Rampageous Currents and Dangerous Shoals of Xiling Gorge

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Rampageous Currents and Dangerous Shoals of
Xiling Gorge
Unit Four
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The Xiling Gorge
Military Book and Sword Gorge
Ox Liver and Horse Lung Gorge
Huangling Temple
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The Xiling Gorge starts from the entrance of
the Xiangxi River in Zigui in the west and ends
at Nanjin Pass in Yichang in the east . With the
total length of 66 kilometers it ranks the
longest gorge in the Three Gorges . It consists
of two sections , the east and the west,
separated by the 31-kilometer-long Miaonan Broad
Valley in the middle , where the famous Yangtze
Three Gorges Project was born into the world .
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The west section includes the Military Book and
Sword Gorge, the Ox Liver and Horse Lung Gorge
and the Kongling Gorge. The east section includes
the Shadow Play Gorge and the Yellow Cat Gorge.
The Xiling gorge was noted for numerous shoals
and speedy currents. Two famous shoals, Xintan
Shoal and Kongling Shoal, are all in the Xiling
Gorge. In history, many ships and boats sank into
the roaring waves. After liberation, the channel
has been harnessed after being dredged for many
years .
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Especially after the construction of the Gezhouba
Hydropower Project, the history that the Three
Gorges could not be navigated at night since
remote past ended. Now here, the winds have
subsided and the waves have calmed down. Ships
and boats sail on green ripples. All these appear
comfortable and carefree. A cruise along this
section of the Three Gorges brings the traveler
to many sites of scenic and historical interest.
The wondrous limestone caves dotting the peaks on
both banks are enough to make him or her gasp
with admiration,
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the three biggest and most famous being the Stone
Dragon Cave, the Huangsang Cave and the Three
Visitors Cave. Each with its unique features,
these fantastic geological formations provide
valuable material for related studies.
After the water level rose to 139 meters, some
stalactites in the famous scenic spots Military
and Sword Gorge and Ox Liver and Horse Lung
Gorge, were completely submerged into the
river. Xiaozhuang Village, the ancient town built
in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, was taken apart
and submerged too.
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The wonderful memories seemed to be wiped off the
hearts of the people of the Three Gorges. Out of
Nanjin Pass at the east mouth of the Xiling
Gorge, there comes Yichang. Past Yichang, the
Yangtze River enters the Jianghan Plain and the
source of the Chu Culture .
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Translation
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Passage 1
Military Book and Sword Gorge
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A folk story says that when Zhuge Liang
(181---254), a statesman and strategist of the
Three Kingdoms period (220---280), was traveling
along the Three Gorges, he stored on a sheer
cliff a military book he wrote and also a sword,
hoping that some talented person in the future
might be bold enough to take them for his use.



Zhuge Liang
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but another version goes that Zhuge Liang
stressed commanding troops in a way suited to the
actual circumstances instead of according to
dogmas . Thinking that what he wrote in his book
on the art of war should not be mechanically
followed by the future generations , he put it
away in a mountain valley . Today , the
military book and sword are found in a cliff
side about five or six kilometers downriver from
Xiangxi . In fact , the book consists of some
fossilized ancient coffins and the sword is a
rock resembling such a weapon pointing skyward !
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The Military Book and Sword Gorge is
otherwise called Granary Gorge . Opposite the
book and sword is a rock cave into which dust
falls through a fissure on a windy day . The
accumulation looks like a heap of grain . A story
says that this is where Zhuge Liang stored grain
for his troops . This gorge is a narrow ,
four-kilometer-long strip sandwiched between
Baituo and Xiaoqing shoals . A stone statue of Qu
Yuan was excavated at the latter shoal in 1978 .
It is a legacy from the Jiajing reign
(1522---1565) of the Ming Dynasty , and is now on
display in the Qu Yuan Memorial Hall of Zigui
County .
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Downstream from Xiaoqing Shoal ,
the tourist finds on the north bank a rock face
shaped like an old man fishing with a rod .
People refer to it as Duke Jiang Fishing on a
River. ( Duke Jiang was a statesman of the Zhou
Dynasty , who lived in the 11th century B.C. ) .
A little distance further down lies the Moon Cave
, so named because , in the high-water season ,
the sun shines into the cave entrance to produce
a moon-like circle of light .
