their eyes have pupils? I don’t see any dots in their eyes.”“The pupil is where the fire and energy of the soul live,” explained Zhang.“If I paint their pupils, the dragons would come alive! They would take off and fly away.”Hearing this, the villagers laughed. What silliness! They teased Zhang about his story.“Draw me lots of money!” a poor woman suggested. “Then put pupils on it!”“Paint a fish dinner!” yelled a small boy, rubbing his stomach. “With big, googly eyes!”“You do not believe me, eh?” Zhang asked, annoyed. “I shall prove it!”Zhang went back to the wall. He used his finest brush to dot pupils in the eyes of two of the dragons.Suddenly, thunder boomed! Lightning flashed in the sky and in the eyes of the painted dragons.“BOOM!” “BOOM!” “ROAR!” “BOOM!”The villagers were startled. They looked up and around. They did not know what was happening. Everyone tried to hide under someone else!Just then, an even bigger noise, like fireworks, surrounded them. The two dragons with dotted eyes broke free from the wall.“BOOM!” “ROAR!” “CRASH!”The two dragons raced upward! They zoomed like lightning returning to its source! Their long tails whipped the winds. They flew higher and higher. Then they disappeared into the storm clouds.The villagers were stunned. Shocked. They looked at the dragons on the wall. Their eyes grew wide. Their mouths hung open, speechless.The villagers looked at Zhang. Then they looked back at the wall. The two dragons without dotted eyes remained still on the wall.“It’s perfect the way you painted it!” added the nervous man in front of the crowd. “Don’t change a thing !”“To dot the pupils of the painted dragon” means that if you want to bring your ideas to life, you must be clear. You have to pay attention to details and finish your work carefully. A similar English idiom that advises people to pay attention to details is “Dot your ‘I’s” and cross your T’s.”
The End
Question: The dragon was beloved in ancient Chinese culture. Can youname two more beloved creatures in ancient Chinese culture? Why didpeople love them?
Let’s travel back in time to China’s Warring States Period. Qi Xuan Wang was one of the rulers of the Qi State. He led the state from 319–301 BCE. Qi Xuan Wang was a fan of music. He really liked listening to large orchestras. He loved when hundreds of musicians played the yu, a wooden wind instrument. A man named Nan Guo heard about this. It gave him an idea.“This is a lucky break!” Nan Guo thought. “I will ask if I can join the royal orchestra. I will have a job. I will earn a good living. It will be easy work!”Only one thing was standing in the way. Nan Guo was not a musician.He didn’t know how to play the yu! He did not see that as a problem, though.“I can just fake it,” Nan Guo laughed to himself. “There will be hundreds of musicians playing. I can easily get lost among them. No one will be able to hear me play—or not play!” He smiled to himself, enjoying his cleverness. “The ruler will hear the whole band,” Nan Guo added. “He will never know that I am not really playing.”Nan Guo went to see Qi Xuan Wang. He told the ruler that he was an expert yu player.“My Lord, I have trained for many years,” said Nan Guo. “I am very talented. My music is inspiring. Animals dance andflowers blossom when they hear it. Now I wish to play the yu to serve you!”Qi Xuan Wang was thrilled to hear this. He trusted Nan Guo and didn’t even ask him to play.“Wonderful!” the ruler replied. “I welcome such a talented musician into my orchestra!”Nan Guo joined the royal orchestra. He found a seat among the hundreds of yu players. There were so many of them! It was easy for Nan Guo to get lost in the crowd.“Ha! This is so easy! I just move my mouth and pretend to play. Nobody knows the difference,” laughed Nan Guo.Show after show, Nan Guo faked playing the yu. His fingers danced over the instrument. He looked very handsome and serious. 'I sometimes forget where I am, because the music takes me to a better place,' he once explained to a fan. No one ever noticed that his instrument was silent, not even Qi Xuan Wang. The Qi ruler enjoyed the many songs his prized orchestra played.But Qi Xuan Wang couldn’t rule forever. Eventually, his son, Qi Min Wang, took over. Qi Min Wang also liked music. He liked solo performances, however.“Bring me the finest musicians from the band!” Qi Min Wang ordered. “I would like to hear them play—one at a time!”“What a great chance to show off our own talents!” noted one musician.“Yes! I would like to perform for our new ruler, too!” said another yu player.“Oh no!” thought Nan Guo. “This is terrible. I will not be able to play anything for Qi Min Wang. The truth will be discovered! I will be jailed.Maybe even worse!” He knew his lie would be caught if he did not escape right away.That night, Nan Guo gathered his belongings. He used his yu like a hanger and hung his clothing on it. At last he put the yu to use!He tucked the instrument and clothing under his arm and sneaked out of the royal court. Then he ran far, far away, never to be seen—or heard—again.
