CONFUCIUS would be happy if he lived in the modern world. He would see his works and philosophies still popular among teenagers even though they speak Internet slang (网络语言), like PK, PLMM and GG.
In Changzhou No 2 Middle School, Jiangsu, all Senior 1 students now take a course in "Lun Yu" (The Analects of Confucius, 《论语》), once a week. The school aims to improve students' appreciation of the Confucian heritage as well as ancient Chinese civilization.
"Students' attendance in this course will account for 30 percent of their Chinese score on the final exam. This reward encourages their interest in the course, which is difficult but full of wisdom," said Cao Yongzhong, a Chinese teacher at the school.
It won't be easy for students to enjoy The Analects of Confucius in ancient Chinese as they have so many other subjects to learn and exams to prepare for.
Cheng Yun, 17, didn't like the "additional burden" at first, but now it turns out to be a course that she looks forward to.
"I thought it would take up my time for homework, but it doesn't. Confucius' sentences are short and concise (精炼的). I even use some of his wise sayings in my compositions, which makes my writing more persuasive," Cheng said.
Despite the fact that all students are required to learn some chapters of the book when in junior school, they may be too young to understand the truths revealed by Confucius.
"Although I prefer the language we use nowadays to Confucius', 'The master said' in the book does help me shape my personality," said Zhang Junzhuo, 17.
Here are some of Confucius' sayings. See if you can figure out to which sentences they are in "The Analects of Confucious":
• Learning without thought is labour lost; thought without learning is perilous.
• The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.
• The gentle man is open and at ease; the mean man is full of worries and anxieties.
• Don't do to others what you would not want done to yourself.
• The mechanic who wishes to do his work well must first sharpen his tools.
Which do you think is the best title for this passage?
A.Difficult But Interesting | B.“Confucius Says” Into Classes |
C.I Appreciate Lun Yu | D.The Analects of Confucius |
What does the phrase “account for” in paragraph 3 mean?
A.To explain why something happens. |
B.To form a particular amount or part of something. |
C.To tell the number of something. |
D.To work out something. |
What can we infer from the passage?
A.Students can easily enjoy the ideas in Lun Yu. |
B.You’ll get 30 marks from learning Lun Yu. |
C.Learning “Lun Yu” is an additional burden to students, as they have so many other subjects to learn and exams to prepare for. |
D.The No. 2 Middle School stress that students should enjoy ancient Chinese civilization. |