漫漫朝圣路

浙江 李宽菊

1304年2月24日，伊本·白图泰出生于摩洛哥丹吉尔的一个柏柏尔人家庭。20岁左右时，他出发去麦加朝圣，从此，他踏上了一段长达75,000英里的旅途……

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“I left Tangier, my birthplace, the 13th of June, 1325, with the intention of making the pilgrimage （朝圣之旅） to Mecca...to leave all my friends both female and male, to abandon my home as birds abandon their nests.” So begins an old manuscript （手稿） in a library in Paris,

The Travels of Ibn Battuta.

Almost two centuries before Columbus, this young Moroccan set off for Mecca. He is now regarded as one of great travelers in history.Driven by curiosity, he journeyed to remote corners of the Islamic world, traveling three times as far as Marco Polo, through 44 modern countries. Though little celebrated in the West, his name is well known among Arabs. In his hometown, a square, a hotel, and even a hamburger are named after him. Prior to his adventures traveling the world, Ibn Battuta studied in Mecca for several years. However, the urge to travel soon took over. He traveled to India, seeking profitable employment with the Sultan（苏丹） of Delhi. On the way, he described his group being attacked in the open country by 80 foot soldiers and two horsemen, “We fought...killing one of their horsemen and about twelve of the foot soldiers...was hit by an arrow and my horse by another, but God in his grace preserved me. We carried the heads of the slain （被杀者） to the castle of Abu Bak'har and suspended them from the wall.”

In Delhi, the Sultan gave him the position of judge, based on his studies at Mecca. But the Sultan had an unpredictable character, and Ibn Battuta was soon looking for an opportunity to leave. When the Sultan offered to finance a trip to China, Ibn Battuta agreed. He set off with three ships, but misfortune struck while he was still on shore. A sudden storm grounded and broke up two ships. Scattering treasure, the storm drowned many people and horses. As he watched, the third ship, with all his belongings and slaves, one carrying his child, was carried out to sea and never returned.

After a lifetime of incredible adventures,Ibn Battuta was finally ordered by the Sultan of Morocco to return home to share his wisdom with the world. Fortunately, he agreed and wrote a book that has been translated into numerous languages, allowing people everywhere to read about his unparalleled journeys.

Reading Check

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A. Ibn Battuta's visit to Mecca.

B. Ibn Battuta's character.

C. The adventures of Ibn Battuta.

D. The books that Ibn Battuta wrote.

2. Why did Ibn Battuta first leave Tangier?

A. To teach.

B. To help his family.

C. To visit Mecca.

D. To look for a job abroad.

3. The Sultan of Delhi gave Ibn Battuta the position of judge because ______.

A. the Sultan needed a translator

B. Ibn Battuta had studied in Mecca

C. Ibn Battuta had been a judge before

D. Ibn Battuta had traveled to many countries

4. Why did Ibn Battuta finally return home?

A. He was tired of traveling.

B. He feared the Sultan of Delhi.

C. He didn't have any more money.

D. The Sultan of Morocco asked him to return.

5. The writer of this passage most likely thinks that Ibn Battuta's journey ______.

A. didn't really happen

B. was inspired by Marco Polo's travels

C. was common for people of that time

D. should be more well known in the West today

Language Study

Read the information below. Then complete the definitions using the words in bold.

During his travels, Ibn Battuta suffered many misfortunes. Here's one: In his final journey, he traveled to the remote land of Mali,with the intention of meeting a king who gave his visitors wonderful gifts. Said to be unparalleled, these gifts often included large amounts of gold. However, prior to Ibn Battuta's arrival, the old king died. The new king, Mansa Sulayman,only gave Ibn Battuta a little food. When he saw his gift, Ibn Battuta could only laugh.

1. An area that is ______is far away and difficult to get to.

2. If you have the _______of doing something,you have decided to do it.

3. A person's _______are bad or unlucky things that happen to them.

4. If something happens ______to another thing,it happens before it.

5. If you describe something as _______, you are emphasizing that it is bigger, better, or worse than anything else of its kind.