Ⅰ. Readings
Reading 1 Jiangmen: Cradle of Overseas Chinese Migration 
Directions： There is one passage in this reading followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice.
Not many people know about Jiangmen in Guangdong Province, a historic city in the Pearl River Delta from which 200 years ago many Chinese emigrated to the West to make their fortunes. They sent back money. Some made fortunes and returned to build spectacular towering fortress-residences, known as diaolou, that merged Eastern and Western architectural styles, many of them fantastic and castle-like.
Jiangmen is a showcase of the history of early overseas Chinese. The city of 4.5 million people is only around an hour’s drive from Guangzhou and equidistant from neighboring cities of Zhuhai and Zhongshan. It’s on the lower reaches of the Xijiang or West River. Compared with densely populated and hectic Guangzhou, Jiangmen is surrounded by lush and relatively tranquil countryside, a place for relaxation. It’s known locally as Wuyi, meaning land of five counties. Many people still ride bicycles, and local cuisine has not been eclipsed by fast food.
When Westerners meet a Chinese person in the US, Canada or the UK, many people think their Eastern roots are in Hong Kong because many overseas Chinese immigrants speak Cantonese. In fact, many of these people come from the Jiangmen region. The people of Jiangmen are proud to tell you that they were among the very first Chinese migrants who ventured to Western countries, many working as laborers under cruel conditions on railroads and in mines. They also created local Chinatowns1 that became famous. What’s most impressive about these migrants is the hard-earned money they sent back to Jiangmen, not only for their families, but also for the communities and the infrastructure of the region.
The Jiangmen Wuyi Overseas Chinese Museum displays fascinating artifacts such as bank transfers used to send money home, well-preserved letters written to their families and old passports held by overseas Chinese.
While many Chinese stayed on in their adopted Western homelands, some returned, notably to Kaiping, a city within Jiangmen. Proud, patriotic and wealthy, the returnees built architecturally stunning diaolou, which were fortified, multi-story residences and watchtowers to protect from raids by bandits.
Many diaolou stand tall in lush green rice fields and look like castles combining a range of styles such as Romanesque2, Islamic3, Baroque4and Rococo5, with traditional Chinese elements. The first towers were built in the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), reaching a peak in the 1920s and 1930s, when more than 3,000 diaolou were standing. Today there are around 1,800 in Kaiping. In 2007, the Kaiping Diaolou and Villages were collectively inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List6.
Exercise
1. Why is Jiangmen known as Wuyi?
A） It is surrounded by lush countryside.
B） It is located in the land of five counties.
C） It is a showcase of the history of early overseas Chinese.
D） It is a place of respite from densely populated cities.
2. According to the passage, what do many people wrongly assume about Chinese immigrants?
A） The Jiangmen region has no connection to Chinese immigrants.
B） Cantonese is the only language spoken by Chinese immigrants.
C） Most Chinese immigrants come from Hong Kong.
D） Chinese immigrants did not face harsh conditions when working in the West.
3. What is the purpose of diaolou?
A） To serve as residences for wealthy Chinese immigrants returning from Western countries.
B） To protect rice fields from natural disasters.
C） To provide watchtowers for tourists visiting Kaiping.
D） To serve as a symbol of the hard-earned money sent back to Jiangmen by overseas Chinese migrants.
4. What is NOT displayed at the Jiangmen Wuyi Overseas Chinese Museum?
A） Letters written by Chinese immigrants to their families.
B） Detailed instructions on how to construct diaolou in Jiangmen.
C） Bank transfers used by Chinese immigrants to send money home.
D） Old passports held by overseas Chinese when they were abroad.
5. How does the passage describe the countryside surrounding Jiangmen?
A） Densely populated and hectic.
B） Lush and tranquil.
C） Eclipsed by fast food chains.
D） Full of modern architecture.
Glossary
1. bandit: /ˈbændɪt/ n. a robber, especially a member of an armed gang 土匪
2. eclipse: /ɪˈklɪps/ v. to make sb./sth. seem dull or unimportant by comparison 使失色；使相形见绌
3. emigrate: /ˈemɪɡreɪt/ v. to leave one’s country of residence for a new one 移居外国；移民
4. equidistant: /iːkwɪˈdɪstənt/ adj. （not before nouns） equally far from two or more places 等距离；等距
5. merge: /mɜːdʒ/ v. to mix together different elements 融合
6. patriotic: /ˌpætriˈɒtɪk/ adj. having or expressing a great love of your country 爱国的；有爱国心的
7. spectacular: /spekˈtækjələ(r)/ adj. very impressive or dramatic 壮观的
Culture Notes
1. Chinatown 中国城; 唐人街
Chinatown refers to an ethnic enclave or neighborhood that is predominantly populated by Chinese people. These neighborhoods can be found in many cities around the world, but are particularly common in places such as San Francisco, New York, London, and Singapore. Chinatowns typically contain a variety of Chinese businesses and cultural institutions, like Chinese restaurants, markets, temples, and festivals, and are often tourist attractions as well.
