主阅读语篇：
Following the Silk Road
Covering vast distances and an astonishing variety of landscapes, the Silk Road was a network of ancient trade routes that extended from East Asia all the way to the Mediterranean. A key section of the extensive Silk Road network is the Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor, which stretches over a distance of around 5,000 kilometres through China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, covering a total of 8,700 kilometres of trade routes. The three countries jointly pursued an application for UNESCO World Heritage status. They submitted the proposal which contained detailed research on the 33 sites along the corridor. This made history in its own way as the first successful multinational World Heritage application — and it seems to be only the beginning of the road for the Silk Road, as other countries are also planning World Heritage applications for other sections of the network.
The starting point of the corridor and the entire Silk Road network is Chang'an (present-day Xi'an), in Shaanxi Province of north-west China. It was famous as the capital of the Han and Tang Dynasties. Further west on the Silk Road, the geography gradually changes from wild deserts to high, snow-capped mountains to vast grasslands as the routes pass through the splendid Tianshan Mountains and emerge in the rolling valleys of Central Asia. Although the Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor ends here, the network continues westwards until it reaches the Mediterranean.
The Silk Road began to develop in the 2nd century BCE. Assigned by the emperor, the ambassador Zhang Qian journeyed from Chang'an to Central Asia, seeking to build bridges between the Han Dynasty and the Western Regions. Following Zhang's efforts, trade routes took shape and relationships were strengthened between the major powers of the time, with the routes network reaching as far as the Roman Empire. The network expanded gradually, playing an important role in world history between the 6th and 14th centuries, and remained in use until the 16th century.
At the initial stage of the Silk Road development, silk was the main item in the trade list thanks to its light weight and high value. At its peak, many other items were contributed to the marketplace of goods. The routes were alive with strings of camels carrying loads of goods and traders selling everything imaginable. China's exports included silk, china and tea, while horses, wool, cotton and grapes were all imported over vast distances along the network.
In addition to trade exchange, the network served as a bridge for cultural exchange which shaped the evolution of science, art, technology and many other areas in societies along the network. Astronomy and mathematics were introduced to China from India and Arabia; in Gansu Province, the Mogao Caves, home to some of the finest examples of Buddhist art, reflected the eastward spread of Buddhism from India, important Chinese inventions such as papermaking and printing were first brought to the West through the network.
All of these activities contributed to a great age of expansion as trade and cultural exchanges gave people access to new goods, knowledge and ideas. These amazingly long routes connected Eastern and Western civilizations, which achieved a shared development. In the modern age, through the Belt and Road Initiative, the Silk Road is once again connecting the countries along the ancient trade routes and promoting the exchanges of different civilizations. The addition of the Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor to the UNESCO World Heritage List is a milestone in recognition of the Silk Road as a crucial part of humanity's common heritage.
拓展语篇1：
Dynasties that Opened the Silk Road
Longer than the Great Wall, older than the Forbidden City, the Silk Road is another symbol of Chinese history. The Silk Road is also known as the Silk Routes as it was a network of trade routes. These routes stretched over 6000 kilometers, linking China in the East to Rome, and thereby Europe, in the West.
This allowed both cultural interaction and trade to take place over these long distances. Silk was one of the main products traded. It was in great demand in the ancient world, especially in the then-capital of the West — Rome. China was known as the “land of silk” by the Romans and how to make silk was a secret closely guarded by the Chinese. Transporting goods by dangerous and long routes overland was difficult so traders preferred to trade light and valuable goods, such as gold and other precious metals, porcelain, ivory, salt, spices and tea. The Silk Road enabled these exchanges.
How were these routes started and developed? To answer that, we need to examine China's two most powerful dynasties, Han and Tang.
The Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty ruled China from 202 BC to 220 AD. This dynasty kept China unified, and developed and strengthened the nation. Its military and financial strength enabled China's boundaries to be expanded into what is today Southern China. In turn, this increased the power of China, allowing it to bring many of its neighbours under its sphere of influence.