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New Words
rampageous a. ??? fossilize vt.
???? current n. ??, ??, ?? resemble vt.
?, ?? military a. ???, ??? skyward ad.
???? sword n. ?
granary n. ?? statesman n. ???
fissure n. ??, ?? strategist n. ???
sheer n. ???
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accumulation n. ??, ??? heap n. ?, ??,
talented a. ???? narrow a.
??? version n. ??, ??, ?? strip n. ?,
? circumstance n. ??, ?? excavate v. ??,
?? dogma n. ?? legacy
n. ??(?), ?? mechanically ad ???
reign n. ??(??) generation n. ??, ???
duke n. ??

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Exercises ? Answer the questions 1.What does
the folk story tell us about the Military Book
and Sword Gorge ? 2.What the book and sword
actually are ? 3.Why did Zhuge Liang put his book
on the art of war away in a mountain valley
? 4.What did the tourists discover on the north
bank downstream from Xiaoqingtan Shoal ?
Key
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? Decide the statements true or false 1. Zhuge
Liang stored a military book written by himself
and a sword in a mountain valley because he
expected that they might be useful in the future
. ( ) 2. The Military Book and Sword Gorge has
got another name , that is Coffin Gorge . ( ) 3.
The sword is a rock similar to such a weapon
pointing skyward . ( ) 4. The statue of Qu Yuan
was excavated in the Military Book and Sword
Gorge . ( )
Key
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III Multiple choice 1. The Military Book and
Sword Gorge has another name .That is
. A. Duck Jiang fishing on a river B.
Granary Gorge C. a narrow strip
D. moon-like circle 2. The
Military Book and Sword Gorge sandwiches
. A. between Baituo and Xiaoqingtan
B. from Baituo to Xiaoqingtan C.
opposite the book and sword D. in the
middle of the Moon Cave
Key
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3. The stone statue of Qu Yuan is now on display
in . A. the Zhou Dynasty
B. the Qu Yan Memorial Hall
C. Zigui County D.
Granary 4. The Moon Cave has got the name for
. A. an old story B.
the shape C. its scene
D. its pronunciation
Key
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Translation
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Passage 2
Ox Liver and Horse Lung Gorge
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Two ochre rocks hang overlapping from the
sheer cliff on the north bank a little distance
down from Xintan Shoal . One appears like an ox
liver , and the other a horse lung . Hence the
name Ox Liver and Horse Lung Gorge for this
section of the Xiling .
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Formerly the Horse Lung had a pine tree growing
on it like a soldier guarding the spot , and it
serves as a sort of natural navigation aid for
the boats cruising by. For centuries , these
weird-shaped rocks have been a scenic sight. In
the Guangxu reign (1875---1908) of the Qin
Dynasty, however, the imperialist gunboats
intruding into this part of China bombarded the
Horse Lung, destroying the lower half of it .
Indignant at this barbarous act, Guo Moruo
(1892---1978), an outstanding scholar who visited
Xiling Gorge more than once, wrote in a poem
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The Military Book and Sword remains as
it is , While the Ox Liver and Horse Lung
condemns the invaders . The north bank
here also highlights a rock in the form of a
phoenix whose beak extends towards the shore .
During the flood season , this mythical bird
raises columns of waves with its prolonged beak .
The spray flying meters high glistens under the
sunshine like so many flowing multi-colored
ribbons . Opposite the Phoenix is another rock
of a bizarre shape lying atop a towering peak .
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It looks like a warrior riding a horse . Hence
the name Warrior-Horse Rock . People refer to
these two rocks together , calling them Zhang
Xiao Chases the Phoenix . Legend runs that , in
ancient times , a phoenix was pecking away at the
wheat crops here . A young warrior , Zhang Xiao ,
who was chasing the bird arrived on horse back .
The bird flew to the other bank to become a green
ridge , whereupon Zhang was petrified into human
figure watching the bird from his horse .
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2. hence for this reason ??,??(???????)
e.g. He has neither ear nor voice , hence he
cannot sing . The town was built on
the side of a hill , hence the name
Hillside .
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New Words ochre n. ??, ?? beak n.