The End
Question: What was the difference between the two Qi rulers’ musicaltastes? What type of music do you enjoy?
One hot summer day long ago, a farmer was hard at work tending his crops. His muscles ached and his back was sore. But he had to keep working because he had to support his family.Perhaps a short break wouldn’t hurt, he thought. He drank some water from the stream running by the side of the field. Much better! He thought as he sat down to catch his breath.Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a streak of white. He heard a loud thud. He turned quickly to see what had happened. There, by the tree stump across the stream, was a brown and white rabbit lying on its side.The farmer waded through the stream to the tree stump. He saw that the rabbit had run into the tree stump and died.The farmer was excited—here was a free meal for his family!He wrapped the rabbit in his shirt and headed home.That night, his wife cleaned and cooked the rabbit. It was a delicious dinner! Everyone went to bed happy and full.The farmer woke up the next morning before dawn, as he always did.But this time, as he was putting on his clothes, he realized something.He did not actually have to work so hard! Instead of farming all day, he could just sit by the tree stump and wait for rabbits. What a wonderful plan! Free food!That day, he did not tend his crops. He did not sweat and strain under the hot sun. Instead, he sat by the tree stump. He whistled for rabbits, but none came. He yawned. He napped. He wondered what kind of tree the stump had been. Had chickens ever bumped into it? He liked to eatchicken. He waited some more. Nothing happened. But he wasn’t worried. He knew a rabbit had to run into the tree stump very soon. It was overdue!When he returned home, his wife asked when he would return to his work on the farm. “I’m done with all that,” he told her. “The stump is where I belong.”“I might agree with you there,” said his wife, frowning. “Perhaps you ought to sleep at the stump too.” Then she stomped off.The farmer was happy his wife was so agreeable. She thought he belonged at the stump too!He returned to the stump that night. He fell asleep and dreamed of rabbits hurling themselves at the stump. If only the rabbits would make themselves into rabbit stew or barbecue. That would be the best!However, when he awakened there were no rabbits to be found. This continued for weeks. He tried different methods to get rabbits to run into the stump. He made a sign that said, “This way!” It had a big arrow on it.Nothing. He pretended to be a rabbit and hopped over to the stump. He threw himself against the stump and bumped his knee. Still, no rabbits hopped into the stump.“Stupid rabbits!” he complained to himself. “Why don’t they run into the stump like they used to do?” He almost lost hope. Then he remembered how tiring it was to tend the crops. He didn’t like working that hard. He got so sweaty! The memory helped convince him that rabbits would run into the stump and give him a free dinner. He wasn’t about to give up his dream!The farmer’s fields became overgrown with weeds because he stopped caring for them. He wouldn’t even go home and see his family because he was afraid to leave the stump. He worried that a rabbit would bump into it while he was gone.In the end, no more rabbits bumped into the stump. The farmer’s crops died, so he had no produce to sell at the market. He had no money, just one very fine stump. He became the laughingstock of the village because he relied on luck instead of hard work to feed his family.His wife sold the farm, so she could follow her dream. She and the children opened a small restaurant. Rabbit was never on the menu. The End
Question: At the start of the story, why did the farmer not want to take abreak?