However, China still had problems with warring nomadic tribal peoples to the north, primarily the Xiongnu people. The Chinese ambassador Zhang Qian managed to pass the lands of the Xiongnu people (he was captured, but escaped after many years) and visited the kingdoms of Dayuan, Dayuezhi, Kangju and the Bactrian country of Daxia with its Greco-Bactrian rulers. The Dayuans and the Greco-Bactrians were descendants of Greek soldiers who had remained after Alexander the Great had retreated from the area. They incorporated elements of the great Greek civilisation in their nations. Zhang Qian also made reports on countries neighbouring these nations.
Zhang Qian's reports suggested that ties could be made with these nations to the benefit of China. It was China's first contact with nation states similar to its own, as opposed to nomadic tribes. Ancient writings state that the Chinese Emperor Wu of Han realised that many of these kingdoms were, “large countries, full of rare things, with a population living in fixed abodes and given to occupations somewhat identical with those of the Chinese people, but with weak armies, and placing great value on the rich produce of China”.
After the defeat of the Xiongnu tribes, the Chinese then sent numerous embassies to Central Asia, opening up the road to the west and becoming established in the area, thus protecting the Silk Road and trade along it. Some Chinese envoys are reported in Roman writings as having reached the Roman Emperor Augustus himself.
The Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty ruled China from 618 to 907 AD. The Tang leaders led China into a time of peace and prosperity; this dynasty represents imperial China and Chinese culture at its most creative. The capital Chang'an (modern-day Xi'an) was one of the wealthiest and most sophisticated cities in the world. Art, poetry, dance, architecture and literature were encouraged by the Tang emperors.
China continued to develop northeast and south. In addition, everything from Tang fashions to systems of government was embraced by countries such as Japan.
The trade routes were opened and vast riches poured into the country through the Silk Road. Free trade along the routes was protected by Chinese garrisons and China dominated Central Asia up to the border of the Persian Empire.
The Han and Tang Dynasties initiated and then established the Silk Road as a major avenue of international trade. During these periods of openness and external influence, the Chinese people never lost their own sense of identity and purpose, but instead China expanded its international influence through trade and cultural interaction. The Silk Road also led to the dissemination of Buddhism, Indian literature and Hellenistic (ancient Greek) art — and as such shaped the world we know today.
By Christine MC Cafferty
拓展语篇2：
Welcome to Dunhuang!
Welcome to Dunhuang! On the old Silk Road, this city was the gateway to and from Ancient China, a place where East met West, and a green island in the middle of the desert. You can only imagine how travellers felt when they saw the oasis of Dunhuang ahead of them.
Dunhuang's long and glorious history represents its significance as a centre of cultural and commercial exchange. Today, Dunhuang is a world-class tourist destination boasting sites with UNESCO-protected heritage status. Now, we are going to enter some of the city's famous caves, of which there are more than 700. Known as the Mogao Grottoes, these ancient caves were carved out of the rock over a period of 1,000 years. If you look up, you can see the paintings and other artworks that are testimony to how the Silk Road brought East and West together. Look at these statues! You can see elements from Ancient Greece, India and Iran. Now look around the walls of the cave. Come a little bit closer so that you can get a better view. Look at them! The murals cover an astonishing area of 45,000 square metres.
The subjects of the Dunhuang murals vary from religious stories to scenes of everyday life. But one type of mural that is unique to Dunhuang shows the Apsaras, or “Flying Immortals”. Representations of these heavenly musicians, singers and dancers decorate the walls of many caves. Take a look at this mural. The Apsaras are depicted sailing in the bright blue sky, with their scarves flying, as if they are about to fly down to meet us. And here is another one. Move over here where you can see it in more detail. The Apsaras are holding lotuses, playing musical instruments, dancing and throwing flowers. The painting of Apsaras reached a peak during the Tang Dynasty; these images are full of life, reflecting the confidence and optimism of people from that time.
