1、桂林山水甲天下Pre-readingDiscussionWhat do you know about Xu Xiake and his travels?While-readingWhile-readingIt is 10 in the morning, and I am travelling by raft down the Li River. The sun is already burning hot even though it has not yet reached full strength, but a calm breeze cools my skin. So far the d
2、ay is wonderful, but the purpose of my trip is not just to have fun: I am following in the footsteps of Xu Xiake(1587-1641), the famous Chinese travel writer and geographer. Though Xu was from Jiangsu, he spent more than 30 years travelling throughout the country, and greatly admired my destination
3、today - Ox Gorge.While-readingIt is 10 in the morning, and I am travelling by raft down the Li River. The sun is already burning hot even though it has not yet reached full strength, but a calm breeze cools my skin. So far the day is wonderful, but the purpose of my trip is not just to have fun: I a
4、m following in the footsteps of Xu Xiake(1587-1641), the famous Chinese travel writer and geographer. Though Xu was from Jiangsu, he spent more than 30 years travelling throughout the country, and greatly admired my destination today - Ox Gorge.While-readingIt is 10 in the morning, and I am travelli
5、ng by raft down the Li River. The sun is already burning hot even though it has not yet reached full strength, but a calm breeze cools my skin. So far the day is wonderful, but the purpose of my trip is not just to have fun: I am following in the footsteps of Xu Xiake(1587-1641), the famous Chinese
6、travel writer and geographer. Though Xu was from Jiangsu, he spent more than 30 years travelling throughout the country, and greatly admired my destination today - Ox Gorge.While-readingIt is 10 in the morning, and I am travelling by raft down the Li River. The sun is already burning hot even though
7、 it has not yet reached full strength, but a calm breeze cools my skin. So far the day is wonderful, but the purpose of my trip is not just to have fun: I am following in the footsteps of Xu Xiake(1587-1641), the famous Chinese travel writer and geographer. Though Xu was from Jiangsu, he spent more
8、than 30 years travelling throughout the country, and greatly admired my destination today - Ox Gorge.While-readingIt is 10 in the morning, and I am travelling by raft down the Li River. The sun is already burning hot even though it has not yet reached full strength, but a calm breeze cools my skin.
9、So far the day is wonderful, but the purpose of my trip is not just to have fun: I am following in the footsteps of Xu Xiake(1587-1641), the famous Chinese travel writer and geographer. Though Xu was from Jiangsu, he spent more than 30 years travelling throughout the country, and greatly admired my
10、destination today - Ox Gorge.While-readingIt is 10 in the morning, and I am travelling by raft down the Li River. The sun is already burning hot even though it has not yet reached full strength, but a calm breeze cools my skin. So far the day is wonderful, but the purpose of my trip is not just to h
11、ave fun: I am following in the footsteps of Xu Xiake(1587-1641), the famous Chinese travel writer and geographer. Though Xu was from Jiangsu, he spent more than 30 years travelling throughout the country, and greatly admired my destination today - Ox Gorge.While-readingAs we flow down the river, we
12、are surrounded by steep hills sticking up into the sky karsts. Unique among mountains, karsts were formed over thousands of years as rain drained into the acidic soil and melted the soft rock, leaving the harder rock behind. Guangxi is full of karsts, giving it some of the most interesting and beaut
13、iful scenery in the world. Xu was one of the first people to make a careful study of Guilins karsts and their related cave systems. He, like many people today, found them fascinating.While-readingAs we flow down the river, we are surrounded by steep hills sticking up into the sky karsts. Unique amon
14、g mountains, karsts were formed over thousands of years as rain drained into the acidic soil and melted the soft rock, leaving the harder rock behind. Guangxi is full of karsts, giving it some of the most interesting and beautiful scenery in the world. Xu was one of the first people to make a carefu
15、l study of Guilins karsts and their related cave systems. He, like many people today, found them fascinating.While-readingAs we flow down the river, we are surrounded by steep hills sticking up into the sky karsts. Unique among mountains, karsts were formed over thousands of years as rain drained in
