The father of China's railroad:Zhan Tianyou

山东 李全忠

主题语境：人与社会 篇幅：325词 建议用时：6分钟

1Zhan Tianyou,a national hero for his role in building China's railroad system,was born in 1861 in southern China's Guangdong Province and died in 1919.As the chief designer of the first railway built by Chinese engineers,he is widely regarded as the father of China's railroad.

2He was intelligent and interested in machinery when he was a child.At the age of 12,Zhan went to the US to study.In 1878,he was admitted to Yale University majoring in civil and railway engineering.As one of the earliest Chinese students studying abroad,he was the first Chinese that became a member of the American Engineers'Association.

3After graduating from Yale University in 1881,he returned to China.When construction of the first railway project—Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway—began in 1905,Zhan Tianyou was appointed chief engineer.He succeeded in building the zigzag upward railway after overcoming the gradient problem by switching back the line.Moreover,he initially used two locomotives instead of one—one pulling,and another pushing the train over the area.The railway was completed in 1909,two years ahead of schedule.It added a brilliant page in the history of Chinese railway construction.

4After the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway was open to traffic,he led a team to extend the railroad to the west of Zhangjiakou.Later,he acted as chief designer in the construction of several other railways in China.

5After the 1911 revolution,Zhan Tianyou was appointed chief engineer of the Yue-Han Railway Corporation and built railways from Guangzhou to Shaoguan and from Wuchang to Changsha.In 1913,he became a high official in the transportation department and played an important role in setting up the national railway technical standard.In the same year,China Engineer Association was founded and Zhan Tianyou was elected chairman.In 1916,he was awarded the Doctor's degree of Law by the University of Hong Kong.

Reading Check

Inference 1.Why is Zhan widely regarded as the father of China's railroad?

A.Because of his high standard of education abroad.

B.Because of his intelligence and interest in machinery.

C.Because of his achievements in the Chinese railway.

D.Because of his success in building the zigzag upward railway.

Gist 2.What is mainly stressed in paragraph 3?

A.The railway was completed in time.

B.Zhan's ideas of the Chinese railway construction.

C.The railway was the most successful railway.

D.Zhan's contribution to the first Chinese railway.

Gist 3.What can we know according to the last paragraph?

A.Zhan played an important role in Chinese railway construction.

B.Zhan founded China Engineer Association by himself.

C.Zhan became a high official in the government in 1911.

D.Zhan was awarded the Doctor's degree of Medicine in 1916.

Inference 4.What's the author's purpose of writing this text?

A.To explain the first Chinese railway.

B.To show the development of a country.

C.To recommend a new type of railway construction.

D.To introduce a Chinese railroad pioneer.

Language Study

Discover useful structures in the text

1.one of+可数名词复数

As one of the earliest Chinese students studying abroad,he was the first Chinese that became a member of the American Engineers'Association.作为最早出国留学的中国学生之一，他是第一个成为美国工程师协会会员的中国人。

2.after+V-ing形式

He succeeded in building the zigzag upward railway after overcoming the gradient problem by switching back the line.他通过折回线路克服了坡度问题，成功地修建了人字形的上行铁路。