2. Romanesque 罗马风格
Romanesque architecture is a medieval European architectural style that emerged in the late 10th century and flourished until the 12th century. It is characterized by its robustness, solidity, and rounded arches, which were derived from ancient Roman architectural techniques.
3. Islamic 伊斯兰风格
Islamic architecture is a distinctive style of architectural design that developed in the Islamic world from the 7th century onwards. It encompasses a wide range of structures including mosques, palaces, tombs and fortresses. One of the key features of Islamic architecture is its emphasis on geometric patterns and intricate ornamentation.
4. Baroque 巴洛克风格
Baroque architecture is a highly ornate and extravagant architectural style that emerged in Europe in the 17th century. It is characterized by its dramatic and theatrical elements, rich decoration, and grandeur. Baroque architecture sought to evoke strong emotions and create a sense of awe in its viewers.
5. Rococo 洛可可风格
Rococo architecture is a highly decorative and whimsical style that emerged in Europe in the 18th century as a reaction against the grandeur and formality of Baroque architecture. It is characterized by its intricate ornamentation, delicate details, and emphasis on asymmetry and natural forms.
6. UNESCO’s World Heritage List 联合国教科文组织世界遗产名录
UNESCO’s World Heritage List is a collection of cultural and natural sites across the globe that are considered to be of outstanding universal value. These sites are recognized for their exceptional importance to humanity and are protected by international treaties. Some well-known examples on UNESCO’s World Heritage Site List include the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and the Grand Canyon in the United States.
Reading 2 Su Dongpo1 and Huizhou 
Directions： In this reading, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Huizhou is (1) on the eastern periphery of the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong Province. People who come here can feel a world apart from the (2) industrial region of the Pearl River Delta—China’s manufacturing powerhouse.
Relaxing and refreshing, Huizhou is a good place to stay. The feeling of (3) that most people experience when they first visit West Lake in Huizhou is not unique. The Song Dynasty scholar Su Dongpo (also known as Su Shi) was (4) awestruck. Su hailed from Sichuan Province, but had grown to prominence in the Song capital, Hangzhou, only to be exiled from the court for contrary views. At the age of 57, Su Dongpo was exiled to Huizhou, a remote and undeveloped place in the south corner of China at that time.
He (5) from great injustice but remained eternally optimistic. In those days, anywhere south of the Nanling Mountains—which long sequestered far south China culturally and geographically from the rest of the country—was (6) barbarous, a malarial swampland on the very edge of civilization. Though he was a great official for a time, he was still willing to get his hands dirty plowing the fields with the common man. He built bridges, (7) medicine and took part in many other initiatives. Su was taken by his home-of-exile, enthusiastically talking about the local (8) , wine, tea and exotic fruits. During his three-year stay in Huizhou, beginning in 1094, Su penned more than 500 verses ode to Huizhou and its people. Today, Su’s lyrical inscriptions are celebrated in the Huizhou West Lake Scenic Area. His poems have been carved into sculptures lining the Su Embankment2, which leads towards Huizhou’s must-have photo, the Sizhou Tower.
Su Dongpo was not only a great writer, but also a famous (9) . Living in Huizhou for two years and seven months, Su Dongpo left a lot of tales of food. He fell in love with the sweet fruit—lychee. “Eating three hundred lychees every day, I would long live in Ling’nan,”3 continued Su’s poem on lychees. As he was removed further and further from the center of power, he became more and more interested in nature and a “common” life, (10) in the simple pleasures of food.(https://www.daowen.com)
Glossary
1. awestruck: /ɔːˌstrʌk/ adj. feeling extremely impressed by sth. 惊叹的；肃然起敬的
2. exotic: /ɪɡˈzɒtɪk/ adj. from or in another country, especially a tropical one 来自异国（尤指热带国家）的
3. periphery: /pəˈrɪf(ə)ri/ n. the outer part of an area, very far from the center 周围；边缘
4. prominence: /ˈprɒmɪnəns/ n. the state of being important, well known or noticeable 重要；著名
5. initiative: /ɪˈnɪʃətɪv/ n. an important act or statement that is intended to solve a problem 积极的行动；倡议
6. inscription: /ɪnˈskrɪpʃn/ n. words cut in stone or metal （石头或金属上）刻写的文字；铭刻；碑文
7. sculpture: /ˈskʌlptʃə(r)/ n. a work of art that is produced by carving or shaping stone, wood, clay, or other materials 雕塑
8. sequester: /sɪˈkwestə(r)/ v. to set apart from others 隔绝；孤立
9. swampland: /ˈswɒmplænd/ n. an area of land that is always very wet 沼泽
Culture Notes
1. Su Dongpo 苏东坡
A writer, calligrapher, and painter in the Northern Song Dynasty. With his father Su Xun and his younger brother Su Zhe, he was known as one of the Three Su. He was versatile in literature, and is jointly known as Ou-Su with Ouyang Xiu, and was one of the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song dynasties. His poems were powerful in rhythm and fresh in images, frequently using exaggeration and metaphor, forming his own unique style.
