Wang Hong: Hello! This is WangHong ?
Li Mei: Yes,Li Mei is speaking.
Wang Hong: Hi,Li Mei. Our summer holidays are coming. What are you going to do?
Li Mei:
Wang Hong: Beijing? That is a good place to visit.
LiMei: Right. Would you like to go with me?
Wang Hong: Yes,I'd love to,but I'm afraid I can't.Mygrandfather is ill.I have to look after him.
Li Mei: .I hope he will get better soon.
Wang Hong: I hope so. By the way, ?
Li Mei: With my parents.
Wang Hong: Bye—bye
Li Mei: Thank you. Bye.
Do you have a nickname(昵称)? Most of us do by our looks, clothing,or personality. But for cities, the meaning of their nicknames has much more than that.
Many big cities have nicknames, such as New York—the Big Apple, London—the Great Smog, and Rome—the Eternal(永恒的)City. Why do cities have such nicknames?
In the 1920s. there were many races in New York. People called the prizes of these races apples. Writer John J.Fitz Gerald first called New York the Big Apple because New York is the place that many people dreamed of going to for the biggest prize of all.
For Rome, as the name suggests, the answer is simple.Romans believed that no matter what happened to the world, Rome would go on forever. Rome has been an important center of power for more than 2.000 years.
As for London, in the Victorian period, it had problems with its air. Later in 1952, serious air pollution made 10000 people fall ill. But now the air of London has become better.
Does that sound interesting? Does your city have a nickname?
The Silk Road went from China to Eastern Europe. It went along the north of China India and Persia and ended up in Eastern Europe near today's Turkey and the Mediterranean Sea
It was called the Silk Road because one of the major products traded was silk cloth from China. Chinese silk was soft and of high quality.So people throughout Asia and Europe loved it very much.. Even the Romans called China the"land of silk".
Besides silk, the Chinese also sold teasaltsugarporcelain(陶瓷)andspices.Most of the goods were expensive. This was because it was a long trip and traders didn't have a lot of room for goods. They bought goods like cottonivorywool, gold, and silver.
Traders traveled in large caravans. They would have many guards with them. . Much of the road was through dry land. So camels were popular animals for transport.
Although there was some trade between China and the rest ofthe world for some time. the silk trade developed quickly during the Han Dvnasty which ruled from 206 BC to 220 AD. . During this time the Mongols controlled most of the trade road. and Chinese traders travelled safely. Also. traders had a higher social position during that time.
. It not only helped to develop trade between different countries, but also helped ideas, culture and inventions to spread across the world.
A. The Silk Road was important. B.The Chinese sold silk for thousands ofvears. C. The Silk Road was full of wealth as well as danger. D. Traveling in a big group like a caravan helped in protecting themselves. E. Later, under the rule ofthe Yuan Dynasty,trade along the Silk Road was fully developed. |