16、to the acidic soil and melted the soft rock, leaving the harder rock behind. Guangxi is full of karsts, giving it some of the most interesting and beautiful scenery in the world. Xu was one of the first people to make a careful study of Guilins karsts and their related cave systems. He, like many pe
17、ople today, found them fascinating.While-readingSuddenly, our raft hits some rapids, and I find myself covered in water. I turn to my raftsman and we share a laugh. The water not only keeps us cool, but it is all part of the adventure.What made someone like Xu spend years travelling thousands of kil
18、ometres away from home? Perhaps its the same reason as mine: to explore the world and to discover new things. As Xu wrote, “A great man should in the morning be at the blue sea, and in the evening at Mount Cangwu. Why should I restrict myself to one corner of the world?”While-readingSuddenly, our ra
19、ft hits some rapids, and I find myself covered in water. I turn to my raftsman and we share a laugh. The water not only keeps us cool, but it is all part of the adventure.What made someone like Xu spend years travelling thousands of kilometres away from home? Perhaps its the same reason as mine: to
20、explore the world and to discover new things. As Xu wrote, “A great man should in the morning be at the blue sea, and in the evening at Mount Cangwu. Why should I restrict myself to one corner of the world?”relaxedexcitedadventurousenjoyableinterestingWhile-readingSuddenly, our raft hits some rapids
21、, and I find myself covered in water. I turn to my raftsman and we share a laugh. The water not only keeps us cool, but it is all part of the adventure.What made someone like Xu spend years travelling thousands of kilometres away from home? Perhaps its the same reason as mine: to explore the world a
22、nd to discover new things. As Xu wrote, “A great man should in the morning be at the blue sea, and in the evening at Mount Cangwu. Why should I restrict myself to one corner of the world?”While-readingXu was not alone. Much like today, the late Ming Dynasty was a golden age of tourism within China.
23、People travelled hundreds of kilometres to visit temples, go mountain climbing, or explore scenery. Yet, perhaps no one in China travelled farther or longer than Xu Xiake. At least, if anyone did they did not write about it.While-readingXu was not alone. Much like today, the late Ming Dynasty was a
24、golden age of tourism within China. People travelled hundreds of kilometres to visit temples, go mountain climbing, or explore scenery. Yet, perhaps no one in China travelled farther or longer than Xu Xiake. At least, if anyone did they did not write about it.many people like to go travellingWhile-r
25、eadingXu was not alone. Much like today, the late Ming Dynasty was a golden age of tourism within China. People travelled hundreds of kilometres to visit temples, go mountain climbing, or explore scenery. Yet, perhaps no one in China travelled farther or longer than Xu Xiake. At least, if anyone did
26、 they did not write about it.While-readingWhen our raft reaches Ox Gorge, it proves to be every bit as beautiful as l expected a watery heaven on earth. The raft is tied up, and then l head out to explore. That afternoon, I find a cave on the river. I wade into it and the water grows shallower, unti
27、l finally l am walking on dry land. Up ahead I see a light and hear laughter echoing off the cave walls. There is a large pool of mud, and a group of young people are jumping into it and swimming around. I run and join them. Soon, like my new friends, I am covered in gray mud from head to toe. After
28、 an hour of play, I head back out of the cave and take a swim in the river to get clean. And I wonder, when Xu Xiake came here nearty five hundred years ago, did he examine the mud like a scientist? Or did he jump in? Of course he jumped in. You know he did.Post-readingDiscussionDo you agree with th
29、e author that Xu Xiake probably played in the mud? Why or why not?Writing PracticeImagine that you are a modern-day Xu Xiake and wish to go on a long journey somewhere in the world. Write a short essay telling: where you intend to visit. why you wish to go there. what you hope to learn. what difficulties you might face. what you would enjoy on your journey.