2. Su Embankment 苏堤
In 1094 A.D., Su Shi was relegated to the position of Deputy Commander of the Yuanning Army and was resettled in Huizhou. Su Shi took the gold bestowed by the emperor and donated it to fund the dredging of West Lake and the construction of a long embankment in Huizhou. In memory of Su Shi, it was subsequently named “Su Embankment”.
3. “Eating three hundred lychees every day, I would long live in Ling’nan.” 日啖荔枝三百颗，不辞长作岭南人。
These two lines are selected from Su Shi’s “Huizhou Yijue” (also known as “Two Verses on Eating Lychees, Part Ⅱ”). In 1095, Su Shi tasted lychees for the first time in Huizhou. Inspired by the exquisite taste, he composed many poems to express his love for them, with this particular couplet being the most famous.
Reading 3 Liang Qichao 
Directions： In this reading, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter.
A） Liang Qichao was a Chinese scholar， journalist， philosopher， and reformist who lived during the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. He inspired Chinese scholars with his writings and reform movements.
Family
B） Liang Qichao was born in a small village in Xinhui， Guangdong Province on February 23， 1873. Liang’s father was a farmer， but a background in classics allowed him to introduce Liang to various literary works when Liang was six years old. By the age of nine， Liang started writing thousand-word essays and became a district-school student soon after.
C） Liang had nine children， all of whom became successful individuals through his strict and effective education. Three of them were scientific personnel at the Chinese Academy of Sciences， including Liang Sicheng， the prominent Chinese architect and architectural historian.Early Life
D） Liang passed the Xiucai1 degree provincial examination at the age of 11. In 1884， he undertook the arduous task of studying for the traditional governmental exams. At the age of 16， he passed the Juren2 second level provincial exams and was the youngest successful candidate at that time. In 1890， Liang failed in his Jinshi3 degree national examinations in Beijing and never earned a higher degree. He took the exams along with Kang Youwei， a famous Chinese scholar and reformist. After returning home， Liang went on to study with Kang Youwei， who was teaching in Guangzhou. Kang’s teachings about foreign affairs fueled Liang’s interest in reforming China.
Reform Movements
E） As an advocate of constitutional monarchy， Liang was unhappy with the governance of the Qing Government and wanted to change the status quo in China. He organized reforms with Kang Youwei by putting their ideas on paper and sending them to the Guangxu Emperor （reigned 1875-1908） of the Qing Dynasty. This movement is known as the Wuxu Reform4 or the Hundred Days’ Reform. Their proposal asserted that China was in need of more than “self-strengthening”， and called for many institutional and ideological changes such as getting rid of corruption and remodeling the state examination system.
F） This proposal soon ignited a frenzy of disagreement， and Liang became a wanted man by order of Empress Dowager5 Cixi， the leader of the political conservative faction who later took over the government as regent. Cixi strongly opposed reforms at that time and along with her supporters， condemned the Hundred Days’ Reform as being too radical.
As a Journalist
G） Lin Yutang once called Liang “the greatest personality in the history of Chinese journalism”. Liang， as a historian and a journalist， believed that both careers must have the same purpose and “moral commitment，” as he proclaimed， “by examining the past and revealing the future， I will show the path of progress to the people of the nation.” He used his literary works to further spread his views on republicanism both in China and across the world. Accordingly， he had become an influential journalist in terms of political and cultural aspects by writing new forms of periodical journals. Furthermore， journalism paved the way for him to express his patriotism.
H） As one of the pioneers of Chinese journalism of his time， Liang believed in the “power” of newspaper， especially its influence over government policies.
I） Liang realised the importance of journalism’s social role and supported the idea of a strong relationship between politics and journalism before the May Fourth Movement6. He believed that newspapers and magazines should serve as an essential and effective tool in communicating political ideas. He believed that newspapers did not only act as a historical record， but was also a means to “shape the course of history”.
J） Liang also thought that the press was an “effective weapon in the service of a nationalist uprising”. In Liang’s words， the newspaper is a “revolution of ink， not a revolution of blood”. He wrote， “So a newspaper teaches him when he doesn’t understand， and rebukes him when he gets something wrong.” Undoubtedly， his attempt to unify and dominate a fast-growing and highly competitive press market has set the tone for the first generation of newspaper historians of the May Fourth Movement.