??, ? overlapping ??, ?? mythical
a. ???, ??? hence ad. ??, ??
prolonged a. ???, ??? formerly ad. ??, ??
spray n. ??, ?? navigation n. ??, ??,
?? glisten v. ?? atop
prep. ?...??? cruise vi. n.??, ??
stud n. ?? ribbon n. ??, ??, ???
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imperialist a. ????? chase vt.
??, ? n. ????? gunboat
n. ??, ?? bombard vt. ????
intrude vi. ??, ?? ridge n.
??, ??, ?? peck vt. ??, ?
petrify v. ??,?? highlight vt. ??,
??? condemn vt. ??, ?? indignant a.
???, ??? barbarous a. ???, ???, ??? whereupon
ad. ??, ?? conj. ???
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Exercises ? Answer the questions 1. Where is
the Ox Liver and Horse Lung Gorge ? 2. Which
part of the Horse Lung was destroyed and who did
it ? 3. What did Guo Morou write in his poem
Going Through Xiling Gorgeand what feelings did
he show ?
Key
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? Decide the statements true or false 1. The Ox
Liver and Horse Lung was named for its
appearance . ( ) 2. The Phoenix became a green
tablet after being chaisd by Zhangxiao . ( ) 3.
Zhangxiao was a brave soldier in the folk story.(
) 4. Formerly the Horse Lung had a pine tree
growing on it like a soldier guarding the spot ,
and people used it for a sort of natural
navigation aid for the boats cruising by . ( )
Key
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? Multiple choice 1. The Ox Liver and Horse
Lung Gorge is in the . A. Qutang
Gorge B. Wu Gorge C. Xiling
Gorge D. Huangniuyan Gorge 2. The
docks have been a scenic sight for
centuries . A. ugly-shaped B.
strange-shaped C. awful-shaped
D. regular-shaped 3. Zhangxiao ran after the
phoenix and after then into human figure
watching the bird from his horse . A. become
B. grew C . changed D. transfer
Key
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Passage 3
Huangling Temple
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Several kilometers far from the Three
Gorges Dam , located at the foot of the Yellow
Cow Mountain at the south bank of the Yellow Cow
Gorge in the Miaonan Broad Valley , there stands
splendid ancient buildings with red walls and
yellow titles , which was built in the earliest
time in the Three Gorges --- the Huangling Temple
( the Temple of the Yellow Cow ) . This
temple is said to have been built during the
Spring and Autumn period ( 770---476B.C.) to
memorize a divine cow that had ever helped Yu to
excavate the gorges .
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During the beginning period , the Huangling
Temple was very magnificent . Then it was
destroyed in several wars . After bring rebuilt
several times , it was not as magnificent as
before , but it is the largest scale of ancient
buildings in the Three Gorges , of which , only
the hall of Yu and the Wuhou Shrine rebuilt in
1618 , were preserved . During the Three
Kingdoms Zhuge Liang passed the temple , leading
his troops on their way to Shu and saw it on the
verge of collapse . He stopped , took charge of
the renovation , and wrote the essay Yellow Cow
Temple Notes ,
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which was later inscribed on a stone tablet
standing out of the hall now . One paragraph said
From ancient times the legend has been passed
down that a holy cow helped Yu gore the mountain
to fight against flood . It took them nine years
to finish the construction . I believe it was
true . But Ouyang Xiu , a talented writer in
Song Dynasty only believed that Yu dug up a
mountain and did not believe in the story of the
holy Yellow Cow. When he was head of Yiling
Cuonty ( Yichang ) , he changed the Huangniu
Temple into Huangling Temple .
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Since ancient times , the temple has attracted
many literary men because of its exquisite
construction and attractive legends. The hall of
King Da Yu is very splendid with zigzag arches
and sticking-up eaves. Two big wooden plaques
hang over the entrance to the hall .
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One bearing the inscription Di Ding Jiang Nan
(Pacifying the Turbulent Waves) written by
Empress Dowager Cixi (1835--1908)of the Qing
Dynasty and the other one inscribed with four
characters meaning Illustrious Feat Remembered
Through the Ages written by a certain Hui Wang
. Behind and in front of the temple , mountains
and waters are unique and breathtaking . There is
an old popular ballad In the morning you
start from the bull place and in the evening you
still stay in the bull place .
