1 . An about 2-meter-wide alley, or “Liu Chi Xiang” in Chinese, now attracts floods of visitors in east China’s Anhui Province. It has a household’s ancient story hidden behind it, which vividly explains the essence of tolerance (宽容) and non-contention widely accepted in China.
During the Period of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, one of his ministers, Zhang Ying, received a letter from his hometown of Tongcheng City in Anhui one day.
From the letter, Zhang learned that his family quarreled with their neighbor, Wu’s family, over the two sides’ house boundary. The local court struggled to reach a final judgement since both families enjoyed high reputation in Tongcheng.
Zhang’s family wrote the letter hoping that Zhang, a high-ranking official in the imperial palace, could force the Wu family to give in.
However, Zhang wrote a poem back saying, “Writing a letter from home, miles away, just for a wall. All that argument over one meter or two. Looking at the ten-thousand-mile long Great Wall, long gone is its builder Emperor Qinshihuang.”
His reply enlightened the family members as the wall was merely a temporary (暂时的) structure. It was the close relationship with their neighbors that mattered.
They decided to move their wall about one meter back for their neighbor. In turn, the Wu family was deeply touched by their generosity and retreated another meter backward in building their wall. It created an about two-meter-wide narrow “alley” between the houses.
More than 30 decades later in modern China, Tongcheng has become a national historical and cultural city, a statement released by the State Council said on Nov. 12.
Among all the valuable historical sites in the city, the narrow alley is one of the popular attractions. It serves as enlightenment, inspiring people to observe public morals and cherish harmony, especially in disagreements and conflicts.
Many locals still live in tiny houses next to each other and share walls with their neighbors. Some problems like noise and division of responsibility when it comes to a broken wall are commonplaces. About 98 percent are successfully handled thanks to the virtues of modesty and harmony rooted in the local culture.
1. What can we know about “Liu Chi Xiang”?| A．It shows a traditional virtue. | B．It was built by Emperor Kangxi. |
| C．It was used to memorize Zhang Ying. | D．It is as well-known as the Great Wall. |
| A．He supported his family to go to court. |
| B．He advised his family never to give in to their neighbors. |
| C．He wanted his family to build a great wall between the houses. |
| D．He expected his family to keep a good relationship with their neighbors. |
| A．Zhang Ying’s story has an impact on the local culture. |
| B．A narrow alley between the houses is a must. |
| C．Modesty is useless in disputes and conflicts. |
| D．People in Tongcheng live in tiny houses. |
| A．One wall, one family | B．No fight, no union |
| C．Narrow alley, broad minds | D．Clear boundary, peaceful life |
The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.
“We told them so.” “Crazy men and their crazy dreams.” “It’s foolish to chase wild visions.” Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap, Washington was never discouraged.
One day he was lying on his bed in hospital, seeing the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment with the sunlight streaming through the windows, and a gentle breeze bowing the flimsy white curtains apart when an idea hit him. He decided to make the best use of the only finger he could move. Thus, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.
He touched his wife’s arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.
For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm until the bridge was finally completed.
1. Which of the following is true of Washington and his father?
| A．They are hardworking and courageous. |
| B．They are stubborn and bold. |
| C．They are creative and persistent. |
| D．They are curious and modest. |
| A．the tragic accident | B．the building of the bridge |
| C．the brain damage | D．the discussion and persuasion |
| A．She could understand Washington and helped him a lot. |
| B．She couldn’t understand him but took good care of him. |
| C．She didn’t like Washington’s idea about building the bridge. |
| D．She took the responsibility to continue building the bridge. |
| A．people all over America supported him |
| B．almost no bridge experts in the world supported him |
| C．his friends were strongly in favor of his idea |
| D．many people considered it would be a great feat |
| A．NO pains, no gains. | B．Many hands make light work. |
| C．A lighted heart is a good medicine. | D．Passion creates wonder. |
