The Silk Road

The routes

For centuries,the Silk Road was the most important line of communication connecting modern day Xi'an with the Middle East and Europe,today one area in particular is associated most closely with the name of the Silk Road.This area is Xinjiang in Northwest China,through which two major routes of the Silk Road passed on the northern and southern side of the Taklamakan desert.

The name

The Silk Road got its name in the 19^th century when a German geographer identified it as the route through which the Romans got their silk from China.However,silk wasn't the only thing that passed along the Silk Road;anything that had buyers was traded along the road.Goods were traded from market to market passing through many hands before they reached their final destinations.

Buddhism

The Silk Road was not just the route through which goods were carried.It was also important for the exchange of ideas.Buddhism from India entered China along the Silk Road and had a huge influence on Chinese culture.Greek art styles were popular along the Silk Road and gave Buddhist statues in Northern India classical Western faces.These styles from Northerm India were also found in Xinjiang.

The people

One of China's famous monks,Xuan Zang,followed the Silk Road in the 6^th century to collect Buddhist scriptures from India.Around 600 years later,one of Europe's famous travellers,MarcoPolo,entered China along the Silk Road.Both Xuan Zang and Marco Polo left detailed records of their journeys along the Silk Road.

The Silk Road today

Today, the Xinjiang Autonomous Region remains an international crossroad where traders from surrounding countries,and tourists from all over the world regularly meet.Trade in precious stones,food,drinks,crafts,art,and of course,silk,contimues,too.

      The Water World Swimming Pool is open every day from eight o'clock in the morning until half past seven in the evening. It costs two dollars sixty to enter the pool. There is a special cheap price for students with a student card. The price is one dollar forty. But you must bring your student card with you.
      On Wednesday morning the pool is only open to mothers and babies. So mothers can enjoy themselves in the water with their babies. Please leave your older children at home on Wednesday morning.
      The new Water World Café will be open up on June 22nd. From the café you can watch the swimmers or enjoy a drink after you swim.
Please call 2105369 for more information. We look forward to seeing you at the Water World Swimming Pool.

It's eleven o'clock at night, four students still stayed up late playing computer games, although they knew they would have an English test the next day. 

The next morning, they came up with an idea to get out of having to take their test. Each student put some dirt（土）on their face and hands, and then they went to the English teacher's office. They told the teacher that they had a flat tire（轮胎爆胎）on the way to school, and they spent the whole morning pushing their car back to school. The teacher listened, and to the students'surprise, he said that they could do the test in three days. 

On the day of the test, the students went to their teacher's office. The teacher put all four of the students in four different rooms to take the test. The students didn't mind. They were just so happy because they hadthree extra days to study and prepare for the test. In fact, to get better grades, they review the lessons carefully. However, when they read the paper, the students found there were only two questions:

1）Your Name（1 Point）

2）Which tire was flat? （99 Points）

A. Front Right         B. Front Left        C. Back Right         D. Back Left 

Now it's not hard to imagine how shameful they all felt. 

What does running mean to you？For 21﹣year﹣old Wang Xueting and her father Wang Kequan，running is not only a kind of exercise but also a great experience（体验）.

Wang Xueting runs with her father every day now.Wang Xueting's 51﹣year﹣old father was born with an eye problem and that made him lose hope for his life.As a running lover，Wang Xueting didn't give up and decided to help her father.But running wasn't easy for her father in the beginning.Wang Xueting first bought a second﹣hand treadmill（跑步机） online for her father，but he couldn't use it because of his eye problem.

Then she decided to run with her father.At first，they ran in their community（社区）.Later they ran farther and more quickly.Her father slowly liked running.Because of it，he became healthier. "When I'm running，I feel like I'm not disabled （残疾的），" he said.Now running makes Wang Xueting and her father closer.

The story of Wang Xueting and her father moved many people after these people saw photos of their running on the Internet.

They joined a club﹣Running in the Dark for runners with eye problems.They are preparing （准备） to run a half marathon（马拉松赛跑）.Wang Kequan also volunteered （自愿做） to help other disabled people. "My dad is my hero，" Wang Xueting said.

A marathon is a long running race of 26. 2 miles（42. 195 kilometres）. The first Olympic Marathon was held in Athens. Now，many cities host their own marathons every year. Some of the best-known marathons around the world are the New York City Marathon，the Boston Marathon and the Tokyo Marathon. Among them, the Boston Marathon which started in 1897, is the oldest yearly marathon in the world. As time goes by, the sport has become more than just a race. 

Themes of marathons add fun and meaning to the hard miles. Runners run for helping sick kids, celebrating important events, or just enjoying nature. There is a famous marathon in Gisborne, New Zealand, which is known for being the first city in the world to welcome the sunlight every day. Runners can greet the sunrise as they race along the golden sandy beaches. 

Marathon routes（路线） bring people more understanding of the old sport. Some routes provide great sporting challenges for runners. The routes offer various surfaces, from bridges to sand to hills. Runners of all skill levels can sweat freely and push their limits in the race. Some routes are well planned for runners to explore the many sides of a city. For example, the route of the Great Wall Marathon takes the runners along the great wonder of the world. The race can be an amazing chance to get to know Beijing, its people and local food. 

A marathon is quite a journey for runners to enjoy the run, challenge themselves and experience the culture. There is so much more behind the race for us to explore.