A. He wanted to see what had run into the stump.
B. He wanted to support his family by taking good care of his crops.
C. He wasn’t tired, and he had a lot of work to do.
D. He did not want to eat breakfast, he wanted to farm his crops.
17、Discovering An Elephant
盲人摸象
In a time before all the surprises had been discovered and catalogued, six best friends lived in a village at the end of a desert. These six men were blind, so their lives were filled with more surprises than most. They helped each other every day and never, ever disagreed.One day, they heard that an animal from very far away was visiting the village. The creature was called an elephant. None of the six blind men had ever met an elephant. They each had different ideas about it.The biggest of the men suggested, “I believe the elephant is the biggest animal.”The oldest of the friends said, “I bet that elephants live a long time.”The smartest man exclaimed, “I’m sure elephants have excellent memories!”“I hope the elephant is gentle enough to pet,” said the kindest man.“But it probably doesn’t have much hair,” added the bald blind man. The man who was the most adventurous suggested they meet the elephant. Then they walked through the village to the main square.The kindest blind man and his friends were happy that the elephant was gentle enough to pet. One by one, they approached the animal.The most adventurous man touched the elephant’s trunk. He thought for a few moments and said, “So, this is what an elephant is like! An elephant is long and rounded like a snake!”The oldest man touched the elephant’s ear. He was confused because he felt something different from the first man. He said, “I am sorry my friend, you are wrong! An elephant is like a big fan! It is large, curved on the side, and wrinkled.”The biggest man touched the elephant’s side. He, too disagreed. “It hurts me to say it, but you are both wrong,” he said. “An elephant is like a wall because it is tall, big, and strong.”The smartest man touched the elephant’s leg. He said, “What in the world are you three touching? An elephant is long, tall, and sturdy, like a pole!”The bald blind man touched the elephant’s tail. He exclaimed, “No, no, no, an elephant is long and thin, almost like rope.”The kindest of the friends touched the elephant’s tusk. “I am surprised, but you are all wrong,” he said. “An elephant is smooth and hard, like a spear. I am sure of it.”The six blind men argued, each one believing that he was right. They became more and more upset because of the disagreement. “How can we be friends!” one of them said. “We are all very different!”Just in time, a wise man walked by and asked about the commotion. 'What’s wrong?'“We can’t agree what the elephant is like,” they admitted. One by one, each blind man described the elephant as seemed right to him.After hearing each of their explanations, the wise man said, “Everyone is correct. But you each touched a different part of the elephant. This is why you disagree. None of you had the full picture.”“Oh!” all the blind men exclaimed. They finally understood, and they all laughed at their mistake together.The moral of this story is that what you see or hear or touch or taste or smell is true, but it may not be all that there is. No one can be sure of knowing the entire truth. The End
Question: Have you ever thought something was true before finding outa new detail that changed your mind?
A farmer named Chien Ye Chao and his wife, Yu Qing, lived and worked on their family farm in a remote village. Farming was hard work. Ah Chao, as his wife and neighbors liked to call him, was not fond of work at all!Every day, Yu Qing had to remind her husband to get to work.“Ah Chao, the chickens need to be fed!”“Ah Chao, the field needs to be tilled!”One day, Ah Chao received news that he had inherited 20 sheep from his uncle.“What good fortune!” Yu Qing shouted. We can earn more money with 20 sheep. But we don’t have a fence to keep the sheep safe from foxes.You’d better build one, Ah Chao!”Ah Chao was lazy, but he wasn’t dumb. He knew that Yu Qing was right.So he went looking for wood to build a fence. He found a pile of old wood nearby. Some pieces were shorter than others. Luckily there was enough wood to build a fenced-in pen. There was just one problem. In the section of the fence with the shorter pieces, there was a gap at the bottom.Ah Chao looked at his handiwork and said, “The fence goes all around. It looks good to me. Time to call it quits.”He took a nap under a shady tree. And then he went home to enjoy dinner and rest some more.