Now, something really extraordinary happened in 1900, when a Taoist priest made one of the most important finds of the 20th century. In a sealed cave, now known as the famous Library Cave, were hidden thousands of manuscripts, paintings and scrolls, as well as silk embroideries. We'll have a chance to see some of them shortly — the Library Cave is only a stone's throw from here. Dating from 405 AD to 1002 AD, these hidden treasures give us a picture of Dunhuang when it was at the very centre of the Silk Road trade. Thanks to this ancient library, we now know that goods arrived in Dunhuang from as far away as North-east Europe, and that goods were also exported from Dunhuang across Asia and Europe. The scrolls are so detailed that they describe the vast range of goods that were imported and exported from Dunhuang, such as ceramics, medicine, perfumes and fruit, to name just a few. The scrolls also reveal how many different communities lived side-by-side within this great city. However, the reason why the Library Cave was sealed up all those years ago remains a mystery.
In the Ming Dynasty, trade routes changed and Dunhuang was not as prosperous as it used to be. Gradually, it faded from memory, even though it was once such a great city.
This century is bringing the Silk Road to life once more through the Belt and Road Initiative. Dunhuang has once again become a global crossroads since it hosted hundreds of representatives from 51 countries for the Silk Road International Cultural Expo in 2017. Given that the theme of the Expo was to promote cultural exchange and strengthen mutual cooperation between the countries along the Silk Road, Dunhuang was the ideal place.
Now let's move on to the next cave ...
拓展语篇3：
Former Diplomat Praises BRI
Erik Solheim, former under-secretary general of the United Nations
He says everyone can contribute to goal of helping develop world.
Erik Solheim, former under-secretary general of the United Nations, said that the Belt and Road Initiative, which was launched 10 years ago, has been a “resounding success”.
The Norwegian politician said that he expects the message coming out of the ongoing two sessions, the annual sessions of the National People's Congress, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, to continue work on the BRI and take it in a greener direction.
“President Xi (Jinping) promised that China will stop all overseas coal investment,” said Solheim, referring to Xi's announcement in September 2021 at the UN General Assembly that China would not build any new coal-fired power plants abroad, and would step up support for green and low-carbon energy in developing countries.
“He laid a foundation for the green Belt and Road — massive investments in solar, in wind, in green hydrogen and in electric mobility,” said Solheim, who was also the former executive director of the UN Environmental Program.
Solheim has traveled to China frequently over the decades and said that the development of the BRI going forward reflects the trajectory of reform and opening-up.
While great effort was made in previous decades to boost economic growth and lift people out of poverty, he believes that Xi has taken China onto a people-centered high-quality development path over the past decade.
Solheim also believes that as the global leader in many green technologies, China has an edge, and that its technology should be made available through investments in developing nations.
“So let's work together to make the Belt and Road green as we go forward in the next 10 years,” he said, noting that the BRI has benefited many developing nations over the past decade, citing the China-Laos railway, the Jakarta-Bandung railway, the Djibouti ports and Vietnam's first metro line in Hanoi.
“You can mention so much ... the Belt and Road has been a huge success,” he said, adding that the initiative has contributed to global peace, economic development and prosperity, as well as interpersonal contact.
According to the government, China has signed BRI cooperation agreements with 151 countries and 32 international organizations as of mid-February.
Solheim said that he felt most countries welcome the BRI and want close relations with China and don't want to be forced to choose between China and the United States.
“Developing nations in Africa and Latin America don't want to be a playground for competition between the United States and China. No one wants that. Everyone wants investment, positive investments from both the United States and China,” he said.
Solheim said that the West can come up with similar initiatives to benefit the developing world and that all initiatives can be complementary.
“We can work together, and we should all look for win-win opportunities rather than see everything as a political competition,” he said, possibly referring to the rhetoric from some Western politicians opposed to the BRI.
Solheim believes that all sides can use their advantages to help the developing world. Given its many leading universities, the US could help with training for people from developing nations, while China can help with its experience of building high-speed railways and strong solar industry.
“We need global cooperation,” Solheim said, stressing that poorer developing nations will suffer the most from any potential Cold War between the US and China.