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Three days and nights you look the bull is the
same. It expresses that the way of traveling is
hard everywhere in this area . There are many
steles with good hydrology records of the Three
Gorges in the past . One of them was about a
flood happened in the ninth year of Tongzhi
Emperor in the Qing Dynasty . It says that the
water rose to the level of the gold tablet
inscribed board . This is the highest watermark
in the Three Gorged ever since .
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New Words temple n. ?, ?, ??, ??
arch n. ??, ?? emperor n ??, ??
eave n. ?? scale n. ??
plaque n. ? shrine
n. ??, ?? inscription n.
??, ?? preserve vt. ??, ??, ?? pacifying
vt. ???, ?? verge v. ??n. ??
turbulent a. ???,??? collapse n. ??, ??, ??
dowager n. ??????(????)??, ??
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renovation n. ??
characters n. ? essay n. ??, ??, ??
illustrious a. ??? inscribe vt. ??, ??
?? feat n. ??, ?? tablet n.
?????, ?? zigzag a. ??? ballad
n. ??, ??,????, ?? gore vt.(??)??,(??)??
stele n. ??, ??, ?? literary a.
??(?)?,????? hydrology n. ???, ??,???
exquisite a. ???, ???, ?? watermark n. ??
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Exercises ? Answer the questions 1.What was
Huangling Temples former name ? 2.When was the
Huangling Temple been built , during the Spring
and Autumn period , during the Three Kingdoms or
in 1618 ? 3.Who changed the temples name and
why did he do that ? ? Decide the statements true
or false
Key
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1.The Huangling Temple is located at the foot of
the Yellow Cow Mountain nearly 40 kilometers far
from the Three Gorges .( ) 2.The temple was been
built in honor of a divine cow that helped Yu
putting the local rivers under control .(
) 3.The reconstruction of the temple in different
dynasties failed to restore its former splendor
.( ) 4.The temple is the biggest and most
magnificent ancient building in China . (
) 5.Both Zhuge Liang and Ouyang Xiu believed the
story that a holy cow helped Da Yu in digging up
a mountain to fight against floods . ( )
Key
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? Multiple choice 1. During the beginning period
, the Huangling Temple was very . A.
excellent B. imposing C.
colorful D. numerous 2.
Now only rebuilt in 1618 were remained
. A. the Yellow Cow B. the stone
tablet C. an old popular ballad D.
the hall of King Da Yu and the Wuhou Shrine
Key
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3. Three days and nights you look the cow is
. A. not different B.
not the same C. as well as
D. the same 4. wrote an essay
Yellow Cow Temple Notes . A. Lu You
B. Ouyang Xiu C. Li Bai
D. Zhuge Liang 5. The
popular ballad shows that the way of traveling is
everywhere in the area . A.
easy B. comfortable
C. different D.
dangerous
Key
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Translation ? ? ?
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?????1618????????????? ???,???????,????,??????
?,???????,?????????,?????,?????????????????
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Key (Unit 4)
Passage 1 ? 1. The story tell us Zhuge Liang
stored on a sheer cliff a military book he wrote
and also a sword . 2. In fact , the book
consists of some fossilized ancient coffins and
the sword is a rock resembling such a weapon
pointing skyward ! 3. Because he expected that
some talented person in the future might be bold
enough to take them for his use . 4. Downstream
from Xiaoqing Shoal , the tourist finds on the
north bank a rockface shaped like an old man
fishing with a rod . People refer to it as Duke
Jiang Fishing on a River.
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? 1. F 2. F 3. T 4. T ? 1. B 2. A
3. C 4. C Passage 2 ? 1. It is on the
north bank a little distance down from Xintan
Shoal . 2. The lower half of it was destroyed by
the imperialist in the Guangxu reign . 3. In his
poem Guo Morou wrote The Military Book and Sword
remains as it is , While the Ox Liver and
Horse Lung condemns the invaders . It expressed
the poets indignation . ? 1. T 2. F 3.
T 4. F ? 1. C 2. B 3. C
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Passage 3 ? 1. It was the Temple of the Yellow
Cow . 2. It was built during the Spring and
Autumn period . 3. Ouyang Xiu changed the name
of the temple when he was head of Yiling
because he did not believe in the story of the
holy Yellow Cow . ? 1. F 2. T 3. T
4. F 5. F ? 1. B 2. D 3. A 4. D
5. D
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Nanjin Pass
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Thank You
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