“Ah Chao!” Yu Qing hollered. “The fence is not finished. There’s a gap under that section!” She pointed out the window.“It’s good enough,” Ah Chao replied. “The fence is closed off. It’s just a small gap. I’m done for the day.”“The sheep arrive tomorrow!” Yu Qing cried, exasperated. “You’d better fix the fence!”The next day, 20 sheep arrived at the farm. Ah Chao herded all the sheep into the new pen. Then he enjoyed a long nap under the shady tree.Every afternoon after that, Ah Chao would herd his grazing sheep. Then he would guide them back inside the fence. He always took a nap under the shady tree afterward.One day, a neighbor, Lao Chen, woke up Ah Chao from his nap. “Hey, Ah Chao. I think you’re missing a sheep. I count only 19,” Lao Chen said.“What?” asked Ah Chao sleepily. “There’s 20. Leave me alone. I need my 40 winks more than my 20 sheep.”Ah Chao fell back asleep.Lao Chen shook his neighbor again.“Ah Chao, count your sheep,” he insisted. “I think there’s only 19. The fox may have slipped through that gap and stole one of your sheep! You should fix the fence.”Ah Chao paid Lao Chen no mind.“Oh, it’s just one sheep,” Ah Chao yawned. “Not much I can do about it now. It is gone.”A few days later, Yu Qing rushed into the house with a huff.“Ah Chao!” she shouted. “Why do we only have 18 sheep? I thought you only lost one. Now I count 18 inside the fence! You should have fixed that fence when Lao Chen told you about the fox.”“Lao Chen only guessed it was a fox,” said Ah Chao. “Anyway, there’s not much I can do about it now. The sheep are gone.”Yu Qing stormed out of the room, frustrated.The following week, Lao Chen woke Ah Chao from his nap again.“Neighbor, you’re missing another sheep. You are down to 17 now. At this rate, you will have none left in a few weeks.”“You are making badfortune by being lazy,” his neighbor added. “Stop worrying about your 40 winks! Start worrying about your 20 sheep and fix that fence!”Yu Qing was standing behind Lao Chen. She repeated his words. “Ah Chao, you are bringing us bad fortune! Stop being lazy and fix the fence already!”Ah Chao shrugged. He was lazy, but he wasn’t dumb. He could see that his laziness had indeed brought them bad fortune.So he gathered new wood and repaired the fence.Better late than never! He realized it was better to lose a little sleep than lose any more sheep. The End
Question: What do you think Ah Chao would do if he found out he hadinherited 20 more sheep?
核心词汇
remote adj. 遥远的till v. 耕、犁inherit v. 继承fortune n. 财富dumb adj. 愚蠢的，愚钝的pen n. 围栏section n. 部分，块，片quit v. 离开，停止工作nap n. & v. 小睡，打盹holler v. 叫嚷，诉苦，抱怨exasperated adj. 被激怒的，恼怒的herd v. 放牧，带领并照看wink n. 眨眼，（星光的）闪烁graze v. （牛、羊等）啃食牧草slip v. 溜，悄悄地走yawn v. 打哈欠huff n. 气恼，愤怒frustrated adj. 沮丧的shrug v. （为表示冷漠、蔑视、怀疑、厌烦等）耸（肩）
Long ago, the writer Zuo Si lived in a village in the state of Qi. His family was poor, but they were rich in knowledge. They studied the teachings of Confucius. Zuo Si’s father was in charge of the royal records of the Wei Kingdom.Zuo Si liked to play word games with his sister. She grew up to become a famous writer. When she moved to the capital city of Luoyang, Zuo Si decided to move there, too.Zuo Si was a quiet man. He spent most of his time at home, writing.If Zuo Si had a thought, he would write it down immediately.“Oh, What a spark of inspiration!” Zuo Si would cry.“Quick! Write it down. Write it down. Write it down.”He would grab a pen and paper and write down his thoughts. Soon his home became very messy. There were pens and papers everywhere!But Zuo Si’s father was not impressed with his son. One day, Zuo Si overheard his father say, “My son is not very bright. When I was young, I was not like that at all.”This made Zuo Si sad. But it motivated him, too. He decided to work harder. He would read and write even more. He would write a masterpiece!“I shall spend the next ten years writing,” said Zuo Si. “I will call my work “Ode to the Three Capitals.”People were doubtful. No one believed him.“What is this loner going to do?” asked a neighbor when he heard the news.“Oh, he says he’s going to hide away for ten years and write a masterpiece. Ha!” said another.“Zuo Si can say what he wants. It will never happen. He’s just going to stay locked inside like he does every other day,” said a neighbor.Over the next ten years, Zuo Si continued to run around inside his messy home. He grabbed pens and papers and wrote note after note.He tossed aside many of them. Papers were piled in mounds all around his home. He would just grab more paper and pens and write some more.Oh, a spark of inspiration!” Zuo Si would cry.