Enjoy exploring the water town in Wupeng boats乌篷船里看绍兴

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 boatfloating on the river， seeing small bridgesover the running water with residentialhouses along the channels. Raindrops fallfrom the tiles and splash on the awning （雨篷）. How poetic it is！ This experience iswhat 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 inthis particular location. The Wupeng boat， a Chinese gondola， also known as the black⁃awning boat， got its name from the dark colour of its awning. There are straw mats forpeople to sit and lie on board. As the space is rather small， the boat may lose balanceor even turn over if passengers stand on it. Each boat can accommodate about four per⁃sons. Another typical fact about this boat is that it is run by human power.

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

4 The rainy season and summer is the best time for you to get a pleasant experience. Shao⁃xing 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 takeyou to paradise. The breeze and coolness of water in summer would bring you a greatoutdoor experience. Thus， the best time to ride Wupeng boats in Shaoxing is fromMarch to September. But other months would be a good option for experiencing it withfewer travelers around.

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

Reading

Check

1. 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.

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

A. Its inventor. B. Its material.

C. Its appearance. D. Its shape.

3. 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.

4. 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 publicationsbecause floating in a Wupeng boat is not only part of his childhood but also people's life inShaoxing. 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