K） Liang was well aware that the newspaper could serve as an “educational program”， and said， “the newspaper gathers virtually all the thoughts and expressions of the nation and systematically introduces them to the citizenry， it being irrelevant whether they are important or not， concise or not， radical or not. The press， therefore， can contain， reject， produce， as well as destroy， everything.” For example， Liang wrote a well-known essay during his most radical period titled The Young China7. The essay established the concept of the nation-state and argued that the young revolutionaries were the holders of the future of China.
As a Poet and Novelist
L） Liang advocated reform in both the genres of poem and novel. The Collected Works from the Ice-Drinker’s Studio （Yinbingshi） is his representative works in literature and has been compiled into 148 volumes.
M） Liang gained his idea of calling his work as Collected Works of Yinbingshi from a passage of Zhuangzi. As a result， Liang called his workplace as “The Ice-drinker Studio”， and addressed himself as Yinbingshi Zhuren， literally Host of the Ice-drinker Studio， in order to present his idea that he was worrying about all the political matters， so he would still try his best to reform the society by the effort of writings.
As an Educator
N） In the late 1920s， Liang retired from politics and taught in universities as a tutor. Academically he was a renowned scholar of his time， introducing Western learning and ideology， and making extensive studies of ancient Chinese culture.
O） During this last decade of his life， he wrote many books documenting Chinese cultural history， Chinese literary history and historiography. Liang reexamined the works of Mozi， and authored， amongst other works， The Political Thought of the Pre-Qing Period， and Intellectual Trends in the Qing Period. He also had a strong interest in Buddhism and wrote numerous historical and political articles on its influence in China. Liang influenced many of his students in producing their own literary works. They included Xu Zhimo， a renowned modern poet， and Wang Li， an accomplished poet and founder of Chinese linguistics as a modern discipline.
Exercise
1. As a significant journalist in Chinese history, Liang Qichao believed in the moral commitment of journalism and used it to spread his views on republicanism and patriotism.
2. Liang Qichao studied with Kang Youwei, a famous Chinese scholar and reformist, after failing the national examinations in Beijing.
3. Having recognized the significance of newspapers and magazines in communicating political ideas, Liang Qichao believed that they should be used as a powerful tool to shape history.
4. Liang Qichao, born in a small village in Xinhui, Guangdong Province, started writing essays at the age of nine.
5. The Hundred Days’ Reform faced significant opposition from the court.
6. With a great fascination for Buddhism, Liang Qichao authored various works relating to the religion’s impact on Chinese history and politics.
7. Liang Qichao believed that newspapers and magazines should take on the responsibility of educating citizens.
8. A passage in the philosophical text Zhuangzi gave Liang Qichao the inspiration to name his work as the Collected Works of Yinbingshi.
9. Liang Qichao demanded various institutional and ideological transformations, including the elimination of corrupt practices and restructuring of the state examination process.
10. All the nine children of Liang Qichao received strict and effective education and went on to become successful individuals.
Glossary
1. academy: /əˈkædəmi/ n. an institution for the advancement of art or science or literature 学院
2. advocate: /ˈædvəkeɪt / n. a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea 拥护者；提倡者
3. assert: /əˈsɜːt/ v. to state clearly and firmly that sth. is true 明确肯定；断言
4. condemn: /kənˈdem/ v. to express very strong disapproval of sb. /sth., usually for moral reasons 谴责；指责
5. extensive: /ɪkˈstensɪv/ adj. including or dealing with a wide range of information 广泛的；广博的
6. fuel: /ˈfjuːəl/ v. to stimulate 刺激
7. frenzy: /ˈfrenzi/ n. a state of great activity and strong emotion that is often violent or frightening and not under control 疯狂；狂乱；狂暴
8. ignite: /ɪɡˈnaɪt/ v. to arouse or excite feelings and passions 激起；使激动
9. monarchy: /ˈmɒnəki/ n. a system of government by a king or a queen 君主制
10. patriotism: /ˈpætriətɪzəm/ n. love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it 爱国主义；爱国精神
11. radical: /ˈrædɪkl/ adj. being in favour of thorough and complete political or social change 激进的；极端的
Culture Notes
1. Xiucai 秀才
Xiucai was the lowest level of academic degree, which was obtained by passing the county-level imperial examination. This exam tested knowledge of Confucian classics, poetry, and prose, and was the first step towards achieving a higher degree.
2. Juren 举人
Juren was the second-highest level of academic degree, which was obtained by passing the provincial-level imperial examination. This exam was much more difficult than the county-level exam and tested knowledge of more advanced Confucian classics, as well as history, geography, and law.