“Quick! Write it down. Write it down. Write it down.”Finally, at the end of ten years, Zuo Si was finished.His “Ode to the Three Capitals” described daily life in the three capitals of the Three Kingdoms Period. It talked about the customs and the habits of the people there. Zuo Si wrote about the best way to run a state. He believed it was through goodness, and not force.Some important scholars read the book. They wrote introductions to it.They praised Zuo Si’s ideas. Zuo Si’s book became very popular.The town was surprised by Zuo Si’s success.“Did you hear?” asked one man. “Zuo Si finished his book.”“It took him ten years, but he finally did it!” said another.“I hear it’s a masterpiece,” said the neighbor.“Everyone wants to read it!” said the lady across the road.Many people wanted to read the book. Writers, poets, nobles, even the royal court had heard about it! They didn’t just want to read it, they wanted their own copies, too.Because of the book’s popularity, there was a high demand for paper. At the time, paper was still a fairly new invention. It had only been invented in 100 BCE, just a few hundred years earlier. The demand for Zuo Si’s book caused paper prices in Luoyang to go up. The EndToday, the phrase, “paper is expensive in Luoyang” describes the popularity of a new book that everybody wants. When writing aboutbestselling books, reporters often use this idiom.
Question: What was it about Zuo Si’s book that made it so popular?
核心词汇
Confucius n. 孔子
in charge of 管理，掌管
spark of inspiration 灵感的火花
be impressed with 对……印象深刻
overhear v. 无意中听到，偶然听到
bright adj. 聪明的
motivate v. 激发……的积极性
Ode to the Three Capitals 《三都赋》
doubtful adj. 怀疑的，疑惑的
loner n. 喜孤独的人，不合群的人
toss aside 扔到一边
pile in mounds 堆成一堆
run a state 经营一个国家
force n. 武力
scholar n. 学者
royal court n. 宫廷
demand for 对……的需求
fairly adv. 相当，还，尚
He’s just going to stay locked inside like he does every other
Tests can be stressful. You worry that you haven’t studied enough. You worry that you won’t know the right answer. You worry that you do know the answer but will still get it wrong on the test. Don’t worry! You’re not alone! Tests have been stressing people out for thousands of years.Here’s one man’s story about test stress.During the Tang Dynasty there lived a man named Meng Jiao. He was born to a poor family.Meng Jiao loved poetry. He loved studying it. He loved writing it as well.He gave all of his life to the art. His hard work showed. It helped him become a talented poet.Writing poetry was not a good paying job at that time. Meng Jiao was poor most of his life. When he got older, he realized this had to change.He needed to earn more money. He decided to take the Ke Ju exams.The Ke Ju was the official test system of China. The exams were open for anyone to take. Anyone from a farmer to a scholar could take an exam. The Ke Ju gave everyone an opportunity. Whoever passed could get an official job.Meng Jiao studied hard for the tests. He took them several times. Each time, he failed. But Meng Jiao never gave up. He studied harder and harder. He took the tests over and over and over again.Finally, when he was 46 years old, Meng Jiao passed the test! He was so happy! Meng Jiao put on new clothes. He tied on red flowers to celebrate. Then he rode on a horse through Chang’an City.During his ride, Meng Jiao wrote a poem. In English, it reads, “Horseback riding swiftly through the spring breeze, while seeing all the sights and flowers of Chang’an in one day.”Meng Jiao’s poem tells about his feelings on that exciting day. His words describe the feeling of spending a day riding his horse and enjoying the sights and flowers. It tells of seeing all of Chang’an City in a day. On that day, he was able to let go of the disappointments of the past.The poem was passed down through the years. It became famous. But people said it would be impossible to really enjoy everything in one day. This led to the phrase “seeing flowers while riding a horse swiftly.” It describes giving something a quick look without noticing the details. The End
Question: How old was Meng Jiao when he finally passed the test?
核心词汇
stressful adj. 紧张的，压力重的
talented adj. 才华横溢的
swiftly adv. 快速地
breeze n. 微风，清风
disappointment n. 失望
pass down 把……往下传
detail n. 细节
Anyone from a farmer to a scholar could take an exam. 从农民到学者，