Enjoy exploring the water town in Wupeng boats

江西 周 莉

摇曳的乌篷船曾经是人们生活的重要组成部分，现成了绍兴的“形象大使”，承载着绍兴千年的沧桑往事，代表着小桥流水人家的古朴风情。

主 题 语 境：地 域 文 化 篇 幅：338词 建 议 用 时：7分 钟

1 Imagine now you are sitting in a small boat floating on the river, seeing small bridges over the running water with residential houses along the channels.Raindrops fall from the tiles and splash on the awning （雨篷）.How poetic it is! This experience is what you can get when riding a Wupeng boat in Shaoxing.

2 As Shaoxing is a water town, the unique transport named the Wupeng boat emerged in this particular location.The Wupeng boat, a Chinese gondola, also known as the blackawning boat, got its name from the dark colour of its awning.There are straw mats for people to sit and lie on board.As the space is rather small, the boat may lose balance or even turn over if passengers stand on it.Each boat can accommodate about four persons.Another typical fact about this boat is that it is run by human power.

3 Wupeng boats used to be an important part in people's life although it now has become the symbol of Shaoxing.The famous Chinese writer Lu Xun mentioned this boat in many of his publications because floating in a Wupeng boat is not only part of his childhood but also people's life in Shaoxing.

4 The rainy season and summer is the best time for you to get a pleasant experience.Shaoxing has two rainy seasons—from March to June and in September.In the rainy seasons,the water town starts to exude its charm.The silence balanced with vitality will take you to paradise.The breeze and coolness of water in summer would bring you a great outdoor experience.Thus, the best time to ride Wupeng boats in Shaoxing is from March to September.But other months would be a good option for experiencing it with fewer travelers around.

5 Wupeng boats in different spots around the city have various routes.You can appreciate the historical and cultural water town on the small boat.Once you get to Shaoxing, find one of the few Wupeng boat ports, and ask what route do they follow to make sure you see the attractions on your wishlist.

Reading Check

Gist1.What does paragraph 1 mainly describe?

A.Shaoxing's unique transport.

B.Shaoxing's weather conditions.

C.Shaoxing's main attractions.

D.A tourist's experience in Shaoxing.

Detail2.Where did the Wupeng boat get its name from?

A.Its inventor.B.Its material.

C.Its appearance.D.Its shape.

Inference3.Why does the author mention Lu Xun in the text?

A.To mention Lu's great contributions to Shaoxing.

B.To indicate Lu's closely connection with Wupeng boats.

C.To show how Lu's works have made Shaoxing famous.

D.To prove Wupeng boats' status in people's life in the past.

Vocabulary4.What does the underlined word“ exude” mean in paragraph 4?

A.Lose.B.Display.

C.Compare.D.Discover.

Language Study

Ⅰ.Difficult sentence in the text

The famous Chinese writer Lu Xun mentioned this boat in many of his publications because floating in a Wupeng boat is not only part of his childhood but also people's life in Shaoxing.中国著名作家鲁迅在他的许多著作中都提到了这种乌篷船，因为漂荡在乌篷船上不仅是他童年生活的一部分，也是绍兴人生活的一部分。

【点石成金】本句是一个主从复合句。because 引导原因状语从句，在该从句中，floating in a Wupeng boat是动名词短语作主语。

Ⅱ.Text-centered chunks

be known as 作为……而出名

lose balance 失去平衡

turn over 翻转；倾覆

used to do 过去常常（而现在不）

make sure 确保